Details of PH4202 (Spring 2019)

Level: 4 Type: Theory Credits: 4.0

Course CodeCourse NameInstructor(s)
PH4202 Advanced Statistical Mechanics Bhavtosh Bansal

Syllabus

  • Phase Transitions: General concepts of phase transitions, order parameter, continuous transition, Landau-Ginzburg (L-G) theory, concept of critical phenomena, critical exponents, Examples: mean field treatment of Ising model, etc.
    ., L-G theory for 1st order transition.
  • Models: Exact solution of 1D Ising model by transfer matrix method, Discussion of 2D Ising, Potts model, etc.
  • Partition function and etc: Partition function and L-G theory from the point of view of functional integral ( An example can be given in the context of Ising model)
  • Symmetry breaking: Continuous symmetry breaking and sound mode, correlation function and correlation length, Example: Heisenberg system, O(N) model
  • Fluctuations: Fluctuation phenomena: Gaussian fluctuations, Ginzburg criteria, upper and lower critical dimensions, Mermin-Wagner theorem.
  • BKT transition in 2D, x-y model
  • Liquids: pair correlation function, structure factor, etc.
  • Linear response theory: Introduction, diffusion, fluctuation-dissipation
  • Applications: Phase transition in liquid crystal, polymer physics, colloids, Superfluidity and L-G theory of superconductivity

Prerequisite
Intermediate Classical Mechanics, Intermediate Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics

References

  1. Michael Plischke, Birger Bergersen, Equilibrium Statistical Physics, World Scientific
  2. Mehran Kardar, Statistical Physics of Fields, Cambridge University Press.
  3. P. M. Chaikin, T. C. Lubensky, Principles of condensed matter physics, Cambridge University Press.
  4. Richard A. L. Jones, Soft Condensed Matter, Oxford University Press
  5. Nigel Goldenfeld, Lectures in Phase Transitions and the Renormalization Group, Westview Press.

Course Credit Options

Sl. No.ProgrammeSemester NoCourse Choice
1 IP 2 Not Allowed
2 IP 4 Elective
3 IP 6 Not Allowed
4 MR 2 Not Allowed
5 MR 4 Not Allowed
6 MS 8 Elective
7 RS 1 Elective
8 RS 2 Elective