ASTR 1010 Experimental Astronomy (3 credit hours, BGP Natural Sciences Lab) may be scheduled Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Introduction to the properties of planets, stars, and galaxies; how they are distributed; and how they move within the universe. Students actively experiment in the lab, online, and outdoors to understand how astronomers gather information about these objects, and to appreciate the observational uncertainties in such measurements. Includes two hours per week of laboratory and observational work. No prerequisites.

ASTR 2010 Modern Astronomy (3 ch, BGP Natural Sciences) scheduled Fall, Spring, and Summer; online sections available. Introduction to the physical universe, including most or all of: motions in the sky, gravity, radiation, the Sun, the nature and evolution of stars, neutron stars and black holes, the Milky Way galaxy, galaxies, the structure and evolution of the universe, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Some observational work. Extra fee. Approved for distance education.

ASTR 2120 The Solar System (3 ch, BGP Natural Sciences) scheduled Fall, Spring, and Summer; online sections available. Fall, Spring, Summer. Introduction to planetary and space science, including most or all of: motions in the sky, the history of astronomy, the moon, solar/terrestrial relations, planetary structure and atmospheres, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, space exploration, and the origin of the solar system. Some observational work. Extra fee. Approved for distance education.

ASTR 2700 Independent Study (1-3 ch) scheduled on demand. Introduction to research in physics and astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser. May include library and laboratory work. For lower division students only. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated

ASTR 3050 Life in the Universe (3 ch) Spring. The search for extraterrestrial life and life-friendly environments, including the origin, nature, and history of life on earth; possibilities for life in our own and other planetary systems, communicating with other intelligent life, and interstellar travel. Prerequisite: ASTR 2010.

ASTR 3070 Understanding the Cosmos (3 ch) scheduled Fall 2023, 2025, 2027, etc. The universe as a whole, as viewed by prehistoric civilizations to the present, including Greek/pre-Greek cosmology, the Copernican revolution, the development of modern cosmology, gravity, galaxies, dark matter, large-scale structure, universal expansion, the background radiation, the big bang and other models, the earliest times, dark energy, and the fate of the universe. Prerequisite: ASTR 2010.

ASTR 3090 Observational Astronomy (2 ch) scheduled Fall 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. Instrumentation and techniques used in making astronomical observations. Includes operation of an astronomical telescope, working knowledge of celestial coordinates, obtaining photographic images of astronomical objects and digital images with data reduction. One hour lecture and two hours laboratory. Open only to majors or minors in physics or astronomy. Prerequisite: ASTR 2010. Extra fee

ASTR 3210 Recent Progress in Astronomy (2 ch) scheduled Spring 2023, 2025, 2027, etc. Current topics in astronomy, which may include solar system exploration, extrasolar planets, pulsars, gravitational collapse and black holes, galaxies, large-scale structure in the universe, active galaxies and quasars, and cosmology. Prerequisites: PHYS 2020 or 2120; ASTR 2010. Not open to students with credit for PHYS 3210. Extra fee.

ASTR 4030 Stellar Structure and Evolution (3 ch) scheduled Spring 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. Basic data, stellar interiors, theoretical models; advanced evolutionary states; red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars, supernovas, black holes. Prerequisites: PHYS 3010 or consent of instructor. Not open to students with credit for PHYS 4030.

ASTR 4700 Independent Study (1-3 ch) scheduled on demand. Introduction to research in astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser, may include library and laboratory work. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated.

Astronomy Minor course requirements

 

PHYS 1010 Basic Physics (3 credit hours, BGP Natural Sciences Lab) may be scheduled Fall and Spring terms. Laboratory course for non-science majors. Elementary description of major physics concepts and principles with contemporary applications. Not acceptable toward physics major or minor. Two lectures and one two-hour laboratory. Extra fee

PHYS 2010 College Physics I (5 ch, BGP Natural Sciences Lab) scheduled Fall, Spring, Summer; online sections available. First term of an introductory physics sequence using algebra and trigonometry, but not calculus. Topics include motion, forces, energy, fluids, heat and simple harmonic motion. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: satisfactory score on the math placement exam or a grade of C or higher in MATH 1120 or in MATH 1200 or above. Extra fee. Approved for distance education.

