Lecture

Free-energy of solids: origins and consequences of the 1983 CECAM workshop

Graph Chat

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.

Description

This lecture delves into the historical significance of the 1983 CECAM workshop on the free-energy of solids, exploring the development of free-energy methods for hard-core models. It covers the thermodynamics of hard spheres, the use of the Einstein crystal as a reference state, and the challenges in determining phase boundaries and critical points. The workshop's impact on the stability of crystal structures, the relative stability of different phases, and the application of thermodynamic integration are discussed. The presentation also touches upon the contributions of key figures like Tony Ladd and Daan Frenkel, highlighting the workshop's role in advancing free-energy techniques and understanding the thermodynamic properties of solids.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Thermodynamics: Statistical mechanics

Condensed matter physics: Phase transitions

Related concepts (32)

Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of thermodynamics which convey a quantitative description using measurable macroscopic physical quantities, but may be explained in terms of microscopic constituents by statistical mechanics.

Laws of thermodynamics

The laws of thermodynamics are a set of scientific laws which define a group of physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, that characterize thermodynamic systems in thermodynamic equilibrium. The laws also use various parameters for thermodynamic processes, such as thermodynamic work and heat, and establish relationships between them. They state empirical facts that form a basis of precluding the possibility of certain phenomena, such as perpetual motion.

Chemical thermodynamics

Chemical thermodynamics is the study of the interrelation of heat and work with chemical reactions or with physical changes of state within the confines of the laws of thermodynamics. Chemical thermodynamics involves not only laboratory measurements of various thermodynamic properties, but also the application of mathematical methods to the study of chemical questions and the spontaneity of processes. The structure of chemical thermodynamics is based on the first two laws of thermodynamics.

Work (thermodynamics)

Thermodynamic work is one of the principal processes by which a thermodynamic system can interact with its surroundings and exchange energy. This exchange results in externally measurable macroscopic forces on the system's surroundings, which can cause mechanical work, to lift a weight, for example, or cause changes in electromagnetic, or gravitational variables. The surroundings also can perform work on a thermodynamic system, which is measured by an opposite sign convention.

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is a branch of thermodynamics that deals with physical systems that are not in thermodynamic equilibrium but can be described in terms of macroscopic quantities (non-equilibrium state variables) that represent an extrapolation of the variables used to specify the system in thermodynamic equilibrium. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is concerned with transport processes and with the rates of chemical reactions.

Related lectures (64)

Phase Equilibria: Understanding Vapor-Liquid Separation

Provides an overview of vapor-liquid phase diagrams and their role in separation processes, focusing on phase equilibria and the Gibbs phase rule.

Thermodynamics & Phase Diagrams

Explores thermodynamics, phase diagrams, Gibbs free energy, and their role in materials science.

Phase Transitions: Understanding Thermodynamic Stability

Explores phase transitions in thermodynamics, focusing on stability criteria and real-world applications.

Thermodynamics: Energy Transformation

Covers energy transformation in thermodynamics, discussing laws, entropy, and spontaneity criteria for reactions.

Glass Transition: Polymer Properties