PH 202 : STATISTICAL MECHANICS

ASSIGNMENT 3, Total Marks: 60

1. Show that, quite generally, the low-temperature behaviour of the

• chemical potential of an ideal Fermi gas is given by

" #
2
π d ln a(ε)   kB T  2
µ = εF 1 − (1)
6 d ln ε ε=εF εF

here a(ε) is the density of the (single-particle) states in the system. Use the asymptotic
result,
Z ∞ Z ξ
ϕ(x)dx π 2  dϕ  7π 4  d3 ϕ  31π 6  d5 ϕ 
= ϕ(x)dx + + + (2)
0 ex−ξ + 1 0 6 dx x=ξ 360 dx3 x=ξ 15120 dx5 x=ξ
where ϕ(x) is any well behaved function of x. (Refer Appendix E of Statistical Me-
chanics by R. K. Pathria for more details.)[2.5]

• Specific heat and the entropy in given by

π2 2
Cv ≃ S ≃ k T a(εF ) (3)
3 B
here a(ε) is the density of the (single-particle) states in the system.[2.5]
• Using the above expression, show that the low-temperature specific heat of the rela-
tivistic Fermi gas, is given by

CV (x2 + 1)1/2 kB T
= π2 (4)
N kB x2 mc2
pF
where x = [2].
mc
2. Consider non-relativistic ideal non-interacting gas of N Bosons/Fermions in a two-dimensional
⃗k2
box of area A = L × L obeying the dispersion ϵ(⃗k) = 2m . Starting from the following defi-
nitions of the grand partition functions
⃗ ⃗
Y Y
QB = [1 − e−β(ϵ(k)−µB ) ]−1 , QF = [1 + e−β(ϵ(k)−µF ) ] (5)
⃗k ⃗k

for Bosons and Fermions, respectively.

• Show that
2 2
zB = 1 − e−ρΛ , zF = −1 + eρΛ (6)
where, z = eβµ is the fugacity, ρ = N/A is the number density and Λ = (2πβh̄2 /m)1/2
is the thermal wavelength. Note that 0 ≤ zB ≤ 1 while 0 ≤ zF ≤ ∞. [2]
• Show that the energy per area (E = E/A) for bosons and fermions are given by
1 1
EB = Li 2 (zB ), EF = − Li2 (−zF ) (7)
βΛ2 βΛ2
where, Lis (z) is the polylogarithm. See Wikipedia for the definitions and their prop-
erties. [2]
 • Using the property of the dilogarithms show that
EB = EF + const, (8)
where the “const” is independent of temperature and hence show that specific heats
are the same. Comment on the sign of the constant. Comment on the high and low-
temperature behaviour of specific heat.[3]

• Show that for relativistic gas (ϵ(⃗k) ∼ |⃗k|) in one dimension, specific heat of bosons
and fermions are also the same. Comment on other dimensions.[2]
• The equation of state is given by (two dimension)
Z ρ
ρ′ Λ2
Pβ = ∓ dρ′ ∓ρ′ Λ2 , (9)
0 e −1
where the upper sign is for fermions, and the lower sign is for bosons. At high tem-
peratures, one can write the equation of state in terms of the viral coefficients. Show
that for bosons and fermions, all virial coefficients are the same except for the second,
for which the signs are the opposite. Compute the pressure difference between Bose
and Fermi gas and show that it is constant independent of temperature. Note that
this constant is the same as you obtained in eq. (8). [2]

Hint: Use the following series

X xn∞
x
= Bn , 0 < |x| < 2π (10)
ex − 1 n=0 n!
where Bn are Bernoulli numbers.
3. • Figure 1 is the plot of CV (T ) against T for a solid, the limiting value CV (∞) being
the classical result 3N kB . Show that the shaded area in the figure, namely
Z ∞
[CV (∞) − CV (T )]dT (11)
0

is exactly equal to the zero-point energy of the solid.[4]

Figure 1: CV Vs T plot for a solid.

• Assuming the dispersion relation ω = Ak s , where ω is the angular frequency, and k

is the wave number of a vibrational mode existing in a 3D Debye solid, show that
the respective contribution to the specific heat of the solid at low temperatures is
proportional to T 3/s . Also, show that for phonons (ω ∼ k), the specific heat of an
n-dimensional Debye system is proportional to T n at low temperatures. Show that at
high temperatures, you get expected constant specific heat. [4]

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 • The heat capacity of an unknown substance (3D) varies as CV = aT 3/2 + bT 3 at low
temperatures. What can you infer about the substance? [1]
Hint: Total specific heat is CV,tot = Cphonon + Celectron + Cmagnon .

4. For an ideal Fermi gas system, we have

P g
= 3 f5/2 (z) (12)
kB T λ
N g
= 3 f3/2 (z) (13)
V λ
where g is the weight factor arising from the internal structure of the particles, such as
spin, and λ is the mean thermal wavelength of the particle. Use the Sommerfeld’s lemma
(Refer Statistical Mechanics by R.K. Pathria Appendix E), to show that in the second
approximation,

• the chemical potential of such a system at low temperature is

" #
π 2  kB T  2 π 4  kB T  4
µ ≃ εF 1 − − (14)
12 εF 80 εF

Hint: Use the Sommerfeld’s lemma to obtain a series expression for εF in terms of
ln z. Invert this series to get the required expression. For this, start from
h  k T 2  k T 4 i
B B
kB T ln z = εF 1 + a2 + a4 + ... (15)
εF εF
and fix the coefficients.[3]
• the mean energy per particle is given by
" #
U 3 5π 2  kB T 2 π 4  kB T 4
≃ εF 1 + − (16)
N 5 12 εF 16 εF

