| Week |
Monday |
Wednesday |
| Feb 1 |
Methods of Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics. Definitions of
thermodynamics. Temperature. Equation of state. |
Thermodynamic coefficients. Work. Internal energy. First law of
thermodynamics. Heat. Heat capacity. Mayer's equation. |
| Feb 8 |
The adiabatic equation. Heat machines. Carnot cycle. |
Entropy at equilibrium. Thermodynamic potentials. Thermodynamic
relations. Entropy of the ideal gas. Adiabatic thermodynamic coefficients. |
| Feb 15 |
Presidents Day, no classes |
Problem solving |
| Feb 22 |
Third law of thermodynamics. Systems with variable mass,
chemical potential. Thermodynamic stability. |
Second law of thermodynamics. Carnot's theorem. Entropy
increase in irreversible processes. |
| Mar 1 |
Molecular theory of the ideal gas. Basic assumptions. Characteristic lengths.
Velocity and speed distribution function. Molecular flux. Pressure due to
molecular impact. |
Relation between temperature and average kinetic energy. Heat
capacity of the ideal gas. Degrees of freedom. Maxwell-Boltzmann disctribution.
Characteristic speeds of molecules. |
| Mar 8 |
Midterm test 1 |
Statistical physics. Classical vs. quantum approaches. Quantum states and
equidistribution assumption. Combinatorics and thermodynamic probability. Coin
tossing experiment. Stirling formula. |
| Mar 15 |
Combinatorics of multistate particles. Degeneracy.
Thermodynamic probability and entropy. Boltzmann statistics. Relation between statistical parameters
and thermodynamic quantities. |
Formalism of quantum mechanics. Eigenvalue problems for
matrices and differential operators. Stationary Schrödinger equation. Particle
in a rigid box. Degeneracy. Density of states. |
| Mar 22 |
Statistical thermodynamics of the ideal gas |
Statistical mechanics of harmonic oscillators |
| Mar 29 |
Spring Recess |
Spring Recess |
| Apr 5 |
Average quantum number of the harmonic oscillator as a
particular case of the Bose-Einstein distribution. Statistical mechanics of
rotators. |
Problem solving |
| Apr 12 |
Solid as a collection of harmonic oscillators. Sound waves in a
box. Phonons. Density of states. Heat capacity of solids. Debye theory. |
Spins in magnetic field. Energy levels and partition function. Brillouin function, heat capacity, and
magnetic susceptibility. |
| Apr 19 |
Spins in magnetic field. Phase transitions and mean-field
approximation. |
... Continued. Problem solving. |
| Apr 26 |
Grand canonical ensemble for systems of indistinguishable particles
and systems with interaction. Spin and statistics. Bosons and fermions. |
...Continued. |
| May 3 |
Bose condensation. Energy, heat capacity, and pressure of the
Bose gas. |
Fermi gas at zero temperature. Degenerate Fermi gas at nonzero temperatures. Heat capacity of
the degenerate Fermi gas |
| May 10 |
1D Ising model |
Midterm test 2 |
| May 17 |
Problem solving |
No classes |