Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:45:55.076Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Statistical Mechanics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2022

Pierre Gaspard
Affiliation:
Université Libre de Bruxelles
Get access

Summary

At the microscale, the motion of atoms and molecules composing matter is governed by Hamiltonian dynamics. For classical systems, this motion is described as trajectories in the phase space of the positions and momenta of the particles. Different equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical ensembles can be introduced, each associated with some probability distribution, which is a solution of Liouville’s equation. The BBGKY hierarchy of equations is obtained for the multiparticle distribution functions. The presentation includes the properties of ergodicity and dynamical mixing, the Pollicott–Ruelle resonances, microreversibility, and the nonequilibrium breaking of time-reversal symmetry at the statistical level of description. The concept of entropy is introduced by coarse graining. Linear response theory is developed within the classical framework, leading to the Onsager–Casimir reciprocal relations and the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. The projection-operator methods are summarized.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Pierre Gaspard, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Book: The Statistical Mechanics of Irreversible Phenomena
  • Online publication: 14 July 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108563055.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Pierre Gaspard, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Book: The Statistical Mechanics of Irreversible Phenomena
  • Online publication: 14 July 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108563055.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Pierre Gaspard, Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Book: The Statistical Mechanics of Irreversible Phenomena
  • Online publication: 14 July 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108563055.003
Available formats
×