The book aims to explain the basic ideas of thermal physics intuitively and in the simplest possible way. It is intended to make the reader feel comfortable with the ideas of entropy and of free energy. Thermal physics is prone to misunderstanding, confusion and is often overlooked. However, a good foundation is necessary to prepare the reader for advanced level studies.
Contents:
Introduction to Thermal Physics
All You Need to Know to Read the Rest of the Book
Isolated Thermal Systems
Systems in Contact with a Thermal Reservoir
Entropy as a Measure of Disorder
Open Systems Exposed to Heat and Particle Reservoir
Flexible Systems: Systems in Contact with Heat and Volume Reservoir
Two More Energy-Like Functions and Concluding Remarks
Quantum Ideal Gas
Thermodynamics
Energy Versus Free Energy
Phases and Phase Transitions
Second-Order Phase Transitions
Landau-Ginzburg Free Energy Functional and Applications
Quantum Fluid
Computer Simulations