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P332: STATISTICAL AND THERMAL PHYSICS

Rationale

The basic laws governing dynamics are Newtons second law in classical mechanics and the

Schr odinger wave equation in quantum mechanics. Their application is however restricted toonly the simplest physical systems because of mathematical complications which ariseprimarily from the many-body nature of most practical systems. Statistical mechanics is thestudy of systems comprising many particles by means of the laws of statistics and probability.In P332, the fundamental principles of equilibrium statistical mechanics are studied and areillustrated by means of simple examples. Many important concepts are developed for the rsttime and some old ones rigorously justied or derived. This lays the groundwork for the studyof more complex systems which cannot be treated in this course, and it leads to the study of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics at postgraduate level.

Objectives

At the end of this course, you should have learned:

1. The connection between the laws of thermodynamics and the microscopic structure of matter.

2. How to use statistical mechanics to calculate the properties of simple systems.

3. How to derive many of the results of kinetic theory and thermodynamics by means of thestandard tools of statistical mechanics such as the partition function.

4. The student should be ready to move on to the study of more advanced concepts andmore complex physical systems in subsequent courses.

Course Content

Probability and Statistics: The random walk problem, the binomial distribution, the Gaussiandistribution, the Poisson distribution

Statistical Description of Systems of Particles: Statistical formulation of the mechanicalproblem

Statistical Thermodynamics: Irreversibility at the attainment of equilibrium, thermalinteraction between macroscopic systems, general interaction between macroscopic systems,general interaction between macroscopic systems

Macroscopic Parameters and Their Measurement

Simple Applications of Macroscopic Thermodynamics: Properties of ideal gases, generalrelations for a homogeneous substance, free expansion and throttling processes, heat enginesand refrigerators

Basic Methods of Statistical Mechanics: Ensembles representative of situations of physicalinterest, approximation methods

Simple Applications of Statistical Mechanics: Ideal monatomic gas, the equipartition theorem,paramagnetism

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Equilibrium Between Phases or Chemical Species: General equilibrium conditions,equilibrium between phases, chemical equilibrium of systems with several components

Quantum Statistics of Ideal Gases: Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Diracstatistics, black-body radiation.

Time Allocation:Lectures: 3 hrs/week Tutorial: 1 hr/week Lab: Associated laboratory of 3 hrs/week.

Assessment:Continuous assessment: 40%,Final Examination: 60%Pre-requisites: P231, P272, M211, M212

Prescribed Texts

1. F. Reif, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics, McGraw-Hill, 1981. ISBN:0-07-085615-X

2. B. N. Roy, Fundamentals of Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics, Wiley, 2002.ISBN: 13:978-0470843161

Recommended Texts

1. M. W. Zemansky, Heat and Thermodynamics, McGraw-Hill, 1957. ISBN:978-0070170599

2. F. W. Sears, Thermodynamics, McGraw-Hill, 1963. ISBN: 13:020106894

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