COURSE UNIT TITLE

: INTRODUCTION TO PHASE TRANSITIONS AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
PHY 4109 INTRODUCTION TO PHASE TRANSITIONS AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA ELECTIVE 2 2 0 7

Offered By

Physics

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR GÜL GÜLPINAR

Offered to

Physics

Course Objective

The subject introduces the Gibbs ensembles of classical statistical mechanics, the relations to thermodynamics and the modern theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena including the concepts of critical exponents, universality and scaling. Applications include the ideal gas, mean field theories of fluids and ferromagnets and Ising lattice spin models.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Being able to comprehend basic concepts and facts in critical phenomena and phase transitions
2   Know how to calculate equilibrium thermodynamic properties of physical interest in statistical systems
3   Being able to pursue further studies in this and related areas
4   Being able to research the open problems in the literature
5   Being able to present the results that is obtained in this field

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to critical phenomena -1: phase transitions in fluids
2 Introduction to critical phenomena -1:van der Waals gas
3 Phases, Phenomenology of 1st order phase transitions, Continuous transitions isotherms of van der Waals gas and Maxwell construction
4 Criticality in spin systems:Ising model
5 Mean field theory
6 He3-He4 mixtures and mean field theory of spin-1 Ising models
7 Experimental systems that under go phase transitions
8 Midterm exam
9 Landau theory, Order parameters, Spontaneous symmetry breaking
10 Critical behavior, Scaling, Critical exponents, Relations between critical exponents
11 Multicritical points and phase diagrams containing multicritical points
12 Kadanoff scaling. Universality conjecture
13 Universality classes
14 Calculation of critical exponents: Real space RG methods

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbook: H. Eugene Stanley, Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena Oxford University Press (1987).
References:
1. Pathria R.K. , Statistical Mechanics, Second Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann (2001)
2. Landau , L.D., Lifshitz E.M. , Statistical Physics, Third Edition, Part 1: Volume 5 (Course of Theoretical Physics, Volume 5), Butterworth-Heinemann, (1980).

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lecturing
2.Question-Answer
3.Discussing
4.Homework

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 ASG ASSIGNMENT
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 + ASG * 0.30 + FIN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.30 + ASG * 0.30 + RST * 0.40


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

1. The homework and mid-term exams of the student is assessed as the achievement of them in the semester.
2. At %40 score of final examination is added directly to the others.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules


1. It is obligated to continue to at least 70% of lessons .
2. Every trial to copying will be finalized with disciplinary proceedings.
3. The instructor has right to make practical quizzes. The scores obtained from quizzes
will be directly added to exam scores.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

gul.gulpinar@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

to be announced

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 2 28
Tutorials 13 2 26
Preparing assignments 12 3 36
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 12 4 48
Preparation for final exam 1 18 18
Preparation for midterm exam 1 8 8
Final 1 2 2
Midterm 1 2 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 168

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14
LO.145513322214122
LO.245513322214122
LO.345513322214122
LO.445513322214122
LO.545513322214122

CONTACT INFORMATION
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Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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