ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the kinetics of the conduction electrons in a metal, assuming only interaction with impurities, and neglecting band structure effects that is we shall study the Boltzmann theory for a Fermi gas in a random potential. Assuming an isotropic model, the Boltzmann equation can be solved to linear order in the external fields. It considers the electric conductivity before turning to thermal conductivity and thermoelectric effects. The thermoelectric effects are only nonzero because quantities vary as a function of energy across the Fermi surface. In a degenerate Fermi system, thermoelectric effects are small due to the large Fermi energy, the scale on which quantities vary across the Fermi surface. Quantum statistics and the spin degree of a particle is intimately connected as relativistic quantum field theory demands that bosons have integer spin, whereas particles with half-integer spin are fermions.
