B4.23

Statistical Physics
Part II, 2004

Derive the Bose-Einstein expression for the mean number of Bose particles nˉ\bar{n} occupying a particular single-particle quantum state of energy ε\varepsilon, when the chemical potential is μ\mu and the temperature is TT in energy units.

Why is the chemical potential for a gas of photons given by μ=0\mu=0 ?

Show that, for black-body radiation in a cavity of volume VV at temperature TT, the mean number of photons in the angular frequency range (ω,ω+dω)(\omega, \omega+d \omega) is

Vπ2c3ω2dωeω/T1\frac{V}{\pi^{2} c^{3}} \frac{\omega^{2} d \omega}{e^{\hbar \omega / T}-1}

Hence, show that the total energy EE of the radiation in the cavity is

E=KVT4E=K V T^{4}

where KK is a constant that need not be evaluated.

Use thermodynamic reasoning to find the entropy SS and pressure PP of the radiation and verify that

ETS+PV=0E-T S+P V=0

Why is this last result to be expected for a gas of photons?