Description:

Foundation of thermodynamics and statistical physics. Thermodynamic potential, the Joule Thomson effect,conditions of equilibrium, the Braun-Le Chatelier principle. Statistical entropy. Basics of many body descriptionfrom a statistical point of view (classical and quasiclassical regime within the frame of a canonical and grand-canonical ensemble, Fermi gas, models of crystals and the black body radiation). The Boltzmann equation is usedto discusses simple transport phenomena.

Contents:

1. Statistical entropy, the most probable distribution
2. Statistical ensembles
3. Thermodynamic potentials
4. Equilibrium conditions
5. The phase rule, phase transitions
6. Thermodynamic inequalities, Braun-Le Chatelier principle
7. Statistical description and the thermodynamics of the ideal gas
8. Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein statistics
9. Heat capacity of crystals
10. Black body radiation
11. Boltzmann?s transport equation
12. Boltzmann?s H-theorem, transport phenomena

Seminar contents:

Solving exercises on the following topics
1.Statistical entropy, the most probable distribution
2.Statistical ensembles
3.Thermodynamic potentials
4.Equilibrium conditions
5.The phase rule, phase transitions
6.Thermodynamic inequalities, Braun-Le Chatelier principle
7.Statistical description and the thermodynamics of the ideal gas
8.Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein statistics
9.Heat capacity of crystals
10.Black body radiation
11.Boltzmann transport equation
12.Boltzmann H-theorem, transport phenomena

Recommended literature:

Key references:
[1] R.H. Swendsen, An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Oxford Graduate Texts, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012
[2] P. Olla, An Introduction to Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics, Springer, 2016.

Recommended references:
[3] D.V. Schroeder, Introduction to Thermal Physics, Pearson Education Ltd. 2013
[4] H. B. Callen, Thermodynamics and an introduction to thermostatics, Wiley, New York, 1985

Keywords:

Thermodynamics, equilibrium conditions, statistical entropy, statistical ensembles, transport equation

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar