Abstract
It is shown that a system made up of nuclei and electrons, the constituents of ordinary matter, has a well-defined statistical-mechanically computed free energy per unit volume in the thermodynamic (bulk) limit. This proves that statistical mechanics, as developed by Gibbs, really leads to a proper thermodynamics for macroscopic systems.
Work supported by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, U. S. Air Force under Grant No. AFOSR 68–1416.
Work supported by National Science Foundation Grant No. GP-9414.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
These developments are clearly expounded in M. E. Fisher, Arch. Rati. Mech. Anal. 17, 377 (1964);
D. Ruelle, Statistical Mechanics (W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, 1969).
For a synopsis, see also J. L. Lebowitz, Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 19, 389 (1968).
R. B. Griffiths, Phys. Rev. 176, 655 (1968),
and footnote 6a in A. Lenard and F. J. Dyson [J. Math. Phys. 9, 698 (1968)];
O. Penrose, in Statistical Mechanics, Foundations and Applications, edited by T. Bak (W. A. Benjamin, Inc., New York, 1967), p. 98.
E. H. Lieb and J. L. Lebowitz, “The Constitution of Matter,” to be published.
L. Onsager, J. Phys. Chem. 43, 189 (1939);
M. E. Fisher and D. Ruelle, J. Math. Phys. 7, 260 (1966).
F. J. Dyson and A. Lenard, J. Math. Phys. 8, 423 (1967);
A. Lenard and F. J. Dyson, J. Math. Phys. 9, 698 (1968);
F. J. Dyson, J. Math. Phys. 8, 1538 (1967).
R. B. Griffiths, J. Math. Phys. 6, 1447 (1965).
K. Symanzik, J. Math. Phys. 6, 115 (1965).
I. Newton, in Mathematical Principles, translated by A. Motte, revised by F. Cajori (University of California Press, Berkeley, Calif., 1934), Book 1, p. 193, propositions 71, 76.
W. Feller, An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applications (J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1957), 2nd ed. Vol. 1, p. 290.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Lebowitz, J.L., Lieb, E.H. (2001). Existence of Thermodynamics for Real Matter with Coulomb Forces. In: Thirring, W. (eds) The Stability of Matter: From Atoms to Stars. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04360-8_38
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04360-8_38
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-04362-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-04360-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive