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Curricular information is subject to change
On completion of this module students should:
1. Have understood the meaning of the partition function and how to use it for calculation of thermodynamic properties of condensed matter systems;
2. Have understood the concept of statistical ensemble;
3. Be familiar with the concept of a phase transition and critical behaviour and be able to describe the signatures of a phase transition;
4. Have understood the concept of fluctuations and describe their effect on thermodynamic quantities;
5. Be able to describe the geometry and elasticity of a polymer chain;
6. Be able to recognise the signatures of entropic forces and calculate their magnitude in molecular systems;
7. Be able to do basic calculations using the lattice models in condensed matter;
8. Be familiar with the ways of describing non-equilibrium processes in condensed matter and biophysics.
1. Phase transitions: Landau theory, critical fluctuations, scaling, renormalisation group method
2. Lattice models: transfer matrix method, exact solution of the Ising model, mean field theory
3. Polymers: statistics of an ideal chain, Gaussian chain, self-avoiding chain, worm-like chain
4. Entropic forces at the nanoscale: depletion interactions, entropic springs, polymer chain elasticity
5. Charged systems: Poisson-Boltzmann equation in planar, cylindrical and spherical geometry, charge binding, charge correlations, Wigner crystals, strong coupling theory
6. Diffusion and Brownian motion: Langevin equation, Gaussian random walk, Levy flights.
7. Non-equilibrium processes: Kramers problem, active particles
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 30 |
Tutorial | 6 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 75 |
Total | 111 |
PHYC30010 - Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Examination: End of Term | 2 hour End of Trimester Exam | No | Graded | No | 50 |
Assignment: Problem sheets | Throughout the Trimester | n/a | Graded | No | 50 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Summer | Yes - 2 Hour |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
- graded assignments, returned to students with comments - exam feedback upon request