COURSE UNIT TITLE

: PHASE TRANSITIONS AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA-II

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
PHY 5168 PHASE TRANSITIONS AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA-II ELECTIVE 3 0 0 8

Offered By

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR GÜL GÜLPINAR

Offered to

PHYSICS
PHYSICS

Course Objective

The fundamental concepts and objectives of the Renormalization Group approach to
critical phenomena are introduced in the context of structural phase transition theory.
The nature of the information yielded by the methods of the Renormalization Group is
Illustrated with a review of its predictions for the dependence of critical behaviour upon the
range and symmetry of the interatomic interactions characterizing the phase transition.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Being able to comprehend basic concepts and facts in the investigation of critical phenomena and phase transitions within renormalization group theory.
2   Be able 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

PHY 5101 - Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena-I

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Kadanoff scaling. Universality conjecture Irreversibility and the second law.
2 Transfer matrix method and one dimensional Ising model
3 Block spin transformations
4 One dimensional Ising model
5 General theory of real space renormalization group theory of phase transitions
6 Phase diagrams and fixed points
7 Crossover behaviour
8 Ising model near four dimensions
9 The perturbative renormalizaton group
10 The Gaussian fixed point
11 Continious symmetry: Mermin-Wagner theorem
12 Topological order. Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbook:
J. Cardy ,Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics (Cambridge Lecture Notes
in Physics) ,Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (1996).
References:
1. N. Goldenfeld,Lectures On Phase Transitions And The Renormalization Group
(Frontiers in Physics),
Westview Press (1992).
2. P. M. Chaikin, and T. C. Lubensky, Principles of Condensed Matter Physics, by
(Cambridge University Press, 2000)
3. Pathria R.K. , Statistical Mechanics, Second Edition, Butterworth-Heinemann
,Oxford (2001).
4. Landau , L.D., Lifshitz E.M. Statistical Physics, Third Edition, Part 1:
Volume 5 (Course of Theoretical Physics, Volume 5), Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
(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 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + FIN * 0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.40 + RST * 0.60


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 at least 70% of lessons.
2. If the student don t make the homework and attend mid-terms, he does not access the final exam

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

gul.gulpinar@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

Wednesday and Friday between at 11:00 and 12:00.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lecture 14 3 42
Weekly preparations before/after course 14 4 56
Preparations for final exam 1 10 10
Preparations for homework 14 2 28
Preparations for presentations 1 10 10
Preparations for mid-term exam 4 11 44
Final Exam 1 3 3
Mid-term Exam 1 2 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 195

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10
LO.15
LO.24543
LO.345
LO.45453
LO.534