Cornell University, Physics Department Fall 2014

PHYS-3341 Statistical Physics Prof. Itai Cohen

Solutions to Problem Set 6

David C. Tsang, Woosong Choi

6.1 Harmonic Oscillator

Reif 6.1: A simple harmonic one-dimensional oscillator has energy levels given
by En = (n + 12 )~, where is the characteristic (angular) frequency of the
oscillator and where the quantum number n can assume the possible integral
values n = 0, 1, 2, . . .. Suppose that such an oscillator is in thermal contact with
a heat reservoir at temperature T low enough so that kT /(~) 1.

(a) Find the ratio of the probability of the oscillator being in the first excited
state to the probability of its being in the ground state.
(b) Assuming that only the ground state and first excited state are apprecia-
bly occupied, find the mean energy of the oscillator as a function of the
temperature T .

(a) We have
P1 exp[E1 ] exp[(1 + 1/2)~]
= = = e~
P0 exp[E0 ] exp[(0 + 1/2)~]

(b) The average energy is given by

P Er
re Er Eo eEo + E1 eE1
E= P =
re eEo + eE1
Er

which gives
1
+ 23 PP10 ~ 1 + 3e~

E = ~ 2
=
1 + PP10 2 1 + e~

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6.2 Two State System
Reif 6.6: A system consists of N weakly interacting particles, each of which
can be in either of two states with respective energies 1 and 2 , where 1 < 2 .

(a) Without explicit calculation, make a qualitative plot of the mean energy E
of the system as a function of its temperature T . What is E in the limit
of very low and very high temperatures? Roughly near what temperature
does E change from its low to its high temperature limiting values?
(b) Using the result of (a), make a qualitative plot of the heat capacity CV (at
constant volume) as a function of the temperature T .
) and heat capacity CV (T ) of this
(c) Calculate explicitly the mean energy E(T
system. Verify that your expressions exhibit the qualitative features dis-
cussed in (a) and (b).

(a) For a system in contact with heat reservoir we know that the probabilty of the system
being in a state with energy E is proportional to eE , the Boltzmann factor. Thus,
without detailed calculation, we can deduce that low T limit gives E = N1 and high
T limit E = N 1 +
2
2
. (In low temperatures, particles will prefer to sit in a lower energy
state. In high temperatures, particles will fill both state equally likely.) Now, there is
one energy scale associated with the difference between the two states = 2 1 .
Roughly, the transition of E will occur at = 1.

2 1
T =
k

(b) Qualitatively, the energy should approach /2 as T and as T 0, energy goes

to 0. Also, the probability ratio of being in the two states is an exponential function,
the Boltzmann factor, this is not a linear graph. Thus it should be something like a
smooth step function changing its value at around kT .
CV is a first derivative of E(T ) thus is should be peaked at around kT according
to the argument and should approach zero for high and low temperatures.

(c) Using the Boltzmann factor,

1 e1 + 2 e2 1 e + 2 e(2 1 )
E = N 1 =
e + e2 1 + e(2 1 )
1 . For
We can easily verify that in the low temperature limit, , we get E
high temperature limit, 0, the Boltzmann factor approch one, thus E 1 +
2
2
.
To find CV we take the derivative of this
E 2 e (1 + e ) (1 + 2 e )(e ) N 1 2 e
CV = =N =
T (1 + e )2 T kT 2 (1 + e )2

2
Plotting these functions we get figures 1 and 2. And from these we can indeed see the
features we predicted. CV is peaked around some value , and goes to 0 as T is
greater or smaller than the value.

Figure 1: E/ vs kT /

Figure 2: CV /k vs kT /

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6.3 Centrifuge
(a) For any particular particle located at position (x, y, z), with momentum (px , py , pz ). We
have the energy
p2x + p2y + p2z
E= (xpy ypx)
2m
Completing the squares in momentum we see
1  2  1
E= pz + (p2x + 2mypx + m2 2 y 2 ) + (p2y + 2mxpy + m2 2 x2 ) m 2 (x2 + y 2)
2m 2
This gives the partition function for a single particle
1
ZZZ Z Z Z
1
p2z /2m (py +mx)2 2 2 2
Z1 = 3 dy dx dz e dpz e dpy e(px +my) dpx e 2 m r
h
 3/2 Z L Z 2 Z R
1 2m 1 2 2
= 3 dz d e 2 m r rdr
h 0 0 0
 3/2
2m 2L 1 m2 R2
Z1 = 2
(e 2 1) .
h m 2

(b) Since the particles do not interact we have the total partition function
" 3/2 #N
2m 2L 1 2 2
Z = Z1N = (e 2 m R 1)
h2 m 2

