DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS
EP3120 Statistical Physics Problem Set 7 11.10.2023
Ideal Fermi gas at absolute zero: We recall that the mean number of particles
in an ideal gas of fermions at inverse temperature β and volume V is given by
2πgV (2m)3/2 ∞ ε1/2 dε
Z
hN i =
h3 0 eβ(ε−µ) + 1
where g = 2S + 1 is the degeneracy factor of each particle, and µ is the chemical
potential. As we know, this equation is to be regarded as an implicit equation for
µ, which is a function of the mean number density n = hN i/V and the temperature
T = 1/(kB β). Owing to the term +1 in the denominator of the integrand (in sharp
contrast to the term −1 in the case of bosons), there is no condition restricting µ to
be 6 εmin in the fermion case. The chemical potential µ(n, T ) is also called the Fermi
energy of the gas, denoted by εF (n, T ). However, it is common practice (which we
shall sdopt) to use the term ‘Fermi energy’ for the chemical potential at T = 0, and
to write this as simply εF without specifying any arguments. Further, let us consider
spin- 12 fermions, so that g = 2.
1. A very interesting and explicitly solvable case arises as T → 0 from above, or
β → +∞. In this limit,
β(ε−ε ) 1, ε < εF
1/ e F
+1 →
0, ε > εF
Use this simplification to obtain the expression
1 3nh3 2/3
εF = .
2m 2π
for the Fermi energy. Note the power-law dependence εF ∝ n2/3 of the Fermi energy
on the number density.
2. Hence show that the internal energy of the gas is
4πV (2m)3/2 εF 3/2
Z
3
hEi = 3
ε dε = hN iεF .
h 0 5
This is the ground state energy of a Fermi gas at absolute zero. (That is, the internal
energy per particle is 35 εF at T = 0◦ K.) Alternatively, the internal energy per unit
volume is
hEi 3
= u = nεF ∝ n5/3 .
V 5
Fermi temperature: The Fermi temperature is defined by kB TF = εF . It turns
out to be & 104 K for the electron gas in a normal metal at room temperature, which
1
is why the electron gas can be taken to be a Fermi gas at absolute zero to a good
approximation. The leading T -dependence of the chemical potential can be shown to
be n π 2 kB T 2 o
εF (n, T ) ' εF 1 −
12 εF
where εF stands for εF (n, 0) as already stated. Using this result, we can go on to
show that the leading correction to the internal energy at absolute zero is given by
3 n 5π 2 kB T 2 o n 5π 2 kB T 2 o
hEi ' hN iεF 1 + = hEiT =0 1 + .
5 12 εF 12 εF
3. Linear specific heat: Hence show that the leading low-temperature behavior of
the specific heat of a Fermi gas is linear in T , i.e.,
∂hEi π 2 kB
2
Cv = = hN iγT where γ = .
∂T V,N 2εF
This is the well known linear T -dependence of the electronic contribution to the spe-
cific heat of a solid at very low temperatures, in contrast to the T 3 dependence of
the lattice (or phonon) contribution. The latter arises because the relevant phonons
(quantized lattice vibrations) act like a gs of massless bosons, analogous to a photon
gas– recall that the latter has an internal energy proportional to T 4 , and hence a
specific heat proportional to T 3 .
The physical reason for a linear specific heat is that the Fermi gas at absolute zero
has all its energy levels up to εF completely occupied. The only particles that can
absorb thermal energy from the heat bath (which is of the order of kB T per degree of
freedom) are those within a range kB T of the Fermi energy. This implies an ability
to absorb thermal energy of the order of (kB T )2 , which in turn implies a specific heat
that is linear in T .
4. Pressure of a Fermi gas at absolute zero: Use the relation between the
pressure P and ths internal energy per unit volume u for a massive ideal gas in 3
dimensions to obtain
2
P = nεF .
5
Hence P ∝ n5/3 for this gas. It is noteworthy that the gas exerts a pressure even
though it is at absolute zero! This pressure arises purely from the statistical repulsion
between the particles of the gas owing to the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
5. The entropy at absolute zero: At T = 0◦ K, the gas is in its unique ground
state, and its entropy must vanish, since S = kB ln Ω and Ω = 1. By the Euler
relation, we have T S = hEi + P V − µhN i. Substituting the values of the quantities
on the right-hand side at absolute zero, we find that T S vanishes at T = 0◦ K. How
must the argument be refined to show that S itself vanishes at absolute zero?
2
6. Relativistic Fermi gas at absolute zero: The modification of the foregoing
that is needed when the particles of the Fermi gas move relativistically is the energy-
momentum relation, that is now given by ε2 = c2 p2 + m2 c4 . Since the quantity
β(ε−ε ) 1, ε < εF
1/ e F
+1 →
0, ε > εF
as in the nonrelativistic case, the particles once again have a momentum cut-off, the
Fermi momentum pF . But this is now related to the Fermi energy by
ε2F = c2 p2F + m2 c4 .
The mean number of particles is again given by
4πgV pF 2 8πV p3F
Z
hN i = p dp = .
h3 0 3h3
Hence 3nh3 1/3
pF = ∝ n1/3 ,
8π
exactly as in the nonrelativistic case. The Fermi energy, however, is now given by
h 3nh3 2/3 i1/2
ε F = c2 + m2 c4 .
8π
The internal energy of the gas is
Z pF
8πV c 1/2
hEi = dp p2 p2 + p2C
h3 0
where pC ≡ mc is the Compton momentum of a particle in the gas. Evaluate the
integral to show that
πV cp4C
sinh ξ − ξ where ξ = 4 sinh−1 (pF /pC ).
hEi = 3
4h
7. Ultra-relativistic case: In the ultra-relativistic limit of massless fermions, we
have ε = c p and εF = c pF . Find u, the internal energy per unit volume in this case.
Hence find the pressure of the gas and show that P ∝ n4/3 , in contrast to the relation
P ∝ n5/3 obtained in the nonrelativistic case.
