Berne B.J. Modern Theoretical Chemistry. Volume 5. Statistical Mechanics. Part A: Equilibrium Techniques

NY: Plenium Press, 1977. — 257 p. — ISBN: 0306335050(v.5) — V.8 V.5These volumes are designed for graduate students and research workers in statistical mechanics. Nevertheless, because of the range of techniques and their general utility, they should be useful in other areas as well. The choice of topics was dictated not only by the taste and interests of the editor, but also by the proviso that there did not already exist a didactic treatment in the literature. The topics fall rather neatly into two categories: equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of fluids. Thus, this volume is
devoted to equilibrium techniques and the companion volume to the non-equilibrium techniques.
This volume begins with a chapter on modern cluster methods in equilibrium statistical mechanics and shows how topological reduction can be used to renormalize bonds. A general discussion of renormalization methods is given and the formalism is applied to the study of polar gases, ionic solutions, perturbation theory of fluids, hydrogen-bonded fluids, and integral equations.
This chapter is followed by two chapters on the treatment of fluids with long-range forces. In particular, special techniques are presented for treating Coulomb forces and permanent multipolar forces. These chapters draw on some of the concepts developed in the first chapter.
Much of what is known about the fluid state springs from Monte Carlo studies of model fluids. Chapter 4 is concerned with the application of Monte Carlo techniques to the study of fluids with short-range forces. Chapter 5 extends this method to the study of fluids with long-range forces and introduces some innovative techniques. The volume closes with a chapter on nucleation theory.