Richard K Irey

The Second Law: its Microscopic Basis

Section 3 - A:  Equilibrium - A Microscopic Understanding

Introduction and Objectives

  1. THE BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL PARTICLES
    • A. The Particle
    • B. Quantum Mechanics
    • C. Energy States, Energy Levels and Degeneracy

  2. GROUP PARTICLE BEHAVIOR
    • A. Macrostate Distributions
    • B. Microstates
      • Boltzon Macrostate Probabilities
      • Indistinguishable Particle Macrostate Probabilities
      • Properties

  3. EQUILIBRIUM
    • A. Extrapolation to Large Systems
    • B. Approach to Equilibrium

Section 2:   Entropy, Equilibrium Distributions and the Second Law

  1. ENTROPY DEFINED

  2. EQUILIBRIUM DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
    • A. The Distribution Function for Boltzons
    • B. Distribution Functions for Bosons and Fermions

  3. ENTROPY IN MACROSCOPIC TERMS, THE GIBBS EQUATION

  4. DETERMINING ENTROPY PRODUCTION
    • A. Mechanical Entropy Production
    • B. Thermal Entropy Production

Section 3   Microscopic Calculation of Perfect Gas Properties

  1. THE INDISTINGUISHABLE LIMIT

  2. EVALUATION OF THE PARTITION FUNCTION
    • A. External and Internal Modes
    • B. The Characteristic Temperature of a Mode

  3. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ENERGY MODES
    • A. The External (Translational) Modes
    • B. The Rotational (and Nuclear Spin) Mode
    • C. The Vibrational Mode
    • D. Electronic (Dissociation) Mode

  4. PROPERTIES OF MOLECULAR PERFECT GASES

Section 4:  Entropy, Equilibrium Distributions and the Second Law

  1. PROPERTIES OF WAVES
    • A. The Properties of the Photon Gas
    • B. Lattice Vibrations (The Phonon Gas)

  2. THE PROPERTIES OF FREE ELECTRONS

  3. THE PROPERTIES OF SOLIDS

Section 5:  Transport Processes

  1. INTERPARTICLE FLUX
    • A. Speed Distributions
    • B. Interparticle Flux
    • C. Interparticle Collisions

  2. FREE PARTICLE RADIATION TRANSPORT

  3. CONTINUUM TRANSPORT
    • A. Transport Properties of Molecular Gases
    • B. Transport Properties of Solids