Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellow Diego Dalvit and former colleague Francesco Caravelli are co-authoring “Practical Statistical Mechanics.” This three-volume series for undergraduate and graduate students in physics and engineering combines theory with experiments, numerical examples and problem solving.
Why this matters: Statistical mechanics connects particle behavior with measurable properties such as temperature and pressure. The authors aim to make those connections easier to learn by pairing standard theory with worked examples, experimental demonstrations, historical context, computational exercises and references to real-world systems.
What they did: The first volume, published by CRC Press, introduces standard statistical-mechanics techniques with an emphasis on recurring structures across the field.
What’s next: The next volume, scheduled for November release, will contain about 250 solved problems spanning the series, while the final volume, planned for 2027, will move into advanced topics including quantum thermodynamics, Monte Carlo methods and machine learning in statistical physics.
Los Alamos role: Dalvit and Caravelli of the Quantum and Condensed Matter Physics group drew on their extensive experience in statistical mechanics and thermodynamics — including Dalvit’s earlier solved-problems book and Caravelli’s research at Los Alamos — to create what they describe as a modern compendium of the field.
Funding: The books were developed as an approved external activity to the Laboratory.
LA-UR-26-28658
