Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-thermal-and-statistical-physics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2016/paper-1/1/b/solution
Past exam of the thermal and statistical physics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 Paper 1 1 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Take to be the magnitude of either spin projection's magnetic moment, so the independent magnetic levels are . Their partition function and magnetic energy arewhere and . The canonical entropy is consequentlyThis independent-spin magnetic entropy counts the two orientation states of each independent moment; translational entropy and interactions are excluded.
Along the magnetic-entropy demagnetization adiabat, constant magnetic entropy fixes , hence is constant. Lowering the field therefore gives the ideal adiabatic demagnetization relationA useful cycle first magnetizes isothermally while releasing heat to a reservoir, then thermally isolates the sample and lowers the field. Cooling the entire sample requires its other heat capacities and spin-lattice equilibration to be accounted for. Magnetic interactions, residual fields and heat leaks prevent extrapolating the independent-moment formula to an attainable zero temperature.[ref]
The Fundamentals of Statistical Mechanics by David Tong. Canonical ensemble: two-state partition function, entropy and thermodynamic derivatives
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