Paper 4, Section II, A
Part II, 2013
A classical particle of mass moving non-relativistically in two-dimensional space is enclosed inside a circle of radius and attached by a spring with constant to the centre of the circle. The particle thus moves in a potential
where . Let the particle be coupled to a heat reservoir at temperature .
(i) Which of the ensembles of statistical physics should be used to model the system?
(ii) Calculate the partition function for the particle.
(iii) Calculate the average energy and the average potential energy of the particle.
(iv) What is the average energy in:
(a) the limit (strong coupling)?
(b) the limit (weak coupling)?
Compare the two results with the values expected from equipartition of energy.