Statistical Mechanics of Nonequilibrium Liquids


Book Description

"There is a symbiotic relationship between theoretical nonequilibrium statistical mechanics on the one hand and the theory and practice of computer simulation on the other. Sometimes, the initiative for progress has been with the pragmatic requirements of computer simulation and at other times, the initiative has been with the fundamental theory of nonequilibrium processes. This book summarises progress in this field up to 1990"--Publisher's description.




Statistical Mechanics of Nonequilibrium Liquids


Book Description

Statistical Mechanics of Nonequilibrium Liquids deals with theoretical rheology. The book discusses nonlinear response of systems and outlines the statistical mechanical theory. In discussing the framework of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, the book explains the derivation of a nonequilibrium analogue of the Gibbsian basis for equilibrium statistical mechanics. The book reviews the linear irreversible thermodynamics, the Liouville equation, and the Irving-Kirkwood procedure. The text then explains the Green-Kubo relations used in linear transport coefficients, the linear response theory, the isothermal linear response theory, as well as the equivalence of thermostatted linear responses. The book also describes how thermostatted linear mechanical response of many-body systems can be related to equilibrium fluctuations. The text explains the procedure for calculating the linear Navier-Stokes transport coefficients through computer simulation algorithms. The book also discusses the van Kampen objection to linear response theory, the steady-state fluctuations, and the thermodynamics of steady states. The text will prove valuable for researchers in molecular chemistry, scientists, and academicians involved in advanced physics.




Statistical Physics of Liquids at Freezing and Beyond


Book Description

Exploring important theories for understanding freezing and the liquid-glass transition, this book is useful for graduate students and researchers in soft-condensed matter physics, chemical physics and materials science. It details recent ideas and key developments, providing an up-to-date view of current understanding. The standard tools of statistical physics for the dense liquid state are covered. The freezing transition is described from the classical density functional approach. Classical nucleation theory as well as applications of density functional methods for nucleation of crystals from the melt are discussed, and compared to results from computer simulation of simple systems. Discussions of supercooled liquids form a major part of the book. Theories of slow dynamics and the dynamical heterogeneities of the glassy state are presented, as well as nonequilibrium dynamics and thermodynamic phase transitions at deep supercooling. Mathematical treatments are given in full detail so readers can learn the basic techniques.




Equilibrium and Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics


Book Description

This book encompasses our current understanding of the ensemble approach to many-body physics, phase transitions and other thermal phenomena, as well as the quantum foundations of linear response theory, kinetic equations and stochastic processes. It is destined to be a standard text for graduate students, but it will also serve the specialist-researcher in this fascinating field; some more elementary topics have been included in order to make the book self-contained.The historical methods of J Willard Gibbs and Ludwig Boltzmann, applied to the quantum description rather than phase space, are featured. The tools for computations in the microcanonical, canonical and grand-canonical ensembles are carefully developed and then applied to a variety of classical and standard quantum situations. After the language of second quantization has been introduced, strongly interacting systems, such as quantum liquids, superfluids and superconductivity, are treated in detail. For the connoisseur, there is a section on diagrammatic methods and applications.In the second part dealing with non-equilibrium processes, the emphasis is on the quantum foundations of Markovian behaviour and irreversibility via the Pauli-Van Hove master equation. Justifiable linear response expressions and the quantum-Boltzmann approach are discussed and applied to various condensed matter problems. From this basis the Onsager-Casimir relations are derived, together with the mesoscopic master equation, the Langevin equation and the Fokker-Planck truncation procedure. Brownian motion and modern stochastic problems such as fluctuations in optical signals and radiation fields briefly make the round.




Statistical Physics of Crystals and Liquids


Book Description

Presents a unified formulation from first principles of the Hailtonian and statistical mechanics of metallic and insulating crystals, amorphous solids, and liquids.




