Phase Transitions in finite systems

Author(s): E. R. Hilf
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Abstract:: Phase Transitions in Thermodynamics are ordinarily defined for infinite, homogenous systems, making use of the singular behaviour of e.g. the specific heat at the phase tranistion temperature. For finite systems this singular behaviour dwindles to a nonspectacular hump until for a single atom the thermodynamics can no longer be applied. Modern Theoretical Physics concepts are presented for the quantum statistics and thermodynamics of finite systems. Phase transitions show up again as singular structures, but now in the complex temperature plane. The whole bouquette of unique other features of the thermodynamic of small systems is demonstrated and the respective tools such as path integral formalism, recursive partition functions, shell model theory, are revealed.
Copyright:: free to download, read, distribute by any means, as long as the content is totally unchanged and the correct citation and link to the original is given.
URL: http://physnet.physik.uni-oldenburg.de/~hilf/vortraege/vt-phys01/, [html, 5 KByte]