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Astronomy from early ideas of the cosmos to modern observational techniques. The solar system planets, satellites, and minor bodies. The origin and evolution of the solar system.
Offered fall and spring semester every year.
An introduction to the concepts and laws of physics, and how their applications can be used to understand the behavior of familiar phenomena and objects. Concepts are emphasized more than formulas and numbers.
Offered fall, spring and summer semester every year.
Astronomy laboratory to accompany Astronomy of the Solar System.
The study of the sun and stars, their physical properties and evolution, interstellar matter, star clusters, our galaxy and other galaxies, and the origin and evolution of the Universe. Offered fall and spring semester every year.
Astronomy laboratory to accompany Stellar and Galactic Astronomy. Offered fall and spring semester every year.
The development of astronomy from ancient times. Telescopes and astronomical observations. The solar system: planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets, etc. The origin and evolution of the solar system. This course is for intended physics and astronomy majors. Offered…
The development of astronomy from ancient times. Telescopes and astronomical observations. The solar system: planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets, etc. The origin and evolution of the solar system. Offered fall semester every year.
Astronomy laboratory to accompany Introduction to Astronomy (Honors). Offered fall semester every year.
The first semester of a two-semester introductory course in physics. A knowledge of algebra and trigonometry is assumed. Mechanics (forces, Newton's laws of motion), wave phenomena, and thermodynamics.
The continuation of Introductory Physics-Mechanics, Waves, Thermodynamics. Electricity and electric circuits, magnetism, geometric and wave optics, and elementary atomic and nuclear physics.
Our sun and other stars, their physical properties and evolution. Interstellar matter and star formation. The origin and evolution of our galaxy, other galaxies, quasars, and the Universe. This course is for intended physics and astronomy majors. Offered spring semester…
Our sun and other stars, their physical properties and evolution. Interstellar matter and star formation. The origin and evolution of our galaxy, other galaxies, quasars and the Universe. Offered spring semester every year.
Astronomy laboratory to accompany Introduction to Astronomy. Offered spring semester every year.
The first semester of a two-semester introductory course in physics for science majors. Students are assumed to have a basic grasp of differential calculus. Mechanics (forces, Newton's laws of motion), wave phenomena, and thermodynamics.
Offered fall and spring semester every year.…
The continuation of Introductory Physics for Science and Engineering Students-Mechanics, Waves, Thermodynamics. Electricity, electric fields, and electric circuits, magnetism and magnetic fields, geometric and wave optics, and elementary atomic and nuclear physics.
Offered fall and spring…
Topics will include fluid statics and dynamics, sound, thermodynamics, special relativity, quantum and nuclear physics, including radioactivity.
The first semester of introductory physics for engineering majors, presented in a student-centered, interactive studio format. Conceptual reasoning, problem-solving, and experimentation are fully integrated. A basic grasp of differential calculus is assumed. Topics include Newtonian mechanics,…
The second semester of introductory physics for engineering majors, presented in a student-centered, interactive studio format. Conceptual reasoning, problem-solving, and experimentation are fully integrated. A basic grasp of differential and integral calculus is assumed. Topics include…
The first semester of introductory physics, presented at a rigorous level. This course is intended primarily, but not exclusively, for prospective majors in physics or physics and astronomy. Students should already have a firm grasp of differential and integral calculus. Topics include Newtonian…
The second semester of introductory physics, presented at a rigorous level. This course is intended primarily, but not exclusively, for prospective majors in physics or physics and astronomy. Topics include geometric and wave optics, electric and magnetic fields, and linear circuits.…
The astronomical, chemical and physical conditions for extraterrestrial life. The origins of terrestrial life. Search for extraterrestrial life and extraterrestrial intelligence. Strategies for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. Offered fall semester every…
The astronomical, chemical, and physical conditions for extraterrestrial life. The origins of terrestrial life. Search for extraterrestrial life and extraterrestrial intelligence. Strategies for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. This course will be taught 95…
Discussion of the historical development of key astronomical ideas from ancient times to the modern age. Offered fall semester every odd-numbered year.
