Subject Matter and Course Text
The subject matter of Physics 140A-B is thermodynamics and statistical physics. During the Fall 2022 quarter (140A) you covered topics such as probability, thermodynamics, statistical ensembles, and began to consider quantum statistics. During Winter 2023 (140B) we will conclude discussing quantum statistics, then move on to interacting systems, fluids, and plasmas, and conclude with an extended unit on the mean field approach to phase transitions.

The course text is Pathria and Beale's "Statistical Mechanics". I will be following my own lecture notes. On the lecture notes web page I have indicated which sections in the notes I plan on covering each week. Please make an effort to read the relevant sections ahead of class - it will make the lectures more understandable. It is not required that you purchase the Pathria-Beale text.

Course Web Site
Lecture notes and reading assignments, important announcements, homework assignments and solutions will all be available through the course web site. Please check it each day to see if there is new material. The notes themselves are complete, but I may make some editorial changes or additions as we go along. I will indicate on the lecture notes page the date, time, and size (in pages) of the most recent upload for each chapter.

Problem Sets
I will try to assign one problem set per week, to be submitted each Sunday night by 10 pm via Canvas.
Problem sets will not be printed out for you, but rather will be available through the course website and Canvas pages. You are encouraged to discuss the problem sets with your fellow students. I suggest that you initially try to do the problems by yourselves, so that you can more accurately identify your confusions and honestly assess your weaknesses. Then, before you write up your assignment, get together with some of your fellow students to talk over the problems and hammer out the details. Solutions to problem sets will be posted on the course website. Hopefully the solutions and your graded assignments will be made available in a timely manner, but invariably there are lags from time to time.

Canvas and Piazza
The Canvas pages for Physics 140B can be accessed here. I won't be using Piazza this quarter (I tried it in the Fall with 110B and too few students participated for it to be worthwhile).

Lectures, Office Hours, Problem Sessions
Lectures are schedules for MWF, 11:00 am to 11:50 am in Mandeville B-150. My office hours will be Thursdays from 10:30 am to 11:50 pm. My office is in 5438 Mayer Hall. Discussion sessions are scheduled for Wednesdays from 12:00 pm to 12:50 pm in Mandeville B-150. Alas, at this point it appears the class enrollment is too small to justify a TA.

Grading and exams
The magic formula: 40% problem sets, 15% midterm exam, 45% comprehensive final. The final exam is scheduled for March 20 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. The midterm will probably be on Wednesday during the fourth week of classes. Those who are curious of my general grading inclinations in PHYS 140B can look here.