Courses

• CAS PY 252: Principles of Physics 2
  Introduction to mechanics, conservation laws, heat and thermodynamics, electrostatics, magnetism, alternating currents, electromagnetic radiation, geometrical optics. Primarily for physics, mathematics, and astronomy concentrators, but open to other students with a strong background in mathematics. Carries natural science divisional credit (with lab) in CAS.
• CAS PY 313: Waves and Modern Physics
  Waves and physical optics, relativistic mechanics, experimental foundations of quantum mechanics, atomic structure, physics of molecules and solids, atomic nuclei and elementary particles. Along with CAS PY 211, 212, PY 313 completes a three-semester introductory sequence primarily intended for students of engineering.
• CAS PY 351: Modern Physics I
  An introduction to modern physics including quantum mechanics, classical and quantum statistics, and special relativity. Topics include Schroedinger equation, temperature, entropy, black-body radiation, Lorentz transformations. Labs are a required course component.
• CAS PY 352: Modern Physics II
  Continuation of CAS PY 351. An introduction to modern physics including quantum mechanics of atoms and molecules, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and elementary particle physics. Labs are a required course component.
• CAS PY 355: Methods of Theoretical Physics
  First and second order ordinary differential equations. Partial differential equations (waves, heat, Schrödinger) and series solutions of differential equations. Vectors and vector calculus. Matrices, matrix algebra, and matrix transformations. Rotations, similarity, unitarity, hermiticity, eigenvalues, and eigenvectors.
• CAS PY 371: Electronics for Scientists
  A survey of practical electronics for all College of Arts and Sciences science students wishing to gain a working knowledge of electronic instrumentation, and in particular, its construction. Two four-hour laboratory-lecture sessions per week.
• CAS PY 401: Senior Independent Work
  
• CAS PY 402: Senior Independent Work
  
• CAS PY 405: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I
  Vector analysis; Gauss's law; electric field intensity; energy and potential; conductors, dielectrics, and capacitance; Poisson's and Laplace's equations; steady magnetic fields;
• CAS PY 406: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves II
  Maxwell's equations; electromagnetic waves in vacuum and matter; reflection and refraction; diffraction and interference; coherence; special theory of relativity.
• CAS PY 408: Intermediate Mechanics
  Dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. Newtonian mechanics. Oscillatory motion and motion under a central force. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics. Coupled oscillations, normal modes, and continuum mechanics. Longitudinal and transverse mechanical waves.
• CAS PY 410: Statistical Thermodynamics
  The laws of themodynamics, statistical basis of thermodynamics, ensemble theory, equilibrium statistical mechanics and its application to physical systems of interest, irreversibility, transport, and the approach to equilibrium.
• CAS PY 421: Introduction to Computational Physics
  Undergraduate-level introduction to computer programming and methods used to formulate and solve physics problems on the computer. Also touches on more advanced topics such as parallel computing and graphical visualization.
• CAS PY 451: Quantum Physics I
  Uncertainty principle; Schrödinger wave equation and applications; operators; hermitian operators and unitary transformations; harmonic oscillator; angular momentum and spin; time dependence; magnetic resonance; parity and identity; helium atom and hydrogen molecule; exclusion principle; Fermi-Dirac statistics; Zeeman Effect.
• CAS PY 452: Quantum Physics II
  Uncertainty principle; Schrödinger wave equation and applications; operators; hermitian operators and unitary transformations; harmonic oscillator; angular momentum and spin; time dependence; magnetic resonance; parity and identity; helium atom and hydrogen molecule; exclusion principle; Fermi-Dirac statistics; Zeeman Effect.
• CAS PY 482: Undergraduate Physics Seminar
  Intended primarily for upper-level physics students but open to others with consent of the instructor. In-depth examination at an undergraduate level of an area of current physics research. Topics cover areas of contemporary interest and vary from year to year; possible areas include general relativity, particle physics, biophysics, and superconductivity. (CAS PY 482 may be taken multiple times for credit.)
• CAS PY 491: Directed Study or Research in Physics
  Intensive study of one aspect of physics under the supervision of a faculty member.
• CAS PY 492: Directed Study or Research in Physics
  Intensive study of one aspect of physics under the supervision of a faculty member.
• CAS PY 501: Mathematical Physics
  Introduction to complex variables and residue calculus, asymptotic methods, and conformal mapping; integral transforms; ordinary and partial differential equations; non-linear equations; integral equations.
• CAS PY 502: Computational Physics
  Fundamental methods of computational physics and applications; numerical algorithms; linear algebra, differential equations; computer simulation; vectorization, parallelism, and optimization. Examples and projects on scientific applications.

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