2024-2025 Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog

PHYS 320 - Thermal and Statistical Physics


1.00

Classical thermodynamics, including phase equilibria, thermodynamic potentials, and classical theory of phase transitions. An introduction to statistical physics from the quantum-mechanical approach; topics include canonical and grand canonical ensembles, partition functions, and the theory of quantum ideal gases. The theory is applied to cavity radiation, heat capacity of solids, the behavior of electrons in metals, and semiconductor physics. Prerequisite: PHYS 280  or permission of instructor. Recommended: MATH 280 . Alternate years.