Rahul Kulkarni
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Rahul Kulkarni |
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PHYSICS 350 --- STATISTICAL PHYSICS
Spring 2014
Lectures: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 - 10:50 a.m. , (M-2-206)
Recommended text:
Statistical Mechanics of Particles, by Mehran Kardar (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
Also recommended:
Online text: http://stp.clarku.edu/notes, by H. Gould and J. Tobochnik.
Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd ed., by H. B. Callen (John Wiley, 1985);
Grades:
HW (30%), MT 1 (20%), MT 2 (20%), Final (30%).
List of topics:
1. Review of thermodynamics
2. Review of probability theory
3. Ensemble theory, fundamental postulates of Stat Mech
4. Microcanonical, Canonical and Grand Canonical ensembles
5. Chemical reactions, biological applications
6. Quantum Statistical Mechanics
7. Ideal gases, nointeracting systems (bosons and fermions)
8. Interacting systems: Ising model
9. Phase transitions, Mean field theory, Landau theory