Projects : The following topics are available as projects for the Statistical Mechanics course, this year (2017-2018). You (as a group) can choose any one of the topics. One basic reference is given here. You should check out other relevant references for your work. You are free to discuss your project with me or with any other member of the academic community (in Pune or elsewhere).

• Superfluidity in neutron stars : A neutron star is understood to contain three different types of superfluids in its interior. Discuss the nature of these superfluids and their effects on the observable properties of a neutron star.


• Self-organised criticality in pulsar glitches : The phenomenon of period glitch (a sudden jump in the spin-period) in radio pulsars is claimed to exhibit an avalanche type of behaviour. Use current glitch data to examine this claim.


• Statistical mechanics of gravitational systems : Consider a system of particles interacting through gravitational attraction. Discuss the statistical mechanics of this sytem.


• Interior structure of planets : Discuss the interior structure of planets in our solar system, both terrestrial and Jovian.