Paper 3, Section II, D

Statistical Physics
Part II, 2011

A gas of non-interacting particles has energy-momentum relationship E=A(k)αE=A(\hbar k)^{\alpha} for some constants AA and α\alpha. Determine the density of states g(E)dEg(E) d E in a threedimensional volume VV.

Explain why the chemical potential μ\mu satisfies μ<0\mu<0 for the Bose-Einstein distribution.

Show that an ideal quantum Bose gas with the energy-momentum relationship above has

pV=αE3.p V=\frac{\alpha E}{3} .

If the particles are bosons at fixed temperature TT and chemical potential μ\mu, write down an expression for the number of particles that do not occupy the ground state. Use this to determine the values of α\alpha for which there exists a Bose-Einstein condensate at sufficiently low temperatures.

Discuss whether a gas of photons can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation.