Physics 360 - ADVANCED TOPICS IN PHYSICS

Selected special topics which will vary from year to year; typically some subset of the following: climate physics, cosmology, general relativity, nuclear and particle physics, optics, solid state physics. Prerequisites will vary with the topics of the course. A detailed investigation of climate models and the physical mechanisms controlling climate change. Topics include the climate system; solar radiation, radiative transfer, and the Earth's energy budget; and climate models and predictions. Students will use state of the art climate models from NASA/Goddard Space Institute as well as construct and test their own numerical and analytical models of the Earth's climate based on the underlying physics. Prerequisites: PHY118, PHY210 or MTH 212, and PHY215, or permission of instructor. Students are encouraged but are not required to take GEO 104.

Topic: Climate Physics: a detailed investigation of climate models and the physical mechanisms controlling climate change.