Last Modified: January 4, 2004
No single textbook is completely satisfactory for the
topics covered in PHYS 6107. Therefore, your lecture notes and handouts are
very important. Handouts will (hopefully) be web-published in PDF format and
you can find them in the Resources
folder ; handouts are supposed to supplement rather than replace lecture
notes.
All book titles are linked to www.amazon.com
web site which contains some reader reiviews and, a new feature, sample pages
from these books. You may want to go there and read this information before
looking through a hardcopy.
W. Greiner, L. Neise, and H. Stöker, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
IN THE GT BOOKSTORE
While this book lacks some advanced topics, such as the renormalization group
approach to phase transitions and fluctuations, I consider it to be superior
to Patria. It also has an excellent thermodynamics chapter. I do recommend this
book as the main source for the qualification exam preparation.
While this book is one of my main sources for lecture
material, the order of presentation will be different, with an emphasis in the
first part of the course on thermodynamics and classical statistical mechanics
followed by quantum statistical mechanics.
Has a wide range of applications. Derivations tend to
be heuristic and somewhat sketchy mathematically, but are very physical in the
Landau style. There are many examples worked out or set up. Study these
to learn how to approach problems in statistical physics, of which Landau was
a master (Nobel
Prize, 1962). The text by Huang (see below) fills in many of the mathematical
details, but is considerably more formal. Some of you may find the book by Landau
and Lifshitz somewhat difficult to read. Do not get discouraged! In order to
understand a subject better, it is a good idea to have more than one reference
source anyways.
R.
K. Pathria, Statistical Mechanics, 2nd edition
An alternative to Landau and Lifshitz in many graduate-level courses in statistical
mechanics. A very meticulous treatment of basic concepts and advanced topics
of statistical mechanics, but almost no attention is paid to thermodynamics.
People tend to either love it or hate it, but all agree that it lacks the depth
of physical insight of Landau and Lifshitz. I recommend that you all look through
this book and read it when you feel that you need more mathematically formal
explanation of a certain topic.
D. A. McQuarrie, Statistical Mechanics Very good book, especially for those studying chemistry-related subjects. Has many problems after each chapter.
K. Huang, Statistical Mechanics, 2nd edition.
Good on the background and formal aspects of statistical mechanics. Uses Boltzmann's
approach. The derivations are more complete mathematically than those in Landau
and Lifshitz. Lots of material on the Ising and similar models, and on modern
scaling relations, but often using methods somewhat beyond what we will be using.
The notation in Huang is different from that used by Landau and Lifshitz.
R. P. Feynman, Statistical Mechanics : A Set of Lectures, 2nd edition
Learn from the master himself! A unique approach to statistical mechanics by
one of the greatest scientists of all times. Contains chapters on advanced topics
such as second quantization, superconductivity, and superfluidity. This book
is often recommended as a complementary source not only for courses in statistical
mechanics, but also in quantum mechanics and solid-state physics.
M. Plischke and B. Bergesen, Equilibrium Statistical Physics, 2nd edition
The fundamentals of statistical mechanics are discussed very briefly, more
detailed description of phase transitions. The book also contains chapters on
modern research topics such as polymer physics, linear responce theory, disodered
systems, and quantum liquids.
R.
Kubo, Statistical Mechanics, 12th repr., 1992 edition : Many examples with
detailed solutions, not much in the way of derivations. Good for learning how
to set up problems, general reference.
The following texts were designed for undergraduate courses in statistical mechanics. You may want to read them in order to get explanation of basic concepts of statistical mechanics without much mathematical background. The books might also be helpful in order to refresh you knowledge of phenomenological thermodynamics.
F. Mandl, Statistical Physics, 2nd edition.
The unique feature of this book is the treatment of thermodynamics and statistical
mechanics as a single discpipline.
R.
Bowley and M. Sanchez, Introductory Statistical Mechanics, 2nd edition
Great introductory book with many illustrations from various fields of physics,
including solid-state physics, radiation, etc.
Very useful handbook for this course and for professional work; covers almost all math we will need.