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23.3.1 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Not all of the courses listed below will necessarily be offered in any
one year.
64-510. Seminar for M.Sc. Students
In order to receive credit for this course, a student should attend
the weekly departmental seminar throughout M.Sc. studies and present a
minimum of one seminar on a topic approved by the Seminar Coordinator.
64-520. Classical Electrodynamics
Radiation by moving charges, synchrotron radiation, bremsstrahlung,
scattering of radiation, multipole fields, radiation reaction.
64-524. Introduction to Plasma Physics
Review of atomic collisions and kinetic theory, motion of charged particles,
elementary processes in the production and decay of ionization in gases,
plasma waves and oscillations, transport processes, elements of magnetohydrodynamic
stability theory. Applications of
plasma physics.
64-540. Theory of Particle Scattering I
Classical theory of scattering. Formal quantum theory. The definitions
of cross sections, transition probabilities and related concepts. The Born
approximation, phase shifts.
64-541. Theory of Particle Scattering II
The Green function approach. Elastic scattering of particles with spin.
Examples from atomic and nuclear phenomena. (Prerequisite: 64-540.)
64-542. Atomic and Molecular Processes I
Atomic/molecular beam methods and techniques. Collision phenomena in
atomic and molecular scattering, including elastic, inelastic and reactive
scattering, excitation, ionization, and charge exchange. Detailed discussion
of the experimental results and their interpretation in terms of interatomic/molecular
forces and potentials.
64-543. Atomic and Molecular Processes II
A variety of topics in electron and photon collisions highlighting
current advances in these fields and including total and differential elastic
and inelastic scattering of electrons and positrons, resonances, polarization,
coherence and correlation effects, post-collision interactions, photon-stimulation
spectroscopy. (Prerequisite: 64-542.)
64-544. Theory of Atomic Structure and Atomic Spectra
Rotation matrices, 3n-j coefficients and graphical techniques for angular-momentum
coupling, irreducible tensor operators, the Wigner-Eckart theorem and applications,
the density matrix, interactions of atoms with external fields.
64-545. Theory of Atomic Structure and Atomic Spectra II
Systems of identical fermions, the central-field approximation, self-consistent-field
methods, the Thomas-Fermi model, Hartree-Fock theory, configuration interaction,
coefficients of fractional parentage, relativistic effects. (Prerequisite:
64-554.)
64-546. Molecular Spectroscopy I
Diatomic molecules, Born-Oppenheimer approximation, adiabatic potentials,
Hund's coupling cases, rotational, vibrational, and electronic states and
associated spectra. Applications of group theory to the structure and spectra
of polyatomic molecules.
64-547. Molecular Spectroscopy II
Rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectra of polyatomic molecules.
Zeeman and Stark effects and hyperfine structure. Laser spectroscopy. Van
der Waals molecules. (Prerequisite: 64-546.)
64-550. Advanced Quantum Theory I
General principles, representations and transformation theory. Approximation
methods. Many-body problems and identical particles.
64-551. Advanced Quantum Theory II
Number representations and second quantization. Dirac equation. An
introduction into quantum electrodynamics and the electro-weak theory.
(Prerequisite: 64-550.)
64-560. Solid State Physics I
Application of group theory to condensed matter physics: the study
of point groups, Bravais lattices and space groups. Inverse lattice with
applications to scattering phenomena.
64-561. Solid State Physics II
Electric, magnetic and thermal properties of solids, superconductivity
and superfluidity. The effects of imperfections and impurities in crystals.
(Prerequisite: 64-560.)
64-563. Introduction to Elementary Particles
Long-lived particles; basic interactions and antiparticles; conservation
laws and C, P, T; pions and nucleons; magnetic moments; strange particles;
leptons; resonances; SU(3) multplets of hadrons; Regge poles, SU(6), and
quarks.
64-574. General Theory of Relativity I
The principle of equivalence, general covariance. Riemann spacetime
Einstein field equations.
64-575. General Theory of Relativity II
Simple solutions to the Einstein field equations, the crucial experiments,
applications to cosmology. (Prerequisite: 64-574.)
64-576. Astronomical Physics
A selection of topics from the following: characteristic properties
of stars, stellar atmospheres, models of stellar interiors, nuclear reactions
in stars.
64-581. Theory and Applications of Thin Films
Definition of thin films and their classification; methods of preparation;
elements of high-vacuum technology; thin-film formation, structure and
methods of investigation; mechanical, optical, electrical properties of
thin films and their application in modern technology.
64-584. Design and Application of Lasers
Stimulated emission, rate equation approach to amplification and output
power calculations; Gaussian beams, stable and unstable resonators; Q-switching,
mode-locking and cavity-dumping; ruby, Nd:YAG and other solid state lasers;
semi-conductor, gas and dye lasers.
64-585. Atmospheric and Environmental Physics
Physics of the atmosphere, general description and layering, interactions
of incoming and outgoing radiations, greenhouse effect, atmospheric thermodynamics
and stability, cloud physics, atmospheric dynamics, gravity waves and turbulence,
atmospheric photochemistry, ozone layer, upper atmosphere, plasma and hydromagnetic
effects, ionospere, air glow and aurora.
64-587. Applications of Electron, Ion and Atomic Beams
Non-relativistic theory of charged particles in electric and magnetic
fields. Review of matrix optics, electrostatic lenses, magnetic lenses,
electrostatic and magnetic vector fields. Applications to energy and mass
analysis. The Liouville Theorem and its consequences. Dense electron beams
and applications.
64-610. Seminar for Ph.D. Students
In order to receive credit for this course, a student should attend
the weekly departmental seminar throughout Ph.D. studies and present a
minimum of two seminars on topics approved by the Seminar Coordinator.
64-612, 64-613. Selected Topics in Theoretical and Experimental
Physics
These courses consist of two survey lecture series to be selected from
among several which will be offered each year. Each lecture series lasts
for approximately half a term. Credit may not be obtained for any survey
courses in subjects in which the student has taken another graduate course.
64-630. Statistical Physics I
Review of thermodynamics; information theory. The many-body problem
in quantum mechanics, particle number representation. Statistical (density)
matrix. The perfect gas, real gases, dense plasma, applications.
64-631. Statistical Physics II
The theory of macroscopic quantum phenomena. (Prerequisite: 64- 630.)
64-640. Elementary Particles and Their Symmetries
Symmetries and conservation laws, group representations, and particle
muliplets; Lie groups and algebras; generators and weights of SU(n); the
quark model; quantum chromodynamics; electro-weak interaction theory; supersymmetry;
path integrals and Feynman diagrams.
64-650. Classical and Quantum Field Theory I
Variational principles and conservation laws and applications, field
equations and their solutions. (Prerequisite: 64-551.)
64-651. Classical and Quantum Field Theory II
Quantization of fields; scalar, vector, and spinor fields. Quantum
electrodynamics and applications; renormalization and radiative corrections.
(Prerequisite: 64-650.)
64-660. Advanced Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
Crystal field theory in the weak and strong coupling schemes. Molecular
orbitals; vibronic interactions. Electronic structure and spectra of molecular
complexes. (Prerequisite: 64-551.)
64-797. M.Sc. Thesis
64-798. Ph.D. Dissertation
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