PHYSICS (PHY) COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
1013 Universes [TCCN: PHYS 1310.]
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: MAT 1023 or MAT 1073 or consent of instructor.
This course is an introduction to contemporary physics and cosmology. The goal is to study some of the profound discoveries in fundamental physics made during the 20th century, and how they have shaped our modern conception of the universe and of our place in it. Topics discussed include Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity, quantum physics, modern cosmology (including the very early universe), and the standard model of elementary particles and forces. May not be applied toward the B.S. degree in Physics without prior written approval of the department. May apply toward the Level II Core Curriculum requirement in science.
1113 Preparation for Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: MAT 1023 or MAT 1073 or consent of instructor.
This course is an elementary introduction to physics and the scientific method. It is designed to strengthen math-based, problem-solving skills and to prepare the student for more advanced work in the physical sciences. Students who have not had physics in high school and/or need preparation for PHY 1603, PHY 1903, or PHY 1943 may find this course especially valuable. Topics discussed include algebra and trigonometry in physics, one- and two-dimensional kinematics, forces, energy, and momentum. May not be applied toward a B.S. or B.A. degree in Physics.
1213 The Fringes of Science
(3-0) 3 hours credit.
This course examines the relationship between science and pseudo-science. It is intended to equip the student with the critical-thinking skills needed to distinguish between solid science and claims often promoted as scientific. Classes are a combination of lectures, readings from the history and philosophy of science, class discussion, etc. Topics discussed may include astrology, black holes, parapsychology, quantum physics, UFOs, homeopathy and other alternative therapies.
1603 Algebra-based Physics I [TCCN: PHYS 1301.]
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: MAT 1023 or MAT 1073 completed with a grade of “C” or better.
The first of a two-part, algebra-based introduction to physics for biology and other majors that do not require calculus-based physics. Topics include mechanics, thermodynamics, vibrations and waves. Concurrent enrollment in
PHY 1611 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. May apply toward the Level II Core Curriculum requirement in science.
1611 Algebra-based Physics I Laboratory [TCCN: PHYS 1101.]
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1603.
Laboratory accompanies PHY 1603; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1603.
1623 Algebra-based Physics II [TCCN: PHYS 1302.]
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 1603 completed with a grade of “C” or better.
The second of a two-part, algebra-based introduction to physics for biology and other majors that do not require calculus-based physics. Topics include electricity, magnetism, optics, relativity, and quantum physics. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1631 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. May apply toward the Level II Core Curriculum requirement in science.
1631 Algebra-based Physics II Laboratory [TCCN: PHYS 1102.]
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1611 completed with a grade of “C” or better and completion of or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1623.
Laboratory accompanies PHY 1623; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1623.
1903 Engineering Physics I [TCCN: PHYS 2325.]
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: MAT 1214 completed with a grade of “C” or better and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MAT 1223.
The first of a two-part, calculus-based introduction to classical physics. Topics include mechanics, relativity, gravitation, oscillations and waves, and fluids. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1911 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. May apply toward the Level II Core Curriculum requirement in science. (Formerly PHY 1904. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1903 and PHY 1904. Same as PHY 1943. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1903 and PHY 1943.)
1911 Engineering Physics I Laboratory [TCCN: PHYS 2125.]
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Completion of, with a grade of “C” or better, or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1903.
Laboratory to accompany PHY 1903; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1903. (Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1911 and
PHY 1951.)
1923 Engineering Physics II [TCCN: PHYS 2326.]
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1903 and completion of MAT 1223 with a grade of “C” or better.
The second of a two-part, calculus-based introduction to classical physics. Topics include electricity and magnetism, basic circuits, electromagnetic waves, Maxwell equations, and optics. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1931 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. May apply toward the Level II Core Curriculum requirement in science. (Formerly PHY 1924. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1923 and PHY 1924. Same as PHY 1963. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1923 and PHY 1963.)
1931 Engineering Physics II Laboratory [TCCN: PHYS 2126.]
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisites: Completion of PHY 1911 with a grade of “C” or better and completion of or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1923.
Laboratory to accompany PHY 1923; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1923. (Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1931 and
PHY 1971.)
1943 Physics for Scientists I
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: MAT 1194 or MAT 1214 completed with a grade of “C” or better; completion of or concurrent enrollment in MAT 1223 (if student took MAT 1214) or STA 1404 (if student took MAT 1194) is required.
