Undergraduate Courses 

9 Concepts of the Cosmos from Flat Earth to SETI. Exploration of current ideas about the universe from earliest times to the present, with emphasis on those suggesting a plurality of worlds. Topics will include changing explanations for planetary motions, planetary atmospheres and temperatures, the space-age explorations of the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, the possibility of planets around other stars, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Lectures will be supplemented by outside readings, as well as projects and problem sets requiring analytic reasoning. Students will be expected to solve simple quantitative problems. Intended for undergraduates not planning to major in the physical sciences. Prerequisite: an understanding of algebra and plane trigonometry.  Di Stefano

10 Wanderers in Space-age Exploration and Discovery in the Solar System. Space-age exploration of the planets and their moons; men on the moon; robot landings on Venus and Mars; cratering, volcanism, possibility of life on Mars; interior, surface, and atmosphere of Earth; liquid hydrogen and helium rain; planetary rings; asteroids and comets; thermonuclear reactions in the Sun; solar oscillations; the million-degree solar corona; the solar wind; solar effects; the greenhouse effect; ozone depletion and global warming; ice ages. Intended for undergraduates not planning to major in the physical sciences. No prerequisites. Lang 

21 Galaxies and the Universe. Application of physics to observable astronomical objects and the expanding universe. Topics include interstellar atoms and molecules, thermal radiation, synchrotron radiation, normal galaxies, radio galaxies, quasars, the big bang, and the fate of the expanding universe. Prerequisites: Physics 1/2 or Physics 11/12, or consent. Astronomy 21 is not a prerequisite for Astronomy 22.

22 Stellar Astrophysics. Collection and analysis of observational data: magnitude systems, the optical spectrum, applications of the laws of radiation. Atmospheres, interiors, and evolution of normal stars. Stellar motions and populations. Peculiar stars including variable stars, white dwarfs, pulsars, and black holes. Prerequisites: an understanding of elementary physics at the level of Physics 1/2 or Physics 11/12, or consent. Offered in alternate years. Di Stefano

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Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students 

101 Radio Astronomy. Astronomy and astrophysics of the invisible radio universe. Topics include antenna theory, interferometry, signal reception and processing, thermal and nonthermal radiation processes, cosmic magnetic fields, solar radiophysics, stellar activity, interstellar atoms, ions and molecules, supernovae, pulsars, active galactic nuclei, normal galaxies, radio galaxies, and quasars. Prerequisite: Physics 11/12 or consent. Offered in alternate years. Willson

102 Elements of Mathematical Astronomy. Mathematical tools and their application in classical astronomy. Topics include spherical trigonometry, coordinate systems, the reduction of positional observations, refraction, aberration, precession, celestial mechanics (including the two- and n-body problems), applications to artificial satellites, interplanetary transfer orbits, planetary motions, binary stars, galactic structure, distance scales, and measurement systems. Prerequisites: Mathematics 12 and Astronomy 21, or consent. Not taught in recent years. 

111, 112 New Frontiers in Astrophysics. Seminar on selected areas of current research, such as cosmology and studies of active stars, radio studies of interstellar molecules, radio galaxies and quasars, and recent discoveries made with orbiting observatories. Students will be expected to carry out a substantial research project. Lectures and readings will be given in the fall, and the spring will be used to complete the research project. The students will receive credit for two courses upon completion of Astronomy 112. Prerequisites: Physics 11/12 and Astronomy 21/22, or consent. Offered in alternate years. Willson 

191, 192 Special Studies. Advanced research in radio astronomy and astrophysics. The course involves observations with major national facilities and/or computer analysis of data. The course is oriented toward journal publication of results. Prerequisites: experience with radio astronomy and/or computer analysis, and consent. Lang, Willson, Di Stefano, Waller 

193, 194 Topics in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A course of guided reading in a selected topic of astronomy and astrophysics. The student is expected to delve deeply into a given area under the guidance of the instructor, with a lengthy paper as the outcome. Intended for serious students who have had some physics. Prerequisite: equivalent of Astronomy 9/10 or 21/22, and consent. Lang, Willson, Di Stefano, Waller 

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Undergraduate Courses 
Please note: Only one of Physics 1, 1N, 11, and 11N, and only one of Physics 2, 2N, 12, and 12N may be counted for credit. 

