Department of Physics

• Department of Physics
  • FACULTY
    • ASSOCIATE FACULTY
  • UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
    • Minor Program
  • GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH
  • FACILITIES
  • UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
  • GRADUATE COURSES
  • THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICS
  • THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE WITH PHYSICS MAJOR

Department of Physics

Rockefeller Building
Phone 368-4000; Fax 368-4671
Lawrence M. Krauss

The Department of Physics offers programs leading to undergraduate (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Physics) and graduate (Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy) degrees. All of these programs are concerned with the study of the basic laws of nature and of the properties of matter in its various forms. The curriculum reflects the varied interests of the faculty and can thus prepare students for a wide range of future activities. At the undergraduate level many open electives are available, particularly in the senior year. It is possible, therefore, for the student with the aid of an advisor to develop any of a variety of programs which is best suited to his or her future educational and employment objectives. A similar flexibility exists in the first few years of graduate study. The research leading to the Ph.D. is normally confined to a specific area of physics. However, even at this stage the broad background and training characteristic of a physics degree are emphasized.

FACULTY

Lawrence M. Krauss, Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Daniel Akerib, Ph.D. (Princeton University)

Robert W. Brown, Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Gary Chottiner, Ph.D. (University of Maryland)

Arnold Dahm, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota)

Thomas G. Eck, Ph.D. (Columbia University)

David E. Farrell, Ph.D. (University of London)

William Fickinger, Ph.D. (Yale University)

Kathleen Kash, Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Kenneth L. Kowalski, Ph.D. (Brown University)

Walter Lambrecht, Ph.D. (University of Ghent)

Stefan Machlup, Ph.D. (Yale University)

Harsh Mathur, Ph.D. (Yale University)

John D. McGervey, Ph.D. (Carnegie Institute of Technology)

Rolfe G. Petschek, Ph. D. (Harvard University)

D. Keith Robinson, D. Phil. (University of Oxford)

Charles Rosenblatt, Ph. D. (Harvard University)

Donald E. Schuele, Ph.D. (Case Institute of Technology)

Benjamin Segall, Ph.D. (University of Illinois)

Kenneth D. Singer, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania)

Glenn D. Starkman, Ph.D. (Stanford University)

Cyrus Taylor, Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Philip L. Taylor, Ph. D. (University of Cambridge)

William Tobocman, Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Tanmay Vachaspati, Ph.D. (Tufts University)

Richard A. Zdanis, Ph.D. (The Johns Hopkins University)

ASSOCIATE FACULTY

Shi-Qing Wang, Ph.D. (University of Chicago)

ADJUNCT FACULTY

E. Mark Haacke, Ph.D. (University of Toronto)

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

The Department of Physics offers B.A. and B.S. degrees in physics. The B.S. can include a mathematical physics option. Each of these programs can lead to immediate employment or to graduate study in physics or in related fields. The student who is considering theoretical physics as a career will benefit from the opportunity to participate in special projects, seminars, and individual collaborations with faculty in the mathematical physics option. A variety of electives within and outside the department are available in the programs to provide the breadth and flexibility that will considerably enhance the student's opportunities at the best schools and industrial locations. The B.S. candidate will complete a year-long senior project in which the student will work one-on-one with a faculty researcher, write a senior thesis, and present a short seminar on the project. Employment opportunities at the bachelor's level include research and development in industry, research and technical assistance in government and university laboratories, engineering, computer programming, and management.

A program in teacher certification (grades 7 through 12), based on the B.A. degree, is available for students interested in a career in teaching physics.

