Thermodynamics: good for everything from the efficiency of Diesel engines to the entropy and temperature for Hawking radiation.
Credits: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/diesel.html, http://gnet.homelinux.com/su/hawking-radiation-2.jpg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_thermodynamics
Instructor: Roland E. Allen
1-979-845-4341, Room M213 Mitchell Institute Building
allen@tamu.edu, http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/allen/Phys408.html
Office hours: Monday 3-4 p.m., Tuesday 3-4 p.m., Wednesday 3-4 p.m.; or by appointment.
Textbook: Thermal Physics by Ralph Baierlein
You may want to bring your copy of the textbook to class for easier note-taking.
Evaluation:
Homework 35%
3
“midterm” exams 45%
final exam (comprehensive) 20%
Homework is due at the beginning of class each Wednesday. (Homework presentations are also each Wednesday, of course.)
Presenters can turn in their papers immediately after their presentations.
Homework late by < 48 hours, 1/2 credit. Homework late by > 48 hours, no credit.
Exams: Thursday, September 24; Thursday, October 29; Thursday, November 19; Friday, December 11 [final].
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in Room MPHY 203 for all 4 exams, including final.
Those who have a conflict can schedule a 2 hour exam during the following 2 days.
There is the possibility of getting extra credit if you arrange for this (1) before any other volunteer for a given homework problem, to present that problem in class, or (2) by Friday Nov. 20 for a 10-minute talk at the end of the semester. The maximum extra credit for presenting the solution of a homework problem to the class is equal to the credit for doing two homework problems; the time allocated for a presentation is 5 minutes maximum (plus a question and answer period not to exceed 3 minutes). Please arrive early and put your problem on the board before class. If you give a 10-minute talk, the maximum credit is equivalent to an extra homework set.
The material covered and the reading each week is indicated by the chapter numbers from the textbook. (Not everything in every chapter will be covered, of course.)
HOMEWORK [KK indicates problems from Thermal Physics, by C. Kittel and H. Kroemer.]
September 16: 2.2, 2.4, 2.9, 2.11, 3.1
September 23: 3.3, 3.8, 4.2; KK 3.7, KK 3.10
September 30: 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.11
October 7: 6.6, 6.9, 6.10, 7.1, 7.2
October 14: KK 3.5, KK 4.2, KK 4.3, KK 4.4, KK 7.5
October 21: 9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6
October 28: reserved for preparation of 10 minute talks
November 4: 9.8, 9.10 (a) & (b), 9.11, 9.14, 9.15
November 11: 9.18, 9.19, 9.20 (a) and (b), 10.5, 10.8
November 18: 11.1, 11.3, 11.5, 11.13, 11.14
November 25: 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.5, 13.6
December 8 (Tuesday): 14.3, 14.6, 15.1, 15.5, 16.5 (a)
Exams and solutions:
Phys408-Exam-1.pdf , Phys408-Exam-1-solution.pdf
Phys408-Exam-2.pdf , Phys408-Exam-2-solution.pdf
Phys408-Exam-3.pdf , Phys408-Exam-3-solution.pdf
Phys408-Final.pdf , Phys408-Final--solution.pdf
The 10-minute talks will be at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 12, in Room MPHY 107.
Some of the many possible very broad topics for talks: sample-408-topics.pdf
Some old exams, just to provide a rough idea:
Phys408-Ex1.pdf , Phys408-Exam1-solution.pdf
Phys408_Exam1.pdf
Phys408-Ex2.pdf , Phys408-Exam2-solution.pdf
Phys408_Exam2.pdf
Phys408-Ex3.pdf , Phys408-Exam3-solution.pdf
Phys408_Exam3.pdf
Phys408-Fin.pdf , Phys408-Final-solution.pdf
Phys408_Final.pdf
