Docentföreläsning: Physics of Phase Transitions

by Dr Andreas Rydh (Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Fysikum, SU)

Monday 8 Nov 2010, 13:15 → 15:00 Europe/Stockholm

FB42

Phase transitions are found in many every-day phenomena and play a central role in condensed matter physics. Every morning we boil water for our tea or coffee, but why doesn't all the water evaporate at once? Matter occurs in diverse phases with sometimes spectacularly different properties. The phases are described by phase diagrams and separated by phase transitions of different types: first order transitions with latent heat and continuous transitions, symmetry breaking transitions, transitions near critical points, transitions with complex order parameters, quantum phase transitions, etc. Landau realized early that the physics of phase transitions can be understood without knowledge of the microscopic details. In this lecture, I will give a basic introduction to the physics of phase transitions. I will discuss what a phase is, look at some common phase transitions and example systems, and touch upon criticality without going into universality.