Minor Program

One of the following three sequences:

1. PHYS 121, 122, 221 plus two* of the following courses

2. PHYS 123, 124, 223 plus two* of the following courses

3. PHYS 115, 116 plus three of the following courses:

PHYS 196, PHYS 204, PHYS 310, PHYS 313, PHYS 315, PHYS 316, PHYS 331, PHYS 332, PHYS 324

GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH

The department offers programs of study and research leading to both the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Graduate assistantships are available for the full-time support of qualified students. All M.S. programs in physics with or without a thesis normally can be completed in less than two years. The requirements for the Ph.D. in physics include fulfilling a flexible course program which typically can be completed within three years, with less coursework and more research in each succeeding year. The student is required to pass a qualifying examination in physics, which is normally taken after the first year of study, and to prepare a dissertation based on the results of independent research. There is no foreign language requirement. Research pursuant to any of the graduate degree programs in physics can be carried out in five areas:

• Cosmic Rays, Astrophysics and Cosmology
  The experimental effort in this area includes gamma-ray astronomy, studies of solar neutrons and neutrinos, and neutrino interactions, and studies of the nature of dark matter in the universe. Theoretical studies include neutrino astrophysics, cosmic microwave background studies, gravitational lensing, dark matter, large scale structure, and cosmology.
• Elementary Particle Physics
  Experimental studies of the strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions of the elementary particles. Theoretical research in all areas of particle theory, gravitation, and cosmology.
• Optics and Optical Materials
  Both experimental and theoretical programs in nonlinear optics, integrated optics, and the optical properties of fluids, liquid crystals, polymers, and crystals, including semiconductors and semiconductor mesoscopic systems.
• Solid and Condensed State Physics
  An extensive experimental and theoretical program in the electronic properties of solids (including superconductivity), quantum liquids, the physics of polymers, liquid crystals and complex fluids, the equations of state of solids, thin films, and the physics of surfaces and interfaces, semiconducting and rare-earth based magnetic materials.
• Imaging Phyics and Inverse Problems
  An experimental and theoretical program in aspects of nuclear magnetic resonance, computed tomography, ultrasound, and positron-emission tomography.

FACILITIES

The Department of Physics maintains research laboratories in experimental and theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, elementary particle physics, low temperature physics, optics, condensed matter physics, and surface physics.

The particle-astrophysics groups have previously performed wire and spark chamber experiments using high altitude balloons and satellites to study cosmic gamma rays and neutrons, and also have been involved in key experiments on astrophysical neutrinos. At present a new experimental group is forming which, in collaboration with the Center for Particle Astrophysics at Berkeley, is leading a search to discover the identity of new possible weakly interacting massive elementary particles which may make up the bulk of the matter in the universe. The theory group maintains a UNIX cluster of RISC machines with which it performs intensive numerical calculations in such areas as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Neutrino Astrophysics, Dark Matter studies, Stellar Evolution, Physics of the Very Early Universe, and Large Scale Structure in the Universe.

Collider physics research in the department is part of a long-term program for the design and utilization of full-acceptance detectors at current particle accelerators such as Fermilab and at future particle accelerators such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Detector design and data analysis software and computing facilities are located in the department. A first test of these concepts, the MiniMax detector at the Fermi National Laboratory, incorporated multiwire proportional chambers, scintillation counters, and various types of high-energy particle calorimetry. Data from this experiment, which ran from 1993-1996, are being analyzed.

The optics and optical materials group utilizes facilities for linear, nonlinear, and light scattering studies including gas ion, titanium sapphire, and ring dye lasers for continuous wave studies, a tunable pico second and femto second pulsed laser system, and a tunable nanosecond laser system for nonlinear optical studies. Facilities also include video image acquisition and analysis, microscopy, holography, refractometry, and absorption and reflection spectroscopy. The optical materials center houses a full array of equipment, including photolithography for sample preparation. The electronic structure group uses a cluster of high speed UNIX workstations and links to the Ohio Supercomputer Center to perform computational physics of materials.

Low-temperature facilities are available for liquid helium and superconductor research. The solid state experimentalists make use of a wide range of techniques and associated instrumentation to study properties of materials in bulk and in thin films and surfaces. Among these techniques are electron-positron annihilation, optical harmonic generation, photoconductivity, magnetic susceptibility, precision dielectric constants, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy.

