Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: MECHANICS (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Calculus-based survey of physics. Includes classes and lab exercises on topics chosen from mechanics, electricity, and magnetism. Primarily for physical science and engineering students. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 101, 111, 125, AP Physics-B (PHYS 141), and AP Physics-C, MECH (PHYS 101)

Long Title: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Continuation of PHYS 101. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 102, 112, 126, AP Physics-B (PHYS 142), and AP Physics-C, E&M (PHYS 102).

Long Title: MECHANICS (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Calculus-based survey of physics. Includes classes and lab exercises on topics chosen from mechanics, electricity, and magnetism. Primarily for physical science and engineering students with strong high school backgrounds in physics. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 101, 111, 125, AP Physics-B (PHYS 141), and AP Physics-C, MECH (PHYS 101).

Long Title: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Continuation of PHYS 111. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 102, 112, 126, AP Physics-B (PHYS 142), and AP Physics-C, E&M (PHYS 102).

Long Title: GENERAL PHYSICS (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Calculus-based survey of physics. Includes classes and lab exercises on topics chosen from mechanics, waves, electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. Primarily for bioscience and premedical students. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 101, 111, 125, AP Physics-B (PHYS 141), and AP Physics-C, MECH (PHYS 101).

Long Title: GENERAL PHYSICS II (WITH LAB)

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 125 OR PHYS 101 OR PHYS 111 OR PHYS 141

Description: A continuation of PHYS 125. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 102, 112, 126, AP Physics B (PHYS 142), and AP Physics-C, E&M (PHYS 102).

Long Title: CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Description: For AP credit only. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 101, PHYS 111, PHYS 125, AP Physics-B, and AP Physics-C (Mech).

Long Title: CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Description: For AP credit only. May receive credit for only one of PHYS 102, PHYS 112, PHYS 126, AP Physics-B, and AP Physics-C (E&M).

Long Title: PHYSICS FOR CITIZENSHIP

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group III

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Physics is critical to our understanding of nuclear weapons, radiation, electronics, energy and global warming. The most interesting and important topics in physics, with applications to current events will be presented. Topics covered may include energy and conservation, radioactivity, nuclear physics, the Theory of Relativity, lasers, explosions and quantum physics.

Long Title: WAVES AND OPTICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Fundamentals of oscillations and waves and properties of electromagnetic waves. Basic principles of geometric optics, interference and diffraction, including Fourier methods.

Long Title: MODERN PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): (PHYS 101 OR PHYS 111 OR PHYS 125 OR PHYS 141 AND (PHYS 102 OR PHYS 112 OR PHYS 126 OR PHYS 142

Description: An introductory course in modern physics. Topics include special relativity, early quantum theory, quantum mechanics, atomic physics, statistical physics, nuclear and particle physics. The course is descriptive in nature with emphasis on phenomena rather than on calculations.

Long Title: ELEMENTARY PHYSICS LAB

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Laboratory on waves and optics.

Long Title: INTERMEDIATE MECHANICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 201

Description: Classical mechanics and appropriate mathematical methods. Emphasis on problem solving.

Long Title: INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODYNAMICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 4

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 201

Description: Classical electrodynamics and appropriate mathematical methods. Emphasis on problem solving.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 202

Description: Fundamentals of quantum mechanics and applications to atomic and molecular structure.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Continuation of PHYS 311.

Long Title: JUNIOR PHYSICS LAB I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 2

Description: Lab exercises in electronics, noise reduction, statistics and particle counting.

Long Title: JUNIOR PHYSICS LAB II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 2

Description: Lab exercises illustrating topics in the upper-division physics curriculum.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Definition and basic concepts of biological physics. Protein Proteins and nucleic acids. Diffusion and random walks and their application to biological systems. Biological motors and membranes. Folding of biomolecules. Gene regulation. Modern techniques and their applications to biomolecules.

Long Title: PHYSICS OF HAM RADIO

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Amateur radio for middle-school science teaching. Fundamentals of electromagnetic waves and propagation, the ionosphere and space weather. Basic electronics, antenna design and safety. Provides information necessary to gain the technical level of ham radio license.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR & PARTICLE PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 311

Description: A broad survey of history and current state of nuclear and particle physics. The emphasis is on experimental results and how they led to our current undertaking of the strong and electroweak interactions. Some recent advances are discussed in detail. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: PHYS 542. Mutually Exclusive: Cannot register for PHYS 411 if student has credit for PHYS 542.

Long Title: SOLID STATE PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Introduction to topics in solid state physics, including crystal structure, lattice vibrations, electronic band structure and transport.

Long Title: COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Use of computational techniques to solve selected physics problems. Examine benefits and pitfalls of doing physics by computation.

Long Title: STATISTICAL & THERMAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Includes classical thermodynamics; classical & quantum statistical mechanics; Fermi, Bose, and classical gases; magnetic systems; and phase equilibria.

