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Courses

In the following course descriptions, L refers to courses with laboratory.

121-122-123, 131-132-133, and 141-142-143. General Physics I, II, III. PQ: For all three variants, previous or concurrent registration in a first-year calculus sequence (Math 131-132-133, 151-152-153, or 161-162-163) and appropriate placement recommendation. Calculus is used in all three sequences. For entering students, the physical sciences placement test is required for all variants. The calculus placement test is required as well for Phys 141. Any of these course sequences fulfills the Common Core requirement in physical sciences. Although the essential physics content of these variants is similar, Phys 131-132-133 and 141-142-143 prepare students for further courses in the Department of Physics, while Phys 121-122-123 includes a broader emphasis on interdisciplinary applications, such as in biology. Two sections of Variant B (Phys 131-132-133) are offered. Labs for all three variants: H. Frisch, Autumn; E. Blucher, Winter; J. O'Gallagher, Spring.

121-122-123. General Physics I, II, III (Variant A). PQ: Second-year standing. A one-year sequence in the fundamentals of physics. Topics include classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion, optics, and an introduction to modern physics. H. Jaeger, Autumn; S. Swordy, Winter; W. Kang, Spring. L.

131-132-133. General Physics I, II, III (Variant B). A one-year sequence in the fundamentals of physics. Topics include classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion, optics, and an introduction to modern physics. This sequence is recommended for students with mathematical abilities and training beyond that required for the Phys 121-122-123 sequence. Section a: S. Swordy, Autumn; R. Ong, Winter; E. Blucher, Spring. Section b: S. Gazes, Autumn; H. Jaeger, Winter; I. Abella, Spring. L.

141-142-143. General Physics I, II, III (Honors). A one-year sequence in the fundamentals of physics. Topics include classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, wave motion, optics, and an introduction to modern physics. This sequence is recommended for physics concentrators who have a strong background in mathematics and have taken a good high school physics course. Multivariable and vector calculus is used. J. Pilcher, Autumn; D. Müller, Winter; M. Oreglia, Spring. L.

185-186. Intermediate Mechanics. PQ: Phys 131 or 141, and concurrent registration in Math 200. A more sophisticated presentation of Newtonian mechanics, harmonic motion, central forces, systems of particles, noninternal reference frames. Lagrange's equations, rigid bodies, and special relativity are also covered. D. Kutasov, Autumn; M. Oreglia, Winter. L.

197. Thermal Physics. PQ: Phys 186 or consent of instructor. Elements of probability theory, statistical description of physical systems, thermodynamics, canonical ensembles, and kinetic theory are examined. D. Grier. Spring. L.

225, 227. Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism. PQ: Phys 132 or 142, and Math 200. Phys 225 and 227 must be taken in sequence. Topics include electrostatics, magnetostatics, electromagnetic induction, electric and magnetic fields in matter, plane electromagnetic waves, reflection and refraction of electromagnetic waves, and electromagnetic radiation. F. Merritt, Autumn; T. Witten, Winter. L.

226. Electronics. PQ: Phys 122, 132, or 142, or equivalent. A hands-on experimental course to develop confidence, understanding, and design ability in modern electronics. This is not a course in the physics of semiconductors. In two lab sessions a week, students explore the properties of diodes, transistors, amplifiers, operational amplifiers, oscillators, field effect transistors, logic gates, digital circuits, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, phase-locked loops, and more. Lectures supplement the lab. S. Meyer. Spring. L.

234. Structure of Matter I: Introductory Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Physics. PQ: Phys 186, 227, and concurrent registration in 197. This course examines the Bohr model of the atom, the crucial experiments leading to the formulation of quantum mechanics, fundamental concepts of wave mechanics, use of the Schrödinger equation to describe simple systems including the hydrogen atom, time-independent perturbation theory, the Pauli principle and the construction of the periodic table of the elements, optical spectra of the atoms, angular momentum, and properties of atoms in magnetic fields. G. Mazenko. Spring.

235. Structure of Matter II: Introductory Quantum Mechanics and Atomic and Molecular Physics. PQ: Phys 234. Topics include spin operators and eigenfunctions, fine structure, nuclear magnetic moments, hyperfine structure, the Pauli exclusion principle, X-ray spectra, radiative transitions, ionic and covalent chemical bonding, van der Waals forces, hybridization, rotational and vibrational states of molecules, and Raman and infrared spectra. D. Grier. Autumn. L.

236. Structure of Matter III: Solid State Physics. PQ: Phys 235. Topics include crystal structure and crystal binding, Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac statistics, lattice vibrations and phonons, liquid helium, the free-electron model of a metal, the nearly free-electron model, semiconductors, and optical properties of solids. S. Coppersmith. Winter. L.

237. Structure of Matter IV: Nuclei and Elementary Particles. PQ: Phys 235. This class covers topics such as nuclear structure, processes of transformation, observables of the nucleus, passage of nuclear radiation through matter, accelerators and detectors, photons, leptons, mesons, and baryons, hadronic interactions, and the weak interaction. M. Shochet. Spring. L.

