Statistical Mechanics I

This course introduces the postulates and key ideas in statistical mechanics, with applications to classical and quantal gases.

* Basic postulates, macrostates and microstates, distinguishable and indistinguishable particles, distribution functions

* Temperature, entropy and the probability of system configuration occurring, Boltzmann relation, canonical ensemble and partition function

* Gibb's entropy; Third law of thermodynamics; information theory; irreversible processes and arrow of time

* Density of states; heat capacity in black body radiation

* Ideal classical gas, Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, rotational and vibrational heat

* Free electron gas, Fermi energy and distribution function, Pauli paramagnetism

* Electronic contribution to heat capacity

* Phonons as normal modes, contribution to heat capacity, Debye approximation; phonon gas, thermal conductivity of insulators

* Mean description of phase transitions - Weiss model of ferromagnetism, order-disorder transition