Departmental Course List: Physics Majors
| Course | Title | Description | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| P221 (5 cr.) |
Physics I | First semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence intended for science majors. Newtonian mechanics, oscillations and waves, heat and thermodynamics. Three lectures, two discussion sections, and one two-hour lab each week. Physics majors are encouraged to take P221 in the fall semester of the freshman year.
C: MATH M211 or consent of instructor. Credit not given for both P201 and P221. |
|
| P222 (5 cr.) |
Physics II | Second semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence intended for science majors. Primarily electricity, magnetism, and geometrical and physical optics. Three lectures, two discussion sections, and one two-hour lab each week. Physics majors are encouraged to take P222 in the spring semester of the freshman year.
P: P221. C: MATH M212 or consent of instructor. Credit not given for both P202 and P222. |
|
| P301 (3 cr.) |
Physics III | Third semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence. Special theory of relativity; introduction to quantum physics; atomic, nuclear, condensed matter, and elementary particle physics. Intended for science and mathematics majors. Three lecture-discussion periods each week.
P: P222 (or P202 with consent of instructor). Credit may be obtained only for either P300 or P301. |
|
| P309 (2 cr.) |
Modern Physics Laboratory | Fundamental experiments in physics with emphasis on modern physics. The course aims to develop basic laboratory skills and data analysis techniques.
P or C: P301. |
|
| P310 (3 cr.) |
Environmental Physics | For biological and physical science majors. Relationship of physics to current environmental problems. Energy production, comparison of sources and byproducts; nature of and possible solutions to problems of noise, particulate matter in atmosphere.
P: P201 or P221 and MATH M211; or consent of instructor. |
Fall 2008 |
| P321 (3 cr.) |
Techniques in Theoretical Physics | Particle motion in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions in the presence of forces; construction of forces from fields, and relationships between fields and sources; energies and potentials; complex oscillations and circuit analysis; classical and quantum mechanical waves and probabilities.
P or C: P301. |
|
| P331 (3 cr.) |
Theory of Electricity and Magnetism I | Electrostatic fields and differential operators, Laplace and Poisson equations, dielectric materials, steady currents, power and energy, induction, magnetic fields, scalar and vector potentials, Maxwell’s equations.
P: P202 or P222 and MATH M312 (for scientists), or consent of instructor. |
Fall 2008 |
| P332 (3 cr.) |
Theory of Electricity and Magnetism II | Magnetic materials, wave equations and radiation, energy transfer and conversion. Poynting vector and momentum, retarded potentials, dipole radiation, transmission lines and wave guides, relativity.
P: P331 or consent of instructor. |
|
| P340 (3 cr.) |
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics | This course will introduce you to the physical laws that govern the behavior of systems consisting of large numbers of particles (where "large" is on the order of Avagadro's number). Such systems are far too complicated to describe using the tools that you have seen in earlier courses (i.e. the laws of mechanics) since it is impossible, even in principle, to write down the initial conditions let alone solve the equations of motion. Nevertheless, such systems often follow remarkably simple laws (such as the ideal gas law, Curie's law for magnetic systems, and similar relations for superconductivity). In the course we will see that there are a number of general "Thermodynamic" laws that govern the behavior of "large" systems, irrespective of the details of the interaction between the constituent particles. These same laws hold for the workings of your automobile engine, the liquid crystal display in your watch, chemical reactions, or even the inner workings of the sun and the early behavior of the universe.
P: P202 or P222; MATH M311 concurrently. |
|
| P350 (3 cr.) |
Applied Physics Instrumentation Lab | Instrumentation, data acquisition, and control for research, development, and industrial increasingly depend on coordination of electrical sensors, instruments, personal computers, and software. This course covers the essentials of electronics signal measurements, transducers, computer control of instruments, design of automated measurement and control algorithms, real-time data analysis and instrument calibration. | Fall 2008 |
| P360 (3 cr.) |
Physical Optics | This course has been discontinued/re-numbered on the Bloomington campus. It is now P460.
