Lectures: MW, 9:05-10:20, in HCB 217. (Make-up
lessons will be held on Fridays 9:05-9:55 a.m., when necessary).
Lectures: MW, 9:05-10:20, in HCB 217. (Make-up
lessons will be held on Fridays 9:05-9:55 a.m., when necessary).
Lecturer: Prof. Laura Reina, 510 Keen Building,
644-9282, e-mail: click
here
Office Hours: Monday, from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
The most efficient way to contact me outside office hours is
by e-mail. If you need to see me in person, you should make an
appointment.
Text:
R. K. Pathria, Statistical Mechanics ,
Elsevier (Second Edition). [Text]
K. Huang, Statistical Mechanics, Wiley (Second Edition). [KH]
D. L. Goodstein, States of Matter, Dover (2002). [DLG]
Course Topics
The statistical basis of thermodynamics
Elements of ensemble theory
The canonical ensemble
The grand canonical ensemble
Formulation of quantum statistics
Ideal Bose systems
Ideal Fermi systems
Introduction to phase transitions.Here is a summary of the topics covered in class lecture by lecture:
| Date | Topics covered | Main reference | 01/05 | Syllabus. What is statistical mechanics? Introduction to the statistical bases of thermodynamics. | [Text] (Ch. 1, Secs. 1.1-1.2, Your Notes) | 01/10 | Statistical bases of thermodynamics (contd). Introduction to the classical ideal gas. | [Text] (Ch. 1, Secs. 1.3-1.4) | 01/12 | Classical ideal gas (contd.). Gibbs paradox: changing the counting of microstates | [Text] (Ch. 1, Secs. 1.4-1.6) | 01/19 | Introduction to ensemble theory. The microcanonical ensemble. | [Text] (Ch. 2, Secs. 2.1-2.3) | 01/24 | The microcanonical ensemble: examples, quantum states and phase space. | [Text] (Ch. 2, Secs. 2.4-2.5) | 01/26 | The canonical ensemble. | [Text] (Ch. 3, Secs. 3.1, 3.3, your Notes) | 01/31 | Properties of the canonical ensemble. Problems (ideal gas, homework). | [Text] (Ch. 3, Secs. 3.2, 3.4-3.5, your Notes) | 02/02 | Thermodynamics of magnetic systems, negative temperature. Problem: system of harmonic oscillators. | [Text] (Ch. 3, Secs. 3.8, 3.10, your Notes) | 02/07 | FIRST MIDTERM EXAM | 02/09 | Introduction to the grand canonical ensemble. | [Text] (Ch. 4, Secs. 4.1-4.2) | 02/14 | NO CLASS. Make-up class scheduled for Friday 2/25. | 02/16 | The grand canonical ensemble: connection to thermodynamic properties of a macroscopic system. Example: vapor-solid equilibrium. | [Text] (Ch. 4, Secs. 4.3-4.4) | 02/21 | Introduction to quantum statistics: quantum ensemble theory, the density matrix | [Text] (Ch. 5, Sec. 5.1, your Notes) | 02/23 | Quantum ensemble theory: various examples. | [Text] (Ch. 5, Secs. 5.2-5.3) | 02/25 | Quantum ensemble theory: linear harmonic oscillator. | [Text] (Ch. 5, Sec. 5.3, your Notes) | 02/28 | Quantum systems of indistinguishable particles: Bose and Fermi statistics, general properties. | [Text] (Ch. 5, Sec. 5.4, your Notes) | 03/02 | Ideal quantum gas: ideal Bose gas vs ideal Fermi gas. | [Text] (Ch. 6, Secs. 6.1-6.3) | 03/14 | Ideal Fermi gas: non degenerate, degenerate, completely degenerate gas. | [Text] (Ch. 8, Sec. 8.1) | 03/16 | Ideal Fermi gas: the electron gas in metals. | [Text] (Ch. 8, Sec. 8.3) | 03/21 | NO CLASS. Make-up class scheduled for Friday 3/25. | 03/23 | Ideal Fermi gas: the case of white dwarfs. | [Text] (Ch. 8, Sec. 8.4) | 03/25 | Midterm preparation: discussion and problems. | (Your notes) | 03/28 | SECOND MIDTERM EXAM | 03/30 | Ideal Bose gas: thermodynamic behavior, Bose-Einstein condensation. | [Text] (Ch. 7, Sec. 7.1) | 04/04 | Bose-Einstein condensation: discussion of the 1995 experiment. Discussion of homework problems. | [Text] (Your Notes plus paper in HWK 10) | 04/06 | Black-body radiation: Bose-Einstein explaination of the spectral distribution of radiation. More on thermodynamical properties. | [Text] (Ch. 7, Sec. 7.2) | 04/11 | The specific heat of solids: Einstein model. | [Text] (Ch. 7, Sec. 7.3) | 04/13 | NO CLASS. Make-up class scheduled for Friday 4/15. | 04/15 | The specific heat of solids: Debey model. | [Text] (Ch. 7, Sec. 7.3) | 04/18 | Introduction to phase transitions. Examples of dynamical models of phase transitions. | [Text] (Ch. 11, Sec. 11.3) | 04/20 | The Ising model in d=1. Discussion of the d>1 case(s). | [Text] (Ch. 12, Sec. 12.1-12.2) |
