Some magnetic properties of metals I. General introduction, and properties of large systems of electrons

Abstract

Abstract A general introduction surveying the problems to be examined in a series of papers is followed by a detailed treatment of the magnetic behaviour of a large system of electrons. The Schrödinger equation is solved on the assumption that the system is unbounded, and the modifications caused by the finite size of the system are then determined for the limiting case in which the system is much larger than the electronic orbits. An expression is then obtained for the density of states, and the free energy of the system found assuming that kT < E0, where E0 is the degeneracy parameter. The magnetic susceptibility, thermodynamic potential and specific heat are discussed for the two cases N constant and E0 constant. Explicit formulae are given for the temperature-dependence of the field-independent term in the susceptibility. In the final section the corrections due to electron spin are introduced.