Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, and Quantum Mechanics

QUANTUM MECHANICS 325

with the boundary conditions gives

where Protons, neutrons, and electrons are fermions,

so 2 may occupy each energy level, and we have

The kinetic energy of a particle

where

To determine which species are relativistic, we wish to find whether

We may extract fromS.5.73.2. For neutrons:

Similarly for protons:

Since N, Z < A, both neutrons and protons are non-relativistic. For elec-

trons:

The equilibrium value of Z/A obtained in (c) for relativistic electrons gives
which still leaves 1 in S.5.73.7. Moreover, if we assume
that the electrons are non-relativistic and minimize S.5.73.14 below with
electron energy (see S.5.73.9)