PHYS – 2220 Quantum Physics II (Spring2017)

PHYS – 2220 Quantum Physics II (Spring 2017)

INSTRUCTOR:Peter Persans

Office #:518-276-2934Email:

Office Hours: Tuesday 1-3 pm and by appointment
Office Location:JROWL 1C10

SUPPORT:Graduate Teaching Assistant:Angelo Imperiale, Office Hours: TBA

Tutoring and Guidance:Joe Meese, Jorge Alarcon, Tyler LeBlond

WEB PAGE:Class-wide announcements, including homework assignments, etc. and any information that must be disseminated rapidly (e.g. class or exam cancellations) will be posted at this location, so checkfrequently.

CLASS TIME:Mon. & Thurs.CII 30514:00 – 5:50 pm

TEXTBOOK:I will draw from a variety of sources, using the texts by Townsend and by Eisberg and Resnick as the backbone. Other material including topic chapters and original articles will be posted on the LMS site for the course.

  • Quantum Physics: A Fundamental Approach to Modern PhysicsJohn S. Townsend, (University Science Books, 2010) ISBN 978-1-891389-62-7
  • Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids…, R Eisberg and R Resnick(Wiley, 1985) ISBN-13:978-8126508181 (May be available as a PDF.)

Other References (some of my sources):

Introduction to the Structure of Matter, Brehm and Mullin (Wiley, 1989)

Feynman Lectures Vol 3, Feynman, Leighton, Sands (Addison Wesley)

Introduction to Modern Physics, McGervey (Academic Press, 1983)

Understanding More Quantum Physics, Morrison, Estle, Lane (Prentice Hall, 1991)

Any “Modern Physics” text, the most common are the ones by:

Krane; Serway+; Taylor+French; Thornton; Rohlf (Wiley, 1994)

Introduction to Solid State Physics, Kittel

PREREQUISITES:Quantum Physics I (PHYS 2210) or permission of instructor.

Course Description:Aselection of modern physics topics with emphasis on concepts and applications of quantum physics and quantum statistics to basic systems.Topics will include: spin and angular momentum in atoms, multi-electron atoms, molecules, quantum statistics, periodic potentials (solids), special relativity for particle and nuclear physics, and elementary particles and fields.Special attention will be given to the ramifications of symmetry and the use of numerical computation.

Course Format: Two two-hour classes per weekin lecture/discussion/activity format.

Homework: The assigned homework will consist of two parts:1) Written assignments, and 2) Practicequestions and problems.Written assignments will be due on Thursdays unless otherwisestated in the assignment.

Late homework is accepted, but with a deduction of 20% for homework handed in after collection at the class at which it is due, and an additional 10% for every weekday late thereafter up to a maximum deduction of 70%.The professor must approve all late assignments prior to grading by initialing the paper.

Attendance Policy:Attendance will not be taken, but quizzes and in-class activities form a part of the gradeas described in the grading rubric.

Quizzes: There will be a weekly quiz, mostly given on Mondays, that will usually cover the topics and reading from the previous week’s homework and class activities.

Major Exams:There will be onein-classmidterm exam in this course.The tentative date is:

Monday, March 6, 2017but may be adjusted after gathering student feedback on best dates.

Final Examination:The final exam will be given on the date scheduled by the registrar during the period provided.No special arrangements will be made for students who cannot take the final at the scheduled time unless there is a conflict with another scheduled exam.Institute rules to resolve conflict exams will be followed.

Quiz and Examination Rules:

For quizzes you will be supplied with relevant and irrelevant relationships and constants. You will not prepare your own notes sheet.

For the Midterm and Final Exams you will be allowed to bringone“paper-thin” x8.5″ x 11″ sheet packed with any information that you think you might find useful. The notes sheet can be typeset and minified – use of a magnifying glass is permitted but not encouraged. You will be supplied with relevant and irrelevant constants. You may bring a scientific calculator with functionality up to the level of a TI-89 or N-Spire CX.The use of any electronic communication devices during exams is forbidden and will result in an ´F´ for the course. A cell phone is not an acceptable calculator.

Grading Scheme:

GRADES / % of Final Grade
In-Class Activities / 5%
Homework / 30%
Quizzes / 40%
Mid-Term Exam / 12%
Final Exam / 13%

Nominal cutoffs for A, B, C, and D are 90, 80, 70, and 60, respectively. The instructor reserves the right to be humane, fair, and consistent.'Grade Modifiers' (i.e., '+' or '-') will be used. This course will not be curved in the traditional sense of ensuring a certain number of A, B, C’s so it is to your benefit to collaborate with other students.

OTHER COURSE POLICIES

Grade Dispute Policy:Grade disputes should be brought to the course instructor. Be aware that when a quiz or exam grade is disputed, the entire exam may be subject to regrade.

Students with Accommodations: The instructor encourages students to make use of accommodations for which they have letters from the Dean of Students.Arrangements can be made to take quizzes after the regular class.

Extra Credit:It is not possible for an individual student to earn extra credits, but there may be class-wide opportunities.

Academic Integrity:Student-teacher relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn in are their own. Acts, which violate this trust, undermine the educational process. The Rensselaer Handbook of Student Rights andResponsibilities define various forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make yourself familiar with these. Students are encouraged to discuss solutions to homework problems with one another before the class due date, but all assignments that are turned in for a grade must represent the student’s own work. Do not copy someone else’s homework and do not cheat on exams. If submission of any assignment is in violation of this policy, then you will be charged with academic dishonesty, and given a formal letter of reprimand which will be copied to the Dean of Science, Dean of Students, your advisor and the Learning Center.You will receive a non-droppable zero for that work.If submission of any exam is in violation of this policy, then you will receive an ´F´ for the course and you will receive a written warning to be copied to the Dean of Science, Dean of Students, your advisor and the Learning Center and it will become part of your permanent record.

Some examples of cheating:

  • Copying another student’s exam, quiz, homework, or software.
  • Giving or receiving help on exams or quizzes from anyone other than the instructor or proctor.

Some examples of “not cheating”:

  • Discussing solution approaches and collaborating on homework and computational problems. (I strongly encourage you to collaborate and may even steer you into groups.)
  • Collaborating on in-class activities.

If you have any questions concerning this policy before submitting an assignment, please ask the instructor for clarification.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Assessment and Expected Outcomes:

The successful student:

  • Will be able to identify when symmetry can be usefully applied to solve intermediate level problems in quantum physics.
  • Will be able to apply concepts in quantum statistics to solve intermediate problems in electronic or thermal properties of matter.
  • Will demonstrate understanding of special relativity by showing when and how to use Lorentz transformations in basic relativistic motion and energy problems.
  • Demonstrate a deep understanding of how to apply quantum physics and quantum statistics by solving original problems in nuclear, solid state, or particle physics.
  • Be able to use computational tools including numerical integration to solve appropriate quantum physics problems.

Tentative Course Topics:

  • Introduction to numerical tools for quantum physics.
  • Spin and angular momentum – Zeeman Effect in Hydrogen
  • Symmetry and conservation laws
  • Consequences of Indistinguishable Identical Particles
  • Multielectron Atoms
  • Quantum Statistics
  • Molecules
  • Periodic Potentials and translational symmetry
  • Band Structure of Solids
  • Electrical Properties of Solids
  • Special Relativity
  • Lorentz Transformations
  • Relativistic Momentum & Energy
  • Space-Time and Momentum-Energy Four Vectors
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Nuclear Properties & Models
  • Nuclear Reactions (Radioactivity, Nuclear FissionNuclear Fusion)
  • Particle Physics
  • Elementary Particles
  • The Standard Model

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