Among the special facilities available within the department for condensed matter and solid state research are a 15-inch Varian electromagnet; helium 3He 4He dilution refrigerators (15 mK and 5 mK); superconducting magnets, including 6T and 9T magnets and an 8.2 T warm-bore superconducting magnet with optical access; dynamic light scattering and high resolution birefringence apparatus; instrumentation for conducting experiments up to pressures of 225,000 psi at room temperature and to pressures of 30,000 psi with the temperature variable from 4.2K to 400K; ultrahigh vacuum equipment; and a complete array of surface analysis equipment including, among other things, low-energy and reflection high-energy electron diffraction, X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectrometers, Auger electron spectrometers, and scanning, tunneling, and atomic force microscopes.

Extensive computational facilities are available for theoretical calculations and data acquisition and analysis. Besides the UNIX clusters of the individual research groups already mentioned, the department has a variety of PCs, Macs, Next and VAX, and UNIX workstations for control of experiments in the advanced undergraduate laboratories as well as in the experimental research groups.

Well-equipped undergraduate laboratory facilities are provided. Experiments in the junior and senior years are selected from a large number of possibilities, with the general level of sophistication increasing as the student advances. All students participate in the research as described above through the senior project .

Physics (PHYS)

UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

PHYS 100, Space Time, and Motion, 3

A course for students of the liberal arts. Discussion of how physics is performed, what important discoveries about natural phenomena have been made by physicists, and what are the most exciting questions being tackled by physicists today.

PHYS 115, Introductory Physics I, 4

First part of a two-semester calculus-based sequence directed primarily toward students working toward a B.A. in science. Kinematics; Newton's laws, gravitation, simple harmonic motion; mechanical waves; fluids; ideal gas law; heat and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This course has a laboratory component.

Prerequisite: MATH 121 or MATH 125

PHYS 116, Introductory Physics II, 4

Electrostatics, Coulomb's law, Gauss's law; capacitance and resistance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; electromagnetic induction; RC and RL circuits; light; geometrical optics; interference and diffraction; special relativity; introduction to quantum mechanics; elements of atomic, nuclear and particle physics. This course has a laboratory component.

Prerequisite: PHYS 115

PHYS 121, General Physics I. Mechanics, 4

Particle dynamics, Newton's laws of motion, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, and angular momentum conservation. This course has a laboratory component.

Prerequisite: MATH 121 or MATH 125

PHYS 122, General Physics II. Electricity and Magnetism, 4

Electricity and magnetism emphasizing the basic electromagnetic laws of Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves, interference, and diffraction. This course has a laboratory component.

Prerequisite: PHYS 121 or PHYS 123

PHYS 123, Physics and Frontiers I: Mechanics, 4

The standard Newtonian dynamics of a particle and of rigid bodies. Energy, momentum, and angular momentum conservation applications. Studies in areas of fractals and chaos theory. Additional special frontier topics as time permits. This course has a laboratory component. Admission to this course is by invitation.

PHYS 124, Physics and Frontiers II: Electricity and Magnetism, 4

Time-independent and time-dependent electric and magnetic fields. The laws of Coulomb, Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Microscopic approach to dielectric and magnetic materials. Introduction to the usage of vector calculus; Maxwell's equations in integral and differential form. The role of special relativity in electromagnetism. Electromagnetic radiation. This course has a laboratory component.

Prerequisite: PHYS 123

PHYS 196, Energy and Society, 3

Global and national perspectives on the problems of energy supply and demand, global warming, oil cartels, solar, nuclear and wind energy, energy history, politics and economics of fossil fuels and alternative energy sources.

PHYS 203, Analog and Digital Electronics, 4

Elements of both analog and digital electronics from the practical viewpoint of the experimental scientist; ac circuits, linear and non-linear operation of op-amps, logic gates, flip-flops, counters, display, memory, transducers, a/d and d/a conversion. Laboratory work involves quantitative investigation of the operation of all these elements, together with projects that explore their combination.

