Instructions for M. Sc.

Physics DAY Examination 2020-2021

First Year, First Semester
Department of Physics, Jadavpur University

Subject : Statistical Mechanics (PHY/TH/104)

• Online examination. Question papers will be sent via email / Group WhatsApp.

• Full Marks of each paper: 40

• Time allotted: 2 hours, plus an additional 30 mins for downloading the question paper and
another 30 mins for submitting the answer script.

STRICTLY adhere to the following INSTRUCTIONS

• Answers must be neatly hand-written independently by you in plane A4 papers.

• Write Examination Roll Number, Subject and Group on the top of the first sheet.
If you have not been issued Examination Roll no., use full class roll number instead.

• All pages must be numbered and arranged in order.

• Send the scanned (preferably by MS Office Lens) answer script in two separate pdf files one
for each group. PDF file names:
For Group A : rollnumber PHY TH 104 GrA.
For Group B : rollnumber PHY TH 104 GrB.

• Subject line of e-mail: PDF file name (as above).

• Submit/send the answer scripts immediately after the examination to :

– Group-A : Email PDF script for Group-A to :

[email protected]

– Group-B : Submit by Google Forms Click here for Stat Mech Group-B upload.
If unable to upload scripts in the Google Forms, may email PDF script for Group-B to:
[email protected]
** Large number of email submissions may delay result. **
• Only in case of an emergency, please contact the teacher concerned for help.

• Sending just a link to your Google Drive is not a submission. As the target file
can be deleted or altered even after emailing. In email mode, PDF file of your answer
script must be attached with the email.

• NOTE:
IF ANY TWO OR MORE ANSWER SCRIPTS ARE FOUND TO BE VERBA-
TIM COPIED FROM EACH OTHER, THEN ALL SUCH ANSWER SCRIPTS
WILL BE LIABLE TO BE PENALIZED AS PER UNIVERSITY EXAMINA-
TION RULES
 Ref. No.: Ex/CORE/PHY/TH/104/2020

MASTER OF SCIENCE EXAMINATION, 2020

(1st year, 1st Semester, Day)
PHYSICS
Statistical Mechanics
Paper - PG/SC/CORE/PHY/TH/104

Time : Two hours Full Marks: 40

Group-A
Answer any two from group A

1. (a) Consider a gas containing N indistinguishable classical non-interacting atoms in

thermal equilibrium at a temperature T . The p
gas is held in a neutral atom trap by
a potential of the form V (r) = ar where r = (x2 + y 2 + z 2 ). Find the partition
function for the gas. 4
(b) State and prove Boltzmann H-theorem. Explain its physical significance. 1+4+1

2. (a) State Fick’s law. Establish the diffusion equation from Fick’s law. 1+3
(b) How is Brownian motion different from deterministic motion? 1
(c) Derive Fokker Plank equation from master equation. 5

3. (a) How is intensity in an scattering experiment related to density-density auto cor-

relation function? 2
(b) Define Urshell function and explain its physical significance. Starting from Ursell
function derive the expression for scattering intensity. 4
(c) Derive the relation between the intensity of scattering and the pair correlation
function. 4

Group-B
Answer any two from group B

4. (a) For a system of uniaxial spins in three dimensions, show that under Curie Weiss
mean field theory, magnetisation (m) satisfies,
 
λm + h
m = tanh .
kB T

Mention clearly the assumptions made in this approximation.

(b) Show the existence of spontaneous magnetisation below a critical temperature, i.e.
for T < Tc . Find explicit expression for Tc .
(c) Near the critical point, determine the dependence of magnetisation on reduced
temperature t = (T − Tc )/Tc . (4+3+3)

1
 1
5. The canonical partition function for a spin 2
Ising model under Bragg-Williams
approximation is given by,
+1
N! 1
 e β N ( 2  γ L +h L) ,
2
X
ZI (h, T ) = 1  1
L=−1 2
N (1 + L) ! 2 N (1 − L) !

where  is the spin-spin interaction coefficient, h is the external magnetic field, L is the
long range order parameter and γ is the coordination number.

(a) Explain what are “the coordination number” and “the long range order”.
(b) Show that, in absence of external field, i.e., (h = 0), there exist a temperature Tc ,
such that
L = ±L0 for T < Tc , and
L = 0 for T > Tc .
(c) Obtain expressions of L0 as function of T for T approaching Tc (i) from above and
(ii) from below.
(d) Derive expression for free energy near Tc . (1+3+(2+2)+2)

6. Consider a one dimensional Ising chain with periodic boundary condition.

(a) Argue clearly, how Kadanoff’s decimation transformation, transforms the system
to an equivalent Ising system with lesser number of lattice sites.
(b) Derive a recursion relation between the old and the transformed system.
(c) Find the fixed point(s) for the recursion relation derived in (b). Starting from a
finite non zero K, show how the relevant fixed point is approached by successive
approximations.
(d) Derive that the free energy per lattice site is given by,
n
X 1 1
fe(n) (K) = − j−1
g(K (j)
) − n
log 2.
j=1
2 2

Mathematical steps and logical argument must be presented clearly in the answer.
(2+2+3+3)