The Entropy Crisis

The Entropy Crisis

Intends to prove that the "energy crisis" is an entropy crisis. This book uses examples from daily experiences to introduce the concept of entropy. It shows that the entropy increase due to irreversible transformations simultaneously determines the level of fresh energy supplies of our society and the damage that it causes to the environment.

Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Statistical Physics of Liquids at Freezing and Beyond

Exploring important theories for understanding freezing and the liquid-glass transition, this book is useful for graduate students and researchers in soft-condensed matter physics, chemical physics and materials science. It details recent ideas and key developments, providing an up-to-date view of current understanding. The standard tools of statistical physics for the dense liquid state are covered. The freezing transition is described from the classical density functional approach. Classical nucleation theory as well as applications of density functional methods for nucleation of crystals from the melt are discussed, and compared to results from computer simulation of simple systems. Discussions of supercooled liquids form a major part of the book. Theories of slow dynamics and the dynamical heterogeneities of the glassy state are presented, as well as nonequilibrium dynamics and thermodynamic phase transitions at deep supercooling. Mathematical treatments are given in full detail so readers can learn the basic techniques.