[3]
• Find the ratio of the T 3 correction to the T 1 correction for the specific heat of an elec-
tron gas. For copper, compare the magnitude of this T 3 term with the low temperature
specific heat arising from the Debye modes of the lattice. [1]

5. You may refer to these papers, along with your own research, for assistance.
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.87.404, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.87.410

Consider the grand canonical partition function

NV NV  
X
N
Y z
Q= z QN (T, V ) = N 1− (17)
N =0 k=1
zk

where z is fugacity and QN (T, V ) is the usual canonical partition function. NV is the
maximum number of particles the volume (V ) can contain. N is the overall normalization.
zk is one of the NV zeros of the grand partition function.

• Comment on the nature of the zeros (zk ) and explain. In particular argue that there
is no zero lying on the positive real z-axis. [1]

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 Now take the thermodynamic limit where NV → ∞ and V → ∞ but, NVV is finite. As
Lee and Yang showed, in this limitthere could arise a real and positive zero. At this
specific point, ln Q = k ln 1 − zzk shows non-analytic behaviour, which indicates the
P

phase transition (where certain physical quantities show up jumps as you approach from
two different sides).

• Take the following simple toy example to illustrate this. Consider

Q = (1 + z)M (1 + z + z 2 + ... + z M −1 ), M = V /v0 (18)

Find all the zeros of the partition function. Show that there could be a real positive
zero in the V → ∞ limit. At this point, phase transition happens. Plot the zeros
for finite V and V → ∞. Show that pressure (p) is continuous, but number density
(ρ = N/V ) shows a jump at this point. Compute this jump (∆ρ). Determine the
order of the phase transition. [4]

Hint: Analyze |z| > 1 and |z| < 1 separately.

• For the distribution of zeros in the complex z-plane, as shown in figure 2. Plot p − ln z
and ρ − ln z. Explain the plot. Explain why they are monotonically increasing. [3]

Figure 2: Curves of zeros of the grand partition function in the complex z-plane. The horizontal
arrow is the real-positive z-axis. R, R1 , R2 , R3 regions have no zeros.

Hint: You may take help from the above references.

• Apply these ideas in the one-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model and show that
there is no phase transition at T > 0. First, show that non-analytic behaviour in the
free energy appears at eigenvalues crossing in the large N -limit. Now set z = e−βh
and show that z has a real and positive solution if and only if T = 0. Find it. Also,
show that solutions are lying on a circle for T > 0 in the complex z-plane. [3]

Hint: The canonical partition function for the ferromagnetic Ising model is
N
eβ(J+h) e−βJ

Z = Tr = λN N
+ + λ− , (19)
e−βJ eβ(J−h)

where λ± are the eigenvalues.

• Is it possible to have a phase transition in the situations mentioned in Q2 and Q4 in
your assignment 2 in the thermodynamic limit? Explain. [1]

6. Stoner Ferromagnetism: The conduction electrons in a metal can be treated as a gas

of fermions of spin 1/2 (with up/down degeneracy), and density n = N/V . Here V is
the volume, N+ and N− are the number of electrons with up and down spins respectively
(N = N+ + N− ).

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 • The ground state has two fermi seas filled by the spin-up and spin-down electrons.
Express the corresponding fermi wavevectors kF ± in terms of the densities n± . [1]
• Calculate the kinetic energy density of the ground state as a function of the densities
n± , and fundamental constants.[2]
• The Coulomb repulsion favors wave functions that are anti-symmetric in position
coordinates, thus keeping the electrons apart. Because of the full (position and spin)
anti-symmetry of fermionic wave functions, this interaction may be approximated by
an effective spin– spin coupling that favors states with parallel spins. In this simple
approximation, the net effect is described by an interaction energy
N+ N−
U =α (20)
V
α is related to the scattering length a by α = 4πh̄2 a/m. We would like to find out
if the unmagnetized gas with N+ = N− = N/2 still minimizes the energy, or if the
gas is spontaneously magnetized. Assuming small deviations n± = n/2 ± δ from the
symmetric state, expand the kinetic energy to second order in δ.[1]
• Express the spin-spin interaction density U/V in terms of n and δ. Find the critical
value of αc , such that for αc > α the electron gas can lower its total energy by
spontaneously developing a magnetization.[2]
7. Investigate the Pauli paramagnetism of an ideal gas of fermions with intrinsic magnetic
moment µ∗ and spin Jh̄, J = (1/2, 3/2, ...), and derive expressions for the low-temperature
and high-temperature susceptibilities of the gas.[3]
8. The classical Hamiltonian for a harmonic oscillator of frequency ω
p2 1
H= + mω 2 q 2 (21)
2m 2
We will assume that in quantum mechanics the energy levels are quantized as

Hqm = x + yn, where n = 0,1,2... (22)

and aim to find the parameters x and y by matching to classical counterparts.

• Compute the classical partition function Zc (β) and energy Ec (β).[1]
• Compute the quantum partition function Zqm (β), and obtain y by matching to Zc (β)[2]
at high temperatures.
• Compute the energy Eqm (β), and expand the result for β → 0 , including the leading
two terms. By matching to Ec (β) find the parameter x.[2]
Does this match your expectations??

Please do write all the steps by which you arrived at the result clearly.

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