Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2006

Abstract

The first in a long series of papers by John T. Lewis, in collaboration with G. W. Ford and the present author, considered the problem of the most general coupling of a quantum particle to a linear passive heat bath, in the course of which they derived an exact formula for the free energy of an oscillator coupled to a heat bath in thermal equilibrium at temperature $T$. This formula, and its later extension to three dimensions to incorporate a magnetic field, has proved to be invaluable in analyzing problems in quantum thermodynamics. Here, we address the question raised in our title viz. Nernst's third law of thermodynamics. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of Statistical Physics

First Page

15

Last Page

23

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