Students

PHYS7902 – Statistical Physics

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer and Unit convener
Judith Dawes
judith.dawes@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
12 WW 430
by appointment
Unit lecturer
Daniel Terno
daniel.terno@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
12 WW 418
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit presents an introduction to thermodynamics and statistical physics. The first half of the course begins with a definition of state functions and macroscopic variables such as temperature, pressure, and volume which characterise the state of a system, introducing the equation of state. Entropy is introduced via an information theoretic argument and applied to counting microstates of a system. We define the zeroth through the third laws of Thermodynamics and introduce the T dS relations. The role of potentials in simplifying thermodynamic predictions is explored. The concepts of reversible and irreversible engines and refrigeration cycles are covered in detail. We cover the ideal gas law and first order corrections for the Van der Waals gas. In the second half we introduce thermodynamical equilibrium as a postulate of statistical mechanics. We derive the partition function via the principle of maximum entropy. The Gibbs paradox is described as are macro, micro and grand canonical ensembles with examples using the ideal gas and Van der Waals gas. A short introduction is given to quantum statistical mechanics and Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions are derived. A range of interacting statistical systems such as ferrormagnetism are explored and we introduce the study of order parameters and phase transitions.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: interpret and apply the 0th-3rd laws of thermodynamics, some principal ideas from kinetic theory and the postulates of statistical mechanics
  • ULO2: use the properties and mathematical descriptions of key systems including ideal gases, quantum gases, Bose and Fermi statistics and apply the concepts to physical systems.
  • ULO3: explain the relationship between the different levels of description of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and construct models for selected physical systems using these descriptions.
  • ULO4: apply mathematical approaches to solve ideal and practical problems in kinetic theory, thermal and statistical physics.
  • ULO5: present physical arguments in thermostatistics effectively to other physicists both in writing and orally.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit To pass this unit you must: -    Attempt all assessments, and -    Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%

 

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical problem.  For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted    •    Assignments – Standard Late Penalty applies  •    In-session and final examinations - No Late submissions, unless Special Consideration is Granted   

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Final examination 30% No Final examination session
Problem-based assignments 30% No Fortnightly, with 3 assignments in each half
Two short in-session exams 30% No approximately week 5 and week 11
Tutorial engagement 10% No weekly over 10 classes

Final examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 21 hours
Due: Final examination session
Weighting: 30%

Final examination covering all content from the course
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • interpret and apply the 0th-3rd laws of thermodynamics, some principal ideas from kinetic theory and the postulates of statistical mechanics
  • use the properties and mathematical descriptions of key systems including ideal gases, quantum gases, Bose and Fermi statistics and apply the concepts to physical systems.
  • explain the relationship between the different levels of description of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and construct models for selected physical systems using these descriptions.
  • apply mathematical approaches to solve ideal and practical problems in kinetic theory, thermal and statistical physics.

Problem-based assignments

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 36 hours
Due: Fortnightly, with 3 assignments in each half
Weighting: 30%

Sets of problems based on lecture content
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • interpret and apply the 0th-3rd laws of thermodynamics, some principal ideas from kinetic theory and the postulates of statistical mechanics
  • use the properties and mathematical descriptions of key systems including ideal gases, quantum gases, Bose and Fermi statistics and apply the concepts to physical systems.
  • explain the relationship between the different levels of description of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and construct models for selected physical systems using these descriptions.
  • apply mathematical approaches to solve ideal and practical problems in kinetic theory, thermal and statistical physics.

Two short in-session exams

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: approximately week 5 and week 11
Weighting: 30%

 

Two short tests on content covered up to that point in the session

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • interpret and apply the 0th-3rd laws of thermodynamics, some principal ideas from kinetic theory and the postulates of statistical mechanics
  • use the properties and mathematical descriptions of key systems including ideal gases, quantum gases, Bose and Fermi statistics and apply the concepts to physical systems.
  • explain the relationship between the different levels of description of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, and construct models for selected physical systems using these descriptions.
  • apply mathematical approaches to solve ideal and practical problems in kinetic theory, thermal and statistical physics.

Tutorial engagement

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: weekly over 10 classes
Weighting: 10%

Active engagement and presentation
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • present physical arguments in thermostatistics effectively to other physicists both in writing and orally.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or emailed directly to your lecturers from your university email address.

In week 1, we will offer introductory material relevant to the unit topics. Tutorial problems will be posted and discussed, but participation in week 1 will not be assessed. 

COVID Information For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to  https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Please check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We have rearranged the introductory material for the unit to give a smoother flow of ideas.

Unit information based on version 2023.02 of the Handbook