This is one of the very few books focusing on relativistic statistical mechanics, and is written by a leading expert in this special field. It started from the notion of relativistic kinetic theory, half a century ago, exploding into relativistic statistical mechanics. This will interest specialists of various fields, especially the (classical and quantum) plasma physics. However, quantum physics ? to which a major part is devoted ? will be of more interest since, not only it applies to quantum plasma physics, but also to nuclear matter and to strong magnetic field, cosmology, etc. Although the domain of gauge theory is not covered in this book, the topic is not completely forgotten, in particular in the domain of plasma physics. This book is particularly readable for graduate students and a fortiori to young researchers for whom it offers methods and also appropriate schemes to deal with the current problems encountered in astrophysics, in strong magnetic, in nuclear or even in high energy physics.

Introduction to Quantum Statistical Mechanics (2nd Edition) may be used as an advanced textbook by graduate students, even ambitious undergraduates in physics. It is also suitable for non experts in physics who wish to have an overview of some of the classic and fundamental quantum models in the subject. The explanation in the book is detailed enough to capture the interest of the reader, and complete enough to provide the necessary background material needed to dwell further into the subject and explore the research literature.

In 1941, E.C.G. Stueckelberg wrote a paper, based on ideas of V. Fock, that established the foundations of a theory that could covariantly describe the classical and quantum relativistic mechanics of a single particle. Horwitz and Piron extended the applicability of this theory in 1973 (to be called the SHP theory) to the many-body problem. It is the purpose of this book to explain this development and provide examples of its applications. We first review the basic ideas of the SHP theory, both classical and quantum, and develop the appropriate form of electromagnetism on this dynamics. After studying the two body problem classically and quantum mechanically, we formulate the N-body problem. We then develop the general quantum scattering theory for the N-body problem and prove a quantum mechanical relativistically covariant form of the Gell-Mann-Low theorem. The quantum theory of relativistic spin is then developed, including spin-statistics, providing the necessary apparatus for Clebsch-Gordan additivity, and we then discuss the phenomenon of entanglement at unequal times. In the second part, we develop relativistic statistical mechanics, including a mechanism for stability of the off-shell mass, and a high temperature phase transition to the mass shell. Finally, some applications are given, such as the explanation of the Lindneret alexperiment, the proposed experiment of Palacios et al which should demonstrate relativistic entanglement (at unequal times), the space-time lattice, low energy nuclear reactions and applications to black hole physics.

This 2006 textbook provides a concise introduction to the key concepts and tools of statistical mechanics. It also covers advanced topics such as non-relativistic quantum field theory and numerical methods. After introducing classical analytical techniques, such as cluster expansion and Landau theory, the authors present important numerical methods with applications to magnetic systems, Lennard-Jones fluids and biophysics. Quantum statistical mechanics is discussed in detail and applied to Bose-Einstein condensation and topics in astrophysics and cosmology. In order to describe emergent phenomena in interacting quantum systems, canonical non-relativistic quantum field theory is introduced and then reformulated in terms of Feynman integrals. Combining the authors' many years' experience of teaching courses in this area, this textbook is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, chemistry and mathematics.

This book offers an introduction to statistical mechanics, special relativity, and quantum physics. It is based on the lecture notes prepared for the one-semester course of "Quantum Physics" belonging to the Bachelor of Science in Material Sciences at the University of Padova. The first chapter briefly reviews the ideas of classical statistical mechanics introduced by James Clerk Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, Willard Gibbs, and others. The second chapter is devoted to the special relativity of Albert Einstein. In the third chapter, it is historically analyzed the quantization of light due to Max Planck and Albert Einstein, while the fourth chapter discusses the Niels Bohr quantization of the energy levels and the electromagnetic transitions. The fifth chapter investigates the Schrodinger equation, which was obtained by Erwin Schrodinger from the idea of Louis De Broglie to associate to each particle a quantum wavelength. Chapter Six describes the basic axioms of quantum mechanics, which were formulated in the seminal books of Paul Dirac and John von Neumann. In chapter seven, there are several important application of quantum mechanics: the quantum particle in a box, the quantum particle in the harmonic potential, the quantum tunneling, the stationary perturbation theory, and the time-dependent perturbation theory. Chapter Eight is devoted to the study of quantum atomic physics with special emphasis on the spin of the electron, which needs the Dirac equation for a rigorous theoretical justification. In the ninth chapter, it is explained the quantum mechanics of many identical particles at zero temperature, while in Chapter Ten the discussion is extended to many quantum particles at finite temperature by introducing and using the quantum statistical mechanics. The four appendices on Dirac delta function, complex numbers, Fourier transform, and differential equations are a useful mathematical aid for the reader.

A groundbreaking textbook on twenty-first-century statistical physics and its applications Kip Thorne and Roger Blandford’s monumental Modern Classical Physics is now available in five stand-alone volumes that make ideal textbooks for individual graduate or advanced undergraduate courses on statistical physics; optics; elasticity and fluid dynamics; plasma physics; and relativity and cosmology. Each volume teaches the fundamental concepts, emphasizes modern, real-world applications, and gives students a physical and intuitive understanding of the subject. Statistical Physics is an essential introduction that is different from others on the subject because of its unique approach, which is coordinate-independent and geometric; embraces and elucidates the close quantum-classical connection and the relativistic and Newtonian domains; and demonstrates the power of statistical techniques—particularly statistical mechanics—by presenting applications not only to the usual kinds of things, such as gases, liquids, solids, and magnetic materials, but also to a much wider range of phenomena, including black holes, the universe, information and communication, and signal processing amid noise. Includes many exercise problems Features color figures, suggestions for further reading, extensive cross-references, and a detailed index Optional “Track 2” sections make this an ideal book for a one-quarter, half-semester, or full-semester course An online illustration package is available to professors The five volumes, which are available individually as paperbacks and ebooks, are Statistical Physics; Optics; Elasticity and Fluid Dynamics; Plasma Physics; and Relativity and Cosmology.