History and development of general relativity, supernovae and compact objects. Observational evidence for stellar and supermassive black holes. Primordial black holes, wormholes, and the Big Bang. Contributions of Einstein, Chandrasekhar, Oppenheimer, Zwicky, Wheeler, Zel'dovich, Hawking, and…
Topics in physics and astronomy presented by faculty and visitors. Topics will vary from year to year, and several topics will be considered weekly.
A hands-on introduction to practical computer programming, data analysis, and data visualization for physics majors. Students learn the fundamentals of developing, debugging, and running programs in Python or another similar high-level programming language. Students will be exposed to multiple…
How to use small astronomical telescopes and reduce data gathered at the telescope. This is an introduction to observational astronomy for Physics and Astronomy majors. Students will spend ten hours at the telescope and twenty hours in data reduction during the semester.…
Concepts of physics, chemistry, geology, and biology in an integrated fashion. The evolution of the universe from the primordial state to the present time, and considers human interaction with the environment.
Occasional weekend field trips required.
Weekend field trips required.
Offered fall and spring semester every…
Telescopes and astronomical observations, including photometry and spectroscopy. Laboratory exercises include visual, photographic, and photoelectric observations and data analysis with standard astronomical software. Offered fall semester every even-numbered year.…
The properties of light with emphasis on physical optics: diffraction, polarization, lasers, holography.
Offered fall semester every year.
Electric circuits and electronics. DC and AC circuit analysis, diode and transistor circuits, integrated circuits, and digital electronics.
Offered spring semester every year.
An overview of "modern" physics developed in the last century. Topics include special relativity, particle-wave duality, matter waves, photon theory, the Schroedinger Equation and basic applications, and statistical mechanics. This course is preparatory for the upper-division physics curriculum…
Special topics in calculus for physics majors and engineers. Topics include vector calculus, linear algebra, power series, Taylor's series, complex analysis, and differential equations. The mathematical ideas and techniques are presented in the context of how and where they appear in the laws of…
Intensive study, with one or more faculty members, of topics not normally taught in other courses.
Outside reading and one-on-one discussion periods.
Discussion of contemporary topics in physics.
Stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and atmospheres, formation of spectral lines and spectral classification, stellar evolution from star formation to planetary nebulae and supernovae and the resulting compact objects. Offered spring semester every odd-numbered year.…
Components of galaxies, including stars and the interstellar medium, the Milky Way galaxy, external galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. Offered fall semester every odd-numbered year.
Cosmology, history of the Universe, Big Bang Theory, Inflation, microwave background radiation, formation of galaxies, and large-scale structure. Offered spring semester every even-numbered year.
A review of vectors and elementary Newtonian mechanics, conservation laws, motion of a single particle, retarding forces, oscillations, noninertial reference frames, and Newtonian gravitation.
Central forces, dynamics of systems of particles, rigid-body motion, coupled oscillator systems, and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of mechanics.
An introduction to the physics of the atmosphere with emphasis on the laws of radiation, solar and terrestrial radiation, surface and atmospheric energy balances, cloud physics, precipitation formation, and atmospheric optical and electrical phenomena.
Offered spring semester every even-…
The composition and structure of planetary atmospheres; heating and energy transport; atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics; orbital dynamics of planets; magnetospheres; and extrasolar planets. Not offered on a regular basis.
A review of vector calculus, electrostatics, and magnetostatics.
Topics include Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic radiation, the theory of electromagnetic fields in matter, and Einstein's special theory of relativity.
The laws of thermodynamics and their application to physical systems. Kinetic theory.
Seminar on contemporary topics in astronomy and astrophysics. Offered fall and spring semester every year.
Introduction to the treatment of magnetic resonance imaging physics, including newer developments such as functional brain imaging and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI for tumor imaging. Students will gain hands-on lab experience (instrument operation, data acquisition, and data analysis) with the…
An introduction to numerical methods and computer programming in the context of modeling problems of interest to physicists. Students complete multiple projects that require programming, debugging, and running computer programs, as well as generating and interpreting data. Prior programming…
An introduction to quantum computation.