1, 2 Introductory Physics. Principles and concepts of classical and relativistic mechanics; heat; thermodynamics; electricity and magnetism; properties of waves; light; sound; atomic, nuclear, and particle physics; astrophysics. Lectures, recitations, laboratories. Physics 1 is a prerequisite for Physics 2. Two courses.

1N, 2N Introductory Physics. Physics 1-2 without the laboratories. Physics 1 or 1N is a prerequisite for Physics 2N. Two courses.

5 The Nuclear Age: Its Physics and History. (Cross-listed as History 177.) One year-long course combining scientific and historical perspectives. Fundamental mechanics and nuclear physics leading to design and production of nuclear weapons and reactors; physical and biological effects of radioactivity and explosions. Historical development of the politics, diplomacy, and social implications of the nuclear age as influenced by the evolution of the nuclear arms race. Upon completion of both semesters the student may receive one natural science distribution and one social science or humanities distribution credit. Sherwin, Goldstein 

6 Physics for Humanists. Intended for those who are intellectually and emotionally curious but do not intend to specialize in the natural sciences. Facts and concepts of classical and modern physics; eminent scientists and the emotions that have impelled them; nuclear energy and nuclear bombs; the interaction, both constructive and destructive, between science and society. Goldstein 

10 The Physics of Music and Color. The role physics principles play in the production, transmission, and perception of sound and light; their relation to music and art. The nature of sound and light; the production of sound by musical instruments; the general characteristics of wave phenomena. Development of an appreciation of the common bases of natural phenomena. Lectures and laboratories. No background in physics or college math is assumed. Elementary high school algebra will be used. Offered alternate years. Gunther 

11, 12 General Physics. Principles of classical mechanics, heat, electricity and magnetism, waves, and light. Lectures, recitations, laboratories. Prerequisite: must be preceded or accompanied by Mathematics 11 and 12 or equivalent. Physics 11 or 11N is a prerequisite for Physics 12. Two courses. 

11N, 12N General Physics. Physics 11 and 12 without the laboratories. Physics 11 or 11N is a prerequisite for Physics 12N. Two courses. 

13 General Physics III. A survey of modern physics: special relativity and quantum mechanics, kinetic theory, atomic, molecular, and condensed matter physics, astrophysics. Prerequisite: Physics 2 or 12 and Mathematics 12. Fall. Gallagher

15 Special Topics in Physics. A course in which the widespread application of physics will be discussed in a way suitable for a broad spectrum of undergraduates of variable and, possibly, minimal backgrounds in physics. Satisfies the distribution requirement in the natural sciences. Members of the department 

15, Fall 2006 Biophysics.  Biophysics is a Special Topics course open to students who have taken Physics 1 or 11 (or equivalent), and have Math 11 or are taking it concurrently.  The course will emphasize how the field of physics impacts our understanding of biological processes.    The subject matter includes, as examples:  1. Thermal motion, friction and diffusion processes in cells; 2. Swimming and crawling: life at low Reynolds number; 3. Entropic forces in stretching of single molecules of DNA; 4. Techniques for the study of  protein structure.  The course is appropriate for science and engineering students, physics majors, and life science students who are willing to use calculus.  Graduate students are also welcome and should register under PHY 293-04.  Cebe

16, Fall 2007  Relativity and Cosmology.  This course will be an introduction to general relativity and cosmology intended for students who have had three semesters of calculus based physics, including some introduction to special relativity. The course will begin with a review of special relativity and proceed to a discussion  of accelerated observers, the principle of equivalence, and gravity as spacetime geometry. The topics to be covered include the properties of black holes, gravity waves, and cosmology, including modern theories for the origin and evolution of the universe. Prerequisite: Phys. 13. Ford

25 Introduction to Medical and Biological Physics. Presentation at an introductory level of selected topics in physics relevant to modern medicine and biology. Development of topics to the point of application to biomedical problems. Topics drawn from acoustics, physics of fluids, diffusion, laser physics, and other subjects varying from year to year. Offered alternate years. Prerequisites: Physics 1, 2, or 11, 12 or consent. Corequisite: Mathematics 13.

