Published March 1, 2005 | Version v1
Journal article

Explaining Gibbsean phase space to second year students

  • 1. Institute of Experimental Physics, University of Vienna (Austria)

Description

A new approach to teaching introductory statistical physics is presented. We recommend making extensive use of the fact that even systems with a very few degrees of freedom may display chaotic behaviour. This permits a didactic 'bottom-up' approach, starting out with toy systems whose phase space may be depicted on a screen or blackboard, then proceeding to ever higher dimensions in Gibbsean phase space

Availability note (English)

Available online at http://stacks.iop.org/0143-0807/26/243/ejp5_2_003.pdf or at the Web site for the journal European Journal of Physics (ISSN 1361-6404) http://www.iop.org/

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
European Journal of Physics
Journal Volume
26
Journal Issue
2
Journal Page Range
p. 243-250
ISSN
0143-0807
CODEN
EJPHD4

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
36035505
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
CHAOS THEORY; DEGREES OF FREEDOM; EDUCATION; MANY-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; PHASE SPACE
Descriptors DEC
MATHEMATICAL SPACE; MATHEMATICS; SPACE