Transport Phenomena in the Simple Metals

Abstract

The low-excitation-energy phenomena characteristic of the simple metals is discussed. The model used takes into account both the electron-phonon and electron-electron interactions. The result obtained is an extended form of Landau's Fermi-liquid theory. The parameters of the theory are related to the underlying interactions, and the relationships corresponding to the relation of the effective mass with the "scattering function" discovered by Landau are developed. The theory is used to classify the renormalization effects in the interacting electron-phonon model of the metal. The results are valid when excitation energies no greater in magnitude than the Debye energy are involved, with the exception that the usual differential form of the Landau-Boltzmann transport equation does not hold if time variations of frequency comparable to the Debye frequency are considered.