PHYS 2020 College Physics II (5 ch, BGP Natural Sciences Lab) scheduled Fall, Spring, Summer. PHYS 2010 continued. Simple harmonic motion, wave motion, sound, electricity, magnetism, electrical measurements, optics; atomic, nuclear and solid-state physics. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2010. Extra fee

PHYS 2110 University Physics I (5 ch, BGP Natural Sciences Lab, Honors section available) scheduled Fall. Introductory calculus-based physics sequence for science and engineering majors. Kinematics in one, two and three dimensions; Newtonian mechanics; gravitation; heat and thermodynamics. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Corequisite: MATH 1310 (Calculus I). Extra fee.

PHYS 2120 University Physics II (5 ch, BGP Natural Sciences Lab, Honors section available) scheduled Spring. PHYS 2110 continued. Wave motion, sound, optics, electricity and magnetism. Four lecture-recitations and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2110. Corequisite: MATH 2320. Extra fee.

PHYS 2700 Independent Study (3 ch) scheduled on demand. Introduction to research in physics and astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser. May include library and laboratory work. For lower-division students only. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated.

PHYS 3010 Modern Physics (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Topics from relativity; quantum physics; nuclear, atomic and molecular physics; thermal physics, including energy and the second law. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320. Corequisite: PHYS 3110.

PHYS 3110 Modern Physics Laboratory (1 ch) scheduled Fall. Laboratory work designed to accompany material presented in PHYS 3010. One three-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320. Corequisite: PHYS 3010. Extra fee.

PHYS 3020 Thermal Physics and Optics (3 ch) scheduled Spring. Introduction to thermal physics, including engines and refrigerators, chemical thermodynamics, and classical and quantum statistics. Introduction to optics, including waves, electromagnetic theory, propagation of light, geometrical optics, polarization, interference, diffraction, and Fourier optics. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisite: PHYS 3010. Corequisite: PHYS 3120.

PHYS 3120 Thermal Physics and Optics Laboratory (1 ch) scheduled Spring. Laboratory work designed to accompany material presented in PHYS 3020. One three-hour laboratory. Corequisite: PHYS 3020. Extra fee.

PHYS 3090 Atomic and Nuclear Physics (3 ch) scheduled on demand. Phenomenological basis of our understanding of atomic phenomena, fundamental ideas of atomic structure, structure of nuclei and basic decay processes, elementary particles. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisite: PHYS 3010.

PHYS 3210 Recent Progress in Astronomy (2 ch) See ASTR 3210 above. Prerequisites: PHYS 2020 or PHYS 2120; ASTR 2010. Not open to students with credit for ASTR 3210.

PHYS 3500 Musical Acoustics (3 ch) scheduled Spring 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. Nature of vibration; sound waves, sources of musical sounds-strings, air columns, percussion, voice and noise; acoustics of rooms; recording, reproduction and synthesis of sound. Not open to students majoring in physical sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Geology).

PHYS 4010 Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics I (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Survey of basic methods of mathematical techniques applied to physics, including linear algebra, ordinary differential equations and vector calculus with emphasis on how these concepts are used in physics. Parallel development is given to numerical methods used to solve physical problems. Use of an appropriate scientific programming language is included. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 2120; or PHYS 2020 and MATH 2320.

PHYS 4030 Stellar Structure and Evolution (3 ch) scheduled Spring 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. See ASTR 4030 above. Prerequisites: PHYS 3010 or consent of instructor. Not open to students with credit for ASTR 4030.

PHYS 4100 Solid State Physics (3 ch) scheduled Spring 2025, 2027, 2029, etc. Continuum and atomic theories of solids, lattice vibrations, specific heat of solids, electron theory of metals and semi-conductors. Superconductivity. Three lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 3020.

PHYS 4160 Classical Mechanics (3 ch) scheduled Fall 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. Newtonian particle mechanics in one, two and three dimensions; non-inertial reference frames. Central forces and celestial mechanics. Dynamics of a system of particles; rigid body motion. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of dynamics. Theory of small oscillations. Three lecture/recitations. Corequisite: PHYS 4010.

