FYS3130 – Statistical mechanics
Course description
Course content
Review of thermodynamics. Microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles. Real gases and liquids. Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics. Magnetic system, phase transitions and spin models. Random walks, Brownian motion, Markov processes and the master equation.
Learning outcome
To give the students a general background to thermodynamics and statistical physics.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
In addition to fulfilling the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway, you must either have 2MX/2MY/3MZ and 3MX/3FY/3KJ/3BI/(2KJ+3BT)/(2BI+3BT) from Norwegian upper secondary school, or have completed equivalent studies in mathematics as well as physics, or chemistry, or biology at upper secondary school or university level at another educational institution.
Recommended previous knowledge
Knowledge corresponding to the following courses at the University of Oslo: FYS-MEK1110 – Mechanics, FYS1120 – Electromagnetism, FYS2130 – Oscillations and Waves, FYS2140 – Quantum Physics and FYS2160 – Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap against FYS203.
Teaching
The course is given in the spring term and contains up to 6 hours of teaching (lectures and exercises) per week.The students have to hand in two compulsory papers.
Examination
Compulsory exercises. Pass/not pass, which has to be passed in order to sit the final exam. Final written 3 hours exam with approx. 100% weight (primo June). Letter grade.
For detailed information about examinations at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences please see http://www.matnat.uio.no/english/studies/index.html