201583 - Fenómenos Críticos (OPTATIVAS VINCULADAS - ORIENTACIÓN FÍSICA FUNDAMENTAL) - Curso 2012/2013

Información

• Créditos ECTS
• Créditos ECTS: 6.00
• Total: 6.0

Otros Datos

• Tipo: Materia Ordinaria RD 1497/1987
• Departamentos: Física de la Materia Condensada
• Áreas: Física de la Materia Condensada
• Centro: Facultad de Física
• Convocatoria: Primer Cuatrimestre
• Docencia y Matrícula: null

Profesores

Nombre	Coordinador
VAZQUEZ RAMALLO, MANUEL.	NO
VIDAL COSTA, FELIX.	SI

Horarios

Nombre	Tipo Grupo	Tipo Docencia	Horario Clase	Horario exámenes
Grupo L01	Ordinario	Laboratorio	NO	NO
Grupo T01	Ordinario	Teóricos	SI	SI

Programa

Existen programas da materia para los siguientes idiomas:

Castellano

Gallego

Inglés

Course objectives
Introduction to the physics of phase transitions and critical phenomena, with special emphasis in the experimental aspects. The students will first receive an introduction to the theoretical concepts, and then they will make and analyze an experiment aimed to the measurement of a critical phenomenon.

Contents
Contents of the theory lessons:
1. Systems composed by many particles mutually (coulomb) interacting: orders of magnitude.
2. Order parameter. Symmetry breaking. Examples.
3. Some experimental methods for measuring critical phenomena. General aspects.
4. Order-disorder transitions (binary alloys) and gas-liquid transitions. Mean-field models (Bragg-Williams, Van der Waals, other). Experimental aspects.
5. Bose-Einstein condensation: quantum gases. Experimental aspects.
6. Normal-superconducting transition and normal-superfluid transition. Mean-field models (Ginzburg-Landau). Experimental aspects.
7. Order parameter fluctuations. Experimental aspects.
8. Short introduction to other phase transitions and critical phenomena (liquid crystals, ferromagnetic materials, ferroelectric materials, etc). Short introduction to other theoretical models (Ising, renormalization, 3DXY, etc).

Suggested experiments:
1. Electrical resistivity around the normal-superconducting transition: Cooper pair fluctuations.
2. Magnetization around the normal-superconducting transition: fluctuations of magnetic vortices.
3. Gas-liquid transition of ethane: critical point.
4. Order-disorder transitions in Cu-Au binary alloys: Effects of order on the electrical resistivity.
Basic and complementary bibliography
- E. Stanley, Phase Transitions and critical phenomena, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1971.
- P. Pfenty and G. Thoulouse, Introduction au groupe de renormalization et ses applications, Press Universitaire de Grenoble, 1975.
- C. Domb and M.S. Green, Phase Transitions and critical phenomena, Academic Press, London 1976.
- J.J. Binney, N.J. Dowrick, A.J. Fisher and M.E.J. Newman, The theory of critical phenomena. An introduction to renormalization group. Oxford University Press 1992.
- B. Diu, C. Guthmann, D. Lederer, and B. Roulet, Eléments de Physique Statistique, Hermnn Editeurs des Sciences et des Arts, Paris 1989.
- M. Tinkham, Introduction to Superconductivity, McGraw-Hill, 1996.
- J. Wilks and D.S. Betts, An introduction to liquid helium, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1987.
Competence
To know and to interrelate some of the theoretical concepts and basic experimental techniques of the physics of phase transitions and critical phenomena. To know some the main difficulties and how to surpass them when it is tried to measure a critical phenomenon experimentally.
Teaching methodology
Three "blackboard lessons", that will cover approximately 2/3 of the total of teaching of the course, in which they will be presented, interrelating them, some of the theoretical and experimental concepts of the physics of critical phenomena. Approximately 1/3 of the course will be destined to perform an experiment aimed to the measurement of a critical phenomenon. Depending on the possibilities at the laboratory, it will be tried that this experiment is made individually or, in any case, in groups of three students at the most.

The use of the platform for online virtual campus of USC is mandatory.
Assessment system
Control in writing of the theoretical and experimental knowledge acquired by the students. This control will include questions on the experiment made by each student. Approximately 50% of the final qualification will be consequence of this written control. The remaining percentage will be consequence of the activities in the "blackboard lessons" and of each student's experiment report.

Study time and individual work
One hour per each hour of theory lessons, plus one hour for data analysis and report elaboration per each hour of laboratory work.
Recommendations for the study of the subject
The use of the platform for online virtual campus of USC is mandatory. Doing the experimental part and the corresponding report is mandatory. It is recommendable to attend the "blackboard lessons" and to use the bibliography.