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Course format and student responsibilities
The textbook will be followed pretty closely, but new material will be
introduced to complement and broaden the discussion of several
topics. It is the students' responsibility to attend class and take
notes of the material that is not in the textbook.
A graduate level course in classical mechanics has a quite formal
approach to all topics discussed. However, physics is learned by
doing, in particular by solving problems in order to consolidate the
theory. Part of class time will be devoted to problem solving and more
problems will be assigned in the homework. It is the students'
responsibility to solve them carefully and use them to attain a
maximum degree of practice with the subject matter.
Homework
The homework will be assigned on a weekly basis, on Wednesday, due the next Wednesday at class time. Solutions will be posted on the course web page. I will not accept late homework except for special circumstances (to be discussed with me ahead of time). There will be no make-up for late or missed homework.
Exams and Grades.
A student's grade will be based 30% on the homework, 40% on two Midterm Exams (20% each) and 30% on the Final Exam. Letter grades will be determined from numerical grades as follows:
100-85% : A
84-70% : B
69-55% : C
54-40% : D
below 40% : F
Attendance, participation, and personal interest will also be important factors in determining a student's final grade, and will be used to the discretion of the instructor.
The Midterm exams are tentatively scheduled for Monday February, 7th 2011 ( exam and solutions) and Monday March, 28th 2011 ( exam and solutions). A change of dates will be announced in class and on the course web page with advanced notice. The exams will be given in class, and they will last for the entire class time.
The Final exam will be on Wednesday April, 27th 2011 from 12:30 p.m. till 2:30 p.m. ( exam and solutions). The Final exam will be cumulative, with emphasis on the material not covered by the midterms.
Exam Policy
An absence may be excused given sufficient evidence of extenuating circumstances and in accordance with the University policy stated below. In such a case, extra weight will be attached to the other exams. Barring emergencies, the matters leading to a possible excused absence should be discussed with the instructor well in advance. An unexcused absence will result in a grade of zero.
Attendance and Absence
Regular, responsive, and active attendance is highly recommended. A student absent from class bears the full responsibility for all subject matter and information discussed in class. Please inform me in advance of any excused absence (e.g., religious holiday) on the day an assignment is due. In case of unexpected absences, due to illness or other serious problems, we will discuss the modality with which you will turn in any missed assignment on a case by case basis. Other situations are discussed under ``University Attendance Policy'' below.
University Attendance Policy
Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holidays, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
Academic Honor Policy
The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the Universityœôòùs expectations for the integrity of studentsœôòù academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to œôòü... be honest and truthful and ... [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.œôòý (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm) The policy is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility 1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and 3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
Student Disability Resource Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu
Syllabus Change Policy
Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.