Statistical Physics II: Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics (Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences)

Statistical Physics II introduces nonequilibrium theories of statistical mechanics from the viewpoint of the fluctuation-disipation theorem. Emphasis is placed on the relaxation from nonequilibrium to equilibrium states, the response of a system to an external disturbance, and general problems involved in deriving a macroscopic physical process from more basic underlying processes. Fundamental concepts and methods are stressed, rather than the numerous individual applications. This volume of Statistical Physics consititutes the second part of Statistical Physics (Springer Series in Solid-State Science, Vols. 30, 31) and is devoted to nonequilibrium theories of statistical mechanics. We start with an intro­ duction to the stochastic treatment of Brownian motion and then proceed to general problems involved in deriving a physical process from an underlying more basic process. Relaxation from nonequilibrium to equilibrium states and the response of a system to an external disturbance form the central problems of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. These problems are treated both phenomenologically and microscopically along the lines of re­ cent developments. Emphasis is placed on fundamental concepts and methods rather than on applications which are too numerous to be treated exhaustively within the limited space of this volume. For information on the general aim of this book, the reader is referred to the Foreword. For further reading, the reader should consult the bibliographies, although these are not meant to be exhaustive.