| Unit name | Statistical Mechanics 34 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MATHM4500 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Liverpool |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Mechanics 2 or 23 (MATH 21900 or 31910); not available to students who have done similar units in physics due to overlap. |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Mathematics |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The unit begins with a discussion of thermodynamics, the macroscopic (large scale) laws of heat. In contrast to mechanical systems, thermodynamics is fundamentally irreversible, so for example processes like thermal equilibration, combustion, and mixing can occur spontaneously, but the reverse processes never occur without external input. This leads to fixed constraints on the capabilities of (for example) engines, fridges and living organisms. The remainder of the unit ("statistical mechanics") deals with the microscopic basis of thermodynamis, that is, explaining large scale properties from properties of individual molecules. Although the dynamical equations can be solved exactly in only a very few cases, the very large number of particles means that statisitcal assumptions are often justified, making a strongly predictive and irreversible theory from reversible mecanics. Mostly equilibrium situations will be covered, with a brief discussion of nonequilibrium and related numerical topics.
