Statistical Thermodynamics

A branch of statistical mechanics, equilibrium statistical thermodynamics provides a statistical substantiation of the laws of thermodynamics on the basis of the statistical mechanics of J. W. Gibbs. Equilibrium statistical thermodynamics deals with the calculation of the thermodynamic quantities characterizing a system (thermodynamic potentials, the equation of state) on the basis of the laws governing the interaction between the particles making up the system.

Nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics provides a statistical substantiation of the thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes—that is, it provides a statistical basis for the equations of transport of energy, momentum, and mass. Nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics permits expressions for the transport, or “kinetic,” coefficients in the equations to be obtained on the basis of the laws governing the interaction and motion of the particles in the system.