Not offered on a regular basis.
Students will pursue an astronomy research project under the direction of a project director and submit their work for credit. Independent study and research, combined with regular meetings with a project advisor. Offered fall and spring semester every…
A laboratory course in which students will use modern experimental techniques to investigate phenomena in atomic, molecular, nuclear, and condensed-matter physics.
Fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. Solutions of the Schroedinger equation and their properties for simple systems are discussed.
Perturbation theory and applications of quantum mechanics.
A qualitative overview of particle physics, starting with Rutherford's discovery of atomic nuclei and subsequent discoveries of subatomic particles, and culminating in the Standard Model. Open topics in particle physics beyond the Standard Model, especially supersymmetry. Particular emphasis is…
Properties of nuclear and subnuclear systems. Fundamental interactions between particles are treated. An introduction to the theory of the structure of baryons, mesons, and nuclei is presented along with quarks and the standard model.
This multidisciplinary course will expose students to the emerging field of nanoscale science and engineering. The subject matter will include top-down and bottom-up approaches to the fabrication of nanoscale systems. The experimental investigation of nanoscale systems, as well as the theory and…
Elastic, thermal, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of condensed matter. Covers such topics as crystal structure, symmetry operators, X-ray and neutron diffraction, lattice vibrations, thermal properties, electrons in metals and semiconductors, dielectric and optical properties,…
Contemporary, interdisciplinary, and/or advanced topics not otherwise offered in the standard physics curriculum.
Lecture/discussion hours will vary depending on the particular faculty member presenting the course.
Combines a journal club to discuss exciting recent developments in physics and astronomy and service-learning activities in the form of science shows to communicate these topics to both expert and non-expert audiences.
Course includes a service-learning project during the semester that…
Students will pursue a research project under the direction of a project director and submit their completed project for credit.
Not open to students with credit in PHYS 4960R.
Independent study and research, combined with regular meetings with a project advisor.
Offered…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats. This…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.
Not open to students…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats. These…
These courses belong…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats. These…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data and to present results in writing and other relevant communication formats.
These courses belong to a…
Undergraduate senior thesis in physics and astronomy under the direction of a project director. Independent study and research combined with regular meetings with a thesis advisor. Offered fall and spring semester every year.
Undergraduate senior thesis in physics under the direction of a project director. The thesis must be submitted to the director for course credit.
Not open to students with credit in PHYS 4990R
Independent study and research combined with regular meetings with a thesis advisor.…
Faculty-supervised independent or collaborative inquiry into fundamental and applied problems within a discipline that requires students to gather, analyze, and synthesize and interpret data. Students will write or produce a thesis or other professional capstone product, such as a report or…
Research while enrolled for a master's degree under the direction of faculty members.
Independent research under the direction of a faculty member.
Advanced supervised experience in an applied setting. This course may not be used to satisfy a student's approved program of study.
This course is designed to aid K-12 teachers with astronomical concepts which arise in their teaching. The effective presentation of astronomical concepts in this area will be emphasized. Offered fall, spring and summer semester every year.
Designed to aid K-12 teachers with astronomical concepts concerning stars, galaxies, and the universe which arise in their teaching. The effective presentation of astronomical concepts in this area will be emphasized. Offered fall, spring and summer semester every year.
This course is designed to aid the introductory physics teacher in dealing with problems in mechanics, waves, and thermodynamics which arise in his/her teaching. The effective presentation of physical concepts in this area will be emphasized. Credit is limited to students working for degrees in…
This course is designed to aid the introductory physics teacher in dealing with problems in electricity and magnetism, optics, and nuclear physics which arise in his/her teaching. The effective presentation of physical concepts in this area will be emphasized. Credit is limited to students…
Thesis writing under the direction of the major professor.
Independent research and thesis preparation.
The mechanics of particles and rigid bodies is developed using generalized coordinates, D'Alembert's principle and Hamilton's principle. Symmetry principles and conservation laws are emphasized.