Computational Statistical Mechanics


Book Description

Computational Statistical Mechanics describes the use of fast computers to simulate the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of gases, liquids, and solids at, and away from equilibrium. The underlying theory is developed from basic principles and illustrated by applying it to the simplest possible examples. Thermodynamics, based on the ideal gas thermometer, is related to Gibb's statistical mechanics through the use of Nosé-Hoover heat reservoirs. These reservoirs use integral feedback to control temperature. The same approach is carried through to the simulation and analysis of nonequilibrium mass, momentum, and energy flows. Such a unified approach makes possible consistent mechanical definitions of temperature, stress, and heat flux which lead to a microscopic demonstration of the Second Law of Thermodynamics directly from mechanics. The intimate connection linking Lyapunov-unstable microscopic motions to macroscopic dissipative flows through multifractal phase-space structures is illustrated with many examples from the recent literature. The book is well-suited for undergraduate courses in advanced thermodynamics, statistical mechanic and transport theory, and graduate courses in physics and chemistry.




Statistical Mechanics for the Liquid State


Book Description

In a simple and accessible form, this book presents a unified approach to the physics of the liquid state, both in and out of equilibrium. It discerns, behind the seemingly anarchistic proliferation of phenomena observable in the liquid state, the sequence of causes and effects and, where appropriate, the underlying rules that preside over the general principles. The book begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of statistical mechanics, such as classical and quantum mechanics, probability theory, and the kinetic theory of gases, before moving on to discuss theoretical methods in order to contextualise the study of liquids. The last final section is devoted to ordering in complex fluids. It includes detailed technical notes and explicit calculations, and will appeal to graduate students in physics and chemistry. It will also be of interest the reader interested in statistical mechanics and their application to the physics of dense matter. This book will certainly become an indispensable reference for students and researchers who wish to become familiar with a multifaceted process looking towards new horizons.




Statistical Physics


Book Description

Statistical Physics provides an introduction to the basic principles of statistical mechanics. Statistical mechanics is one of the fundamental branches of theoretical physics and chemistry, and deals with many systems such as gases, liquids, solids, and even molecules which have many atoms. The book consists of three parts. Part I gives the principles, with elementary applications to noninteracting systems. It begins with kinetic theory and discusses classical and quantum systems in equilibrium and nonequilibrium. In Part II, classical statistical mechanics is developed for interacting systems in equilibrium and nonequilibrium. Finally, in Part III, quantum statistics is presented to an extent which enables the reader to proceed to advanced many-body theories. This book is written for a one-year graduate course in statistical mechanics or a half-year course followed by a half-year course on related subjects, such as special topics and applications or elementary many-body theories. Efforts are made such that discussions of each subject start with an elementary level and end at an advanced level.




Statistical Mechanics of Nonequilibrium Liquids


Book Description

In recent years the interaction between dynamical systems theory and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics has been enormous. The discovery of fluctuation theorems as a fundamental structure common to almost all non-equilibrium systems, and the connections with the free energy calculation methods of Jarzynski and Crooks, have excited both theorists and experimentalists. This graduate-level book charts the development and theoretical analysis of molecular dynamics as applied to equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. Designed for both researchers in the field and graduate students of physics, it connects molecular dynamics simulation with the mathematical theory to understand non-equilibrium steady states. It also provides a link between the atomic, nano, and macro worlds. The book ends with an introduction to the use of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to justify a thermodynamic treatment of non-equilibrium steady states, and gives a direction to further avenues of exploration.




Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics


Book Description

This is a presentation of the main ideas and methods of modern nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. It is the perfect introduction for anyone in chemistry or physics who needs an update or background in this time-dependent field. Topics covered include fluctuation-dissipation theorem; linear response theory; time correlation functions, and projection operators. Theoretical models are illustrated by real-world examples and numerous applications such as chemical reaction rates and spectral line shapes are covered. The mathematical treatments are detailed and easily understandable and the appendices include useful mathematical methods like the Laplace transforms, Gaussian random variables and phenomenological transport equations.