Statistical mechanics

B

• BBGKY hierarchy
• Boltzmann average
• Boltzmann constant
• Boltzmann distribution
• Boltzmann factor
• Born-Green equation
• Brownian motion

C

• Canonical ensemble
• Chemical potential
• Compressibility equation
• Critical exponents
• Critical points
• Curie's law

D

• Darwin-Fowler method
• de Broglie thermal wavelength

E

• Energy equation
• Entropy
• Ensembles in thermostatistics
• Ergodic hypothesis

F

• Fermi-Pasta-Ulam experiment
• Fisher–Ruelle stability criteria
• Fisher-Widom line
• Four-body function
• Frenkel line

G

• Gibbs distribution
• Gibbs ensemble
• Gibbs measures
• Gibbs paradox
• Goldstone modes
• Grand canonical ensemble

I

• Information theory
• Internal energy
• Intermolecular pair potential
• Isoenthalpic–isobaric ensemble
• Isothermal-isobaric ensemble

J

• Joule-Thomson effect

K

• Kirkwood superposition approximation
• Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser theorem

L

• Law of corresponding states
• Liouville's theorem
• Loschmidt's paradox (Umkehreinwand)
• Lyapunov exponents

M

• Maxwell velocity distribution
• Maxwell's demon
• Mean field models
• Melting curve
• Microcanonical ensemble
• Microstate
• Mixing systems

P

• Pair distribution function
• Parrondo's paradox
• Partition function
• Phase space
• Phase transitions
• Poincaré theorem
• Pressure
• Pressure equation (aka. virial equation)

Q

• Quantum statistics

R

• Radial distribution function
• Ross melting rule

S

• Semi-grand ensembles
• Stochastic transition
• Structure factor
• Surface tension

T

• Temperature
• Thermodynamic limit
• Transfer matrices

W

• Widom line
• Wigner's distribution function

Y

• Yang-Yang anomaly

Z

• Zermelo’s paradox (Wiederkehreinwand)

General reading

Books

• Donald A. McQuarrie "Statistical Mechanics", University Science Books (1984) (Re-published 2000) ISBN 978-1-891389-15-3
• L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz "Statistical Physics", Course of Theoretical Physics volume 5 Part 1 3rd Edition (1984) ISBN 0750633727
• Terrell L. Hill "Statistical Mechanics: Principles and Selected Applications" (1956) ISBN 0486653900
• Terrell L. Hill "An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics" (1986) ISBN 0486652424
• Arieh Ben-Naim " Statistical Thermodynamics With Applications to the Life Sciences", World Scientific Publishing (2014) ISBN 978-981-4579-15-5

Papers

• D. Ter Haar "Foundations of Statistical Mechanics", Reviews of Modern Physics 27 pp. 289 - 338 (1955)
• O. Penrose "Foundations of statistical mechanics", Reports on Progress in Physics 42 pp. 1937-2006 (1979)
• P. W. Anderson "More Is Different", Science 177 pp. 393-396 (1972)
• J. S. Rowlinson "The evolution of some statistical mechanical ideas", Molecular Physics 104 pp. 3399 - 3410 (2006)
• Elliott H. Lieb "Some problems in statistical mechanics that I would like to see solved", Physica A 263 pp. 491-499 (1999)
• Joel L. Lebowitz "Emergent Phenomena", Physik Journal 6 #9 pp. 41-46 (2007)