PY 542 Statistical Mechanics II (Fall 2011)

 
General Course Information     (updated Sept. 8)

Tentative Course Syllabus     (updated Oct. 18)

Reference materials and additional course readings:

Chapter 12 of Reif's book.
A book chapter by E. G. D. Cohen on the Boltzmann eqation.
Chapter 5 of K. Huang's book.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS:

    Reading before the 1st class on Tuesday Sept 6: chapter 1 of the text; reading for the rest of the week: chapter 2, section 1-3 & 5.
    Homework #1 - Due Friday Sept. 9 at 5pm.     (assignment updated Sept. 8)

    Reading for the week of Sept. 12-16: chapter 2 of the text, sections 3, 8-9.
    Homework #2 - Due Monday Sept. 19 at 5pm.    

    Reading for the week of Sept. 19-23: chapter 2 of the text, sections 9, then 5-7.
    Homework #3 - Due Monday Sept. 26 at 5pm.    Problem 3 of this assignment is deferred to assignment 4.    

    Reading for the week of Sept. 26-30: chapter 2 of the text, sections 5-7.
    Homework #4 - Due Monday Oct. 3 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Oct. 3-7: chapter 12 of Reif or any statistical physics text; chapters 40 & 41 of Feynman's Lecture vol. II.
    Homework #5 - Due Tuesday Oct. 11 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Oct. 10-14: chapter 5 of the text, sections 1-5.
    Homework #6 - Due Monday Oct. 17 at 5pm.

For your viewing pleasure, here are just a few photos from the book "An Album of Fluid Motion" by M. Van Dyke on the fluid flow patterns around a cylinder/sphere for various Reynolds numbers. I hope you enjoy them!

    Reading for the week of Oct. 17-21: finish chapter 5 of the text and begin reading chapter 7.
    Homework #7 - Due Monday Oct. 24 at 5pm.

    For practice for the midterm on Oct. 27: PY 542 midterms from fall 2008 and fall 2007.

    Reading for the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 4: chapter 7 of the text, sections 4 & 5, and chapter 8, sections 1, and 2-5.
    Homework #8 - Due Monday Nov. 7 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Nov. 7-11: chapter 8 of the text, sections 5 & 6, then section 1, and finally, section 7.
    Homework #9 - Due Monday Nov. 14 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Nov. 14-18: chapter 9 of the text, sections 1, 3, and 6.
    Final projects due December 16. Please see homework 10 for details.
    Homework #10 - Due Monday Nov. 21 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Nov. 21-25 and Nov. 28-Dec. 2: chapter 12, sections 2-4, and chapter 13, sections 1, 4, and 5.
    Homework #11 - Due Monday Dec. 5 at 5pm.

    Reading for the week of Dec. 5-9: chapter 14.
    Reminder: final projects due December 16. Please see homework 12 for details.
    Homework #12 - Due Monday Dec. 12 at 5pm.