31 Optics and Wave Motion. Propagation of electromagnetic waves; geometrical optics; polarization; optical properties of metals, insulators, and semiconductors; Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction; interference; Fourier optics. Lectures and laboratories.Prerequisite: Physics 2 or 2N or 12 or 12N. Corequisite: Mathematics 13. Cebe 

32 Intermediate Mechanics. A vector treatment of mechanics: forces and moments; kinematics of a particle and motion of a rigid body; particle dynamics; central force motion; work, kinetic energy, and potential energy; impulse and momentum; mechanical vibrations. Prerequisites: Physics 2 or 2N, or 12 or 12N; and Mathematics 13. Offered in alternate years. 

41 Electronics. Resistors, capacitors and inductors, network analysis of linear circuits, power transfer, response of linear circuits to voltage steps and to sinusoidal voltages, semiconductor diodes, bipolar and field effect transistors, transistor amplifiers, negative feedback, operational amplifiers. Two lectures, one laboratory. Physics majors may substitute Electrical Engineering 3 and 4. Prerequisite: Physics 2 or 2N, or 12 or 12N. Fall. Oliver 

42 Electricity and Magnetism I. A field treatment of electricity and magnetism: electrostatic fields and potentials, dielectrics, magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, magnetic materials, energy in static and magnetic fields.  Prerequisites: Physics 2 or 2N, or 12 or 12N, and Mathematics 13. Fall. 

43 Electricity and Magnetism II. The laws of induction, the Maxwell equations, electromagnetic potentials, electromagnetic waves, resonant cavities, transmission lines, wave guides and waves in a dielectric; electromagnetic radiation. With two microwave experiments. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisites: Physics 42 and Mathematics 38, or consent.

52 Thermal Physics. Temperature, work, heat, and the laws of thermodynamics: reversibility and irreversibility, entropy, the properties of pure substances, and change of phase. Introduction to statistical thermodynamics. Offered in alternate years. Prerequisites: Physics 2 or 2N, or 12 or 12N, and Mathematics 13.

61 Quantum Theory and Atomic Physics. Review of quantum and wave properties, Schrödinger wave equation and energy quantization in bound state problems, perturbation theory and applications, electron spin, Pauli exclusion principle, atomic structure and collision theory. Prerequisites: Physics 13 and Mathematics 38. Fall.

62 Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics. Nuclear properties, the deuteron, nuclear magnetic and electric moments, nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear energy, fission and fusion processes; properties of the elementary particles; quarks and leptons. Prerequisite: Physics 61. Offered in alternate years.

64 Experimental Modern Physics. An advanced laboratory course featuring six experiments performed at two-week intervals. Typical experiments are the Cavendish experiment, the Millikan oil-drop experiment, the Franck-Hertz experiment, the Compton effect, positron annihilation, and the muon lifetime.  Prerequisite: Physics 13. 

72 Introduction to Solids. An introduction to the physics of solids, including a study of crystalline structures, theory of electrons, lattice vibrations in solids, metals, and semiconductors. Other topics may include solid-state devices, magnetic and superconducting materials, crystal growth, and alloying. Prerequisites: Physics 13 and either Physics 52 or Engineering Science 7.

