1. Elementary theory of gases and introduction into thermodynamic concepts.
  2. Basics of thermodynamics: laws of thermodynamics, entropy, work and heat, reversible and irreversible processes, quasistatic processes.
  3. Entropy, second law, and implications:   maximization of entropy, equilibrium conditions, stability conditions, quasistatic cycles, heat engines. 
  4. Thermodynamic potentials: minimum principles, stability conditions, Maxwell relations.
  5. Applications I: free expansion, throttling, ideal mixtures, dilute solutions, co-existence of phases. 
  6. Applications II:  co-existence of mixtures, electrochemical potential, local thermodynamic equilibrium, convection. 
  7. Basics of statistical physics: microstate vs macrostate, multiplicity, the statistical entropy, the information entropy, examples of physical systems, statistics of particles. 
  8. Statistics and ensembles: the microcanonical ensemble, the canonical ensemble, fluctuations.
  9. Applications of the canonical ensemble.
  10. The grand canonical ensemble.
  11. The grand canonical partition function: absorption, indistinguishable particles, occupation number.
  12. Applications of the ensembles: ideal gases of particles, the Maxwell-Bolztmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac statistics, the blackbody radiation, the degenerate Fermi gas, the BE condensation. 
Last modified: Monday, 20 September 2021, 7:57 PM