
Show how macro states, defined by energy and volume, come from many micro states of particle positions and momenta, using phase space and a simple two-atom gas example.
Compare microcanonical and canonical ensembles: microcanonical fixes energy, canonical exchanges heat with a bath, yielding finite temperature and energy fluctuations described by the partition function.
Explore Gibbs free energy, defined as enthalpy minus temperature times entropy, as the fourth thermodynamic potential that measures the maximum work at constant temperature and pressure, and derive Maxwell relations.
This course is for everyone who wants to learn about statistical physics!
A bit of college mathematics (basic derivatives) is all you need to know!
Understanding the motion of a single object is possible using the laws of classical mechanics. However, when we want to consider billions of particles at the same time, we need a new method: Statistical physics. The theory behind this approach is fascinating due to its simplicity. Still, it allows to correctly predict the laws of thermodynamics.
You are kindly invited to join this carefully prepared course in which we derive the following concepts from scratch. I will present examples and have prepared quizzes and exercises for all topics.
Optional tutorial of the essential basics (2 hours)
Laws of classical mechanics
Statistics & stochastics
Theory of statistical physics (3 hours)
Isolated, closed and open systems (micro canonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles)
Probability density, partition function and average values
Applications and examples (6 hours)
Entropy, temperature and the laws of thermodynamics
Thermodynamic properties of gases
Phase transitions
At the end of the course there is even an optional section in which we simulate a phase transition using python. This is state of the art research!
Why me?
My name is Börge Göbel and I am a postdoc working as a scientist on theoretical magnetism. Therefore, I use statistical physics very often but I have not forgotten the time when I learned about this theory and still remember the problems that I and other students had.
I have refined my advisor skills as a tutor of Bachelor, Master and PhD students in theoretical physics and have other successful courses here on Udemy.
I hope you are excited and I kindly welcome you to our course!