Prerequisite: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124

PHYS 204, Advanced Instrumentation Laboratory, 4

Principles of experimental design; limits of resolution via band-width, thermal noise, background signals; data acquisition and control by computer; computer simulation; signal processing techniques in frequency and time domains, fft, correlations, and other transform methods; counting techniques. Applications include lock-in amplifiers, digitizing oscilloscopes and data acquisition system.

Prerequisite: PHYS 203 and PHYS 221 or PHYS 223

PHYS 221, General Physics III-Modern Physics, 3

Concepts in special relativity and quantum mechanics. Particle-wave nature of light and particles, the Schroedinger equation, applications to atomic structure, solid state, nuclear, and elementary particle physics. Three lectures per week and one recitation section.

Prerequisite: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124

PHYS 223, Physics and Frontiers III, 3

Fluids, oscillations, wave and wave interference, optics, relativity, and quantum mechanics. Studies in special and general relativity. Additional special frontier lectures on subjects such as cosmology, polymers, and superconductivity as time permits. Three lectures and one recitation section.

Prerequisite: PHYS 124

PHYS 250, Mathematics, Physics and Computing, 3

Numerical methods, data analysis, and error analysis applied to physical problems. Use of personal computers in the solution of practical problems encountered in physics. Interpolation, roots of equations, integration, differential equations, Monte Carlo techniques, propagation of errors, maximum likelihood, convolution, Fourier transforms.

Prerequisite: CMPS 131. Corequisite MATH 224

PHYS 301, Advanced Laboratory Physics I, 4

Problem solving approach with a range of available experiments in classical and modern physics. Emphasis on experimental techniques, data and error analysis, and the formal presentation of the work performed.

Prerequisite: PHYS 204

PHYS 302, Advanced Laboratory Physics II, 4

Four projects using research-quality equipment in contemporary fields of experimental physics. Each requires reading appropriate literature, choosing appropriate instrumentation, performing data acquisition and analysis, and writing a technical paper. Topics include particle counting techniques, neutron activation, gamma-ray spectroscopy, a range of condensed matter experiments including temperature dependent properties between 10 and 350 K, modern optics, high vacuum techniques, and X-ray analysis of crystal structure.

Prerequisite: PHYS 301

PHYS 310, Classical Mechanics, 3

Lagrangian formulation of mechanics and its application to central force motion, scattering theory, rigid body motion, and systems of many degrees of freedom.

Prerequisite: PHYS 221 or PHYS 223

PHYS 313, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, 3

Thermodynamic laws, entropy, and phase transitions from the quantum mechanical viewpoint. Gibbs and Boltzmann factors. Ideal, degenerate fermion, degenerate boson, photon, and phonon gases. Correlation functions and transport phenomena. Applications ranging from solid state physics to astrophysics.

Prerequisite: PHYS 221 or PHYS 223

PHYS 315, Introduction to Solid State Physics, 3

Characterization and properties of solids; crystal structure, thermal properties of lattices, quantum statistics, electronic structure of metals and semiconductors.

Prerequisite: PHYS 331

PHYS 316, Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, 3

The physics of nuclei and elementary particles; experimental methods used to determine their properties; models and theories developed to describe their structure.

Prerequisite: PHYS 331

PHYS 324, Electricity and Magnetism I, 3

First half of a year long sequence that constitutes a detailed study of the basics of electromagnetic theory and many of its applications. Electrostatics and magnetostatics of free space, dielectrics, conductors and magnetic materials, Maxwell's equations and time-dependent effects electromagnetic waves and their interaction with matter. Basic theory amply illustrated with applications drawn from condensed matter physics, optics, plasma physics, and physical electronics.

Prerequisite: PHYS 221 or PHYS 223

PHYS 325, Electricity and Magnetism II, 3

Continuation of PHYS 324.

