Lectures: 136 SES MF 10:00-11:30
Lecturer: John Marko, 6-6064,
jmarko@uic.edu
Office Hours: W 10 AM - noon, 2065 SEL or by appointment
Formally Required Prerequisite: Physics 531
Informally Required Prerequisites: Physics 461 or 561, Physics
511/512
Required Textbook: NONE
Problem Sets:
PS1: Problems 1 through 5 in notes, due Monday
January 31, solutions (PDF)
PS2: Problems 6 through 10 in notes, due Monday
February 21, solutions (PDF)
PS3: Problems 11 through 15 in notes, due Monday
March 14
,solutions (PDF)
PS4: Problems 16 through 20 in notes, due Monday
April 4
,solutions (PDF)
PS5: Problems 21 through 26 (six problems!)
in notes (see end of Sec. 16), due Friday April 29
, solutions (PDF)
Examinations: None
Grades: Assigned based on problem set grades
Suggested Reading:
P. Chaiken and T. Lubensky, Principles of Condensed Matter Physics
(Cambridge, 1995)
H. E. Stanley, Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena
(Oxford, 1971, 1987)
S.-K. Ma, Frontiers in Physics 46, Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena
(Addison-Wesley 1976)
N. Goldenfeld, Frontiers in Physics 85, Lectures on Phase Transitions
and the Renormalization Group (Addison-Wesley, 1992)
P. Coleman, Introduction to Many-Body Physics,
web materials including excellent lecture notes with emphasis on
connection of theory of phase transitions and many-body theory
This course will present a basic description of phase transitions in a variety of condensed matter systems. The emphasis will NOT be mathematical (below that of Physics 501/502) although a background in basic methods of statistical mechanics (at the Physics 461 level) will be helpful. This course is NOT a substitute for Physics 561 !
Marks will be assigned on the basis of homework problems.
Curriculum
I Basics
interactions, correlation functions, screening
phase transitions and order parameters
microscopic models vs hydrodynamic limit
mean-field theory of scalar order parameter
continuous symmetry (Mermin-Wagner theorem)
random fields and spin glasses
II Kinetics and dynamics
Brownian dynamics
critical slowing down at second-order phase transitions
kinetics of first-order phase transitions (domain growth)
nonthermal fluctuations
III Applications
superconductivity
crystallization
liquid crystals
interface fluctuations (roughening transition of a solid, lipid bilayers)
polymers (random walk, self-avoidance, polymer collapse)
biophysical applications of condensed matter theory