Mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves, optics, atomic and nuclear physics. Only algebra and geometry used. For non-science majors.
(1 3-hr Lab) Hooke’s law, falling bodies, collisions, Boyle’s law, electric and magnetic fields, induction, waves, optics. Pre: 100 (or concurrent).
Introduction to physics of sound and light, with applications to music and visual arts: sound perception, harmony, musical scales, instruments; lenses, cameras, color perception and mixing. Uses algebra and geometry. Intended primarily for non-science majors.
Introduction to physics and science in everyday life. It considers objects from our daily environment, and focuses on the principles such as motion, forces, heat, electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics. A-F only.
Non-calculus physics. Mechanics, wave motion, heat. Pre: MATH 140X, or 215 or higher; or qualifying score on math placement exam.
(1 3-hr Lab) Introduction to experimental analysis, physical observation and measurement, experiments on conservation laws, fluid friction, oscillations. Pre: 151 (or concurrent).
Electricity, magnetism, optics, modern physics. Pre: 151 or 170.
(1 3-hr Lab) Optics, electric and magnetic fields, DC and AC circuitry. Pre: 151L or 170L, and 152 (or concurrent).
Calculus-based mechanics of particles and rigid bodies: kinematics, force, energy, momentum, rotation, gravitation, fluids, oscillations and waves. Intended for physical science and engineering majors. Pre: MATH 242 (or concurrent) or MATH 252A (or concurrent). MATH 216 may be substituted with consent.
Special format for topics: mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, wave motion, thermodynamics and kinetic theory. Pre: MATH 242 (or concurrent) or MATH 252A (or concurrent). MATH 216 may be substituted with consent. Co-requisite: 170L
(1 3-hr Lab) Similar to 151L but at 170 level. Pre: 170 (or concurrent) or 170A (or concurrent).
Electricity and magnetism and geometric optics. Pre: 151 or 170 and MATH 242 or MATH 252A, MATH 216 may be substituted with consent.
Special format for topics: electricity and magnetism and geometric optics. A-F only. Pre: 151 or 170 and MATH 242 or MATH 252A, MATH 216 may be substituted with consent. Co-requisite: 272L.
(1 3-hr Lab) Similar to 152L but at 272 level. Pre: 151L or 170L, and 272 (or concurrent) or 272A (or concurrent).
Relativity, introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, and physical optics. Pre: 152 or 272 and MATH 243 (or concurrent) or MATH 253A (or concurrent); or consent.
(1 4-hr Lab) Experiments illustrating selected concepts of 274, including diffraction and interference of light, wave nature of matter, photoelectric effect, atomic spectra, and semiconductors. Pre: 152L or 272L, and 274 (or concurrent).
(3 Lec, 1 3-hr. Lab) Analysis of physical systems and problem solving using computers and numerical methods. Development of scientific writing skills; preparation of formal reports in style of scientific journal articles. Pre: 152 or 272 or 272A, and MATH 244 (or concurrent) or MATH 253A (or concurrent); or consent.
Particle dynamics, rigid-body dynamics, planetary motion. Pre: 170 or 170A; 272 or 272A; MATH 244 (or concurrent) or MATH 253A (or concurrent). Recommended: MATH 302 (or concurrent). (Fall only)
Rigid-body mechanics continued, fluid dynamics, wave motion, theory of relativity. Pre: 310.
Electrostatic and magnetostatic fields in vacuum and in matter; induction; Maxwell’s equations; AC circuits. Pre: 272 or 272A; and MATH 244 (or concurrent) or MATH 253A (or concurrent). (Fall only)
Limited to students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 or a minimum GPA of 3.0 in physics.
Mathematical methods, techniques; applications to problems in physical sciences. Pre: MATH 244 or MATH 253A, and MATH 307 or 311; or consent. Recommended: upper division mathematics course.
Laws of thermodynamics, heat transfer, kinetic theory, statistical mechanics. Pre: 274 and MATH 244 or MATH 253A.
Crystal structure: lattice vibrations; phonon effects; electronic processes in solids (metals, semiconductors, and superconductors). Pre: 274 and 350 (or concurrent).
Energy-band calculations, optical processes, Josephson effect, theories of dielectrics and magnetism, physics of color centers, order-disorder transformation. Pre: 440.
Field equations, plane, spherical and guided waves. Pre: 350.
Fundamentals of classical physical optics emphasizing linear systems theory, including optical fields in matter, polarization phenomena, temporal coherence, interference and diffraction (Fourier optics). Specialized applications include Gaussian beams, laser resonators, pulse propagation, and nonlinear optics. Pre: 450 (or concurrent with a minimum grade of C) or ECE 372 (or concurrent with a minimum grade of C-), or consent. (Cross-listed as ECE 470)
Introduction to general relativity & cosmology. Spacetime metrics, geodesics, Einstein field equations, black holes. Geometry of the universe, redshift, cosmological distances. Cosmological models, dark matters, dark energy. Big Bang nucleosynthesis, recombination, cosmic microwave background, inflation. Pre: 274; MATH 244 (or concurrent) or MATH 253A (or concurrent). Recommended: ASTR 242. (Alt. years: fall) (Cross-listed as ASTR 470)
(3 Lec, 1 3-hr Lab) Investigation of Kirchoff’s Laws, electromagnetic circuit theory. Fourier analysis and stability theory with circuits. Applications to physical measurements are stressed. A-F only. Pre: junior standing, and 152L or 272L.
