2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

PHYS3441 Statistical Mechanics

15 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr S A Harris
Email: s.a.harris@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Objectives

Upon completion of this module the student should be able to:

- Define and calculate the partition function for simple non-interacting systems.
- Calculate averages of quantities for non-interacting statistical systems.
- Describe and use the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles.
- Use the Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distribution functions to calculate thermodynamic quantities.

- Describe and use the mean field approximation (e.g. to study magnetic systems).
- Recall the assumptions of Classical Nucleation Theory and Landau theory, and apply Landau theory to simple phase transitions.

Skills outcomes
Logical thought.
Problem solving.

Syllabus

1. Statistics and large systems, classical and quantum phase space, ergodicity.
2. Ensembles (microcanonical, canonical, grand canonical), Boltzmann and Gibbs distributions, entropy. Examples from magnets, electron gas and black-body radiation.
3. Interacting systems. Liquids, Debye theory of heat capacity.
4. Phase Transitions, Phase coexistence and phase separation .
5. Classical nucleation theory and Landau theories of Phase

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	22	1.00	22.00
Private study hours			78.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Study: 66 hours;
Self-study examples: 12 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Self-study examples sheets with worked example sheets to follow.

Methods of assessment

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr 30 mins	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 13/04/2015

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD