Course Description
Applications of statistical mechanics to some fundamental problems in physics, astrophysics and other sciences.
Athena Title
STAT MECH II
Prerequisite
PHYS 8301
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
To develop the grand canonical ensemble formalism to treat quantum gases and their thermodynamics. To study the properties of the Fermi surface and its relationship to solid state properties, to study Bose Einstein condensation and its relationship to atomic gases. To study critical phenomena in magnetic models using transfer matrix, renormalization, mean field approches. To explore iterative maps to gain insight into chaotic dynamics.
Topical Outline
1. 1D Ising model and transfer matrix analysis 2. Yang-Lee zeros 3. Iterative maps, chaos and attractors 4. Renormalization group approach to the Ising model, fixed point analysis 5. Critical phenomena and mean field theory 6. Fermi statistics and applications to metals 7. Bose statistics and Bose Einstein condesation; atomic gases 8. Unification by means of polylogs 9. Classical fluids; Ursel Mayer theory