If you apply for Disruption to Study for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the week of July 24 – 28, 2017.  If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date.

Classes

Mixed Lecture and Tutorial/discussion

The timetable for classes can be found on the University web site at: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au/

Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

Recommended Text

Concepts in Thermal Physics by Blundell & Blundell.

This is the same text as used in PHYS202 and PHYS310. It will be used as a frequent reference but will not be followed through in a chapter-by-chapter approach.

Technology Used and Required

Unit Web Page

This unit will be administered through iLearn at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/course/view.php?id=12028. Please check this site regularly for lecture and extension material available for downloading and look out for announcements. We will run one or more discussion fora through the iLearn page for both technical physics and administrative issues. Staff will ignore emails and discussion questions about issues which are already explained in this document or which have been covered in the announcements and discussion features of the iLearn page.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

The theoretical aspects of this unit are taught in lectures and tutorials with fortnightly assignments to strengthen the understanding of the material. The theoretical material is heavily mathematical in nature, and often abstract, and true understanding can only be achieved through testing and refining understanding through problem solving.

Schedule of topics

A detailed plan of topics to be covered and learning goals for each of them will be available early in the session.

Changes since the last offering of this unit

• We appreciate your feedback through the unit questionnaires, student-staff meetings, and any individual comments you may have.

Schedule of assessable tasks and related materials

Course structure

The topics of the course are roughly as follows week by week:

1. Brief introduction to large numbers, and principles of kinetic theory of gases. The Maxwell Boltzmann distribution. 
2. Molecular velocity distribution and collisions. The Boltzmann Equation. Boltzmann's H theorem.
3. Molecular effusion and transport properties - viscosity, conductivity and diffusion.
4. Basic thermodynamic concepts: open/closed/isolated systems, microstates and macrostates, thermodynamic equilibrium and statistical entropy. Counting microstates and statistical temperature, microcanonical ensemble, explanation of equilibrium state.
5. Macroscopic thermodynamics: ideal gas, processes, state variables, internal energy and first law. Heat capacity. Law of Dulong and Petit. 
6. Irreversibility, extracting work, and the second law. Entropy. Fundamental relation and Maxwell relations.  Canonical ensemble and ensemble averages. Thermodynamic potentials.
7. Chemical potential. Definition, particle exchange, grand potential, phase boundaries, chemical reactions.
8. Real gases. Van der Waals gas, isotherms of the vdW gas, Maxwell construction, law of corresponding states, Virial expansion, Lennard-Jones potential, Cooling real gases, Joule expansion, Joule-Kelvin expansion. Liquefaction of gases, helium phase diagram.
9. Quantum gases. Identical particles, permutation symmetry, spin-statistics theorem, statistics of indistinguishable particles, Fermi vs Bose statistics, ideal Bose gas at high T, BEC, heat capacity of the Bose gas
10. Intermezzo from the research world: Seminar on atomic and molecular quantum gases, how to make an atomic BEC, optical potentials/lattices, Feshbach resonances, lattice systems as quantum simulators.
11. Fermi gases; degenerate Fermi gases, Sommerfeld expansion, heat capacity of metals, Fermi pressure, Pauli paramagnetism.
12. Ising model, 2x2 toy model, exchange interactions, Ising Hamiltonian, Mean-field approximation, isotherms of the Ising model, compare vdW gas to Ising system, Critical exponents.
13. Landau theory, LT of the Ising model, 1st order transitions, symmetry breaking.  Revision.

Assignments 

The assignments will be handed out according to the following approximate timetable

We understand that at times due dates for assignments from several different units can collide and we are happy to accommodate changes in due dates, provided the request occurs well in advance of the due date.

Some additional material on kinetic theory will be included in the first part of the unit, and magnetic properties will be taught in the second part of the unit.

Feedback mechanisms

The Physics Department values quality teaching and engages in periodic student evaluations of its units, external reviews of its programs and course units, and seeks formal feedback from students via focus groups and meetings with the student group. Please consider attending such meetings,  with the purpose of improving teaching via student feedback. 

To pass the course unit you must:

• achieve a satisfactory standard overall
• achieve a satisfactory standard in each component of the unit, i.e. in assignments, tutorial participation, mid-semester test, and the final examination.

Grading

An aggregate standard number grade (SNG) corresponding to a pass (P) is required to pass this unit.

High Distinction (HD, 85-100%): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application.

Distinction (D, 75-84%): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.

Credit (Cr, 66-74%): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; plus communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.

Pass (P, 50-65%): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; and communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.

Fail (F, 0-49%): does not provide evidence of attainment of all learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; and incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.