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PHY 418: Statistical Mechanics I
Prof. S. Teitel stte@pas.rochester.edu ---- Spring 2018

Problem Set 6

Due Monday, April 16, in lecture

  • Problem 1 [10 points total]

    In lecture we computed the two particle density matrix in real space, ⟨r1,r2|ρ2|r1,r2⟩, for spinless particles obeying either Bose-Einstein or Fermi-Dirac statistics. Here you will calculate it for spin 1/2 fermions, where each particle i has an intrinsic spin that can take on one of two possible values, si = ↑ or ↓.

    For two free fermions in a box, we can write the spin part of the energy eigenstates as |s1⟩|s2⟩, which specify the spin of each particle. However we can also write the spin part in terms of eigenstates of the total angular momentum, |ℓ, mz⟩. These are then:

    spin singlet:   |0, 0⟩ = ( |↑⟩|↓⟩ − |↓⟩|↑⟩ )/sqrt(2)      spin triplet:   |1, 1⟩ = |↑⟩|↑⟩
    |1, -1⟩ = |↓⟩|↓⟩
    |1, 0⟩ = ( |↑⟩|↓⟩ + |↓⟩|↑⟩ )/sqrt(2)

    For this problem you want to compute the two particle density matrix using the above basis for the spin states,

    r1, r2, ℓ, mz|ρ2|r1, r2, ℓ, mz

    To compute the above matrix element you will need the matrix elements,

    r1, r2, ℓ, mz|k1, k2 , ℓ′, m′z

    where k1 and k2 give the wavevectors of the real space part of the energy eigenstates.

    a) Compute the above matrix elements ⟨r1, r2, ℓ, mz|k1, k2 , ℓ′, m′z⟩ for all four of the spin basis states |ℓ, mz⟩. You will have to take into account that the total wavefunction must be antisymmetric under the exchange of the two particles.

    b) Using your results from (a), compute the density matrix ⟨r1, r2, ℓ, mz|ρ2|r1, r2, ℓ, mz⟩ for all four of the spin basis states |ℓ, mz⟩.

    You should find that for any of the spin triplet states, the density matrix has the same dependence on |r1r2| as we found previously for two spinless fermions, i.e. there is an effective repulsion at small separations.

    However for the spin singlet state, the density matrix has the same dependence on |r1r2| as we found previously for two spinless bosons, i.e. there is an effective attraction at small separations. Give a simple physical argument as to why this is a reasonable result.

    This is the origin of Hund's rule of atomic physics. As one fills up a partially full energy subshell of an atom, the electrons first go in with parallel spins since this gives an effective repulsion between them that lowers the electrostatic repulsive energy.

  • Problem 2 [30 points]

    In the grand canonical ensemble, the probability to have a given state "a" with total energy Ea and total number of particles Na is ("a" is labeling the full N-particle state),

    Pa = [e-(Ea-µNa)/kBT]/L
    where
    L = ∑a [e-(Ea-µNa)/kBT]       is the grand canonical partition function.

    (a) For a quantum ideal gas, with single particle states i of energy εi, many particle states are specified by the occupation numbers {ni} and have energy E = ∑iini]. Show that the probability for the state with occupations {ni} is given by

    P({ni}) = ∏i [pi(ni)]
    where pi(ni) is the probability that single particle state i has occupation ni, and pi(ni) is given by
    pi(ni) = [e-(εi-µ)ni/kBT]/wi
    where
    wi = ∑ni [e-(εi-µ)ni/kBT]
    can be thought of as the partition function for the single particle state i. The above factorization says that the number of particles ni in state i, is independent of the number of particles nj in state j.

    (b) Using the above result, show that the Shannon definition of entropy can be written as

    S = -kB{ni} [P({ni}) ln P({ni})] = -kBini [pi(ni) ln pi(ni)]

    (c) Using the above result, show that the following expressions apply for the entropies of an ideal gas of bosons and fermions, respectively

    bosons: S = kBi [(1+<ni>) ln (1+<ni>) - <ni> ln <ni>]
    fermions: S = kBi [-(1-<ni>) ln (1-<ni>) - <ni> ln <ni>]
    where <ni> = ∑ni [ni pi(ni)] is the average occupation number of state i.

  • Problem 3 [30 points]

    Consider an ideal quantum gas of non-interacting identical particles in the grand canonical ensemble. The gas is in equilibrium at temperature T and chemical potential μ. In the previous problem part (a) you found the number of particles ni that occupy the single-particle energy eigenstate i is statistically independent of the number of particles nj in that occupy state j, and you found the probability distribution pi(ni) that there are exactly ni particles in state i.

    a) Using this pi(ni) rederive the average occupation number of particles <ni> in state i, for a gas of bosons and a gas of fermions.

    b) Using pi(ni), derive the occupation number fluctuations <ni2> - <ni>2 for a gas of bosons and a gas of fermions.

    c) If the total number of particles is N = ∑ini, show that the fluctuation in N is given by,

    <N2> - <N>2 = ∑i [ <ni2> - <ni>2 ].
    Are the flutucations in N for the quantum gas bigger or smaller than they are for the corresponding clasical gas, for a gas of bosons? for a gas of fermions?