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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…
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…
See if and when courses are offered in a given semester via our downloadable course schedule.
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