Statistical Physics
Code
3919
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Física
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Gregoire Marie Jean Bonfait
Weekly hours
4
Total hours
60
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
This is an undergraduate course in statistical physics. From the postulates and methods of statistical physics, the laws of thermodynamics are derived. This should lead to a deeper understanding of the statistical nature of the thermodynamic laws. Another important aim of the course is to apply the methods of statistical physics to a wide range of interesting problems:
Paramagnetism and Ferromagentism
Gas ideal law
Electrons in solids (Fermi Dirac Statistics)
Black Body radiation
Superconductivity and Superfluidez
Prerequisites
Mechanics, Thermodynamics
Subject matter
1.Random Walk. Probability and statistics
2. Fundamentals of Thermodynamics.
3. Microcanonical statistics.
4. Canonical statistics
5 The Perfect classical Gas
6. Grande Canonical statistics. Quantum statistics
7. Sommerfeld model for electrons in metals
Bibliography
Casquilho, J.P e Cortez Teixeira P.I.., Introdução à Física Estatística, IST Press, Coleção Ensino da Ciência e da Tecnologia (2011)
Hand written notes of Prof Bonfait
Mandl, Statistical Physics, 2nd edition (Wyley, 1988)
Higher level: Reif, F., Statistical and Thermal Physics (McGraw-Hill, 1985).
Teaching method
Exposition of the "theory" for 45 min. On blackborad only (almost)
Application exercises during the rest of the class. The first exercises are very "basic" in order to clarify and stabilize the concepts introduced during the first part of the lesson.
During these two parts, questions are made to probe and correct (mis-) understanding that students have about some phenomena.
Evaluation method
The student must be present at 3/3 of the sessions.
4 "Mini-tests" (MT). Final classification is the mean values of the best 3 classifications. Bonus (+1) if the 4 classifications are higher ou equal to 10 (/20)
Second chance: exame
MT 1: Random walk and probabilities and microcanonical System
MT 2: Canonical System
MT 3: Classical ideal gas and macro-canonical systems
MT 4: Fermion Gas