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This modern introduction to thermal physics contains a step-by-step presentation of the key concepts. The text is copiously illustrated and each chapter contains several worked examples.
List of contents
- I: PRELIMINARIES
- 1: Introduction
- 2: Heat
- 3: Probability
- 4: Temperature and the Boltzmann factor
- II: KINETIC THEORY OF GASES
- 5: The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
- 6: Pressure
- 7: Molecular effusion
- 8: The mean free path and collisions
- III: TRANSPORT AND THERMAL DIFFUSION
- 9: Transport properties in gases
- 10: The thermal diffusion equation
- IV: THE FIRST LAW
- 11: Energy
- 12: Isothermal and adiobatic processes
- V: THE SECOND LAW
- 13: Heat engines and the second law
- 14: Entropy
- 15: Information theory
- VI: THERMODYNAMICS IN ACTION
- 16: Thermodynamic potentials
- 17: Rods, bubbles and magnets
- 18: The third law
- VII: STATISTICAL MECHANICS
- 19: Equipartition of energy
- 20: The partition function
- 21: Statistical mechanics of an ideal gas
- 22: The chemical potential
- 23: Photons
- 24: Phonons
- VIII: BEYOND THE IDEAL GAS
- 25: Relativistic gases
- 26: Real gases
- 27: Cooling real gases
- 28: Phase transitions
- 29: Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions
- 30: Quantum gases and condensates
- IX: SPECIAL TOPICS
- 31: Sound waves
- 32: Shock waves
- 33: Brownian motion and fluctuations
- 34: Non-equilibrium thermodynamics
- 35: Stars
- 36: Compact objects
- 37: Earth's atmosphere
About the author
Stephen Blundell did his undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at Peterhouse, Cambridge and his Ph. D. in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. He moved to the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford to take up an SERC research fellowship, followed by a Junior Research Fellowship at Merton College, where he began research in organic magnets and superconductors using muon-spin rotation. In 1997 he was appointed to a University Lectureship in the Physics Department and a Tutorial Fellowship at Mansfield College, Oxford, and was subsequently promoted to Reader and then Professor. He was a joint winner of the Daiwa-Adrian Prize in 1999 for his work on organic magnets.
Katherine Blundell did her undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at New Hall College, Cambridge and her Ph. D. in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. She moved to Oxford University Astrophysics department, holding a Junior Research Fellowship at Balliol College, an 1851 Research Fellowship, before taking up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Her research concentrates on radio galaxies and quasars. In 2005 she won a Leverhulme prize for her research, and became a Professor of Astrophysics in 2008.
Summary
This modern introduction to thermal physics contains a step-by-step presentation of the key concepts. The text is copiously illustrated and each chapter contains several worked examples.
Additional text
This is probably the best book I know of thermodynamics and statistical physics. The authors have done really a great job. [...] The contents of the book are organised in such way that it can be used for a standard undergraduate level course in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, where it is also possible to make the appropriate selection of the topics depending on the level and duration of the course. It could also be very useful as a source reference for lecturers in thermodynamics and statistical physics.
