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Compressibility equation

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In statistical mechanics and thermodynamics the compressibility equation refers to an equation which relates the isothermal compressibility (and indirectly the pressure) to the structure of the liquid. It reads:where is the number density, g(r) is the radial distribution function and is the isothermal compressibility.

Using the Fourier representation of the Ornstein-Zernike equation the compressibility equation can be rewritten in the form:

where h(r) and c(r) are the indirect and direct correlation functions respectively. The compressibility equation is one of the many integral equations in statistical mechanics.

References

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  • D.A. McQuarrie, Statistical Mechanics (Harper Collins Publishers) 1976