PHY 4523     Statistical Physics

in vivo schedule  PAST and  FUTURE

Week 01:    Jan. 7          No class.
                    Jan. 9          Introduction of Course, Chapter 1.  Ch. 1 Problems: 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12.
                    Jan. 11        Finish Chapter 1, and start Chapter 2.
                                        Ch. 2 Problems:  4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 19.


                                        Begin Kinetic Theory Discussion.

Week 02:    Jan. 14        Quiz 1 on Chapter 1 material and related topics of “macroscopic” thermodynamics.


                                        Continue Discussion on Kinetic Theory.  Equipartition of Energy.                                 
               Jan. 16        "The Mole" handout.  Percolation handout and assignment, results emailed by 9 pm 21 Jan.
                                        Finish Kinetic Theory, Start Probabilities (Ch. 3).
                    Jan. 18        Finish Ch. 3  Start Ch. 4.
 
Week 03:    Jan. 21        No Class, Holiday
                    Jan. 23        Early aspects of Ch. 4.
                    Jan. 25        Chapter 4, continued.


                                        Quiz 2 (on material Q1 to end of 18 Jan.).

Week 04:    Jan. 28        Chapt. 4, continued, 2D Ising example.
                    Jan. 30        Problems for Chapter 4: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14.


                                        "2D rubber band"
                        Feb. 1          Quiz 3.
Week 05:        Feb. 4        Finish Chapter 4.  Pose "typical questions".  Material to the end of the day "fair" for MTE 1.
                   Feb. 6          Review for MTE 1.  Do "typical questions".
                    Feb. 8          MTE 1.
 
Week 6:      Feb. 11            Review MTE 1.  Start Chapter 5.  Problems Ch. 5: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 22, 23, 26. 
                    Feb. 13        Continue Ch. 5. Extension to macroscopic thermodynamics.
                    Feb. 15        Quiz 4.  Two level systems and harmomic oscillators.  Extra Problems handout.
 
Week 7:      Feb. 18        Review Quiz.  Review the rest of Chapter 5.  Internal energy of two-level system.  Extra problem #1.
                    Feb. 20        Finish Ch. 5. Extra Problem #2.  Related Problems.
                    Feb. 22        Do some extra problems.
 
Week 8:      Feb. 25        Finish extra problems, harmonic oscillator trick. Review for MTE 2.
                    Feb. 27        MTE 2.
                    Mar. 1         Review MTE 2.  Visit Microkelvin Lab.
 
Week 9:      No Classes, Spring Break
 
Week 10:    Mar. 11       Do Ch. 6 and 7.
                    Chapter 6 Problems:  2, 4, 6, 8, 9.
                    Chapter 7 Problems:  2, 4, 5, 10, 13, 16.
                    Solutions to be in glass case on 12 March, before noon.
                    Material is for Quiz 5 for 15 March.
                    Mar. 13       Start Chapter 8.  Problems: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12
                    Mar. 15       Continue Ch. 8.  Quiz 5.
 
Week 11:    Mar. 18       Guest Lecture by Prof. Hagen
                    Mar. 20       Continue Ch. 8 with discussion of specific heats.
                    Mar. 22       Finish Ch. 8, start Ch. 9, Problems 1, 3, 4, 5, 9.  Quiz 6.
 
Week 12:    Mar. 25     Review Quiz 6.  Continue discussion of chemical potential.       
                    Mar. 27             Start Chapter 10.  Parallel discussion to contrast Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein Statistics.       
                    Mar. 29       Review discussion from Wednesday.  Emphasize Boltzmann, Maxwell-Boltxmann, Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac Statistics.  
                                           Assign Chapter 10 Problems:  1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15.  Quiz 7.
Week 13:    Apr. 1              Review Quiz 7 of magnons in 3D.  Work on magnons in 2D.  Start discussion of Fermi gas.         
                    Apr. 3              Continue discussion of Fermi gas.          
                    Apr. 5         "Spintronics" introduced.  BEC Video Games.  Quiz 8.
 
Week 14:    Apr. 8                Review Quiz 8.  Review Science Paper introducing "Spintronics".
                                        Motivate BEC.         
                    Apr. 10       
                    Apr. 12       Course Evaluations and Quiz 9.
 
Week 15:    Apr. 15       Highlights on Chapter 11 and 12.
                    Apr. 17       Start Review for MTE 3 and Final Exam.
                    Apr. 19       Prepare for MTE 3.
 
Week 16:    Apr. 22       MTE 3.
                    Apr. 24       Review MTE 3.  Review course.
                    Apr. 26       No Class, “Reading” Day
 
 
Final Exam: 
Tuesday, 30 April, 17:30-19:30 hrs (Final Exam Group 30E)
Special Notes about the Syllabus:  Please
note that the dates for all quizzes, examinations and chapter starts are
TENTATIVE.    The schedule will be finalized during the
course and will be announced in class.