Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

"Equilibrium Statistical Physics", 2nd Edition
Authors: Plischke & Bergerson
Publishers: World Scientific Publisher

Course Description

Review of thermodynamics and ensembles, ideal gases, quantum statistics, imperfect classical gases, magnetic models, phase transitions and critical phenomena, Landau theory, renormalization group methods. If time permits, I will discuss some topics in time-dependent statistical mechanics such as the Boltzmann equation, Langevin equations and methods of fluctuating hydrodynamics.

Prerequisite: PHYS 345, or equivalent.

Outline of Topics

• Microcanonical, Canonical and Grand Canonical Ensembles
• Quantum statistics
• Correlation functions in fluids, cluster expansions, virial equation of state
• Introduction to phase transitions and Landau theory
• Ising and related models - mean field theory, series expansions
• Critical phenomena, renormalization group theory
• Some topics in time-dependent statistical mechanics (time permitting)

Grading

Assigments and a final examination with the marks divided as

Problems	50 %
Final	50%

Handouts

• Epsilon Expansion  (118kB compressed Postscript file; use "gunzip" to uncompress)