Paper 2, Section II, C

Statistical Physics
Part II, 2016

(a) What is meant by the canonical ensemble? Consider a system in the canonical ensemble that can be in states n,n=0,1,2,|n\rangle, n=0,1,2, \ldots with energies EnE_{n}. Write down the partition function for this system and the probability p(n)p(n) that the system is in state n|n\rangle. Derive an expression for the average energy E\langle E\rangle in terms of the partition function.

(b) Consider an anharmonic oscillator with energy levels

ω[(n+12)+δ(n+12)2],n=0,1,2,\hbar \omega\left[\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)+\delta\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)^{2}\right], \quad n=0,1,2, \ldots

where ω\omega is a positive constant and 0<δ10<\delta \ll 1 is a small constant. Let the oscillator be in contact with a reservoir at temperature TT. Show that, to linear order in δ\delta, the partition function Z1Z_{1} for the oscillator is given by

Z1=c1sinhx2[1+δc2x(1+2sinh2x2)],x=ωkBTZ_{1}=\frac{c_{1}}{\sinh \frac{x}{2}}\left[1+\delta c_{2} x\left(1+\frac{2}{\sinh ^{2} \frac{x}{2}}\right)\right], \quad x=\frac{\hbar \omega}{k_{B} T}

where c1c_{1} and c2c_{2} are constants to be determined. Also show that, to linear order in δ\delta, the average energy of a system of NN uncoupled oscillators of this type is given by

E=Nω2{c3cothx2+δ[c4+c5sinh2x2(1xcothx2)]}\langle E\rangle=\frac{N \hbar \omega}{2}\left\{c_{3} \operatorname{coth} \frac{x}{2}+\delta\left[c_{4}+\frac{c_{5}}{\sinh ^{2} \frac{x}{2}}\left(1-x \operatorname{coth} \frac{x}{2}\right)\right]\right\}

where c3,c4,c5c_{3}, c_{4}, c_{5} are constants to be determined.