This book presents an introduction to the main concepts of statistical physics, followed by applications to specific problems and more advanced concepts, selected for their pedagogical or practical interest. Particular attention has been devoted to the presentation of the fundamental aspects, including the foundations of statistical physics, as well as to the discussion of important physical examples. Comparison of theoretical results with the relevant experimental data (with illustrative curves) is present through the entire textbook. This aspect is facilitated by the broad range of phenomena pertaining to statistical physics, providing example issues from domains as varied as the physics of classical and quantum liquids, condensed matter, liquid crystals, magnetic systems, astrophysics, atomic and molecular physics, superconductivity and many more. This textbook is intended for graduate students (MSc and PhD) and for those teaching introductory or advanced courses on statistical physics.
Key Features:
- A rigorous and educational approach of statistical physics illustrated with concrete examples.
- A clear presentation of fundamental aspects of statistical physics.
- Many exercises with detailed solutions.
Nicolas Sator is Associate Professor at Sorbonne University, Paris, France. He is a member of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of Condensed Matter (LPTMC) and his research focuses on the physics of liquids.
Nicolas Pavloff is Professor at Paris-Saclay University, France. He is a member of Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques (LPTMS) and his domain of research is quantum fluid theory.
Lénaïc Couëdel is Professor at the University of Sasktchewan, Saskatoon, Canada and researcher at CNRS, France. His research area is plasma physics with a focus on complex plasma crystals.
Chapter 1: Microscopic Description of a Macroscopic System. Chapter 2: Microcanonical Statistical Ensemble. Chapter 3: Statistical Thermodynamics. Chapter 4: Canonical and Grand Canonical Statistical Ensembles. Chapter 5: Simple Classical Fluids. Chapter 6: Quantum Statistical Physics. Chapter 7: Bosons. Chapter 8: Fermions. Chapter 9: Phase Transition - Mean Field Theories. Chapter 10: Phase Transition - Spatial Variations of the Order Parameter. Chapter 11: Phase Transitions - Validity of the Mean Field Theory - Scaling Laws. Chapter 12: Percolation. Chapter 13: Dynamics of Phase Transitions. Chapter 14: Bose-Einstein Condensates of Weakly Interacting Dilute Gases. Appendix A: Mathematical Complements. Index.
Biography
Nicolas Sator is Associate Professor at Sorbonne University, Paris, France. He is a member of the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of Condensed Matter (LPTMC) and his research focuses on the physics of liquids.
Nicolas Pavloff is Professor at Paris-Saclay University, France. He is a member of Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques (LPTMS) and his domain of research is quantum fluid theory.
Lénaïc Couëdel is Professor at the University of Sasktchewan, Saskatoon, Canada and researcher at CNRS, France. His research area is plasma physics with a focus on complex plasma crystals.
