MAU34405 Statistical physics I
| Module Code | MAU34405 |
|---|---|
| Module Title | Statistical physics I |
| Semester taught | Semester 1 |
| ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Module Lecturer | Prof. Manuela Kulaxizi |
| Module Prerequisites | MAU23402 Advanced classical mechanics II |
Assessment Details
- This module is examined in a 2-hour examination at the end of Semester 1.
- Continuous assessment contributes 20% towards the overall mark.
- Re-assessment, if needed, consists of 100% exam.
Contact Hours
11 weeks of teaching with 3 lectures and 1 tutorial per week.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to
- Explain the ideas of equilibrium thermodynamics and apply them to various systems.
- Relate macroscopic equilibrium properties with the underlying microscopic physics.
- Describe the notion of ensembles and use the formalism of statistical physics.
- Include interactions systematically through appropriate expansions.
- Explain the concept of a first-order phase transition.
Module Content
- Thermodynamics: 0th, 1st, 2nd and 3rd laws, concept of temperature and entropy.
- Thermodynamic potentials: Ideal gases, heat engines, reversible vs irreversible processes.
- Calculus: Gauss integrals, Gamma function, saddle point approximation, Euler-Maclaurin resummation.
- Elements of cominatorics and probability theory.
- Foundations of statistical physics, probabilistic description of statistical systems.
- Microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles. Partition function.
- Derivation of thermodynamics from statistical physics, Boltzmann and Gibbs approaches to entropy.
- Applications of thermodynamics and statistics in physical systems.
Recommended Reading
- Introduction to statistical physics by Kerson Huang.
- Statistical physics by Landau and Lifshitz.