Abstract
The partition function of an electron gas in the presence of scattering centers, such as exist in a dilute solution, is obtained by using the method first introduced by Matsubara. It is shown that the electronic specific heat at low temperatures, in such a case, contains a term arising from virtual electron scattering. If the Fermi limit in the pure metal lies just beyond a sharp peak in the density-of-states curve, this term increases the specific heat. Comparison with the observations by Rayne on the dilute solid solutions of zinc and germanium in copper indicate that the effect discussed is probably the explanation of the observed initial increase in the low-temperature specific heat at small concentrations.

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