The first of a three-part, calculus-based introduction to classical and modern physics, designed for physical sciences and mathematics majors. Topics include mechanics and Newton’s laws, conservation laws, gravitation, rotational motion, oscillations, and Special Relativity. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1951 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. (Formerly PHY 1904. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1943 and PHY 1904. Same as PHY 1903. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1943 and PHY 1903.)
1951 Physics for Scientists I Laboratory
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Completion of, with a grade of “C” or better, or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1943.
Laboratory to accompany PHY 1943. Uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1943. (Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1951 and
PHY 1911.)
1963 Physics for Scientists II
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1943, and MAT 1223 or MAT 1194 and STA 1404 completed with grades of “C” or better.
The second of a three-part, calculus-based introduction to classical and modern physics, designed for physical sciences and mathematics majors. Topics include waves, fluids, superposition and interference, electricity, magnetism, fundamentals of circuits, electromagnetic fields and waves, Maxwell’s equations, and basics of one-dimensional quantum mechanics. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1971 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation. (Formerly PHY 1924. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1963 and PHY 1924. Same as PHY 1923. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1963 and PHY 1923.)
1971 Physics for Scientists II Laboratory
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1951 completed with a grade of “C” or better and completion of or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1963.
Laboratory to accompany PHY 1963; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1963. (Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 1971 and
PHY 1931.)
1983 Physics for Scientists III
(3-1) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 1963 or PHY 1923 completed with a grade of “C” or better.
The third of a three-part, calculus-based introduction to classical and modern physics, designed for physical sciences and mathematics majors. Topics include temperature and heat, thermal properties of matter, the laws of thermodynamics, geometric and wave optics, atomic structure, nuclear physics, particle physics, and basics of astrophysics and cosmology. Concurrent enrollment in PHY 1991 is recommended. Classes meet weekly for three hours of lecture and one hour of recitation.
1991 Physics for Scientists III Laboratory
(1-4) 1 hour credit. Prerequisite: Completion of, with a grade of “C” or better, or concurrent enrollment in PHY 1983.
Laboratory to accompany PHY 1983; uses modern data acquisition and analysis tools to study the classic physics experiments that underlie the concepts discussed in PHY 1983.
3103 Modern Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1983 and completion of, with a grade of “C” or better, or concurrent enrollment in MAT 2213 and PHY 3203, or consent of instructor.
Topics include special relativity, Planck’s Radiation Law, elements of quantum mechanics, atomic and molecular structures, spectra, the atomic nucleus, nuclear reactions, and an introduction to elementary particles.
3143 Computer Visualization of Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 3103, PHY 3203, and PHY 3823 or consent of instructor.
An introduction to computational physics. Topics include simulations of physical processes from classical and quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, and solid state physics. May be applied toward a B.S. degree in Physics with approval of the physics advisor.
3203 Classical Mechanics I
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1983 or consent of instructor.
Topics include Newtonian mechanics, oscillations, central-force motion, gravitation, Hamiltonian and Lagrangian dynamics.
3293 Thermal Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: MAT 2213 and PHY 1983, or consent of instructor.
Topics include fundamentals of thermodynamics: entropy, free energy, phase transitions, and thermodynamic potentials; equilibrium, Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac distribution functions; derivation of macroscopic equilibrium thermodynamics from statistical mechanics.
3313 Solid State Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3103 or consent of instructor.
Topics include crystalline structures, phonons, energy bands, semiconductor crystals, and devices.
3343 Advanced Physics Laboratory
(0-6) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1983 and PHY 1991.
Laboratory experience in the areas of optics, modern physics, and solid state and surface physics.
3423 Electricity and Magnetism
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1983 and PHY 3823, or consent of instructor.
Topics include vector calculus, electrostatics, magnetostatics, Faraday’s Law, and solutions to Laplace’s equation.
3443 Modern Optics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3423 or consent of instructor.
Topics include reflection, refraction, absorption, polarization, and diffraction of light, filters, lasers, nonlinear properties, and Fourier optics.
3453 Lasers: Theory and Applications
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3103 or consent of instructor.
Topics include basic principles and designs of lasers: Einstein A and B coefficients; semiclassical laser theory; the phase-coherent nature of the stimulated emission process; and laser efficiency. Various applications of lasers, such as laser-induced fluorescence, light wave communications, holography, surgery, and laser fusion.
