|
PHY 4523 - Spring 2001
Topics To Be Covered in the Lectures
Basic Formulation of Statistical Mechanics
|
Equilibrium thermodynamics vs statistical mechanics.
Microstates: specification and occupation probability.
Macrostates and macroscopic observables.
Closed systems: microcanonical probability distribution,
calculation of macroscopic observables.
General form of the multiplicity function, Omega.
Further reading: Reif Sections 2.1-2.4, and 2.5 through Eq. (2.5.10).
|
Statistical Mechanics in the Microcanonical Ensemble
|
Thermodynamic processes in closed systems:
removal of internal constraints, reversible vs irreversible processes.
Thermal equilibrium:
statistical equivalents of temperature and entropy.
General equilibrium:
statistical equivalents of pressure and chemical potential.
Einstein model of lattice vibrations.
Two-level model of atomic systems.
1D polymer model.
Further reading: Reif Sections 3.1-3.3 and 3.7-3.10; Callen Sections 15.2-4.
|
Statistical Mechanics in the Canonical and Grand Canonical Ensembles
|
System in thermal contact with a heat reservoir:
canonical probability function.
Calculation of macroscopic observables:
statistical equivalent of the Helmholtz free energy.
Factorizable systems and canonical treatment of microscopic systems.
Einstein model and two-level model (revisited).
Zipper model of DNA.
Variable particle number: the grand canonical probability function.
Entropy as a measure of disorder.
Further reading: Reif Sections 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 through Eq. (6.3.8),
6.5, 6.6, 6.9, 6.10.
|
Classical Systems of Noninteracting Particles
|
Canonical formulation for classical systems.
Monatomic ideal gas: Gibbs' paradox.
Equipartition.
Further reading: Reif Sections 7.1-7.6.
|
Quantum Mechanical Systems of Distinguishable, Noninteracting Particles
|
Lattice specific heats: Einstein model (covered previously).
Paramagnetism.
Further reading: Reif Sections 7.8,7.8.
|
Quantum Mechanical Systems of Indistinguishable, Noninteracting Particles
|
Bosons and fermions.
Photon statistics.
Bose-Einstein statistics.
Fermi-Dirac statistics.
Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics.
The classical limit.
Further reading: Reif Sections 9.1-9.8
|
Quantum Mechanical Ideal Gases
|
Density of states of a 3D ideal gas.
The classical limit.
Rotation/vibration in polyatomic gases.
Electromagnetic radiation in a closed cavity.
Electromagnetic radiation emitted by a body.
The ideal Fermi fluid.
Further reading: Reif Sections 9.9-9.16
|
Interacting Particles
|
Vibrational modes of 1D monatomic and diatomic chains.
Lattice vibrations: Einstein and Debye models.
Ferromagnetism: nearest-neighbor Ising model.
Further reading: Reif Sections 10.1, 10.2, and 10.6
|
Kinetic Theory of Dilute Gases
|
Maxwell velocity distribution.
Equilibrium rate of molecules striking a surface.
Equilibrium pressure exerted by a gas.
Gases out of equilibrium: relaxation time and mean free path.
Self-diffusion of a mixture of gases.
Further reading: Reif Sections 7.9-7.11, 12.1, 12.2, and 12.5
|
|