Prerequisite: PHYS 324

PHYS 326, Physical Optics, 3

Geometrical optics and ray tracing, wave propagation, interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter, interference, diffraction, and coherence. Supplementary current topics from modern optics such as nonlinear optics, holography, optical trapping and optical computing. Prerequisite(s) may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124

PHYS 329, Independent Study, 1-4

An individual reading course in any topic of mutual interest to the student and the faculty supervisor.

PHYS 331, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I, 3

Quantum nature of energy and angular momentum, wave nature of matter, Schroedinger equation in one and three dimensions; matrix methods; Dirac notation; quantum mechanical scattering. Two particle wave functions.

Prerequisite: PHYS 221 or PHYS 223

PHYS 332, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics II, 3

(Continuation of PHYS 331) Spin and fine structure; Dirac equation; symmetries; approximation methods; atomic and molecular spectra; time dependent perturbations; quantum statistics; applications to electrons in metals and liquid helium.

Prerequisite: PHYS 331

PHYS 339, Seminar, 1-3

Conducted in small sections with presentation of papers by students and informal discussion. Students suggest topics in nuclear, solid state, particle, or theoretical physics. Special problems seminars and research seminars offered according to interest and need, often in conjunction with one or more research groups.

Prerequisite: PHYS 331

PHYS 341, Teaching Physics Concepts I, 2

Prerequisite: PHYS 115 or PHYS 121

PHYS 342, Teaching Physics Concepts II, 2

(Continuation of PHYS 341) Topics will include electricity and magnetism, power generation and consumption, nuclear radiation, thermodynamic principles, the earth and the environment. Prerequisite may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 341 and PHYS 116 or PHYS 122

PHYS 349, Methods of Mathematical Physics I, 3

Analysis of complex functions, contour integration. Exact and approximate evaluation of sums and integrals; approximation of sums by integrals, generating functions, symmetry arguments, saddle point, stationary phase, and steepest descent methods. Asymptotic series and their integration. Exact and approximate solution of ordinary differential equations; Green's functions, WKBT, special functions.

Prerequisite: MATH 224 or MATH 226

PHYS 350, Methods of Mathematical Physics II, 3

Continuation of PHYS 349. Solution of partial differential equations; characteristics, separation of variables, special functions, Green's function methods. Calculus of variations. Integral transform methods. Numerical methods. Linear operators and group theory. Integral equations. Prerequisite(s) may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 349

PHYS 351, Physics Senior Project, 6

A two-semester course required for senior physics majors. Project based on experimental, theoretical or physics teaching research under the supervision of a physics faculty member. Study of the techniques currently utilized in a specific research area and of the recent literature associated with the project. Experimental or theoretical work leading to meaningful results which are to be presented as a term paper and an oral report at the end of the second semester. Supervising faculty will review progress with the student on a regular basis.

Prerequisite: PHYS 302

PHYS 393, Theoretical Physics Research Project I, 3

First half of a two-semester course required for the mathematical physics option. A search for an appropriate problem under the guidance of an individual faculty member and an oral presentation of the results of that search. Stresses mathematical formulation of physical problems. Extensive computational facilities available for student use. Students are encouraged to propose their own problems. Admission to this course is by invitation.

Prerequisite: MATH 446 or PHYS 350

PHYS 394, Theoretical Physics Research Project II, 3

Second half of a two-semester course required for the mathematical physics option. A detailed thesis-level report. Stresses mathematical formulation of physical problems. Extensive computational facilities available for student use. Students are encouraged to propose their own problems.

Prerequisite: MATH 446 or PHYS 350

GRADUATE COURSES

PHYS 413, Classical and Statistical Mechanics I, 3

An integrated approach to classical and statistical mechanics. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, conservation laws, kinematics and dynamics, Poisson brackets, continuous media, derivation of laws of thermodynamics, the development of the partition function. To be followed by PHYS 414.

