Paper 3, Section II, C

Statistical Physics
Part II, 2015

(a) A sample of gas has pressure pp, volume VV, temperature TT and entropy SS.

(i) Use the first law of thermodynamics to derive the Maxwell relation

(Sp)T=(VT)p.\left(\frac{\partial S}{\partial p}\right)_{T}=-\left(\frac{\partial V}{\partial T}\right)_{p} .

(ii) Define the heat capacity at constant pressure CpC_{p} and the enthalpy HH and show that Cp=(H/T)pC_{p}=(\partial H / \partial T)_{p}.

(b) Consider a perfectly insulated pipe with a throttle valve, as shown.

Gas initially occupying volume V1V_{1} on the left is forced slowly through the valve at constant pressure p1p_{1}. A constant pressure p2p_{2} is maintained on the right and the final volume occupied by the gas after passing through the valve is V2V_{2}.

(i) Show that the enthalpy HH of the gas is unchanged by this process.

(ii) The Joule-Thomson coefficient is defined to be μ=(T/p)H\mu=(\partial T / \partial p)_{H}. Show that

μ=VCp[TV(VT)p1]\mu=\frac{V}{C_{p}}\left[\frac{T}{V}\left(\frac{\partial V}{\partial T}\right)_{p}-1\right]

[You may assume the identity (y/x)u=(u/x)y/(u/y)x(\partial y / \partial x)_{u}=-(\partial u / \partial x)_{y} /(\partial u / \partial y)_{x} \cdot ]

(iii) Suppose that the gas obeys an equation of state

p=kBT[NV+B2(T)N2V2]p=k_{B} T\left[\frac{N}{V}+B_{2}(T) \frac{N^{2}}{V^{2}}\right]

where NN is the number of particles. Calculate μ\mu to first order in N/VN / V and hence derive a condition on ddT(B2(T)T)\frac{d}{d T}\left(\frac{B_{2}(T)}{T}\right) for obtaining a positive Joule-Thomson coefficient.