Long Title: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1 TO 6

Description: A reading course in special topics. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 1 TO 6

Description: A reading course in special topics. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: REU RESEARCH IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1 TO 3

Description:  Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 302

Description: Fundamental processes in cosmic and laboratory plasmas: gas dynamics, kinetic theory, magnetohydrodynamics, wave and shocks, individual particle drifts, collisions and electrical conductivities, geometric and distribution instabilities.

Long Title: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 2

Description: Research projects conducted under supervision of departmentally approved faculty. Open to juniors and seniors majoring in physics and astronomy. May be repeated for credit. PHYS 493/494 must be taken concurrently with PHYS 491/492 when used in partial fulfillment of B.S. degree requirements. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Independent Study

Credit Hours: 2

Description: Research projects conducted under supervision of departmentally approved faculty. Open to juniors and seniors majoring in physics and astronomy. May be repeated for credit. PHYS 493/494 must be taken concurrently with PHYS 491/492 when used in partial fulfillment of B.S. degree requirements. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Weekly seminar for juniors and seniors in which presentations on research topics and/or topics in the scientific literature will be given. Open to juniors and seniors majoring in physics and astronomy. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SEMINAR

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Description: Weekly seminar for juniors and seniors in which presentations on research topics and/or topics in the scientific literature will be given. Open to juniors and seniors majoring in physics and astronomy department. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Plasma physics of the earth's magnetosphere, including interactions of the magnetosphere with the solar wind and the ionosphere. The emphasis is on large-scale phenomenon, but small scale (kinetic) physics is discussed in cases where it affects the large-scale phenomena.

Long Title: CLASSICAL DYNAMICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics.

Long Title: MATHEMATICAL METHODS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Survey of analytical methods used by research physicists and astronomers. Includes complex variables, ordinary differential equations, infinite series, evaluation of integrals, integral transforms, normal-mode analysis, special functions, partial differential equations, eigenfunctions, Green's functions, and variational calculus.

Long Title: PLASMA KINETIC THEORY

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Plasma kinetic equations (Klimontovich, Liouville, BBGKY, Balescu-Lenard, Fokker-Planck, Vlasov), Vlason theory of waves and instabilities, connections to fluid plasma models.

Long Title: QUANTUM MECHANICS I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Graduate level course on non-relativistic quantum mechanics. Topics include early quantum theory, one-dimensional systems, matrix formulation, quantum dynamics, symmetries and conservation laws, bound states, scattering, spin, and identical particles, perturbation theory.

Long Title: QUANTUM MECHANICS II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Continuation of PHYS 521.

Long Title: STATISTICAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Selected topics in statistical mechanics, including phase transitions and transport phenomena.

Long Title: CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Maxwell's equations, wave propagation, special relativity and covariant formulation, charged-particle dynamics, and radiation.

Long Title: NANOSTRUCTURE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Physics of structures and devices at the nanometer scale. After a review of solid state physics, topics include nanostructured materials, nanoelectronics, and nanomagnetism. Emphasis on relevance of nanophysics to current and future technologies.

Long Title: NANOSTRUCTURE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Physics of structures and devices at the nanometer scale. Topics include nanomechanics, bionanotechnology, advanced sensors and photonics. Continuation of PHYS 533.

Long Title: CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND DIFFRACTION

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Study of crystals by x-ray, electron and neutron diffraction. Includes basic diffraction theory as well as methods for characterizing the structure, composition and stresses in crystalline materials. Required for undergraduate materials science and engineering majors. Cross-list: MSCI 535.

Long Title: METHODS OF EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 4

Description: This two-semester course will familiarize students with basic experimental techniques that are common to all academic and industrial research laboratories. Topics will include lab safety, mechanical design, computer-based data acquisition and experimental control, laboratory electronics, vacuum technology, optics, thermal measurement and control, cryogenics and charged particle optics.

Long Title: METHODS OF EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture/Laboratory

Credit Hours: 4

Description: Continuation of PHYS 537.

Long Title: CHARACTERIZATION AND FABRICATION AT THE NANOSCALE

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Introduction to study and creation of nanoscale structures, emphasizing relevant physical principles. Techniques covered include optical, X-ray, electron-based and scanned-probe characterization, as well as patterning, deposition and removal of material.

Long Title: RADIATIVE PROCESSES

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Radiation processes and their applications to astrophysical phenomena and space science. The course treats radiative transfer, radiation from moving charges, relativistic covariance and kinematics, bremsstrahlung, synchrotron radiation, Compton scattering, some plasma effects, and radiative transitions in atoms and molecules.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Credit cannot be earned for PHYS 542 and PHYS 411.

Long Title: PHYSICS OF QUARKS AND LEPTONS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: A continuation of PHYS 542.

