From Microphysics to Macrophysics

This text, an expanded and improved version of the author's lectures at the Ecole Polytechnique, is intended to be not only an introduction to statistical physics and thermodynamics but also a tool for those who need to apply the theory in physics and engineering. It teaches the student how the microscopic world affects macrophysics and the behaviour of matter. Drawing on both quantum mechanics and classical physics, the book follows the pattern of modern research in statistical physics. The pedagogical aspects are underlined by many exercises. Volume 2 applies statistical methods to the theory of solids and of liquid helium. The remaining chapters are devoted to the thermodynamics of radiation and to irreversible phenomena, including diffusion and application to fluids.