(c) The Hemlholtz free energy is given by

     
3 2m 2L 1
m 2 R2
F = kT ln Z = NkT ln Z1 = NkT ln + ln + ln(e 2 1) .
2 h2 m 2

(d) First we note that intuitively the pressure should vary with the radius. We have the
Helmholtz free energy

F = E TS dF = SdT p(r)dV = SdT R2 pavg dL 2rLp(r)dr

where pavg is the pressure averaged over the horizontal cross section at z = L. Thus
we have the pressure
Nm 2
 
1 F
p(R) = =
2RL R L,T 2L(1 em2 R2 /2 )

The total force on the outer wall of the cylinder must then be
NmR 2
f (R) = 2RLp(R) =
(1 em2 R2 /2 )

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(e) The probability density of a particle being at position r is
 3/2
2m 2 r 2 /2
P (r) = 2L rem /Z1
h2

Thus the number density

2 2
Nm 2 em r /2
n(r) = .
2L(em2 R2 /2 1)

The pressure is then given as

2 2
Nm 2 em r /2
p(r) = .
2L(em2 R2 /2 1)

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6.4 Statistical Entropy
(a) For the
P microcanonical ensemble, we know S = k ln . So we need to show that
k r Pr ln Pr = k ln . For the microcanonical ensemble: Pr = 1/ for E < Er <
E + E and 0 otherwise, thus we have
X X1 1
k Pr ln Pr = k ln
r r

X1 X1
= k ln 1 + k ln
r
r

= k ln .

(b) Reif 6.13

XX XX
S = k Prs ln Prs = k Pr Ps ln(Pr Ps ) since Pr and Ps are independant
r s r s
X X X X
= k Ps Pr ln Pr k Pr Ps ln Ps = k(1)(S1 /k) k(1)(S2 /k)
s r r s
= S1 + S2 (1)

(b) Reif 6.15 X X

S = k Pr ln Pr So = k Pr(o) ln Pr(o)
r r

X
Pr ln Pr + Pr(o) ln Pr(o)

S So = k
r
X
Pr ln Pr + Pr ln Pr(o) Pr ln Pr(o) + Pr(o) ln Pr( o)

= k
r
(o)
X Pr X
Pr (Er ln Z) + Pr(o) (Er ln Z)

= k Pr ln +k
r
Pr r

(Since ln Pr(o) = Er ln Z)
(o) 0
0

X Pr X X
(o)
X X
(o)

= k Pr ln + k( Pr Er
Pr Er ) + k ln Z (
P
r Pr )

r
Pr r

r r

r

(o)
X Pr
= k Pr ln .
r
Pr

We also note that ln x x 1 which implies

(o)
X Pr X
S So = k Pr ln k (Pr(o) Pr ) = 0
r
Pr r

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 Thus we must have
S So
where equality represents the most likely canonical distribution.

6.5 Ideal Gas in a Gravitational Field

Reif 7.2: An ideal monoatomic gas of N particles, each of mass m, is in thermal
equilibrium at absolute temperature T . The gas is contained in a cubical box of
side L, whose top and bottom sides are parallel to the earths surface. The effect
of the earthss uniform gravitational field on the particles should be considered,
the acceleration due to gravity being g.

(a) What is the average kinetic energy of a particle?

(b) What is the average potential energy of the particle?

This problem is most easily approached by first determining the partition function for a gas
molecule in the gravitational field. We have

p2
E= + mgz
2m
Treating the system classically we have
L/2
1
ZZZ ZZZ
2 2 2
Z = 3 e(/2m)(px +py +pz )mgz dpx dpy dpz dxdydz
h0 L/2
L/2 Z L/2
1
ZZ ZZ

(/2m)(p2x +p2y +p2z )
= 3 dxdy e dpx dpy dpz emgz dz
h0 L/2 L/2
 3 r 3 Z L/2
L 2m 1 mgz
= e dz (doing the Gaussian integral)
h0 L/2 L
 2 3/2   
L 2m 2 mgL
= sinh
h20 mgL 2

The first term in the product is the kinetic term, which is the same as for a normal ideal
gas. The second term in the product is the potential term.

(a) The kinetic energy can be given either by the equipartition thereom as Ek = 23 kT or by
taking a derivatives of the partition function
ln Zk 3 3 3
Ek = = ln = = kT
2 2 2

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(b) The potential energy can be found by taking derivatives of the potential part of the
partition function

ln Zp 1 1 sinh(mgL/2) mgL cosh(mgL/2)

Ep = = = kT
sinh(mgL/2) 2 sinh(mgL/2)

This gives
mgL
Ep = kT coth(mgL/2kT )
2
Checking the zero gravity limit: g 0 we have coth(mgL/2kT ) 2kT
mLg
+ mgL
6kT
+ O(g 3),
Thus we have Ep kT mgL 2kT
2 mgL
= kT kT = 0 as expected.