Physical and Chemical Profile

Statistical physics is one of the fundamental branches of modern physics which, through its probabilistic approach, establishes relationships between the microscopic and the macroscopic. It deals with the evolution of systems with a very large number of particles (atoms, molecules, photons, etc.) and links macroscopic quantities such as pressure, temperature, etc., which characterize their state of thermodynamic equilibrium, to quantities that define the microscopic state of their constituents. This introductory course in statistical physics will cover microcanonical and canonical ensembles and will establish the link between the partition function and thermodynamic quantities such as average energy, pressure, temperature, and entropy. These results will be illustrated using ideal gases and a few simple quantum systems.     

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This course is a simplified introduction to quantum physics.
We will begin by providing a historical overview of the beginnings of quantum mechanics: atomic emission line spectrum, black body radiation (we will see the logic behind this name), photoelectric effect, etc.
A simplified presentation of Fourier transforms will help us understand the link between spectral line width and temporal evolution,
and later on, Heisenberg's inequalities.
A significant part of the course will be devoted to matter waves, through Schrödinger's equation, in very simple specific cases.
Finally, we will conclude with some aspects of magnetism (necessarily quantum).

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The first part of the module will consist of presenting metals and alloys through crystallography (from the "ideal" crystalline solid to defects and solid solutions), followed by a second part devoted to their characterization by X-ray diffraction, and a final part addressing their synthesis through their solid/liquid binary diagram (description and construction) and the various transformations in the solid state.

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Thermodynamics: micro and macroscopic aspects

Thermodynamics is the tool of choice for studying matter on a macroscopic scale. In particular, in the case of chemical reactions, it allows us to predict the direction of their evolution and their state of equilibrium. In the first years of the bachelor's degree, we focus on describing the principles of thermodynamics and their direct application to chemistry in the case of simple single-phase equilibrium reactions or reactions between homogeneous phases. This teaching unit will deepen this knowledge in two directions.

First, we will generalize this macroscopic thermodynamic description framework to more complex systems, such as interfacial systems where surface tension plays a role, or non-uniform phases where the composition is not the same everywhere due to an external field. We will also study ruptures and equilibrium displacements.

Next, we will look at the link with the microscopic world, where matter is described at the atomic scale. We will show that the evolution predicted by thermodynamics is statistical in nature, with the state of equilibrium corresponding to the most probable macroscopic state given the constraints applied to the system. This will allow us to deduce the macroscopic thermodynamic properties of a physicochemical system from its microscopic description.

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At the beginning of this course, we will review the concepts of light rays and the conditions for approximation in geometric optics, as well as the concepts of wave physics that are important for physical optics.

Then, based on the scalar approximation of light waves, a special case of electromagnetic waves, we will describe light sources, interference phenomena with 2 waves, N waves, and then diffraction in the Fraunhofer approximation.

We will continue by studying various widely used physical systems, focusing on their resolution power and applications: microscope, astronomical telescope, Michelson interferometer, grating spectrometer, Fabry-Pérot interferometer.

Finally, we will conclude with the concepts of spatial coherence and temporal coherence of light sources and their use (stellar interferometry, speckle, etc.).

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