Preliminary Syllabus
L: lecture by the professor
D: discussion based
E: written exam
Aug. 26 : Introduction (About thermal physics, lectures, rules and much more…) (L)
Aug. 28: Combinatorics, Probabilities, and the random walk problem. (L)
Sept. 2: States of a Model System (Ch. 1), Binary model systems (D)
Sept. 4: States of a Model System (Ch. 1), Average values (D)
Sept. 9: Fundamental Assumptions (Ch. 2), Probability, Thermal Equilibrium, Temperature (D)
Sept. 11: Fundamental Assumptions (Ch. 2), Entropy, Laws of Thermodynamics (D)
Sept. 16: Boltzmann distribution and Hemholtz Free Energy (Ch. 3), Boltzmann factor, Pressure (D)
Sept. 18: problems with the Boltzmann distribution (D)
Sept. 23: Boltzmann distribution and Hemholtz Free Energy (Ch. 3), Helmholtz free energy, Ideal gas, a first look (D)
Sept. 25: problems with the Helmholtz free energy and ideal gas (D)
Sept. 30: Thermal radiation and Planck distribution (Ch. 4), Planck distribution function, Planck law and Stefan-Boltzmann law (D)
Oct.2: Thermal radiation and Planck distribution (Ch. 4), Electrical noise, Phonons in Solids: Debye theory (D)
Oct. 7: Chemical Potential and Gibbs Distribution (Ch. 5), Definition of chemical potential (D)
Oct. 9: Chemical Potential and Gibbs Distribution (Ch. 5), Gibbs factor and Gibbs sum (D)
Oct. 14: Discussions and Review of Chapters 1-5 (D, L)
Oct. 16: Midsemester exam (E)
Oct. 28: Ideal gas (Ch. 6) Fermi Dirac distribution function, Bose-Einstein distribution function (D)
Oct. 30: Ideal gas (Ch. 6) Classical limit (D)
Nov. 4: Fermi and Bose Gases (Ch. 7) Fermi Gas (D)
Nov. 6: Fermi and Bose Gases (Ch. 7) Boson Gas and Einstein condensation (D)
Nov. 11: Heat and work (Ch. 8) Energy and entropy Transfer, Heat Engines (D)
Nov. 13: Heat and work (Ch. 8) Heat and work at constant T or P (D)
Nov. 18: Gibbs Free Energy and Chemical Reactions (Ch. 9) Gibbs Free Energy,Equilibrium in Reactions (D)
Nov. 20: Phase Transformation (Ch. 10) Vapor Pressure equation (D)
Nov. 25: Phase Transformation (Ch. 10) Van der Waals equation of State, Landau theory of phase transition (D)
Dec. 2: Phase Transformations-critical phenomena (Ch. 10) (L)
Dec. 4: Cryogenics (Ch. 12) Cooling by external work, Isentropic demagnetization (D)
Dec. 9: Discussions and Review (D, L)