Ateneo - UPO

Basis of condensed matter systems and statistical mechanics. Applications to the physic to solid state physics, or quantum description of condensed matter systems. Applications in connection with thermodynamics and information theory.
Laboratory experiments: determining charge concentration, carrier mobility and gap of semiconductor materials (Hall effect, photoconductivity); X-ray diffraction on crystals.

- Ashcroft-Mermin, Solid State Physics, Saunders College Publishing (1976).
- Kittel, Introduzione alla fisica dello stato solido, Bollati Boringhieri (1971).
- Huang, Statistical Mechanics, Wiley, (1991)
- Zemansky, Calore e Temperatura, Zanichelli (1980)
- Chandler, Introduction to Statistical Mechanics, Oxford Univ. Press (1981)

Provide the fundamental principles of statistical mechanics and the physics of condensed matter, the most relevant results for atomic physics, and the science of materials. From historical, mathematical, physical, and from the point of view of several important applications.

Matematics I,II, III and Physics I, II.

Frontal blackboard and/or computer-aided teaching. Blackboard exercises and problems, collegial discussion of
assigned exercises. Series of exercises via DIR platform and reading of a collegial scientific paper on course topics.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request
specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The final assessment will be based on a written test and an oral discussion. The written test will consist of solving 3-4 exercises similar to those done in class and useful for understanding the degree of knowledge and skills achieved by the student in performing exercises. The oral discussion will be used to determine the student's awareness of what was done during the written test and to assess the degree of knowledge of theoretical aspects and the ability to express them in an articulate manner. To pass the test, the student must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and their application to problem solving. Excellence is achieved if the written test is perfect, demonstrating an adequate level of knowledge and skill on the entire course syllabus and demonstrating the ability to expound clearly on all the topics required during the oral test. The level of difficulty corresponds to the syllabus given and the reference texts indicated.

0 - Recalls of mechanics and thermodynamics from physics I and physics II courses.
1 - Introduction to statistical mechanics and statistical variables.
2 - Classical statistical mechanics: the Gibbs ensembles.
The microcanonical ensemble: Connection with thermodynamics.
Entropy formula.
Examples and applications of the microcanonical ensemble.
Gibbs' paradox and its resolution.
The canonical set: Partition function and Helmoltz free energy. Examples and applications of the canonical set.
Nernst's theorem. The gran-canonical set: The gran-canonical partition function.
Examples and applications of the gran-canonical set.
3 - Introduction to quantum statistical mechanics.
The density matrix. Examples and applications for one-particle systems.
The density matrix of the harmonic oscillator. Systems of identical particles: Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics.
The density matrix for N free particles. Quantum ideal gases.
4 - Atomic physics: Physics of many-electron atoms -.
Helium atom and independent electron approximation methods
Periodic system of the elements
5 - Molecular Physics: Born-Oppenheimer approximation.
Ion-hydrogen molecule and method of molecular orbitals.
Ionic bonding. Diatomic and polyatomic molecules.
Hybridization.
6- Solid state physics: Periodic crystal structure and reciprocal lattice.
Diffraction. Banded structure. Free electron and electrical conductivity in solids.

- Knowledge and understanding:
acquisition of the theoretical basis of Statistical Mechanics and of Condensed Matter and its various applications to study different states of matter.

- Applying knowledge and understanding: Full ability to apply the computation techniques of statistical mechanics in the physical questions involved in the present degree courses (physics of energy, health and medicine physics, communication of physics).

- Communicative Skills: Being able to provide either written or oral details of the computation and of the results for the statistical mechanics' problems.

- Learning skills: the student will have to acquire a certain mastery in basic statistical mechanics, the use of advanced mathematical tools to expand their knowledge
for advanced courses. Statistical mechanics has a deep root in several modern applications of probability theory and multi-agent models.