Offered fall semester every year
With the advent of infrared (IR) arrays, large optical/IR ground telescopes, and several IR satellite missions, IR astronomy has undergone a 21st-century revolution. In this course, students learn fundamental concepts of IR astronomy, various important IR astronomical sources, IR astronomical…
The internal structure and evolution of single and binary stars from formation to supernova. The equations of stellar structure and their numerical solution are discussed. Recent developments in stellar evolution theory, including brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets are presented.…
Physical processes and phenomena in the interstellar medium including radiative processes; excitation, ionization, and dissociation of atoms and molecules; neutral hydrogen and galactic structure; equilibrium conditions in clouds; interactions of dust with gas and radiation; HII regions;…
The basic principles of quantum mechanics and their applications to problems in modern physics. Topics covered include principles of wave mechanics, central forces and angular momentum, three dimensional bound state problems and scattering theory, spin.
Offered fall semester every year.…
The basic principles of quantum mechanics and their applications to problems in modern physics. Topics covered include quantum dynamics, identical particles, symmetries, time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory.
Professional skills such as writing and reviewing research and observing proposals, writing and refereeing research papers, making oral presentations of research and of journal articles, and writing brief newspaper and magazine summaries. Not offered on a regular basis.…
Relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum field theory.
Concepts and applications of potential scattering. Both short-range and long-range potentials are treated.
A study of classical electrodynamics. Topics include development of Maxwell's electromagnetic field equations and the Lorentz force equation, electrostatics and magnetostatics.
A study of classical electrodynamics. Topics include development of Maxwell's electromagnetic field equations and the Lorentz force equation, electrostatics and magnetostatics, time-varying fields, conservation laws, radiating systems, and electromagnetic waves.
Offered spring semester…
Discussion of contemporary topics in astronomy. Offered fall and spring semester every year.
The foundation and development of statistical mechanics in classical and quantum physics and its relationship to thermodynamics.
Applications of statistical mechanics to some fundamental problems in physics, astrophysics and other sciences.
Advanced topics in statistical mechanics, especially those which have contributed to recent rapid progress in the modern many- body problem. Analytical and other advanced mathematical techniques will be emphasized.
Treatment of mathematical methods necessary for solving problems in physics. Techniques from complex analysis, integral transforms, linear vector spaces and ordinary differential equations are covered.
Develops the mathematical structure of group theory, including representation theory, and shows how it is used to simplify physics problems and reveal the nature of physical laws. Particular emphasis will be placed on applications in quantum mechanics, although applications in other areas of…
A detailed treatment of current magnetic resonance imaging methods for living systems and applications to bio-imaging (e.g., fMRF and DTI). Methods for improving speed and reducing artifacts will be treated. A laboratory component will give students practical experience in system operation, data…
Atomic and molecular physics with emphasis on current research in the structure and spectra of atomic systems, especially non-relativistic descriptions.
A series of seminars by experts on contemporary research topics in applied physics.
The use of computer simulation methods to treat otherwise intractable problems. Emphasis will be placed on many-body problems and the techniques will include Monte Carlo and spin dynamics.
Computer simulation algorithms including molecular dynamics and quantum molecular dynamics techniques. Student must write programs and analyze data for different ensembles.
Discussion of contemporary topics in simulational physics.
The selection of topics varies from year to year. Students will make presentations based on journal articles or original research.
Discussion of contemporary topics in quantum computing and quantum information.
Quantum theory of solids. Current and fundamental topics in solid state physics, including the theory of electrons and phonons in metals, semi-conductors and insulators, will be covered.
Current and advanced topics in physics and astronomy.
In this seminar, students will be reading, presenting, and discussing recent papers on current topics in physics.
Offered every year.
Combines discussion of students’ physical science research with service-learning activities in the form of science shows to communicate their M.S./Ph.D. research to non-expert audiences.
Course includes a service-learning project during the semester that either employs skills or knowledge…
Active research areas in physics and astronomy provided by faculty members who are actively engaged in research.
Research while enrolled for a doctoral degree under the direction of faculty members.
Dissertation writing under the direction of the major professor.
Independent research and preparation of the doctoral dissertation.
See if and when courses are offered in a given semester via our downloadable course schedule.
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