Chem 220a
Fall 2014
Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics
Chem 220a
Instructors:
David Chandler, Professor
210 Gilman Hall, 510-643-6821
Office Hours: Wednesday, 11:00 AM – noon
Grant Rotskoff, GSI
35 Gilman Hall (in the Pitzer Center), 510-643-7128
Office Hours: To be announced
Lecture & Discussion: Lectures are from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM every Tuesday and Thursday. A weekly
Voluntary Discussion Section will be held, time and place to be announced.
Web pages & email: This course web site is found on bcourses. All homework assignments, solutions, and
announcements are posted there. Students should be signed up on bcourses so that instructors can reach them
by email. The GSI email address is Chem220aF2014@gmail.com.
Course Mechanics: Approximately 14 problem sets assigned, one per week. Each is due in class one week
after assignment. Two in-class hour examinations (dates to be announced) and a Final Examination on
December 17, 8:00 – 11:00 AM. For grading, total homework counts as much as a one-hour examination,
and the final counts as much as three one-hour examinations.
Computing: Several assignments will require the use of computers. A student can use his or her own
personal computer or a computer facility arranged for by the instructors. Exercises will presume knowledge
of Python and plotting software like GNU. Tutorials will be provided for those without this familiarity. To
arrange for these tutorials, students should contact the GSI immediately.
Textbooks (on reserve in library)
1. H. Callen, Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd Ed. (Wiley, 1985)
2.
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D. Chandler, Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics (Oxford, 1987)
3. T. Hill, An Introduction to Statistical Thermodynamics (Dover, 1986/1960)
4. D. P. Landau and K. Binder, A Guide to Monte Carlo Simulations in Statistical Physics, 3rd Ed.
(Cambridge, 2009)
5. D. A. McQuarrie, Statistical Mechanics (University Science, 2000/1976)
6. M. Plischke and B. Bergersen, Equilibrium Statistical Physics, 3rd Ed. (World Sci, 2006)
7. F. Reif, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics (McGraw-Hill, 1965)
8. J. Sethna, Statistical Mechanics: entropy, order-parameters and complexity (Oxford, 2006)
9. B. Widom, Statistical Mechanics: a concise introduction for chemists (Cambridge, 2002)
10. D. Wu and D. Chandler, Solutions Manual for “Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics”
(Oxford, 1989)
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Required text
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Chem 220a
Fall 2014
Syllabus
I. Fluctuations, averages and equilibrium.
a. Example: random walks and ideal polymers
b. Laws of large numbers
II. Thermodynamics
a. Entropy and temperature
b. First and second laws
c. Auxiliary functions and Maxwell relations
d. Equilibrium and stability
III. Ensembles and free energy
a. Canonical ensemble
b. Spins in a magnetic field
c. Grand canonical ensemble
d. Partition function, free energy and reversible work
IV. Ideal systems
a. Phonons, bosons and fermions
b. Classical limit
c. Gas phase molecules and chemical equilibria
V. Statistical mechanics of phase transitions
a. Ising model
b. Ground states, order parameter, broken symmetry and interfaces
c. Mean field
d. Fluctuations, scaling and renormalization
VI. Monte Carlo
a. Importance sampling
b. Trajectories, averaging and detailed balance
c. Non-Boltzmann sampling
VII. Classical Fluids
a. Boltzmann velocity distribution
b. Simple liquids and solids, the radial distribution function and x-ray scattering
c. Molecular liquids and solids
VIII. Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
a. Time correlations and relaxation near equilibrium
b. Diffusion constants, rate constants, barrier crossing and nucleation
c. Response functions, absorption and stochastic dynamics
d. Loss of ergodicity and glassy dynamics
e. Fluctuation theorem
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