763620S

STATISTICAL PHYSICS

Solution Set 11

Autumn 2012

1. Critical exponents of the van der Waals system Express the reduced van der Waals equation in
terms of small expansion parameteters
Tr = 1 + ,

vr = 1 + ,

pr = 1 + .

By using the expansion, calculate the critical exponents and of the van der Waals system. Interpret
your results.
Solution

We need to find the scaling exponents and defined as

m
(T Tc ) .
m|T =Tc h1/ ,
h T,h0

(1)

Here, the order parameter is the density of the liquid phase minus the critical density, and the field
parameter is the applied pressure:
m = ` c ,

h = p pc .

In an earlier problem, we found the following expansion of the equation of state near a critical point:
(2 8 ) + (7 16 ) + 8( ) 2 + 3(1 + ) 3 = 0.
First, the exponent . Let T Tc ( 0):
2 + 7 + 8 2 + 3(1 + ) 3 = 0,
=

3 3
.
2 + 7 + 8 3 + 3 3

Near the coexistance curve  1 and so 3 or 1/3 . The order parameter then scales like
` c

1
1
1 ' 1/3 ,
1+

= 3.

To find , we need to calculate



 


 
m

1
1

=
1 =
.
2
h ,h0
,0 1 +
(1 + )
,0
Differentiate the equation of state, Eq. (1) w.r.t. holding constant:
 

+ 2nd and higher order terms = 0

2 + 7 + (7 16 )


=

2 + 7
7 16

1
Using the equation of state near = 0, one sees that , and so
. Thus,



m
1

= 1.
h ,h0

2. 1-Dimensional Ising Model Show that the critical exponent =

model in the mean field approximation.

1
2

for the one-dimensional Ising

Solution Let T = Tc (1 + ) where Tc is such that J/(2kB Tc ) = 1. With these definitions, the Ising
model magnetization m = hi becomes


m
m = tanh
.
1+
Suppose now that m  1, and replace the hyperbolic tangent with its Taylor series, expanded to third
order, tanh x ' x 31 x3 :

3
1
1
1
m=
m3 .
m
1+
3 1+
Ignoring the m = 0 solution, we get the following:


h
i
1
3
2
3
2
m = 3 (1 + )
1 = 3 (1 + ) (1 + ) ' 3 [1 + 2 (1 + 3 )] = 3,
1+

m t1/2 .

3. Landau Theory Consider the Landaus theory of phase transition presented in the lectures.
(a) Calculate the low-field susceptibility:

0 (T ) =

m
h


.
T

(b) What are the critical exponents and ?

Solution
(a) Let (t, m) be the free energy, expanded in m and with coefficients from the Landau theory:
(t, m) = (t, 0) + r1 tm2 + s0 m4 .

(2)

Legendre transforming to a free energy parametrized by the field h one has

(t, h) = (t, m) hm = hm + (t, 0) + r1 tm2 + s0 m4 ,
which is now minimized by m with h held constant,



= 0.
m h
Straight-forward differentiation gives
h + 2r1 tm + 4s0 m3 = 0

h ' 2r1 tm

(3)

1
h.
m(h) =
2r1 t

And from that, one quite trivially gets the susceptibility



m
1
=
.
h t
2r1 t

(b) First, the exponent in m|t=0 h1/ . From Eq. (3) with t 0:

1/3
h
3

h = 4s0 m

m=
4s0

(4)

= 3.

Second, the exponent in (m/h) t . This follows trivially from Eq. (4):
= 1.

4. Widom scaling Consider the widom scalinq

s (p t, q h) = s (t, h).

(5)

Assume that the order parameter is defined as

m(t, h) =

s (t, h)
h

and show that the critical exponents obey equations

+ 2 + = 2,
( 1) = .
Solution
m t

Differentiate Eq. (5) w.r.t. h:

q

s p q
s
( t, h) =
(t, h).
h
h

Let p t, t 1 (p t t) and h 0:
tq/p

s
s
(t, 0) = t1/p
(1, 0)
h
h
| {z }

m(t, 0) = t1/pq/p m(1, 0)

1q
.
p

m(t,0)

m h1/

Again differentiating Eq. (5) w.r.t. h, but now let q h, h 1 (q h h) and t 0:

h

2 s
t2

s
s
(t, 0) = h1/q
(0, 1)
h
h

m(t, 0) = t1/q1 m(1, 0)

q
.
1q

Differentiate Eq. (5) twice w.r.t. t:

2p

2 s p q
2 s
( t, h) = 2 (t, h).
2
t
t

Let p t, t 1 (p t t) and h 0:
t2

2 s
h2

2
2 s
1/p s
(t,
0)
=
t
(1, 0)
t2
t2

2 s
(t, 0) t1/p2
t2

1
=2 .
p

Finally, differentiate Eq. (5) twice w.r.t. h:

2q

2 s p q
2 s
( t, h) =
(t, h).
2
h
h2

Let q t, t 1 (q t t) and h 0:
t2q/p

2
2 s
1/p s
(t,
0)
=
t
(1, 0)
h2
h2

2 s
(t, 0) t1/p2q/p
h2

And now we can check the identities given in the problem:

1
1 q 2q 1
+ 2 + = 2 + 2
+
= 2,
p
p
p


1q
q
q
1q
2q 1
( 1) =
1 =
=
= .
p
1q
p
p
p

2q 1
.
p