STATISTICAL MECHANICS
(BE 619/BMB 604)

Fall Term

Curriculum Summary: A modern introduction to statistical mechanics with biophysical applications. Theory of ensembles. Noninteracting systems. Liquid theory. Phase transitions and critical phenomena Nonequilibrium systems. Applications to reaction kinetics, polymers and membranes.

Course Director: John C. Schotland, M.D., Ph.D.
Office Hours: By appointment
311 Hayden Hall
215-573-3154
shotland@seas.upenn.edu

Texts: Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics by Gene F. Mazenko.

Course Outline:

Week 1 – Review of probability
Week 2 – Review of classical mechanics
Weeks 3, 4 – Statistical Ensembles
Week 5 – Noninteracting systems
Weeks 6, 7 – Liquid theory
Weeks 8, 9, 10 - Critical phenomena (Ising model, mean field theory, Landau theory)
Week 11 – Langevin dynamics, fluctuation dissipation theorem, linear response
Week 12, 13 – Applications

Homework: Problem sets will be assigned roughly every 2 weeks. You are permitted to work together on the problems. However, you must write up your solutions independently.

Final Grade: Will be determined from an average of your scores on the problem sets. Extra credit may be obtained by submitting a notebook containing a carefully reworked and extended version of your lecture notes. Thinking through and rewriting the lecture notes in consultation with a textbook (this works best if done on the same day the lecture was given) is an extremely effective way to learn. Note that extra credit will not be awarded for turning in a replica of what was written on the blackboard.

*CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING (CBE)618. (MEAM662) Advanced Molecular Thermodynamics. (A) Glandt, Discher. Review of classical thermodynamics.  Phase and chemical equilibrium for multicomponent systems.  Prediction of thermodynamic functions from molecular properties.  Concepts in applied statistical mechanics.  Modern theories of liquid mixtures.

updated 08-30-06