Parition function for Boson gas with two quantum numbers

In summary, the conversation discusses the partition function for a system of non-interacting Bosons with two quantum numbers. The partition function is calculated using the grand cannoncial formalism and results in the same Bose-Einstein distribution as the canonical approach. The conversation also discusses using the grand-canonical statistical operator to simplify the process.
  • #1
dipole
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Parition function for Boson "gas" with two quantum numbers

Let's say that we have a system of non-interacting Bosons with single-particle energies given by,

[itex] \epsilon_{p,m} = \frac{p^2}{2m} + \alpha m [/itex]

where [itex] m = -j, ... ,j [/itex]

and we want to calculate the partition function of this system. To do this, you would write,

[tex] Z_N = \sum_{\{n(\vec{p},m)\}} \exp(-\beta \sum_{\vec{p},m} \epsilon_{p,m}n(\vec{p},m)) [/tex]

Where [itex] n(\vec{p},m) [/itex] are the occupation numbers. From there, you would use the grand cannoncial formalism, and have that,

[tex] Q = \sum_{N=0} e^{\beta \mu N} \sum_{\{n(\vec{p},m)\}} \exp(-\beta \sum_{\vec{p},m} \epsilon_{p,m}n(\vec{p},m)) [/tex]

Assuming I haven't made any mistakes yet (and if I have PLEASE point them out!) I'm not sure how to evaluate this when there is double sums involved since, [itex] n(\vec{p},m) [/itex] can certainly be degenerate...

I'm thinking I can just write this as,

[tex] Q = \sum_ {\{n(\vec{p},m)\}} \prod_{\vec{p},m} \exp(-\beta(\epsilon_{p,m} - \mu )n(\vec{p},m)) [/tex]

and then proceed as normal, but I'm really not sure... any stat-wizards out there want to help me out?
 
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  • #2
So I think what I wrote above makes sense, so proceeding:

Peform the sum over [itex] \{n(\vec{p} ,m)\} [/itex],
[tex] Q = \prod_{\vec{p},m} [ 1 - \exp(-\beta(\epsilon_{p,m} - \mu )) ]^{-1} [/tex]
and,
[tex] \ln (Q) = -\sum_ {\vec{p},m} \ln( 1 - \exp(-\beta(\epsilon_{p,m} - \mu )) ) [/tex]

and so,

[tex] \langle n(\vec{p},m) \rangle = \frac{\partial \ln (Q) }{\partial ( \beta \epsilon_{p,m} )} = \frac{1}{z^{-1}e^{\beta\epsilon_{p,m}} - 1} [/tex]

So we get essentially the same Bose-Einstein distribution, but now the average occupation number depends on both quantum numbers. Feel free to comment if you think this makes sense.
 
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  • #3
Yes it makes sense, but to use the canonical partition function first and then sum over the particle numbers for the grand-canonical one is pretty complicated. It's much simpler you start from the grand-canonical statistical operator right away,
[tex]\hat{R}=\frac{1}{Z} \exp[-\beta(\hat{H}-\mu \hat{N})], \quad Z=\mathrm{Tr} \exp[-\beta(\hat{H}-\mu \hat{N})]. [/tex]
Here [itex]\hat{N}[/itex] can be any conserved number (or charge) operator. Then you simply sum over all possible Fock states (occupation-number states) with [itex]n(\epsilon_{p,m}) \in \mathbb{N}_0[/itex], leading precisely to the result you've given in #2.
 
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Related to Parition function for Boson gas with two quantum numbers

1. What is the partition function for a Boson gas with two quantum numbers?

The partition function for a Boson gas with two quantum numbers is given by the formula Z = ∑ e-Ei/kBT, where the sum is taken over all energy levels of the system and kB is the Boltzmann constant.

2. How does the partition function for a Boson gas differ from that of a Fermion gas?

The partition function for a Boson gas differs from that of a Fermion gas in that Bosons can occupy the same energy state, while Fermions cannot. This means that the sum in the partition function for Bosons includes multiple terms for the same energy level, while the sum for Fermions only includes one term per energy level.

3. How do the two quantum numbers affect the partition function for a Boson gas?

The two quantum numbers in the partition function for a Boson gas represent the possible states that the particles can occupy. These quantum numbers can affect the degeneracy of the energy levels, which in turn affects the number of terms in the partition function and the overall behavior of the system.

4. What is the significance of the partition function for a Boson gas?

The partition function is a fundamental quantity in statistical mechanics that determines the thermodynamic properties of a system. For a Boson gas, the partition function can be used to calculate thermodynamic quantities such as the internal energy, entropy, and free energy, which are important in understanding the behavior of the system.

5. How is the partition function related to the probability of a particular energy state in a Boson gas?

The probability of a particular energy state in a Boson gas is proportional to the Boltzmann factor e-Ei/kBT in the partition function. This means that the higher the energy of a state, the lower its probability of being occupied, and vice versa. The partition function provides a way to calculate the relative probabilities of different energy states in the gas.

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