This chapter begins by extending the Boltzmann distribution to the case of a system that exchanges particles with its environment. This idea finds direct applications ranging from hemoglobin adsorption to ionization of atoms in stars. But the main applications are to dense “gases” in which the quantum behavior of identical particles comes into play. Examples include conduction electrons in metals and semiconductors; white dwarf and neutron stars; photon gases and thermal radiation from incandescent objects; neutrino and electron-positron production in the early universe; quasiparticles associated with vibrations and magnetic excitations in solids; and Bose-Einstein condensation of ultracold clouds of atoms.
Optimal laser focusing for positron production in laser-electron scattering
