Thermal Physics 2003


Useful Software

I promote open source software. Below are a number of links to excellent open source, GNU, and GPL software that are useful to students of thermal physics. There are a few links to commercial software and shareware - but only if there isn't an equally good open source equivalent. In support of open standards, I ask that if you send me e-mail that you not include attachments in proprietary formats (such as Word or Excel). If you use these applications, please work a little harder and convert your attachment to rtf, pdf, html or postscript. Sending attachments in these formats is good practice - you won't send viruses if you use such methods.

Free Borland C++ compiler
Free F Compilers
Free Salford Fortran 77 compiler
JAVA from Sun
Python
Numerical Recipes
jEdit Programmer's File Editor in Java - OS X, Linux XP, etc.
Metagraf Excellent drawing prgram in Java
Gnuplot OS X Port of Scientific Plotting Routine
TeX for OS X Gerben Wierda's TeTex port and I-Installer
MikTex Windows TeX distribution
TeXShop OS X TeX/LaTeX editor
Kile Integrated LaTeX environment for KDE 3 (Linux)
Winedt Windows XP Tex/LaTex Editor
TeXshell - Dirk Struve's Windows TeX editor



Course Materials

Here are some resources for my course in thermal physics - most are pdf's. You will need to install adobe acrobat or an operating system that uses the pdf as a native file format

Thermal Physics Syllabus
Books on Thermal Physics
Books on Mathematical Physics
Books on Mathematics
Books on Probability and Statistics
Project suggestions

The links below are class notes filed in chronological order. All are PDF's. They are optimized for printing, and all fonts are embedded. If anything appears to be missing from your printed copies, I suggest that you check "Print as Image" which is one of the options on the print command in Adobe Acrobat.

Heat and Temperature, and a review of terminology
Notes on Parial Derivatives
The first law of thermodynamics, heat capacity, latent heat and enthalpy
Review of basic probability ideas
The Second Law
H, F, G, and Maxwell's relations
The Euler and Gibbs-Duhem equtions. Extensive and Intensive Functions
Canonical Ensemble and Partition Function
Simple Example problem on canonical ensemble
The semi-classical ideal gas
Photons and Phonons (Long)

Homework Assignments

Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Assignment 3
Assignment 4 - Due Monday March 17 - This one is a pdf

Tests

Test 1 Administered March 5
Equation list for Test 1


Philosophy

You will notice that this site is plain and simple. My main desire is that the pages will load fast and that the content is clear. Anything that would distract from the desire for speed and clarity has not been used. This is a working site for serious students of physics.



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Last Updated: 14 April 2003