2022-2023 Course List

Special arrangements must be made with an appropriate faculty member of the department office. May be repeated for credit on each new topic.

Prerequisites:

Consent 

This course bridges the gap between introductory physics and its application to the life and biomedical sciences. Topics include fluid flow, membrane transport, nerve conduction, imaging methods including MRI, CT, and nuclear imaging, radiotherapy, and health physics.

Rectilinear motion of a particle, general motion of a particle in three dimensions. Newtonian mechanics including harmonic oscillations, forced oscillations, central forces and orbital motion, collisions, noninertial reference systems, dynamics of a system particles, rigid body motion, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, normal coordinates.

Electrostatic fields, magnetostatic fields, steady currents, electromagnetic induction. Review of vector algebra.

Electromagnetic waves, propagation and radiation of waves, and electrodynamics and relativity.

Atoms in crystals, wave in crystals, thermal vibrations of the crystal lattice, free electron model, band theory of solids, semiconductors and PN junctions, magnetism, and superconductivity.

Geometric optics, wave optics, properties of light and matter, optics of transformations, and quantum optics. Lecture and laboratory.

A systematic development of foundations of quantum mechanics. Observables, operators, state functions, expectation values. Matrix formulation of eigenvalue problems. The hydrogen atom, electron spin, angular momentum, and perturbation theory.

Numerical solutions of physics problems and computer simulations of physical systems. Lecture and laboratory.

Fundamental principles of statistical physics, including theory of probability, kinetic theory of transport process, entropy, classical and quantum statistical ensembles, Bose and Fermi systems. Applications to thermodynamics and magnetic properties of solids.

Experiments in modern physics, including solid-state physics and optics. Requires more independent work than introductory laboratories.

Current methods of teaching all physical sciences with emphasis on physics and chemistry. For students planning to teach at a middle school, secondary school, college, or university. May not count as a physics elective.

A course in an area of physics not regularly offered. Topic and credit assigned by department each time offered.

Use of the library, electronic and machine shop practices, vacuum and cryogenic techniques, research interests of faculty.

Mathematical methods necessary for advanced study in physics. Topic include functions of complex variables, calculus or residues, integral transforms and special functions.

Variational calculus, Lagrangian mechanics, the motions of particles and rigid bodies, the dynamics of oscillating systems and Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Pre: PHYS 441 or equivalent

Bound state and scattering problems in one, two, and three dimensions. Approximation methods for stationary states. Time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory. General formalism of quantum theory. Pre: PHYS 461 or equivalent

Electrostatics, magnetostatics, boundary-value problems, Green functions, time-varying fields, Maxwell equations, conservation laws. Pre: PHYS 448 or equivalent

A course in an area of physics not regularly offered. Topic and credit assigned by department each time offered.

Special arrangements must be made with an appropriate faculty member or the department office. May be repeated for credit on each new topic.

Students will attend research seminars presented by faculty in the department, or speakers from other institutions. Students also make and critique presentations made by themselves and other students. May be repeated for credit. Spring

V

Special arrangements must be made with an appropriate faculty member or the department office. May be repeated for credit on each new topic.

Provides student the opportunity to gain expertise and experience in a special field under the supervision of a qualified person.