Introduction to Modern Physics
Textbook: K. Krane, "Modern Physics", 3rd ed.
Physics 307 Spring 2013
Course Topics
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Relativity
|
Quantum Theory |
Statistical Physics |
Nuclear Physics
|
Elementary Particles
Topics expected to be covered in this course are expected to be
RELATIVITY, QUANTUM THEORY, STATISTICAL PHYSICS,
NUCLEAR PHYSICS, and ELEMENTARY PARTICLES.
- Units and constants. Electron volts.
- Galilean invariance. Principle of Relativity. Inertial frames.
- Michelson-Morley experiment: electrodynamics satisfies the
Principle of Relativity.
- Postulates of special relativity.
- Consequences of the postulates:
- Time dilation.
- Length contraction.
- Relativity of simultaneity.
- Lorentz transformation.
- Addition of velocities.
- Relativistic invariants: charge, proper time.
- Experimental verification of special relativity
- Relativistic energy and momentum. Rest energy.
- The invariant E2 - p2c2
= m2c4.
- Energy-momentum conservation in decays and collisions.
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- Electromagnetic waves in cavities.
- Statistical mechanics: Boltzmann factor.
- Average energy of a quantized mode. Number of modes in a
frequency range.
- Planck radiation formula.
- Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law.
- Photoelectric effect.
- Compton effect.
- Bremsstrahlung, X-ray diffraction, Bragg condition, pair
production and annihilation.
- de Broglie waves.
- Wave-particle duality.
- Uncertainty principle.
- The Schroedinger equation.
- Solutions with definite energy and momentum.
- Standing wave solutions, definite energy but uncertain momentum.
- Particle in a box, energy spectrum.
- Schroedinger equation with a potential.
- The harmonic oscillator in classical and quantum mechanics.
- Atomic structure.
- Rutherford's experiment. The nucleus. Coulomb force.
- Bohr's model of the atom. Atomic stability and spectral lines.
- Schroedinger equation for the hydrogen atom.
- Quantum numbers n, l, and m:
- Physical significance.
- Rules.
- States of hydrogen: degeneracy of each level, spectroscopic
notation.
- Electron spin and magnetic moment.
- Zeeman effect.
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- Maxwell distribution of speeds for the molecules of a gas.
- The Boltzmann factor.
- Fermions and Bosons. Exclusion principle.
- Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions.
- Nuclear size and nucleon density as a function of r.
- Significance of the relation R = R0 A1/3.
- The nucleus as a Fermi gas. Typical kinetic energy of a nucleon.
- Definition of binding energy. Calculation of binding energy from
mass tables.
- Significance of the curve of binding energy per particle vs. A.
- Stable nuclei as a function of Z and N=A-Z.
Conclusions from its general shape.
- Unstable nuclei, fission, radioactivity.
- Alpha decay, tunneling, isotopic lifetimes.
- Beta decay, K-capture, the neutrino, weak interactions.
- Nuclear reactions, fusion, nuclear energy in stars.
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- Classification, terminology.
- Forces: Gravitational, weak, electromagnetic, and strong.
- Particles:
- Old: Baryons, leptons, mesons, photons.
- New: Weak bosons, quarks, gluons, the Higgs.
- Conservation laws:
- Always:
- Energy, momentum, angular momentum, electric charge.
- Baryon number B, lepton number L
.
- Sometimes:
- Parity P, charge conjugation C, time
reversal T.
- Isospin I, strangeness S, charm C,
bottom, top.
- Events. Historic firsts.
- Neutrinos, pions, muons, antiparticles.
- Internal quantum numbers: isospin conserved in strong
interactions.
- Weak interactions don't conserve parity: 60Co
decay. Helicity of neutrino and anti-neutrino.
- Associated production, strangeness, new baryons and mesons.
- The quark model.
- K-meson 'flavors' produced in states that don't have definite
energy. Time-reversal not OK in weak interactions.
- νe not the same as νμ.
- Electroweak unification, weak vector bosons, the Higgs particle(s) and LHC at CERN.
- Color, gluons, Quantum chromodynamics.
- Neutrino flavor oscillations, solar neutrinos.
- The Standard Model.
- The Big Bang Hypothesis --- Cosmology.
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This page maintained by "Fred Myhrer"
; January 10, 2013;
Last update January 10, 2013