Equilibrium Thermodynamics

This textbook provides an exposition of equilibrium thermodynamics and its applications to several areas of physics with particular attention to phase transitions and critical phenomena. The applications include several areas of condensed matter physics and include also a chapter on thermochemistry. Phase transitions and critical phenomena are treated according to the modern development of the field, based on the ideas of universality and on the Widom scaling theory. For each topic, a mean-field or Landau theory is presented to describe qualitatively the phase transitions. These theories include the van der Waals theory of the liquid-vapor transition, the Hildebrand-Heitler theory of regular mixtures, the Griffiths-Landau theory for multicritical points in multicomponent systems, the Bragg-Williams theory of order-disorder in alloys, the Weiss theory of ferromagnetism, the Néel theory of antiferromagnetism, the Devonshire theory for ferroelectrics and Landau-de Gennes theory of liquid crystals. This textbook is intended for students in physics and chemistry and provides a unique combination of thorough theoretical explanation and presentation of applications in both areas. Chapter summaries, highlighted essentials and problems with solutions enable a self sustained approach and deepen the knowledge.

Classic monograph treats irreversible processes and phenomena of thermodynamics: non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Covers statistical foundations and applications with chapters on fluctuation theory, theory of stochastic processes, kinetic theory of gases, more.

Beyond Equilibrium Thermodynamics fills a niche in the market by providing a comprehensive introduction to a new, emerging topic in the field. The importance of non-equilibrium thermodynamics is addressed in order to fully understand how a system works, whether it is in a biological system like the brain or a system that develops plastic. In order to fully grasp the subject, the book clearly explains the physical concepts and mathematics involved, as well as presenting problems and solutions; over 200 exercises and answers are included. Engineers, scientists, and applied mathematicians can all use the book to address their problems in modelling, calculating, and understanding dynamic responses of materials.

Discover the many facets of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The first part of this book describes the current thermodynamic formalism recognized as the classical theory. The second part focuses on different approaches. Throughout the presentation, the emphasis is on problem-solving applications. To help build your understanding, some problems have been analyzed using several formalisms to underscore their differences and their similarities.

The purpose of this book is to encourage the use of non-equilibrium thermodynamics to describe transport in complex, heterogeneous media. With large coupling effects between the transport of heat, mass, charge and chemical reactions at surfaces, it is important to know how one should properly integrate across systems where different phases are in contact. No other book gives a prescription of how to set up flux equations for transports across heterogeneous systems.The authors apply the thermodynamic description in terms of excess densities, developed by Gibbs for equilibrium, to non-equilibrium systems. The treatment is restricted to transport into and through the surface. Using local equilibrium together with the balance equations for the surface, expressions for the excess entropy production of the surface and of the contact line are derived. Many examples are given to illustrate how the theory can be applied to coupled transport of mass, heat, charge and chemical reactions; in phase transitions, at electrode surfaces and in fuel cells. Molecular simulations and analytical studies are used to add insight.

Equilibrium Thermodynamics gives a comprehensive but concise course in the fundamentals of classical thermodynamics. Although the subject is essentially classical in nature, illustrative material is drawn widely from modern physics and free use is made of microscopic ideas to illuminate it. The overriding objective in writing the book was to achieve a clear exposition: to give an account of the subject that it both stimulating and easy to learn from. Classical thermodynamics has such wide application that it can be taught in many ways. The terms of reference for Equilibrium Thermodynamics are primarily those of the undergraduate physicist; but it is also suitable for courses in chemistry, engineering, materials science etc. The subject is usually taught in the first or second year of an undergraduate course, but the book takes the student to degree standard (and beyond). Prerequisites are elementary or school-level thermal physics.

The present volume studies the application of concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics to a variety of research topics. Emphasis is on the Maximum Entropy Production (MEP) principle and applications to Geosphere-Biosphere couplings. Written by leading researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, the book presents a first coherent account of an emerging field at the interface of thermodynamics, geophysics and life sciences.

This book summarizes the salient features of both equilibrium and steady-state thermodynamic theory under a uniform postulatory viewpoint. The emphasis is upon the formal aspects and logical structure of thermodynamic theory, allowing it to emerge as a coherent whole, unfettered by much of those details which - albeit indispensable in practical applications - tend to obscure this coherent structure. Largely because of this, statistical mechanics and reference to molecular structure are, barring an occasional allusion, avoided. The treatment is, therefore, 'classical', or - using a perhaps more appropriate word - 'phenomenological'. The volume almost exclusively deals with 'ideal' systems, given that the treatment of 'real' systems properly belongs in the realm of applied, rather than theoretical thermodynamics. For these reasons, only selected ideal systems are covered. Ideal gases are discussed extensively. The ideal solution is treated as an example of a liquid system. The amorphous ideal rubber serves as an example of a solid. The formalism developed in these sections is a model for the treatment of other, more complex systems. This short structural overview is written in the hope that a knowledge of steady-state theory will deepen readers' understanding of thermodynamics as a whole.