PHYS 414, Classical and Statistical Mechanics II, 3

A continuation of PHYS 413. Noninteracting systems, statistical mechanics of solids, liquids, gases, fluctuations, irreversible processes, phase transformations. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 413

PHYS 415, Introduction to Solid State Physics, 3

See PHYS 315. Additional work required. For graduate students in engineering and science. (May not be taken for credit by graduate students in the Department of Physics.) Prerequisite may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 331.

PHYS 423, Classical Electromagnetism, 3

Electromagnetic theory in the classical limit. Gauge invariance and special relativity. Applications to electrostatic, magnetostatic, and radiation problems using advanced mathematical techniques. Dielectric, magnetic, and conducting materials. Wave propagation in open and confined geometries. Radiation from accelerating charges. Cherenkov, synchrotron, and transition radiation.

PHYS 426, Contemporary Physical Optics, 3

See PHYS 326. Additional work required.

PHYS 431, Physics of Imaging: Industrial and Medical Applications, 3

Description of physical principles underlying the spin behavior in MR and Fourier imaging in multi-dimensions. Introduction of conventional, fast, and chemical-shift imaging techniques. Spin echo, gradient echo, and variable flip-angle methods. Projection reconstruction, and sampling theorems. Bloch equations, T1 and T2 relaxation times, rf penetration, diffusion and perfusion. Flow imaging, MR angiography, and functional brain imaging. Sequence and coil design. Prerequisite may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 or EBME 410

PHYS 438, Introduction to Surface Science, 3

Geometric, chemical, and electronic structure of surfaces and interfaces between solid, liquid, and gas, contrasting surface properties with those of the bulk. Surface and interface thermodynamics, surface energy and surface tension in liquid and solid systems, surface shape effects, two-dimensional lattice, adsorption phenomena, the interactions of electrons, ions, and photons with a surface, and experimental techniques in surface science. Prerequisite may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 315 or CHEM 335

PHYS 441, Physics of Condensed Matter I, 3

Crystal structure, x-ray diffraction, band theory and applications. Free electron theory of metals and electrons in magnetic fields. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

PHYS 442, Physics of Condensed Matter II, 3

Continuation of PHYS 441. Lattice vibrations, thermal properties of solids, semiconductors, magnetic properties of solids, and superconductivity. Prerequisite(s) may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 441

PHYS 449, Methods of Mathematical Physics I, 3

See PHYS 349. Additional work required.

PHYS 450, Methods of Mathematical Physics II, 3

See PHYS 350. Additional work required.

PHYS 451, Empirical Foundations of the Standard Model I, 3

The experimental basis for modeling the electroweak and strong interactions in terms of fundamental fermions, quarks and leptons, and gauge bosons, photons, the weak bosons, and gluons; particle accelerators and detection techniques; phenomenology of particle reactions, decays and hadronic structure; space, time and internal symmetries; symmetries; symmetry breaking. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

PHYS 452, Empirical Foundations of the Standard Model II, 3

(Continuation of 451) Tests of the predictions of the broken SU(2) x U(1) gauge-symmetric model of the electroweak interactions and the color-SU(3) model of the strong interactions. Structure of the weak currents, the quark mixing matrix, and the gauge-boson couplings. Exploration of the Higgs sector and the coupling of the Higgs to quarks and leptons. Heavy quark physics. Calculation of hadronic processes using partonic distribution functions. CP violation, neutrino masses, fermion nonconservation, and possible extensions of the Standard Model. Prerequisite(s) may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 451

PHYS 460, Engineering and Chemical Aspects of NMR Spectroscopy and Imaging, 3

See EBME 460 and CHEM 460. Fundamental and advanced topics in understanding and practice of NMR imaging and spectroscopy. Theoretical description is accompanied by specified examples of spin Hamiltonians, pulse sequences, and basic instrumentation.

