4.II.34D

Statistical Physics
Part II, 2008

Show that the Fermi momentum pFp_{F} of a gas of NN non-interacting electrons in volume VV is

pF=(3π23NV)1/3p_{F}=\left(3 \pi^{2} \hbar^{3} \frac{N}{V}\right)^{1 / 3}

Consider the electrons to be effectively massless, so that an electron of momentum pp has (relativistic) energy cpc p. Show that the mean energy per electron at zero temperature is 3cpF/43 c p_{F} / 4.

When a constant external magnetic field of strength BB is applied to the electron gas, each electron gets an energy contribution ±μB\pm \mu B depending on whether its spin is parallel or antiparallel to the field. Here μ\mu is the magnitude of the magnetic moment of an electron. Calculate the total magnetic moment of the electron gas at zero temperature, assuming μB\mu B is much less than cpFc p_{F}.