CRC Press Sturge's Statistical and Thermal Physics, Second Edition

The original work by M.D. Sturge has been updated and expanded to include new chapters covering non-equilibrium and biological systems. This second edition re-organizes the material in a more natural manner into four parts that continues to assume no previous knowledge of thermodynamics. The four divisions of the material introduce the subject inductively and rigorously, beginning with key concepts of equilibrium thermodynamics such as heat, temperature and entropy. The second division focuses on the fundamentals of modern thermodynamics: free energy, chemical potential and the partition function. The second half of the book is then designed with the flexibility to meet the needs of both the instructor and the students, with a third section focused on the different types of gases: ideal, Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein, Black Body Radiation and the Photon gases. In the fourth and final division of the book, modern thermostatistical applications are addressed: semiconductors, phase transitions, transport processes, and finally the new chapters on non-equilibrium and biological systems. Key Features: Provides the most readable, thorough introduction to statistical physics and thermodynamics, with magnetic, atomic, and electrical systems addressed alongside development of fundamental topics at a non-rigorous mathematical level Includes brand-new chapters on biological and chemical systems and non-equilibrium thermodynamics, as well as extensive new examples from soft condensed matter and correction of typos from the prior edition Incorporates new numerical and simulation exercises throughout the book Adds more worked examples, problems, and exercises Review "This second edition is an updating and reworking of Sturge’s original text by Olafsen (Baylor Univ.), who was the author of the first edition’s solution manual, has taught using the text, and notably used Sturge’s original notes as guidance for creating this revision. While Olafsen has addressed some well-known errors that appeared in the 2003 edition (CH, Mar'04, 41-4103), more significantly, he has reorganized and added to the text to enhance its utility for a broader audience. Typically, statistical physics is seen as a bridge between classical and quantum physics, which both Sturge and Olafsen believe to be an error. This difference in approach (explained in part 1) provides Olafsen’s motivation for regrouping the chapters, encouraging instructors to now start with macroscopic thermodynamics or perhaps microscopic statistics. Further along, the coverage of the thermodynamics of gases (part 3) has been reorganized so that instructors can selectively cover parts of the material more easily. Importantly, new chapters have been added on biological and chemical systems and non-equilibrium thermodynamics (part 4). Olafsen has also updated the text by introducing numerical simulations. These changes modernize the text and add considerable flexibility for instructors. Olafsen has been successful in his quest to provide a text that instructors should choose over the earlier edition."-E. Kincanon, Gonzaga University, in CHOICE, September 2020 About the Author Jeffrey Olafsen is an Associate Professor of Physics at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. His research focuses on experimental non-equilibrium and nonlinear dynamics, including granular physics and biomechanics. The research in his laboratory has been primarily pursued with undergraduate researchers who are co-authors on his journal articles. The soft matter systems about which he publishes often draw on analogies to traditional thermodynamical systems.