PHYS 465, General Relativity, 3

This is a first course in general relativity. The techniques of tensor analysis will be developed and used to describe the effects of gravity and Einstein's theory. Consequences of the theory as well as its experimental tests will be discussed. An introduction to cosmology will be given. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

PHYS 472, Graduate Physics Laboratory, 3

A series of projects designed to introduce the student to modern research techniques such as automated data acquisition. Students will be assessed as to their individual needs and a sequence of projects will be established for each individual. Topics may include low temperature phenomena, nuclear gamma ray detection and measurement and optics.

PHYS 481, Quantum Mechanics I, 3

Quantum mechanics with examples of applications. Schroedinger method; matrix and operator methods. Approximation methods including JBWK, variational and various perturbation methods. Applications to atomic, molecular and nuclear physics including both bound states and scattering problems. Applications of group theory to quantum mechanics. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

PHYS 482, Quantum Mechanics II, 3

See PHYS 481. Prerequisite(s) may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 481

PHYS 522, Nonlinear Optics, 3

Classical phenomenology and Maxwell's equations in media; Maxwell-Bloch equations. theory of nonlinear wave interactions and propagation. Properties of optical fibers and nonlinear materials. Theory of nonlinear propagation, solitons, inverse scattering transforms, optical chaos. Applications to lasers, optical bistability, self-induced transparency, and stimulated light scattering.

Prerequisite: PHYS 423 and PHYS 481

PHYS 539, Special Topics Seminar, 1-3

Consult the roster of courses for specific topics and credit. May include low-temperature physics, liquid helium, group theory in solid state, surface physics, astrophysics, critical phenomena and phase transitions, and nonlinear topics in physics.

PHYS 541, Quantum Theory of Solids I, 3

Elementary excitations in solids, including lattice vibrations, spin waves, helicons, and polarons. Quasiparticles and collective coordinates. BCS theory of superconductivity. Quasicrystals. Transport properties. Conduction electrons in magnetic fields and the quantum Hall effect. Green function methods of many-body systems. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 442

PHYS 579, Special Topics Seminar, 3

See PHYS 539.

PHYS 581, Quantum Mechanics III, 3

Continuation of PHYS 482. The methods of quantum field theory applied to the nonrelativistic many-body problem, radiation theory, and relativistic particle physics. Second quantization using canonical and path integration techniques, constrained systems, and gauge theories. Graphical perturbative methods and graphs summation approaches. Topological aspects of field theories. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 482

PHYS 591, Gauge Field Theory I, 3

Noether's theorem, symmetries and conserved currents, functional integral techniques, quantization, Feynman rules, anomalies, QED, electroweak interactions, QCD, renormalization, renormalization group, asymptotic freedom and assorted other topics. Admission to this course requires consent of the instructor.

Prerequisite: PHYS 581

PHYS 601, Research in Physics, 1-9

PHYS 651, Thesis M.S., 1-9

PHYS 666, Frontiers in Physics, 0

Weekly colloquia given by eminent physicists from around the world on topics of current interest in physics.

PHYS 701, Dissertation Ph.D., 1-9

PHYS 820, Physics Demonstrations for High School Teachers, 2

PHYS 822, Physics Teacher Retraining, 1

For pre-college teachers who have taken PHYS 820 and who wish to develop similar courses for other teachers. Will involve working with students in PHYS 820 to help them improve their understanding of concepts, and working with the instructors on ways to make courses such as this more effective. Enrollment limited to five; consent of instructor required.

Prerequisite: PHYS 820

PHYS 841, Teaching Physics Concepts I, 2

(See PHYS 341)

Prerequisite: PHYS 115

PHYS 842, Teaching Physics Concepts II, 2

(See PHYS 342)

Prerequisite: PHYS 115 or PHYS 121

* The CSE major requires 15 to 18 credits with no more than two courses being part of the requirements of the students's major. These students may have to take three courses from this list rathe than two.

The Bachelor of Science in Physics and the Bachelor of Arts degree with a Physics Major both require completion of the Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements (GER) and the courses listed in the following tables.

THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICS

THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE WITH PHYSICS MAJOR

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