Monte Carlo Simulation of Condensed Matter Systems
by
Dr. Gerhard Besold
Membrane and Statistical Physics Group (MEMPHYS)
Department of Chemistry, DTU
E-mail: besold@kemi.dtu.dk

1. November 12:
   ``From Roulette to Integrals''
   The basic philosophy of Monte Carlo simulation
   Random number generation. Monte Carlo integration. Importance sampling. Markov processes. Stationary distribution and detailed balance condition.
   
2. November 19:
   ``Flipping Spins and Hopping Particles''
   The modeling of many particle systems in statistical physics
   Spin and lattice gas models. Applications in surface science. Modeling of soft condensed matter. Basics of statistical physics reviewed. Phase transitions and phase diagrams. Universality.
   
3. November 26:
   ``Gambling with Boltzmann factors''
   Monte Carlo simulation of many particle systems
   Monte Carlo simulation in various statistical ensembles. General strategy and details of
   implementation. Equilibration and data reduction. Finite-size scaling. Case studies.
   
4. December 3:
   ``Dealing with Histograms''
   Advanced Monte Carlo simulation techniques
   Distribution functions and spectral free energies. Histogram reweighting techniques. Localization of phase boundaries. Strategies to overcome free energy barriers (shape function method, entropic and multi-canonical sampling). Gibbs ensemble simulations.
   
5. December 10::
   Guest lecture:
   Dr. Michael Promberger
   (Institute for Theoretical Physics I, Univ. of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany)
   ``Phase transitions in finite systems and the micro-canonical ensemble''
   (tentative title)
   
6. December 17:
   ``What Happened after the Quench''
   Monte Carlo simulation of non-equilibrium phenomena
   Phase separation processes and domain growth. Universality in growth kinetics. Lifshitz-Slyozhov
   and Lifshitz-Allen-Cahn growth laws. Case studies.