PHY210A - Thermal Physics

Principles of thermodynamics (with applications to simple fluids), applications of thermodynamics: concept of thermodynamic state, extensive and intensive variables; heat and work, internal energy function and the first law of thermodynamics; fundamental relation and equations of state; concepts of entropy and temperature as conjugate pair of variables; second law of thermodynamics, entropy maximum and energy minimum principles; thermodynamic potentials: enthalpy, Helmholtz potential, Gibbs potential; conditions of equilibrium, concepts of stable, meta stable and unstable equilibrium; components and phases, Gibbs Duhem relations; first order phase transitions and Clausius Clapeyron equation; concepts associated with critical and multi critical phenomena, some chosen applications from surfaces and interfaces, chemical reactions (magnetic, dielectric and superconducting); heat engines and black body radiation; elementary kinetic theory of gases: equilibrium properties pressure and equation of state; transport processes momentum transport and viscosity, energy transport and thermal conductivity, charge transport & electrical conductivity (without using Boltzmann transport equation);entropy, multiplicity and disorder: entropy measures multiplicity rather than disorder, illustration with simple examples; Max wells demon; qualitative justifications of laws of thermodynamics (without introducing ensembles),thermodynamics of irreversible processes: entropy production.