What is the Limit of the Partition Function in the Low Temperature Regime?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the partition function in statistical mechanics, specifically examining its behavior in the low temperature regime. The original poster presents a scenario where the ground state energy is set to zero, and the energy levels are defined with a specific formula. The task involves analyzing the partition function and its limits under different temperature conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of the partition function diverging when considering an infinite number of energy levels. Questions arise about the treatment of the ground state and how isolating it affects the overall calculation of the partition function.

Discussion Status

There is an ongoing exploration of the partition function's behavior, particularly in the context of low temperatures. Some participants suggest isolating the ground state to reconcile the divergence issue, while others express uncertainty about the validity of their approaches. The discussion reflects a mix of interpretations and attempts to clarify the mathematical treatment of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that the partition function is expected to approach 1 at low temperatures, which raises questions about the assumptions made regarding energy levels and the treatment of divergent series. The original poster mentions attempts to calculate the summation, indicating potential constraints in the problem setup.

quanlop93
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Homework Statement


Ground state energy is set at 0.
E_n=\left(1-\frac{1}{n+1}\right)\in with no degeneracy (\Omega(n)=1); (n=0,1,2...)
Write down the partition function and look for its limit when kt \gg \in\\ kt \ll \in

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


Partition function for this is Z=\sum_{n=0}^\infty e^{-\beta\left(1-\frac{1}{n-1}\right)\in}
Consider Z when ##kt \ll \in## then ##\beta e \gg1## then ## e^{-\beta e} \rightarrow 0## This leads to the whole summation will go to 0. But we know that at low temperature, Z always goes to 1.
I have tried to calculate the summation but this series is divergent.
How can I change the calculation to reach Z =1?
 
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I agree - if you have an infinite number of energy levels, bounded above by \epsilon, then the partition function diverges.
 
What happens if you single out ##n=0##?
 
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DrClaude said:
What happens if you single out ##n=0##?
With n = 0 \left(1-\frac{1}{0+1}\right)=0 then Z=1 in two cases. But its supposed to be 1 just in the case that the temperature is low kt\ll\epsilon
I have tried some direct methods to find the limit of this function, but it turned out that the function is divergent. Then all of them became useless.
 
What I meant is take ##n=0## out of the sum in the low T limit, and you recover ##Z=1## as expected.
 
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DrClaude said:
What I meant is take ##n=0## out of the sum in the low T limit, and you recover ##Z=1## as expected.
Got it now. Thank you.
 

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