The Jellium Model and Metals I: Equilibrium Properties

Summary

The simple Jellium Model (JM) for a solid, according to which valence electrons are detached from each atom and the resulting ions are replaced by a uniform background, is presented. The valence electrons, being free of force, spread themselves uniformly over the whole volume of the solid. Kinetic and potential energies as well as other relevant quantities, such as densities of electronic and phononic states, are obtained within this model. Based on these results, several thermodynamic quantities such as bulk modulus, specific heats, and thermal expansion coefficients are calculated and compared with the experimental data.