Introduction to high performance solid state instrumentation by means of practical research electronics: printed circuit board design/fabrication; complex programmable logic design/verification; integrated circuit SPICE simulation. Detector fabrication and test emphasis during final project. Pre: 475 (or equivalent) or consent. (Spring only)
Wave mechanics, Schroedinger equation, angular momenta, potential problems. Pre: 274, 310, 350, 400 (or concurrent); either MATH 244 or 253A; and either MATH 311 or 307; or consent.
Advanced experiments involving nuclear spectroscopy, angular correlations in positronium annihilation, optical polarization, chaos, measurement of speed of light, numerical simulations. Development of professional writing skills; preparation of formal reports in style of scientific journal articles. Pre: 274L and 480 (or concurrent), or consent.
Continuation of 480; atomic physics, scattering, perturbation theory. Pre: 480.
Advanced experiments involving measurement of the muon lifetime, crystal x-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, the Mössbauer effect, and numerical simulations. Development of professional writing skills; preparation of formal reports in style of scientific journal articles. Pre: 274L, 480, and 480L; or consent.
Student seminar on ethical principles and their application to research in physics and astronomy and closely-related fields. Historical examples will be presented and discussed by the participants. PHYS, ASTP, and ASTR majors only. A-F only. Pre: 310 or ASTR 300 (or concurrent), or consent.
Introduction to nuclear and elementary-particle physics. Pre: 480 (or concurrent).
Major concepts of physics taught by means of hands-on conceptual activities for elementary and secondary teachers. Restricted to in-service teachers, or consent. Repeatable one time. (Cross-listed as NSCI 505)
Mathematical tools of theoretical physics. Continuation of 400 but with an independent selection of topics. Pre: 400 or consent. (Alt. years)
Dynamics of particles, particle systems; rigid bodies; Lagrangian and Hamiltonian equations; special relativity. Pre: 600 (or concurrent); or MATH 402.
Potential theory, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, boundary value problems. Pre: 450; and 600 (or concurrent), or MATH 402. (Alt. years)
Relativistic electrodynamics, radiation by charged particles. Pre: 650. (Alt. years)
Contemporary advanced applications in optics including nonlinear optics and optical parametric oscillators, atomic lasers and laser systems, and free-electron lasers. Pre: 460. (Alt. even years)
Physical basis and formulation of quantum theory. Exact solutions of Schroedinger equation and their applications. Approximation methods. Applications to atomic, nuclear, and molecular physics. Pre: 400 or 481 or 600 and MATH 402.
Physical basis and formulation of quantum theory. Exact solutions of Schroedinger equation and their applications. Approximation methods. Applications to atomic, nuclear, and molecular physics. Pre: 670.
Discussions and reports on physical theory and recent developments. CR/NC only. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
Results and discussions of current topics in condensed matter physics. Repeatable six times with consent.
Reports and discussion on recent developments in atomic, surface, and solid-state physics. Repeatable five times with consent.
Reports and discussion on recent developments in elementary particle physics. Repeatable four times. Pre: consent.
Repeatable unlimited times. Pre: consent.
Research for master’s thesis. Repeatable unlimited times.
Topics in current theoretical research; e.g., unified field theories, general relativity, gravitation, and cosmology. Repeatable four times. Pre: consent.
Topics in current experimental research in low-energy physics, high-energy physics, cross-disciplinary physics. Repeatable in different topics. Pre: consent.
Topics in condensed matter theory, e.g., group theory, many-body techniques, renormalization group, density functional theory, other topics of current interest. Repeatable four times. Pre: 670 and consent.
Equilibrium thermodynamics; Gibbs ensembles; quantum statistics; ideal and non-ideal Fermi; Bose and Boltzmann gases; phase transitions; and critical phenomena. Pre: 670. (Alt. years)
Nonequilibrium thermodynamics, transport theory, fluctuation dissipation theorem, many-body Green’s function methods, normal Fermi and Bose liquids, superfluidity, superconductivity. Pre: 670 and 730. (Alt. years)
Differential geometry, special relativity, Einstein equations, gravitational phenomena, equivalence principles, black holes, gravitational waves, cosmology, relativistic stars, experimental tests, computational techniques. Graduate students only in PHYS or ASTR. (Alt. years: fall) (Crosslisted as ASTR 760)
Relativistic wave equations and their solutions. Dirac’s theory of the electron, propagator techniques. Applications to quantum electrodynamics. Pre: 671. (Alt. years)
Local gauge invariance, Yang-Mills theory: quantum chromodynamics, spontaneous symmetry breaking and Goldstone bosons; the standard electroweak theory; grand unified theories. Pre: 772. (Alt. years)
Nuclear physics; electrodynamics; hadron structure and partons. Techniques of particle physics. Pre: 481 and 671. (Alt. years)
Quantum chromodynamics; electroweak interactions; the standard model. Techniques of particle physics. Pre: 777 or consent. (Alt. years)
Crystal symmetry, electronic excitations in solids, transport theory, optical properties, cohesive energy, lattice vibrations, electron-phonon interaction, electron-electron interaction, magnetism, superconductivity. Pre: 670. (Alt. years)
Crystal symmetry, electronic excitations in solids, transport theory, optical properties, cohesive energy, lattice vibrations, electron-phonon interaction, magnetism, superconductivity. Pre: 785. (Alt. years)
Research for doctoral dissertation. Repeatable unlimited times.