Spring 2006: Thermal Physics
Physics 554 Syllabus
Classroom: Currens Hall, 336
Meeting Time: MWF 9:00 - 9:50
Textbook: “Statistical Thermodynamics and Microscale Thermophysics”, 1999, Van P. Carey.
Recommended supplementary readings:
Benedek and Villars, Statistical Physics with illustrative examples from biology;
Lindley, “Boltzmann’s Atom”; Schroeder, “An Introduction to Thermal Physics”;
Stowe, “Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics”, Callen,
“Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics”, Landau and Lifshitz,
"Statistical Physics", Feynman, “Statistical Physics”.
Instructor: Dr. Jim Rabchuk
Office: 316A Currens Hall
Office Phone: 298-2577
E-mail: ja-rabchuk@wiu.edu
Website: www.wiu.edu/users/mfjar2/p554/p554.sp2006.syl.htm
Office Hours: MWF 1-2 PM
Tu. 9-10 AM, and by appointment.
Course Objective:
The textbook chosen for this course is a graduate level mechanical engineering text. It is detailed
to the point of being tedious and the author does not expend much energy on analogies or
explanations. What the text is very good at, however, is developing in a methodical fashion all of
the statistical tools for analyzing the thermal behavior of mechanical systems and materials. I
will supplement the text from time to time with readings from Landau and Lifshitz' classic text
on Statistical Physics and elsewhere, in particular in order to cover material on quantum effects
in gases in more detail.
Grading:
Homework (8 assignments) - 30%
Midterm Exam - 30%
Final Exam - 40%
Homework Schedule
Due January 27th, from Chapter 1: 2-12
Due February 10th, from Chapter 2: 2-5, 7-10, 12 plus 1.8, 19, 22 from Benedek and Villars
Due February 24th, from Chapter 3: 2-3, 5-6, 8, 11-14
Due March 10th, from Chapter 4: 1, 2, 5, 10-13 and 4.34, 35 from Benedek
Due March 31st, from Chapter 5: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 13 (Problem 10 for extra credit)
Due April 14th, from Chapter 6: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 14-16
Due April 28th, from Chapter 7: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6-7, 9, 11, 13, 15 and from Schroeder, 7:52-54
Due May 5th, from Chapter 8: 1-3, 7
Calendar of Physics 554 Events: Jan 17th, 2006 edition
17: 18: The energy picture:
Jan. 16: MLK Day
Classical and Quantum
23: Quantum realities
24: 25: Probability distributions
30: Boltzmann Statistics
31:
6: Macroscopic Equilibrium
7:
13: Lincoln’s birthday
14:
20: Entropy and heat
21:
27: Joule, J-T and
Paramagnetic cooling
6: Grand Canonical
Ensemble
BREAK
20: Ideal monatomic gases
28:
19:
26:
20: Quantum Systems:
SHO, Rotor, Box, Hydrogen
27: The ensemble picture &
Microcanonical ensemble
HW#1 due
3: Entropy, Temperature and Heat
Feb. 1: Entropy, probability
and distinguishability
8: Maxwell’s ideal gas
2:
15: Euler and Gibbs-Duhem
equations
22: Forms of the Second
Law of Thermodynamics
March 1: Canonical
Ensemble
8: Fluctuations and
Equilibrium
16:
9:
10: The Classical Limit
HW#4 due
21:
22: EXAM I
23:
27: Diatomic Gases: rotation
(ortho and parahydrogen)
April 3: Van der Waals gas
10: Fermi-Dirac Statistics
28:
29: Equipartition theorem
30:
4:
11:
5: Virial Expansion
12: Bose-Einstein Statistics
6:
13:
17: Einstein Crystal
24: Stability criteria
18:
25:
19: Debye Crystal
26: Phase transitions
20:
27:
May 1: Order - disorder
8:
2:
9:
3: Mean-Field Theory
10: 8AM Final
4:
11:
24: Ideal Diatomic Gases:
translation and vibration
31: The Classical Partition function
HW#5 due
7: Quantum Fluids
14: Photon gas
HW#6 due
21: Free Electron gas
28: Phase diagrams
HW#7 due
5:HW#8 due
12:
7:
9:
23:
2:
10:The fundamental equation and
equations of state
HW#2 due
17: Thermodynamic Potentials
24: Maxwell’s relations
HW#3 due
3: Ensemble average