This course consists of an initial compulsory component, followed by a choice of units in the second half of the semester. This initial unit reviews basic topics in equilibrium statistical mechanics. This includes thermodynamical quantities (entropy, energy, temperature, pressure, volume), ensembles (microcanonical, canonical, grand canonical), partition functions, classical ideal gases, equations of state, kinetic theory, van der Waals gases, quantum ideal gases (bosonic and fermionic), blackbody radiation, phonons, Bose-Einstein condensates, and degenerate Fermi gases (white dwarves). One of the principal aims is to introduce the idea of a phase transition using the example of a low-temperature Bose-Einstein condensate.

Topics available in the second half of the course include:
Entropy, Order Parameters and Complexity - This topic will cover basic and advanced topics of statistical mechanics with a strong focus on cross-disciplinary application of the theory. It will include topics such as continous phase transitions, percolation theory and the different interpretations of Entropy.
Electronics - This topic will tie together much of the physics learnt as an undergraduate in a practical setting. It will introduce the students to electronics practice in a physics research laboratory environment. The course concentrates on the processing of analog signals. Linear circuits are reviewed before moving on to active circuits. The active circuits are primarily investigated using operational amplifiers, though simple transistor circuits are also used. Concepts such as negative feedback, dynamic range, signal to noise ratios, filtering and analog to digital conversion are explored.