8.044 | Spring 2013 | Undergraduate

Statistical Physics I

Readings, Notes & Slides

[B&B] = Blundell, Stephen, and Katherine M. Blundell. Concepts in Thermal Physics. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780199562091.

[Huang] = Huang, Kerson. Statistical Mechanics. Wiley, 1987. ISBN: 9780471815181.

LEC # SUGGESTED READINGS LECTURE NOTES SLIDES
1 [B&B] Chapter 3: Probability Probability Notes, Chapter 1, One Random Variable (PDF) Lecture 1 (PDF)
2  No Readings Probability Notes, Chapter 2, Two Random Variables (PDF) Lecture 2 (PDF)
3  No Readings Probability Notes, Chapter 3, Functions of a Random Variable (PDF) Lecture 3 (PDF)
4  No Readings Probability Notes, Chapter 4, Sums of Random Variables (PDF) Lecture 4 (PDF)
5 Zemansky, Mark Waldo, and Richard Dittman. “Temperature.” Chapter 1 in Heat and Thermodynamics: An Intermediate Textbook. 5th ed. KoÌ‚gakusha, 1968.[B&B] Chapter 6: Partial Derivatives, and Chapter 7: Exact Differentials Thermodynamic Systems Definitions (PDF) Lecture 5 (PDF)
6 [B&B] Appendix C.6: Energy, and Appendix C.7: Isothermal and Adiabatic Processes No Notes Lecture 6 (PDF)
7 [B&B] Appendix C. 8: Volume of a Hypersphere Development and Use of the Microcanonical Ensemble (PDF) Lecture 7 (PDF)
8 [B&B] Section 4.1–4.5: Statistical Definition of Temperature Development and Use of the Microcanonical Ensemble (PDF) (cont.) Lecture 8 (PDF)
9 No Readings

Development and Use of the Microcanonical Ensemble (PDF) (cont.)

Interstitial Atoms: An example using the Microcanonical Ensemble Example (PDF)

Lecture 9 (PDF)
10 [B&B] Chapter 16: Thermodynamic Potentials Notes on the Derivation and Use of the Maxwell Relations (PDF) Lecture 10 (PDF)
11 [B&B] Chapter 13: Heat Engines and the Second Law No Notes Lecture 11 (PDF)
12 [B&B] Chapter 13: Heat Engines and the Second Law (cont.)

Notes on the Derivation of the Canonical Ensemble (PDF)

Development and Use of the Microcanonical Ensemble (PDF) (cont.)

Lecture 12 (PDF)
13 No Readings Development and Use of the Microcanonical Ensemble (PDF) (cont.) Lecture 13 (PDF)
14

[B&B] Section 20.2: Obtaining the Functions of State, and Section 21.6: Heat Capacity of a Diatomic Gas

Strickler, S. J. “Electronic Partition Function Paradox.” Journal of Chemical Education 43, no. 7 (1996): 364.

No Notes Lecture 14 (PDF - 3.2MB)
15 [B&B] Section 23.1–23.7: Black Body Radiation No Notes Lecture 15 (PDF)
16 No Readings No Notes Lecture 16 (PDF)
17 [Huang] Appendix A on Identical Particles

Notes on the Indistinguishable Particle Effects in Rotational Raman Scattering (PDF)

An Example of Quantum Statistics in a Two Particle System (PDF)

Lecture 17 (PDF)
18 [B&B] Section 22.1–22.5: Chemical Potential and Grand Canonical Ensemble No Notes Lecture 18 (PDF)
19 [B&B] Section 21.1: Density of States; Section 30.2 Fermi Gas No Notes Lecture 19 (PDF)
20 [B&B] Section 36.1–36.4: Compact Stellar Objects No Notes Lecture 20 (PDF - 6.1MB)
21 No Readings No Notes Lecture 21 (PDF - 1.1MB)
22 [B&B] Section 30.3–30.4: Bose Gas and BEC No Notes Lecture 22 (PDF - 2.3MB)

Course Info

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Spring 2013
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Problem Sets with Solutions
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Lecture Notes