91, 92 Individual Study. Guided individual study of special problems in physics and related fields. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department 

95, 96 Senior Thesis. A reading and research course open to seniors to study the experimental and theoretical aspects of a particular problem. Credit as arranged. Members of the department 

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Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students 

131 Advanced Classical Mechanics. Topics include variational principles, Lagrange's equations, the two-body central-force problem, rigid bodies, Hamilton's equations, canonical transformations, small oscillations, and continuous systems and fields. Prerequisites: Physics 32 and Mathematics 38. Fall. Members of the department 

145, 146 Classical Electromagnetic Theory. Electro- and magnetostatics, the Maxwell equations, electromagnetic potentials, covariant formulation of electrodynamics, energy and momentum in the electromagnetic field, electromagnetic waves, radiation, and multipole expansions. Members of the department 

153 Statistical Mechanics. Principles and applications of classical and quantum statistical mechanics; microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles; Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac distributions; statistical basis of thermodynamics; and applications. Prerequisite: Physics 52 or Engineering Science 7. Members of the department 

163, 164 Quantum Theory. Wave functions and the Schrödinger equation, axioms of quantum mechanics and their meaning, equivalence of wave and matrix mechanics, angular momentum and spin, central forces, approximation methods and applications, scattering theory, identical particles and the exclusion principle. Prerequisites: Physics 43, 61, and Mathematics 151. Corequisite: Mathematics 158. Two courses. Members of the department 

167 General Relativity. Review of special relativity, tensor analysis and Riemannian geometry, Einstein's equations, linearized gravity theory, gravitational waves, relativistic stars, black holes, and cosmological models. Prerequisite: Physics 146 or consent. Ford 

173, 174 Introduction to Solid-State Physics. Crystal structure and crystal diffraction; lattice vibrations and elastic waves; cohesion of solids, electron theory of metals and semiconductors; thermal, electric, and magnetic properties of solids; and superconductivity. Prerequisite: Physics 52. Corequisite: Physics 163 or consent. Members of the department 

183, 184 Particle Physics. Accelerators and detectors; symmetries and conservation laws; properties of hadrons; the quark model; weak interactions; the Standard Model; physics of accelerator operation and of selected detection and analysis techniques. Prerequisites: Physics 164, or Physics 162 and consent. Two courses. Goldstein 

191, 192 Physics Seminar. A weekly discussion course for senior and first-year graduate students on topics of current interest in physics. Members of the department 

193, 194 Selected Topics. Lectures on advanced problems of physics. Topics to be announced. Credit as arranged. Members of the department 

263 Advanced Quantum Mechanics. Relativistic quantum mechanics, systems of many identical particles, quantum field theory, quantum electrodynamics, Feynman diagrams, and renormalization. Prerequisites: Physics 131, 146, and 164. Fall. Gunther 

264 Quantum Theory of Fields. Topics vary from year to year, drawn from quantum electrodynamics, gauge theories, theory of weak interactions, many-body theory, and group theory. Prerequisite: Physics 263. Members of the department 

268 Cosmology. The standard (big band) cosmological model; expanding universe; background radiation, production of helium and other elements; galaxy formation; cosmological phase transitions; inflation; monopoles, strings and walls; quantum cosmology. Prerequisites: familiarity with general relativity and statistical physics. 

283, 284 Special Topics in Theoretical Physics. A treatment of one or more subjects of current importance in theoretical physics. Prerequisite: consent. Two courses. Members of the department 

291, 292 Graduate Seminar. Presentation of individual reports on basic topics to a seminar group for discussion and criticism. Credit as arranged. Members of the department 

293, 294 Special Topics. Guided individual study of an approved topic. Credit as arranged. Members of the department 

295, 296 Thesis. Guided research on a topic that has been approved as a suitable subject for a master's thesis. Two courses. Members of the department 

297, 298 Graduate Research. Research on a topic suitable for a doctoral dissertation. Credit as arranged. Members of the department 

401PT Master's Continuation, Part-time. 

402FT Master's Continuation, Full-time. 

501PT Doctoral Continuation, Part-time. 

502FT Doctoral Continuation, Full-time. 

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