Course Number: Phys 5310
Course Name: Statistical Mechanics
Credits: 3 Cr
Instructor: Amanda Weinstein amandajw@iastate.edu
PreReq: Graduate standing or Instructor permission. Previous coursework equivalent to PHYS 3040 (Thermal Physics) is necessary. Previous or current enrollment in PHYS 4810 (Quantum Mechanics II), and MATH 3650 (Complex Variables with Applications) or PHYS 5280 (Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences) is encouraged.
Course Description
One semester course in statistical mechanics aimed at graduate students with the necessary physics and mathematical background. Phys 5310 is offered in the Spring semester. Topics covered include,
- Thermodynamic properties of systems of many particles obeying Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac, and Bose-Einstein statistics
- Microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles and their application to physical problems
- Density matrices
- Introduction to phase transitions
- Renormalization group theory
- Kinetic theory and fluctuations.