Statistical mechanics of confined binary system: Comparison of three and two dimensions

Abstract

We have used a toy model to study the behaviour of confined binary systems in 2$D$ and compare it with previously known result in 3$D$. In the case of 2$D$, in which canonical distribution exists only above a critical temperature, we evaluate the exact form of partition function for this system and compare the exact partition function with the mean field partition function for the case of two-particle system. In contrast of its 3$D$ counterpart, there is no phase transition here. If this system, however, studied in microcanonical ensemble, it shows two different phases of kinetic energy dominated with positive specific heat and potential energy dominated with negative specific heat in presence of short distance cutoff. In absence of short distance cutoff, surprisingly, the negative specific heat region will be replaced by region of large specific heat. This feature is completely new and there is no such a case in 3$D$.