Statistical Mechanics & Astrophysics

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Astronomy 115 – Statistical Mechanics & Astrophysics Instructor: Prof. T. Do Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~tdo/ Office Hours: Wednesday 04:30 – 05:30 PM; or by appointment Office: 3-343 Physics and Astronomy Building T.A.: Nivedita Mahesh Email: Office Hours: Office: Lecture Times: MWF 2:00 - 2:50 PM Lecture Room: 2748 PAB Section Times: F 3:00 - 3:50 PM Section Room: 167 DODD Required Textbook: “Thermal Physics(2nd)”, by Kittel and Kroemer Introduction: Statistical Mechanics is the application of classical and quantum mechanics to large systems in order to derive the macroscopic behavior of matter. The term statistical mechanics comes from the fact that large systems cannot be solved exactly and we must instead deal with statistical behavior without concern about individual particles. Large systems also exhibit behavior not found for individual particles and we will deal with new macroscopic quantities such as temperature and entropy. Since astronomy deals with very large systems, only through statistical mechanics and its offshoot thermodynamics can we understand stellar interiors, planetary atmospheres, interstellar gas, and a slew of other astrophysical environments. At the same time, astrophysical observations of objects such as white dwarfs and neutron stars feed back into our understanding of fundamental physics. Grades: Grades will be based on one midterm, a final exam and 8 homework sets. Homework will be due Friday’s at the start of class. I will accept one late homework (no later than the following Monday) from each person. Homework (8) 35% Midterm (Feb 10, in class) 25% Final (Mar 14, 11:30am -2:30pm) 40% Total 100% Approximate Course Schedule Week of Topics Comments Chapters in Kittel Jan. 4 Intro, State of a system & 1 and 2 Statistics Jan 11 Boltzmann Distribution, Ideal 3 Gas Jan 18 Applications and Blackbody Holiday on 4 Radiation Monday Jan 25 Chemical Potential 5 and parts of 8 Feb 1 Macroscopic Thermo and 5 and parts of 8 Stellar Interiors Feb 8 Astrophysical Applications Midterm on 5 Feb 10 Feb 15 Quantum Statistics Holiday on 6 Degenerate Matter Monday Feb 22 Equilibrium between species 7 Feb 29 Kinetic Theory and phases 9, 10 and 14 Mar 7 Reactions and the SAHA 9 equation Mar 14 No lectures Final Mar 14 11:30am- 2:30pm .

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