2009/10/01 by Stephen J. Blundell, Katherine M. Blundell · 8 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Physics #Statistical mechanics #Statistical physics #Theoretical physics #Thermal physics #Thermodynamics
paper · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562091.001.0001
openalex publication_date 2009/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract An understanding of thermal physics is crucial to much of modern physics, chemistry, and engineering. This book provides a modern introduction to the main principles that are foundational to thermal physics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. The key concepts are carefully presented in a clear way, and new ideas are illustrated with worked examples as well as a description of the historical background to their discovery. Applications are presented to subjects as diverse as stellar astrophysics, information and communication theory, condensed matter physics, and climate change. Each chapter concludes with detailed exercises. This second edition of the text maintains the structure and style of the first edition but extends its coverage of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics to include several new topics, including osmosis, diffusion problems, Bayes theorem, radiative transfer, the Ising model, and Monte Carlo methods. New examples and exercises have been added throughout.