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Going beyond traditional textbook topics, A Modern Course in Statistical Physics incorporates contemporary research in a basic course on statistical mechanics. From the universal nature of matter to the latest results in the spectral properties of decay processes, this book emphasizes the theoretical foundations derived from thermodynamics and probability theory underlying all concepts in statistical physics. This completely revised and updated third edition continues the comprehensive coverage of numerous core topics and special applications, allowing professors flexibility in designing individualized courses. The inclusion of advanced topics and extensive references makes this an invaluable resource for researchers as well as students -- a textbook that will be kept on the shelf long after the course is completed.
List of contents
1. Introduction
2. Introduction to Thermodynamics
3. The Thermodynamics of Phase Transitions
4. Elementary Probability Theory and Limit Theorems
5. Stochastic Dynamics and Brownian Motion
6. The Foundations of Statistical Mechanics
7. Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
8. Order-Disorder Transitions and Renormalization Theory
9. Interacting Fluids
10. Hydrodynamic Processes near Equilbrium
11. Transport Theory
12. Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions
Appendices
About the author
Linda E. Reichl is Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Denver in 1969, then became a Faculty Associate at the University of Texas at Austin for two years. After that, she spent another two years at the Free University of Brussels as a Fulbright-Hays Research Scholar. She became Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin in 1973, Associate Professor in 1980, and Full Professor in 1988. Professor Reichl has served as Acting Director of the Center for Statistical Mechanics and Complex Systems since 1974. Her research ranges over a number of topics in statistical physics and nonlinear dynamics. They include the theory of low temperature Fermi liquids, quantum transport theory, application of linear hydrodynamics to translational and rotational Brownian motion and dielectric response, the transition to chaos in classical and quantum mechanical conservative systems, and the new field of stochastic chaos theory. Professor Reichl has published more than 100 research papers, has written three books, and has edited several volumes.
Report
"In summary, I enthusiastically recommend Reichl s third edition of A Modern Course in Statistical Physics for the advanced student and active researcher . . . I will most definitely keep Reichl s Modern Course in close reach, and expect to be frequently consulting this volume, not only when preparing graduate-level courses, but occasionally also for the sake of my group s research activities." (J Stat Phys, 2010)
