Undergraduate Course: Statistical Physics (PHYS11024)

Course Outline
School	School of Physics and Astronomy	College	College of Science and Engineering
Course type	Standard	Availability	Available to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Year 4 Undergraduate)	Credits	10
Home subject area	Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)	Other subject area	None
Course website	http://www2.ph.ed.ac.uk/teaching/course-notes/notes/list/70	Taught in Gaelic?	No
Course description	This is a course on the statistical physics of interacting particles. We begin by reviewing the fundamental assumptions of equilibrium statistical mechanics focussing on the relation between missing information (or entropy) and probability. We then consider the statistical mechanics of interacting particles and develop important approximation schemes. This leads us to review phase transitions and the unifying phenomenology. We study in detail a simple, microscopic model for phase transitions: the Ising model. We then consider a general theoretical framework known as Landau Theory. Finally we discuss the issue of dynamics: how does a system approach and explore the state of thermal equilibrium? How does one reconcile microscopic time reversibility with the macroscopic arrow of time?

Entry Requirements
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	At least 80 credit points accrued in courses of SCQF Level 9 or 10 drawn from Schedule Q.
Additional Costs	None

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	None
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?	Yes

Course Delivery Information

Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)						WebCT enabled: No		Quota: None
Location	Activity	Description	Weeks	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
King's Buildings	Lecture		1-11		09:00 - 09:50
King's Buildings	Lecture		1-11					09:00 - 09:50
King's Buildings	Tutorial		2-11	15:00 - 17:00
First Class	Week 1, Tuesday, 09:00 - 09:50, Zone: King's Buildings. JCMB
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours:Minutes	Stationery Requirements		Comments
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)			2:00	12 sides

Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)						WebCT enabled: No		Quota: None
Location	Activity	Description	Weeks	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
King's Buildings	Lecture		1-11		09:00 - 09:50
King's Buildings	Lecture		1-11					09:00 - 09:50
King's Buildings	Tutorial		2-11	15:00 - 17:00
First Class	Week 1, Tuesday, 09:00 - 09:50, Zone: King's Buildings. JCMB
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours:Minutes	Stationery Requirements		Comments
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)			2:00	12 sides

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that a student will be able to: 1) Define and distinguish between the Boltzmann and Gibbs entropies 2) Derive the principal ensembles of Statistical Physics by using the method of Lagrange multipliers to maximise the Gibbs entropy 3) Discuss the many-body problem and be able to formulate and motivate various approximation schemes. 4) Describe the phenomenology of phase transitions in particular Bose-Einstein condensation, liquid-gas transition and ferromagnetic ordering. 5) Formulate the Ising model of phase transitions and be able to motivate and work out various mean-field theories 6) Articulate the paradox of the arrow of time. 7) Formulate mathematical descriptions of dynamics such as Fermi's master equation, Langevin equations and the diffusion equation; solve simple examples of such descriptions such as random walks and Brownian motion 8) Discuss and formulate fluctuation-dissipation relations and linear correlation and response theory

Assessment Information
Degree Examination, 100% Visiting Student Variant Assessment Degree Examination, 100%

Special Arrangements
None

Contacts
Course organiser	Prof Arjun Berera Tel: (0131 6)50 5246 Email: ab@ph.ed.ac.uk	Course secretary	Miss Paula Wilkie Tel: (0131) 668 8403 Email: paw@roe.ac.uk