Physics 630: Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics
Spring 2024

Class schedule: Mon, Wed 11-12:20, Small Hall 122
Office hours: Fridays 1-2pm and by arrangement, i.e. feel free to stop by Josh's office when you have a question.
Course website: http://physics.wm.edu/~erlich/630S24

Instructor: Josh Erlich
Small Hall rm 332B
Office Phone: 757-221-3763
Email: jxerli@wm.edu

Topics to be covered:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Probability Theory
  • Kinetic Theory of Gases
  • Classical Statistical Mechanics
  • Interacting Particles
  • Quantum Statistical Mechanics
  • Ideal Quantum Gases

    Course requirements and grade:

    Grade: A 93-100, A- 88-93, B+ 83-88, B 78-83, B- 73-78, C+ 68-73, C 63-68, C- 58-63, D+ 53-58, D 48-53, D- 43-48, F <43

    Problem sets:

    Problem sets will be assigned approximately weekly, and will generally be due on Mondays.

    Reading material:

    Lecture Notes:
    Lecture Notes 1: Thermodynamics - The Zeroth and First Laws
    Lecture Notes 2: The Second Law
    Lecture Notes 3: Thermodynamic Potentials
    Lecture Notes 4: The third law
    Lecture Notes 5: Probability - cumulants and moments
    Lecture Notes 6: Laws of large numbers, Central limit theorem, Entropy
    Lecture Notes 7: Intro to Kinetic Theory, Liouville's Theorem
    Lecture Notes 8: The Boltzmann Equation
    Lecture Notes 9: The H-Theorem and Irreversibility
    Lecture Notes 10: Classical Statistical Mechanics: Microcanonical Ensemble part 1, Gibbs paradox
    Lecture Notes 11: Microcanonical Ensemble part 2
    Lecture Notes 12: Canonical Ensemble
    Lecture Notes 13: Gibbs Canonical Ensemble, Grand Canonical Ensemble
    Lecture Notes 14: Quantum Effects in Dilute Polyatomic Gases
    Lecture Notes 15: Dilute polyatomic gases continues
    Lecture Notes 16: Vibrations in a solid, Debye model
    Lecture Notes 17: Blackbody Radiation
    Lecture Notes 18: Quantum Microstates
    Lecture Notes 19: Quantum Macrostates
    Lecture Notes 20: Ideal Quantum Gases: Identical Particles
    Lecture Notes 21: Non-relativistic quantum gases, degenerate fermi gas
    Lecture Notes 22: Degenerate bose gas, Bose-Einstein condensation

    Problem Sets:
    Problem Set 1 (pdf), due Wednesday, February 7. Solutions
    Problem Set 2 (pdf), due Wednesday, February 14. Solutions
    Problem Set 3 (pdf), due Wednesday, February 21. Solutions
    Problem Set 4 (pdf), due Wednesday, February 28. Solutions
    Problem Set 5 (pdf), due Wednesday, March 27. Solutions
    Problem Set 6 (pdf), due Wednesday, April 3. Solutions
    Problem Set 7 (pdf), due Wednesday, April 10. Solutions
    Problem Set 8 (pdf), due Wednesday, April 17. Solutions
    Problem Set 9 (pdf), due Wednesday,April 24. Solutions
    Problem Set 10 (pdf), due Wednesday, May 1. Solutions