Undergraduate Course: Advanced Statistical Physics (PHYS11007)
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 5 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
10 |
Home subject area |
Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) |
Other subject area |
None |
Course website |
None |
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Course description |
In this course we will discuss equilibrium phase transition, of the first and second order, by using the Ising and the Gaussian models as examples. We will first review some basic concepts in statistical physics, then study critical phenomena. Phase transitions will be analysed first via mean field theory, then via the renormalisation group (RG), in real space. We will conclude with some discussion of the dynamics of the approach to equilibrium.
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Entry Requirements
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students also take
Statistical Physics (PHYS11024)
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Prohibited Combinations |
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Other requirements |
At least 80 credit points accrued in courses of SCQF Level 9 or 10 drawn from Schedule Q.
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Additional Costs |
None |
Course Delivery Information
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Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: No |
Quota: None |
Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | 15:00 - 15:50 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | 15:00 - 15:50 | | King's Buildings | Seminar | | 2-11 | | | 14:00 - 15:50 | | |
First Class |
Week 1, Monday, 15:00 - 15:50, Zone: King's Buildings. JCMB |
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Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Part-year visiting students only (VV1)
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WebCT enabled: No |
Quota: None |
Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | 15:00 - 15:50 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | 15:00 - 15:50 | | King's Buildings | Tutorial | | 1-11 | | | 14:00 - 15:50 | | |
First Class |
Week 1, Monday, 15:00 - 15:50, Zone: King's Buildings. JCMB |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that a student will be able to:
1)Express expectation values in a canonical ensemble.
2)Discuss the phenomenology of first- and second-order phase transitions with particular reference to the Ising model and liquid-gas transition.
3)Understand what a critical exponent is and be able to derive scaling relations
4)Exactly solve the Ising and the Gaussian model in 1 spatial dimension
5)Calculate correlations in the Ising model
6)Understand what mean field theory is, how it can be used to analyse a phase transition
7)Discuss the validity of mean-field theory in terms of upper critical dimension and give an heuristic argument to suggest dc=4
8)Apply the RG transformation in 1 dimension (decimation) to an Ising-like system.
9)State the RG transformation and discuss the nature of its fixed points for a symmetry-breaking phase transformation
10)Study the fixed points of an RG flow and understand their physical meaning
11)Understand what the Langevin and the Fokker-Planck equations are and how they can be related.
12)Be able to compute expectations of random variables with the Langevin equation, and to solve the Langevin and Fokker-Planck equations in simple cases (1 dimension) |
Assessment Information
Degree Examination, 100%
Visiting Student Variant Assessment
Degree Examination, 100% |
Please see Visiting Student Prospectus website for Visiting Student Assessment information |
Special Arrangements
Not entered |
Contacts
Course organiser |
Dr Davide Marenduzzo
Tel:
Email: dmarendu@ph.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mrs Linda Grieve
Tel: (0131 6)50 5254
Email: linda.grieve@ed.ac.uk |
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copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 6:35 am
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