PHYS 309 – Fall 2011
Tentative Lecture Schedule

(the material actually covered on a given day may not be the same as on this schedule)

Date 
Subject Secs. Homework Due
Aug 22 
Thermal equilibrium, Ideal gas 1.1-1.2 none
24 
Equipartition, Heat and work 1.3-1.4 #1: 1.1, 4, 11, 14, 18
26 
Compression work 1.5 #2: 1.23, 25, 28
29 
Q01; Heat capacities 1.6 #3: 1.34, 39
31 
Rates of processes 1.7 #4: 1.47, 49
Sep 2 
Two-state systems, Einstein model 2.1-2.2 #5: 1.60, 62
5 
(* Labor Day Holiday *)    
7 
Q02; Interacting systems, Large systems 2.3-2.4 #6: 2.2, 4, 7
9 
Ideal gas, Entropy 2.5-2.6 #7: 2.8 (2.10 extra)
12 
Entropy 2.6 #8: 2.16, 21, 23
14 
Temperature 3.1 #9: 2.26, 27
16 
Q03; Entropy and heat 3.2 #10: 2.33, 2.39
19 
Paramagnetism 3.3 #11: 3.1, 3.6
21 
Paramagnetism 3.3 #12: 3.9, 10
23 
Test 1 (Chapters 1 – 3, up to Sec 3.2)    
26 
Mechanical equilibrium, pressure 3.4 #13: 3.20, 22, 23
28 
Diffusive equilibrium and chemical potential 3.5-3.6 #14: 3.27, 31, 32
30 
Heat engines, Refrigerators 4.1-4.2 #15: 3.37, 38
Oct 3* 
Q04; Real heat engines 4.3 #16: 4.1, 3, 5
5 
Free energy as available work 5.1 #17: 4.19
7 
Free energy as force toward equilibrium 5.2 #18: 5.1, 4, 10
10 
Phase transitions of pure substances 5.3 #19: 5.13, 20
12 
Q05; Phase transitions of pure substances 5.3 #20: 5.32, 35
14 
Boltzmann factor 6.1 #21: 5.48, 49 [+6.7, 10]
17 
Average values 6.2 #22: 6.17, 23
19 
Equipartition theorem 6.3 #23: 6.31
21 
Test 2 (Chapters 3 – 5)    
24 
Maxwell distribution 6.4 #24: 6.39
26 
Partition function, Composite systems 6.5-6.6 #25: 6.43
28 
Q06; The ideal gas revisited 6.7 #26: 6.45, 47
31 
Gibbs factor 7.1 #27: 7.4
Nov 2 
Bosons and fermions 7.2 #28: 7.9
4 
Q07; Bosons and fermions 7.2 #29: 7.13, 15
7 
Degenerate Fermi gas 7.3 #30: 7.20, 23
9 
Degenerate Fermi gas 7.3 #31: 7.26, 28
11 
Q08; Black-body radiation 7.4 #32: 7.39, 40
14 
Black-body radiation 7.4 #33: 7.45
16 
Debye theory of solids 7.5 #34: 7.58, 61
18 
Test 3 (Chapters 6 – 7)    
21 
(* Fall / Thanksgiving Break *)
23 
(* Fall / Thanksgiving Break *)
25 
(* Fall / Thanksgiving Break *)
28 
Bose-Einstein condensate 7.6 #35: 7.66, 67
30 
Special topic: Black-hole thermodynamics    
Dec 2 
Special topic: Thermodynamics and cosmology    
Dec 5 
Monday, 4:00–7:00 pm, Final Exam

* withdrawal deadline

website by luca bombelli <bombelli"at"olemiss.edu>; content of this page last modified on 1 dec 2011