Phys 831 - Statistical Mechanics I                               Spring 2009


Instructor:  Cass Sackett     email:  sackett@virginia.edu

Class location: Physics 210

Office Hours: Wednesday 3:00-5:00 PM, in Physics 155

Textbook:  A Modern Course in Statistical Physics, by L. E. Reichl  (for thermodynamics)
                    Statistical Mechanics, by R. K. Pathria (for stat mech)
Course information:  syllabus

Lecture Notes:
1/15 - State variables 2/3 - Phase transitions 2/26 - Identical particles 3/24 - Paramagnetism 4/9 - Distribution functions 4/28 - White dwarfs
1/20 - Laws of thermo 2/5 - Maxwell construction 3/10 - Microcanonical ensemble 3/26 - Grand canonical ensemble 4/14 - Bose condensation
1/22 - Entropy 2/10 - Binary mixture 3/12 - Boltzmann factor 3/31 - Density matrix 4/16 - Blackbody radiation
1/27 - Free energy 2/17 - Idea of stat mech 3/17 - Canonical ensemble 4/2 - Density matrix examples 4/21 - Fermi gas
1/29 - Applications 2/24 - Classical ideal gas 3/19 - Using the canonical ensemble 4/7 - Quantum statistics 4/23 - Fermi magnetism

Handouts:  
Thermodynamic variables
Manipulating differentials

Homework Assignments:  (Follow links for problem statements and solutions)

Assignment 1 due 1/29.   Solutions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4;  average:  35/40

Assignment 2 due 2/5.  Solutions 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4;  average:  36/40

Assignment 3 due 2/12.  Solutions 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4;  average:  35/40

Assignment 4 due 3/10.  Solutions 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4;   average:  36/40

Assignment 5 due 3/19.  Solutions 5.1, 5.2, 5.3;   average:  28/30

Assignment 6 due 3/26.  Solutions 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4;   average:  38/40

Assignment 7 due 4/9.   Solutions 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4;   average:  46/50

Assignment 8 due 4/16.   Solutions 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4;   average:  35/40

Assignment 9 due 4/28.   Solutions 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4;    average:  36/40


Qualifer Guide:  Statistical Mechanics

Exams:
   Midterm 1: in class, Tuesday, February 17
                exam, solution;   average = 41/80
 
   Midterm 2: take home, due April 2
                exam, solution;   average = 45/60

   Final:  Thursday, April 30, 9 am - noon
                exam, solution;   average = 33/60

Grade Distribution:
A+ 1
A 4
A- 5
B+ 7
B 3
B- 2