Long Title: BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Introduction to biological physics. Review of basic physical concepts. Cells and their components. Diffusion and random walks. Entropy and energy concepts and their roles in biological systems. Modern experimental methods. Applications to biological macromolecules.

Long Title: TOPICS IN BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Topics will be selected based on special or current research interests.

Long Title: GENERAL RELATIVITY

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): PHYS 532

Description: Study of Einstein's theory of gravitation, including cosmological models.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO SOLID STATE PHYSICS I

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Fundamental concepts of crystalline solids, including crystal structure, band theory of electrons, and lattice vibration theory. Cross-list: ELEC 563.

Long Title: INTRODUCTION TO SOLID STATE PHYSICS II

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Continuation of PHYS 563, including scattering of waves by crystals, transport theory, and magnetic phenomena. Cross-list: ELEC 564.

Long Title: SURFACE PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: An introduction to surface- and low-dimensional physics covering experimental surface physics and ultra-high vacuum technology, crystal structure, chemical analysis, epitaxy, nanoscale electronic and magnetic structures and devices, elementary excitations, optical properties and nanoscale sensitive magnetic and non-magnetic spectroscopies.

Long Title: QUANTUM PHASE TRANSITIONS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Introductory course for graduate students. Topics include the concepts of classical and quantum phase transitions, mean field theory, renormalization group and quantum phase transitions in magnetic, fermionic, and bosonic systems.

Long Title: ULTRAFAST OPTICAL PHENOMENA

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course covers the generation, propagation, and measurement of short laser pulses, of duration less than one picosecond. Concepts include mode locking, the effects of dispersion, optical pulse amplification, and time-domain non-linear optical phenomena. Intended as an introduction to ultrafast phenomena for graduate students or advanced undergraduates; a basic understanding of electromagnetic waves and of quantum mechanics is assumed. Cross-list: ELEC 569.

Long Title: MODERN ATOMIC PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This is an introductory course at the graduate level. Topics to be discussed include: atomic structure, principles of lasers, fundamental interactions of atoms with electro-magnetic radiation, including coherent effects, laser spectroscopy, quantum optics, and laser cooling and trapping of atoms, and Bose-Einstein condensation.

Long Title: FUNDAMENTALS OF QUANTUM OPTICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Discussion of quantization and statistical properties of light fields; interaction between atoms and light; non-classical states; basic laser theory; quantum effects of nonlinear optics; introduction to atom optics.

Long Title: ADVANCED TOPICS IN PHYSICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Lecture/seminars which treat topics of departmental interest. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: COMPUTATIONAL ELECTRODYNAMICS AND NANOPHOTONICS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: This course covers computational and numerical methods for calculating electromagnetic fields and propagation in complex geometries on the nano and microscale. Methods include the finite difference time domain method, boundary element methods, Greens functions methods, finite element methods, the discrete dipole approximation and relaxation methods. Cross-list: ELEC 605. Repeatable for Credit.

Long Title: BIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR SIMULATION

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisite(s): CHBE 611 OR BIOE 589 OR BIOS 589 OR CHEM 520 OR PHYS 526 or permission of instructor

Description: Modern simulation techniques for classical atomistic systems. Review of statistical mechanical systems. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. Extensions of the basic methods to various ensembles. Applications to simulations of large molecules such as proteins. Advanced techniques for simulation of complex systems, including constraint satisfaction, cluster moves, biased sampling, and random energy models. Cross-list: BIOE 610.

Long Title: QUANTUM FIELD THEORY

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: An introduction to relativistic quantum field theory. Topics include: quantization of scalar, spinor, and vector fields; Feynman diagrams; gauge theories, including QED and QCD; renormalization; and functional-integral methods.

Long Title: MECHANICAL AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF BIOMEMBRANES

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: The mechanical properties of membranes influence several biological processes including endocytosis, fusion, signaling and cellular differentiation. This course will cover the theoretical foundations of membrane mechanics, examine experimental methods for measuring membrane material properties, including nanomechanical and optical techniques, and emphasize the importance of membrane mechanics in bioengineering applications. Instructor Permission Required.Cross-list: BIOE 643, BIOS 643.

Long Title: CONDENSED MATTER THEORY: APPLICATIONS

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Applications of techniques developed in PHYS 664.

Long Title: CONDENSED MATTER THEORY: MANY-BODY FORMALISM

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Lecture

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Formal structure of many-body theory as used in condensed matter physics.

Long Title: TEACHING PRACTICUM

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Laboratory

Credit Hours: 3

Description: Supervised teaching for graduate students. Repeatable for Credit.

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 0

Long Title: GRADUATE RESEARCH

Department: Physics and Astronomy

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Course Type: Research

Credit Hours: 1 TO 15

Description: Thesis research under the supervision of department faculty. Repeatable for Credit.