51 - 60 of 120 results for: PHYSICS

Identical particles; Fermi and Bose statistics. Time-independent perturbation theory. Fine structure, the Zeeman effect, and hyperfine splitting in the hydrogen atom. Time-dependent perturbation theory. Variational principle and WKB approximation. Prerequisite: PHYSICS 130 and ( PHYSICS 111 or MATH 131P or MATH 173 or MATH 220) and PHYSICS 120.

Scattering theory, partial wave expansion, Born approximation. Additional topics may include nature of quantum measurement, EPR paradox, Bell's inequality, and topics in quantum information science; path integrals and applications; Berry's phase; structure of multi-electron atoms (Hartree-Fock); relativistic quantum mechanics (Dirac equation). Undergraduates register for PHYSICS 134 (4 units). Graduate students register for PHYSICS 234 (3 units). Prerequisite: PHYSICS 131.

Elementary particles and the fundamental forces. Quarks and leptons. The mediators of the electromagnetic, weak and strong interactions. Interaction of particles with matter; particle acceleration, and detection techniques. Symmetries and conservation laws. Bound states. Decay rates. Cross sections. Feynman diagrams. Introduction to Feynman integrals. The Dirac equation. Feynman rules for quantum electrodynamics and for chromodynamics. Undergraduates register for PHYSICS 152. Graduate students register for PHYSICS 252. (Graduate students will be required to complete additional assignments in a format determined by the instructor.) Prerequisite: PHYSICS 130.

Particle accelerators range in scale from sub-mm structures created using lithography on a silicon chip to the 27-km Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland based on superconducting magnets. Some accelerators generate beams that are only nanometers in size while others are used to make the brightest x-ray beams in the world. Accelerators are used for medicine, security, and industry as well as discovery science. A recent study shows that nearly 30% of the Nobel Prizes in Physics had a direct contribution from accelerators. This course will cover the fundamentals of particle beam acceleration and control. Topics will include radio-frequency acceleration, alternate gradient focusing, and collective effects where electromagnetic fields from the particle beam act back on the beam or on adjacent beams. Some experimental studies of beam physics may be performed at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Prerequisites: Special relativity at the level of Physics 61 or 70, or equivalent. Physics 120 and 121, or EE 142 and 242; Physics 121/ EE 142 can be taken concurrently with class.

Radiative processes. Observed characteristics of stars and the Milky Way galaxy. Physical processes in stars and matter under extreme conditions. Structure and evolution of stars from birth to death. White dwarfs, planetary nebulae, supernovae, neutron stars, pulsars, binary stars, x-ray stars, and black holes. Galactic structure, interstellar medium, molecular clouds, HI and HII regions, star formation, and element abundances. Undergraduates register for PHYSICS 160. Graduate students register for PHYSICS 260. Pre-requisite: Physics 120 or permission of instructor. Recommended: Some familiarity with plotting and basic numerical calculations.

What do we know about the physical origins, content, and evolution of the Universe -- and how do we know it? Students learn how cosmological distances and times, and the geometry and expansion of space, are described and measured. Composition of the Universe. Origin of matter and the elements. Observational evidence for dark matter and dark energy. Thermal history of the Universe, from inflation to the present. Emergence of large-scale structure from quantum perturbations in the early Universe. Astrophysical tools used to learn about the Universe. Big open questions in cosmology. Undergraduates register for Physics 161. Graduates register for Physics 261. (Graduate students will be required to complete additional assignments in a format determined by the instructor.) Prerequisite: PHYSICS 120 or equivalent.

Statistical methods constitute a fundamental tool for the analysis and interpretation of experimental physics data. In this course, students will learn the foundations of statistical data analysis methods and how to apply them to the analysis of experimental data. Problem sets will include data-sets from real experiments and require the use of programming tools to extract physics results. Topics include probability and statistics, experimental uncertainties, parameter estimation, confidence limits, and hypothesis testing. Students will be required to complete a final project.

Basic probability and statistics for random processes such as random walks. The derivation of laws of thermodynamics from basic postulates; the determination of the relationship between atomic substructure and macroscopic behavior of matter. Temperature; equations of state, heat, internal energy, equipartition; entropy, Gibbs paradox; equilibrium and reversibility; heat engines; applications to various properties of matter; absolute zero and low-temperature phenomena. Distribution functions, fluctuations, the partition function for classical and quantum systems, and irreversible processes. Pre- or corequisite: PHYSICS 130 or EE 222.

Mean-field theory of phase transitions; critical exponents. Ferromagnetism, the Ising model. The renormalization group. Dynamics near equilibrium: Brownian motion, diffusion, Boltzmann equations. Other topics are at the discretion of the instructor. Prerequisite: PHYSICS 170. Recommended pre- or corequisite: PHYSICS 130.