291-292-293. Bachelor's Thesis. PQ: Open to physics concentrators with fourth-year standing and consent of instructor. This yearlong sequence of courses is designed to involve the student in current research. Over the course of the year, the student works on a research project in physics or a closely related field, e.g., astrophysics, leading to the writing of a bachelor's thesis. A student who submits a satisfactory thesis, earns a grade of B or better based on the project, and achieves a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the required undergraduate physics courses is awarded a B.A. with honors degree. The project may be one suggested by the instructor or one proposed by the student and approved by the instructor. Most work is done within the research groups of faculty members, but some experimental projects are done in the student project lab. In every case, all phases of the project--including the literature search, design and construction of the experiments, and analysis--must be done by the student. The instructor, faculty adviser, postdocs, and graduate students are, of course, available for consultation. S. Nagel, B. Winstein. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

299. Participation in Research. PQ: Open to physics concentrators with fourth-year standing. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. With the consent of the instructor, this course may be taken for P/N or P/F grading or for a letter grade. By mutual agreement, students work in a faculty member's research group. Participation in research may take the form of independent work, with some guidance, on a small project or of assistance in research to an advanced graduate student or research associate. A written report must be submitted at the end of the quarter. Students may register for Phys 299 for as many quarters as they wish; students need not remain with the same faculty member each quarter. Staff. Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring. L.

311. Introduction to Structured Fluids (=BchMB 321). PQ: Phys 197 or Chem 262. This course presents an overview of the fundamental physical concepts governing the behavior of the major categories of structured fluids: colloids, polymers, and surfactant assemblies. This course discusses how the characteristic spatial dimensions--response times and interaction energies of chain molecules, colloids, and membranes--scale with the number of atoms in these structures. Phys 311 and 312 are intended for students of physical and biological science who wish to understand the statistical-mechanics underlying structure and motion in these liquids. This course is offered in alternate years. T. Witten. Autumn.

312. Nonlinear Response in Structured Fluids (=BchMB 322). PQ: Phys 197 or Chem 262. May be taken in sequence with Phys 311 or individually. This course explores distinctive responses that can occur when these structures are driven out of thermodynamic equilibrium by, for example, an oscillating electric field or chemical reaction. The focus of this course is the harnessing of free energy. It emphasizes general principles of reaction rate theory and driven diffusion and applies these concepts to study how disequilibrium in such reactions can be made to drive motion of, for example, colloidal particles. This course is offered in alternate years. D. Astumian. Winter.

316. Advanced Classical Mechanics. PQ: Phys 186. This course begins with variational formulation of classical mechanics of point particles, including discussion of the principle of least action, Poisson brackets, and Hamilton-Jacobi theory. These concepts are generalized to continuous systems with infinite number of degrees of freedom, including a discussion of the transition to quantum mechanics. The course also includes detailed treatment of the theory of classical relativistic fields. Staff. Autumn.

321-322-323. Advanced Electrodynamics and Optics I, II, III. PQ: Phys 227 and 235. Topics include electrostatics boundary-value problems, electrostatics of continuous media, magnetostatics, electromagnetic waves, radiation, relativistic electrodynamics, Lorentz theory of electrons, and theoretical optics. Our emphasis is on the mathematical methods behind the development of the physics of these problems. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring. L.

331. Mathematical Methods of Physics. PQ: Phys 227. This is a one-quarter course structured to provide mathematical background to complement the regular first-year graduate course content. It deals with complex variables, first- and second-order linear differential equations and their singularities, special functions, and generalized wave and diffusion equations. Included among the topics covered are eigenvalue problems, Green's functions, integral transforms, asymptotic methods, and perturbation theory. Staff. Winter.

341-342-343. Quantum Mechanics I, II, III. PQ: Phys 235 and Math 273. This course covers wave functions and their physical content, one-dimensional systems, WKB method, operators and matrix mechanics, angular momentum and spin, two- and three-dimensional systems, the Pauli principle, perturbation theory, Born approximation, scattering theory, the Dirac equation, elementary quantum field theory, and Feynman path integrals. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

352. Statistical Mechanics. PQ: Phys 197 and 341. This course covers principles of statistical mechanics and their applications to physics and chemistry. Staff. Spring.

361. Solid State Physics. PQ: Phys 236, 342, and 352. This course includes an introduction to the one-electron approximation and effective mass concept in solids. Other topics include optical properties of solids, with emphasis on the role of imperfections, ferromagnetism, and transport phenomena. Staff. Autumn.

362. Nuclear Physics. PQ: Phys 237 and 342. Course topics include general nuclear properties, the two-body problem, the symmetry principle, nuclear forces, nuclear reactions, interaction of nuclei with E-M radiation, and beta decay. Staff. Winter.

363. Particle Physics. PQ: Phys 237 and 342. This course covers the following topics: the properties of elementary particles; strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions; CPT symmetries; SU(3) symmetry; hadronic structure and interactions in terms of quark and gluon substructure; CP
violation and KM mixing of quark fields; introduction to electroweak theory; quark and lepton interaction at high energy; current experiments; and detectors in high-energy physics. Staff. Spring.

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