This course is intended to give students who plan to continue in graduate school with the study of physics (or a related discipline) an opportunity to synthesize bodies of knowledge from the different sub-disciplines of physics. Administering of GRE practice exams will be used as an assessment tool of this understanding and of relevant analytical skills needed for problem-solving.

This course covers physics topics with applications to current events. Stressing conceptual understanding and critical reasoning, it gives students the physics background that will help them make informed decisions and cogent arguments on matters of technology, energy policy, and public safety. We will cover topics such as energy, heat, gravity, exponential growth, light, and quantum mechanics as they apply, for instance, to fuel cells, refrigerators, satellites, nuclear reactors, LCD screens and lasers. Mathematics used will be limited to basic high school algebra and scientific notation. (E)

For this course we read articles and attend talks on diverse topics in physics. The emphasis is put on oral presentation and discussion of the new phenomena using knowledge from other physics courses. Prerequisite: PHY 215, or permission of the instructor. Restricted to juniors and seniors. Enrollment limit 8.

An advanced laboratory course in which students make use of advanced signal recovery methods to design and perform laboratory experiments covering a wide range of topics in modern physics. Available experimental modules include pulsed and CW NMR, optical pumping of atoms, single photon quantum interference, magneto-optical polarization, the Franck-Hertz experiment and the Hall effect. Experimental methods include signal averaging, filtering, modulation techniques and phase-sensitive detection.

An advanced laboratory course in which students make use of advanced signal recovery methods to design and perform laboratory experiments covering a wide range of topics in modern physics. Available experimental modules include pulsed and CW NMR, optical pumping of atoms, single photon quantum interference, magneto-optical polarization, the Franck-Hertz experiment and the Hall effect. Experimental methods include signal averaging, filtering, modulation techniques and phase-sensitive detection.

The formal structure of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics, including operator methods. Wave packets; quantum mechanical scattering and tunneling; central potentials; matrix mechanics of spin, addition of angular momenta; corrections to the hydrogen spectrum; identical particles and exchange symmetry; EPR paradox, Bell’s Theorem and the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Prerequisites: 215 or permission of the instructor. Taking 317 before 327 is recommended.

Introduction to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics. Prerequisites: 215 or permission of the instructor.

A course emphasizing the pedagogy in physics based on Physics Education Research (PER). Readings and discussion emphasize the research literature and strategies for implementing successful and effective methods of teaching physics at the introductory level in the classroom. Permission of the instructor required. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: PHY 117 and/or PHY 118.

The special theory of relativity; the wave equation and mathematics of waves; optical phenomena of interference and diffraction; particle and wave models of matter and radiation, Bohr model of atomic structure; introduction to fundamental principles and problems in quantum mechanics; introduction to nuclear physics. Prerequisite: PHY 118 and prior or concurrent enrollment in PHY 210.

This course covers a variety of math topics of particular use to physics and engineering students. Topics include differential equations, complex numbers, Taylor series, linear algebra, Fourier analysis, partial differential equations, and a review of multivariate calculus, with particular focus on physical interpretation and application. Prerequisites: MTH 212 and PHY 117, or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limit of 30.