Thermodynamics of two-component log-gases with alternating charges

Abstract

We consider a one-dimensional gas of positive and negative unit charges interacting via a logarithmic potential, which is in thermal equilibrium at the (dimensionless) inverse temperature $β$. In a previous paper [Samaj, L.: J. Stat. Phys. 105, 173-191 (2001)], the exact thermodynamics of the unrestricted log-gas of pointlike charges was obtained using an equivalence with a (1+1)-dimensional boundary sine-Gordon model. The present aim is to extend the exact study of the thermodynamics to the log-gas on a line with alternating $\pm$ charges. The formula for the ordered grand partition function is obtained by using the exact results of the Thermodynamic Bethe ansatz. The complete thermodynamics of the ordered log-gas with pointlike charges is checked by a small-$β$ expansion and at the collapse point $β_c=1$. The inclusion of a small hard core around particles permits us to go beyond the collapse point. The differences between the unconstrained and ordered versions of the log-gas are pointed out.