Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Tutorial IX

Problem 1. (4 points)
An ideal gas is kept at constant temperature θ and constant chemical potential µ. Determine
the standard deviation of the number of particles
2
σN = hN 2 i − hN i2

as a function of the mean value hN i.

Problem 2. (6 points)
A molecule with a single vibration mode with a natural frequency ω is put in a thermostat
with temperature θ.

1. Compute the standard deviation σE = (h2 i − hi2 )1/2 of energy of the vibration mode
in possible quantum states as a function of ω, θ and the fundamental constants.

2. Compute the analogue of the third central moment (h3 i − hi3 )1/3 .

Problem 3. (4 points)
Consider radiation in a thermal equilibrium at temperature θ. Compute the standard
deviation of the internal energy σE in volume V .
Hint. Use the expression for the internal energy E (θ, V ) of the blackbody radiation.

Problem 4. (6 points)
Consider an ideal gas of massless fermions in the limit θ → 0.

1. Determine the grand canonical potential Ω(θ → 0, V, µ).

Hint. First understand how the occupation number N () should look like as a function
of particle energy. How the Fermi-momentum pF is related to µ in this case?

2. Determine the particle density n(θ → 0, µ) = N/V and the energy density u(θ →
0, µ) = E /V .

3. Find the pressure p(θ → 0, µ).