Date
|
Subject
|
Reading
|
Homework
|
Jan 29
|
Foundations of statistical physics: phase space
and
ergodicity.
|
LI, Ch. 1-4
|
|
Jan 30
|
Foundations of statistical physics: statistical
distribution
and entropy.
|
LI, Ch. 5-8
|
Assignment 1
|
Feb 5
|
Statistical physics and thermodynamics.
|
LI, Ch. 9,11-13
|
|
Feb 6
|
Thermodynamic relations. Thermodynamic
inequalities.
|
LI, Ch. 14-16
|
Assignment 2
|
Feb 12
|
Canonical ensemble. Partition
function.
Equipartition and virial. |
LI, Ch. 28,31; P, Ch. 3.3,3.4
|
|
Feb 13
|
Harmonic oscillator. Thermodynamic
perturbation
theory.
|
LI, Ch.32.
|
Assignment 3
|
Feb 19
|
Grand canonical ensemble. Chemical
potential.
|
LI, Ch. 24,35,36; P, Ch. 6.5 |
|
Feb 20
|
Classical ideal gases. Influence of
internal
motion.
|
Phys Rev. 54, 918 (1938)
|
Assignment 4
|
Feb 26
|
Cluster expansion for a classical gas.
|
P, Ch. 9.1
|
|
Feb 27
|
Virial expansion of the equation of state.
|
P, Ch. 9.2, 9.3
|
Assignment 5
|
Mar 4
|
Ideal Bose gas. Bose-Einstein condensation.
|
P, Ch. 7.1-7.4
|
|
Mar 5
|
Photons and phonons. Thermodynamics of
helium-4.
|
Landau's superfluidity paper.
|
Assignment 6
|
Mar 11
|
Ideal Fermi gas. Electrons in
metals. White dwarf stars.
|
LI, Ch. 56-60; P, Ch. 8.4
|
|
Mar 12
|
Fermi liquid.
|
LII, Ch. 1-3
|
Assignment 7
|
Mar 18
|
Spring break.
|
|
|
Mar 19
|
Spring break.
|
|
|
Mar 25
|
Midterm exam.
|
|
|
Mar 26
|
Phase transitions. Van der Waals gas.
Critical
exponents.
|
Postponed
|
|
Apr 1
|
Ising model in 1 dimension. Transfer
matrix. |
P, Ch. 12.1, 12.3.
|
|
Apr 2
|
Ising model in 2 dimensions.
Krammers-Wannier duality. |
xtoys
|
Assignment 8
|
Apr 8
|
Mean-field approximation. |
P, Ch. 11.3-11.5
|
|
Apr 9
|
Landau theory of phase transitions. |
P, Ch. 11.9
|
P, 11.7, 11.20.
|
Apr 15
|
Ginzburg-Landau-Wilson functional.
Solitons.
|
|
|
Apr16
|
Scale invariance at a critical point.
Universality and critical exponents.
|
P, Ch. 11.10-11.13. Skim Ch. 13.1
|
Assignment 10
|
Apr 22
|
Thermodynamic fluctuations.
|
LII, Ch. 110-112.
|
|
Apr 23
|
Brownian motion.
|
LII, Ch. 118. P, Ch. 14.3-14.4
|
Assignment 11
|
Apr 29
|
Fluctuation-dissipation theorem.
|
|
|
Apr 30
|
Onsager relations.
|
|
|
May 6
|
Take-home final exam.
|
|
Final exam
|