Physical optics and electromagnetic waves based on electromagnetic theory: wave equations; phase and group velocity; dispersion; coherence, interference, diffraction, and polarization of light and of electromagnetic radiation generally; wave guides; holography; masers and lasers; introduction to optical spectroscopy. P: P331 or consent of instructor. |
|
| P400 (3 cr.) |
Digital Electronics | Digital logic, storage elements, timing elements, arithmetic devices, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion. Course has lectures and labs emphasizing design, construction, and analysis of circuits using discrete gates and programmable devices. | Fall 2008 |
| P401 (3 cr.) |
Analog Electronics | Amplifier and oscillator characteristics feedback systems, bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors, optoelectronic devices, amplifier design, power supplies, and the analysis of circuits using computer aided techniques. | |
| S405 (1-3 cr.) |
Readings in Physics | Independent reading under supervision of faculty member. Study indepth of topic of interest to student, culminating in research paper.
P: consent of instructor. |
All semesters |
| S406 (1-6 cr.) |
Research | Research participation in group or independent project under the supervision of a faculty member in departmental research areas; or topic agreed upon between the student and the supervisor. May be repeated with a different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. P: consent of instructor. |
All semesters |
S407 |
Applied Physics Internship | Internship in industry or national laboratory, arranged between the student, the student's faculty mentor, and an internship supervisor as part of the Applied Physics Track of the Physics B.S. program. May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours. S/F grading. P: consent of instructor or supervisor. |
All semesters |
| P408 (1 cr.) |
Current Research in Physics | A series of introductory talks by 15 different faculty members on the current research activities of the Department of Physics. For senior-level students. | |
S409 (1-6 cr.) |
Applied Physics Thesis | Under the supervision of a faculty member, students prepare a written thesis that presents previous research work completed as part of the Applied Physics Track of the Physics B.S. program. May be repeated for a maximum of 4 credit hours. P: S407 and consent of instructor. |
All semesters |
| P410 (3 cr.) |
Computing Applications in Physics | Computing methods and techniques applied to a broad spectrum of physics problems. Emphasis on least-squares method and other curve-fitting techniques of non-linear functions; monte carlo methods; data manipulation, including sorting, retrieval, and display.
P: P332 or equivalent and CSCI C301 or equivalent; or consent of instructor. |
|
| P411 (3 cr.) |
Computing Applications in Physics II | P: P410 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Continuation of P410 including introduction to stochastic modeling, statistical mechanics and quantum systems, improving code performance. | |
| P441 (3 cr.) |
Analytical Mechanics I | Elementary mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, treated by methods of calculus and differential equations.
P: P201-P202 or P221-P222. C: MATH M343. |
Fall 2008 |
| P442 (3 cr.) |
Analytical Mechanics II | Elementary mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, treated by methods of calculus and differential equations.
P: P201-P202 or P221-P222. C: MATH M343. |
|
| P451 (3 cr.) |
Experiments in Modern Physics 1 (3 cr.) |
Advanced laboratory for senior physics majors. Experimental investigations and selected topics in nuclear, atomic, and solid state physics.
P: P301 and P309, or equivalent. R: P453-P454 concurrently. Meets with P551. |
|
| P452 (3 cr.) |
Experiments in Modern Physics 2 | Advanced laboratory for senior physics majors. Experimental investigations and selected topics in nuclear, atomic, and solid state physics.
P: P301 and P309, or equivalent. R: P453-P454 concurrently. P452 can be taken independently of P451. |
|
| P453 (3 cr.) |
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | The Schroedinger equation with applications to problems such as barrier transmission, harmonic oscillation, and the hydrogen atom. Discussion of orbital and spin angular momentum and identical particles. Introduction to perturbation theory.
P: P301 and P331. R: P332 concurrently. |
|
| P454 (4 cr.) |
Modern Physics | Structure of multielectron atoms. Experimental facts and theoretical models in solid state physics, nuclear physics, and elementary particle physics.
P: P453 or equivalent. |
Fall 2008 |
| P460 (3 cr.) |
Modern Optics | Physical optics and electromagnetic waves based on electromagnetic theory: wave equations; phase and group velocity; dispersion; coherence, interference, diffraction, and polarization of light and of electromagnetic radiation generally; wave guides; holography; masers and lasers; introduction to optical spectroscopy.
P: P331 or consent of instructor. |
|
| P470 (3 cr.) |
Introduction to Accelerator Physics | Overview of accelerator development and accelerator technologies. Principles of linear and circular accelerators, storage rings, colliders. Transverse phase space motion of a particle in an accelerator. Radio frequency acceleration and synchrotron light sources. Basics of free electron lasers. Spin dynamics in cyclic accelerators and storage rings.
P: approval of instructor. |
