PHYX 6410

Title: Statistical Mechanics I
Professor: Eric Held
Time: 11:30 - 12:20 M W F
Semester: Spring 2004

Course Objectives
1. Develop a fundamental understanding of the connection
between the macroscopic and microscopic worlds.

Syllabus

1. Ensemble Theory

  • canonical, grand canonical and microcanonical ensembles
  • Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics
  • ideal monotomic and diatomic gases

    2. Classical and Quantum Statistics
  • classical partition function and Liouville's theorem
  • ideal Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein gases
  • crystals

    3. Kinetic Theory of Gases
  • Boltzmann equation
  • Chapman-Enskog method
  • Fokker-Planck equation

    Text: Statistical Mechanics, Donald A. McQuarrie

    Grading:
    Homework (6) 60%
    Midterm (1) 20%
    Final 20%