PHYS5130 Principles of Thermal and Statistical Physics (a course for M.Sc. students)
 Course information  |  Notice board  |  Download area  | Discussion Forum PHY Home Course Pages

PHYS5130 Principles of Thermal and Statistical Physics (a course for M.Sc. students)

This is a graduate level introduction to thermal and statistical physics for students in the M.Sc. in Physics Programme. This course intends to give an overview under one course covering the laws of thermodynamics, statistical basis of thermodynamics, ensemble theories, with applications to the understanding of physical systems including paramagnetism, heat capacity, and ideal Fermi and Bose gases. Optional topics include interacting systems, phase transitions, and critical phenomena.
Course Instructor

Prof. Pak Ming HUI
Office: SC 209, Phone: 39436351, Email: pmhui(at)phy.cuhk.edu.hk
Consultation Hours: Stop by my office, or make appointment/send in your questions by emails

Teaching Assistant(s)

Mr. San Lam Jack NG
Email: slng(at)phy.cuhk.edu.hk
Consultation Hours: Friday 10:30 - 12:15 or send in questions via emails

Lectures/Tutorials/Discussion

Tuesdays 18:30 - 20:15 ARG G01 (Lee Shau Kee Architecture Building)
Thursdays 18:30 - 20:15 WMY 306 (Wu Ho Man Yuen Building)
[Both venues are close to the train station]

Course Materials

Course materials will be distributed via Blackboard system. Enrolled students please check Blackboard for updates.

Other postgraduate students who want to sit in the course are weclome to attend the classes. Access to course materials can be made by separate arrangements. The course will be useful for those who need some statistical physics background in your research work on systems with many particles.

Textbook(s)/Reference Books

  • Class Notes will be provided
  • List of Reference is given in Class Notes (see Blackboard)

    • Assessment Scheme

    As of 10 January 2022, the Scheme may be revised if the Covid-19 situation worsens
    Homework 35%
    Mid-term Examination 25% (to be held on 15 March 2022 (Wednesday))
    Final Examination 40%
    [Students should submit their homework in one pdf file to the submission folder in the Blackboard system]

    Academic Honesty (Must read)

    Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty. CUHK has a zero tolerance policy towards academic dishonesty.

    Students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures at the beginning of the course.

    Course Outline

    See Class Notes in Blackboard
  • Key Concepts of Thermodynamics: Partial derivatives, Energy (heat, work) and 1st Law, Entropy and 2nd Law, gases and other systems, Legendre transforms and Potentials, Maxwell's relations.
  • Principles of Statistical Mechanics: Boltzmann's formula S = k ln W, ensemble theories, partition functions, and selected applications
  • Fermi gas: Fermi-Dirac function - its physical meaning and applications
  • Bose gas: Bose-Einstein function - its physical meaning and applications
  • Some interacting systems: Interactions will lead to phase transitions (Van der Waals equation, magnetic systems)
  • Other topics (optional): Ising model, mean field theory, Landau Theory