3513 Electrodynamics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 3423 and PHY 3823 or consent of instructor.
Topics include Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, wave guides, radiation from accelerated charges.
3823 Mathematical Physics I
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: MAT 2213 and PHY 1983, or consent of instructor.
Topics may include vector analysis, introduction to complex variables, Fourier series, ordinary differential equations, linear algebra, and selected application to problems in mechanics and electromagnetic theory.
4013 Relativity: Special and General
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 3203 and PHY 3823 or consent of instructor.
Topics include special relativity: Lorentz transformations, four-vectors, geometry of flat space-time, relativistic dynamics. General relativity: Principle of equivalence, introduction to tensor calculus, Einstein’s field equations, Schwarzschild’s solution, black holes. Introduction to cosmology.
4033 Cosmology
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 3103 and PHY 3203 or consent of instructor.
Topics include large-scale structure, expansion and age of the universe; non-Euclidean spaces, big bang cosmology, baryogenesis, nucleosynthesis, and cosmic microwave background radiation; particle physics and inflationary cosmology.
4133 Numerical Methods for Physicists
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1983 and MAT 3613 or consent of instructor.
Topics may include numerical simulation of constrained and unconstrained rigid-body systems that are modeled according to physical laws; numerical solution to stiff systems of differential equations; use of automatic differentiation to compute Jacobian matrices associated with complex stiff systems.
4203 Classical Mechanics II
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3203 or consent of instructor.
Topics include nonlinear oscillations and chaos, systems of particles and collisions, non-inertial frames, rigid bodies, coupled oscillations, continuous systems and waves.
4233 Environmental Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3103 or consent of instructor.
The essentials of environmental physics: global climate, energy for human use, pollutants, noise, environmental spectroscopy, and LIDAR. (Formerly PHY 3233. Credit cannot be earned for both PHY 4233 and PHY 3233.)
4263 Quantum Mechanics I
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 3103 and PHY 3203 or consent of instructor.
Topics include the time-independent Schrodinger equation; operator methods, and the postulates of quantum mechanics; one-dimensional potentials; quantum harmonic oscillator; angular momentum and spin; entanglement and its applications; quantum mechanics in three dimensions and the hydrogen atom.
4423 Quantum Mechanics II
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 4263 or consent of instructor.
Topics include identical particles; time-independent perturbation theory; WKB approximation, time-dependent perturbation theory, the variational principle; the adiabatic approximation and Berry’s phase; scattering.
4563 Biophotonics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3443 or consent of instructor.
Topics including basic concepts of optical radiation interacting with biological materials will be covered. Discussion will be made as to how the unique properties of photons are exploited to understand the biological structure and its function. Photon absorption and emission in biological materials will be considered to explain their applications, including optical imaging as a noninvasive diagnosis tool, photodynamic therapy (PDT), etc.
4823 Mathematical Physics II
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: PHY 3823 or consent of instructor.
Topics may include series solutions of differential equations, partial differential equations of physics, special functions, integral transforms and introduction to tensor calculus. Applications include topics in classical and quantum mechanics, electrostatics and electrodynamics.
4833 Molecular Biophysics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisites: PHY 1923 or PHY 1963, and CHE 1113, or consent of instructor.
Topics include interaction between molecules, principles of thermodynamics (enthalpy, entropy, free energy) applied to biomolecules, Brownian motion and diffusion of molecules, structure of proteins, and principles of quantum mechanics. Biophysical techniques: absorption spectroscopy, transient absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime, FTIR spectroscopy, linear and circular dichroism, x-ray crystallography, and atomic force microscopy.
4911-3 Independent Study
1 to 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Permission in writing (form available) of the instructor, the student’s advisor, the Department Chair, and Dean of the College in which the course is offered.
Independent reading, research, discussion, and/or writing under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit, but not more than 6 semester credit hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor’s degree in physics.
4953 Special Studies in Physics
(3-0) 3 hours credit. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
An organized course offering the opportunity for specialized study not normally or not often available as part of the regular course offerings. Special Studies may be repeated for credit when the topics vary, but not more than 6 semester credit hours, regardless of discipline, will apply to a bachelor’s degree.
4993 Honors Research
3 hours credit. Prerequisites: Enrollment limited to candidates for College Honors during their last two semesters; approval by the College Honors Committee.
Supervised research and preparation of an honors thesis. May be repeated once with approval.