- Docente: Loris Ferrari
- Credits: 6
- SSD: FIS/03
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Astronomy (cod. 8004)
Learning outcomes
Students achieve knowledges in probability calculus and
fundamentals of statistica thermodynamics, with applications to non
degenerate and degenerate gases.
Course contents
Dynoamics and Thermodynamics. First and Second principle. Phase
space and the ergodic hypothesis. Micro-canonic distribution.
Indistinguishability. Boltzmann principle. Canonical partition
function. Thermodynamic function. The continuum limit. Non
degeneracy condition. Perfect gases. Gibbs paradox.
Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. Atomic gases: internal partition
function. Weakly ionized gases: Saha formula. Equipartition of the
energy. Harmonic oscillators. Bosons and Fermions: the spin.
Bosonic and fermionic partition functions. The chemical potential.
Continuum limit: perturbative effects of the degeneracy. The
Bose-Einstein condensation. Massless bosons and quantized harmonic
oscillators: Black Body and photons. Planck formula. Casimir force
(outlook). Degenerate fermions. Fermi level. White dwarves and
Chandrasekar constant.
Readings/Bibliography
M.Toda, R.Kubo, N.Saito: Statistical Physics I,
Springer-Verlag, 2-nd edition-1978.
R.Baierlein: Thermal Physics, Cambridge University Press,
1999
Teacher's drafts, available in web.
Assessment methods
Oral examination, with exercise to be solved.
Teaching tools
Teacher's drafts, available in paper and electronic format.
Office hours
See the website of Loris Ferrari