PHYS 4170 Quantum Mechanics (3 ch) scheduled Spring 2024, 2026, 2028, etc. Duality of matter and radiation, state functions and interpretation. Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wave equations and principles of wave mechanics, elementary applications of Schroedinger's equation, operator methods and approximation techniques. Prerequisites: PHYS 3010, PHYS 4010.

PHYS 4180 Electricity and Magnetism (3 ch) scheduled Fall 2023, 2025, 2027, etc. Electric and magnetic fields; Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic field with applications in propagation, absorption, reflection, transmission of radiation. Prerequisite: MATH 2330 or 2350. Corequisite: PHYS 4010.

PHYS 4700 Independent Study (1-3 ch) scheduled on demand. Introduction to research in physics and astronomy; projects chosen in consultation with adviser, may include library and laboratory work. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated.

Bachelor of Science in Physics major course requirements

Physics Minor course requirements

PHYS 6010 Techniques in Experimental Physics (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Laboratory-related course in which various experimental techniques and current topics in physics and engineering are treated.

PHYS 6020 Advanced Classical Mechanics (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics, central force problems, small oscillations, canonical transformations, nonlinear dynamics and deterministic chaos, logistic maps.

PHYS 6030 Advanced Electrodynamics (3 ch) scheduled Spring. Elements of electrodynamics including: electrostatics, magnetostatics, electromagnetism, radiating systems, and relativity. Prerequisites: PHYS 5010, PHYS 5020, PHYS 5180, or equivalent work.

PHYS 6040 Statistical Mechanics (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Laws of thermodynamics; kinetic theory; Boltzmann transport equation; Liouville's theorem; fundamental postulates of classical and quantum statistical mechanics; microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles; applications to gases, liquids, and solids; Ising model; applications of computational methods. Prerequisite: PHYS 6020 or consent of instructor.

PHYS 6050 Advanced Quantum Mechanics (3 ch) scheduled Spring. Foundations of quantum mechanics with applications to current problems in physics. Prerequisites: PHYS 6020 or equivalent.

PHYS 6060 Techniques of Computational Physics (3 ch) scheduled Fall. Fundamentals of the application of computers in physics with emphasis on numerical methods, survey of methods of simulation with in-depth treatment of several computational physics applications, high level programming and other simulation tools in treating complex physical systems.

PHYS 6100 Advanced Solid State Physics (3 ch) scheduled Summer on demand. Quantum theory of solids, including: treatment of conduction electrons in metals and semiconductors, electron transport properties, band theory, dielectric, magnetic and optical properties of solids, and superconductivity. Second quantization and pseudopotential techniques. Prerequisite: PHYS 5100 or consent of instructor.

PHYS 6810 Seminar in Physics (2 ch) scheduled Fall and Spring. Systematic study of selected topics in physics. Oral presentation is emphasized in the research and instructional arenas. May be repeated to eight hours. Graded S/U.

PHYS 6840 Readings in Physics (1-3 ch) scheduled on demand. Special topics in specific areas of physics suited to needs of individual student. May be repeated to eight hours. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

PHYS 6990 Thesis Research (1-12 ch) scheduled on demand. Credit for thesis study. Enrollment in excess of nine hours is acceptable for Plan I (thesis) master's degree, but no more than six hours may be credited toward degree. Minimum acceptable toward degree is two hours. Graded S/U.

Graduate students may take as electives PHYS 5xxx-level versions of PHYS 4100, 4160, 4170, and 4180 upon recommendation of the Graduate Coordinator.

Master of Science in Physics program course requirements include PHYS 6010, 6020, 6030, 6040, 6050, 6060 and four semesters of PHYS 6810. Plan I requires at least 30 credit hours of course work plus a written thesis and oral defense, and is strongly recommended for students planning to pursue a Ph.D. program. Alternatively, Plan II requires at least 32 credit hours of coursework plus a scholarly paper and a comprehensive written exam. See our Graduate Coordinator for details.

Courses are usually taken in the following sequence:

• First Fall Semester: PHYS 6010, 6020, 6810,
• First Spring Semester: PHYS 6030, 6050, 6810,
• First Summer: PHYS 6910 "Directed Research in Physics"
• Second Fall Semester: PHYS 6040, 6060, 6810,
• Second Spring Semester: PHYS 6810, 6990,
• Second Summer (optional upon request): PHYS 6990.