PHY 101 Introduction to Physics. (4)
fall and spring
Emphasizes applications of physics to life in the modern world. Presumes understanding of elementary algebra. 3 hours lecture, 1 recitation, 2 hours lab.
General Studies: SQ

PHY 105 Basic Physics. (3)
fall
One-semester survey of the principles of physics. Primarily for students who intend to take PHY 121, 131 but have not taken high school physics. 3 hours lecture, 1 recitation. Prerequisites: algebra and trigonometry.

PHY 111 General Physics. (3)
fall, spring, summer
Noncalculus treatment of the principles of physics for nonphysics majors. Students whose curricula require a laboratory course must also register for PHY 113. 3 hours lecture, 1 recitation. Prerequisite: trigonometry.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 113)

PHY 112 General Physics. (3)
fall, spring, summer
Continuation of PHY 111. Students whose curricula require a laboratory course must also register for PHY 114. Prerequisite: PHY 111.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 114)

PHY 113 General Physics Laboratory. (1)
fall, spring, summer
Elementary experiments in physics. Requires outside preparation for experiments and report writing. May be taken concurrently with, or subsequent to, PHY 111. 2 hours lab.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 111)

PHY 114 General Physics Laboratory. (1)
fall, spring, summer
See PHY 113. May be taken concurrently with, or subsequent to, PHY 112.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 112)

PHY 121 University Physics I: Mechanics. (3)
fall, spring, summer
Kinematics; Newton’s laws; work, energy, momentum, conservation laws; dynamics of particles, solids, and fluids. 3 hours lecture, 1 hour recitation. Prerequisite: MAT 270 or 290 or instructor approval.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 122)

PHY 122 University Physics Laboratory I. (1)
fall, spring, summer
Lab accompanying PHY 121. Pre- or corequisite: PHY 121.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 121)

PHY 131 University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism. (3)
fall, spring, summer
Electric charge and current, electric and magnetic fields in vacuum and in materials, and induction. AC circuits, displacement current, and electromagnetic waves. 3 hours lecture, 1 hour recitation. Prerequisites: MAT 271 (or 291 or instructor approval); PHY 121. Corequisite: MAT 272 or instructor approval.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 132)

PHY 132 University Physics Laboratory II. (1)
spring and summer
Lab accompanying PHY 131. Pre- or corequisite: PHY 131.
General Studies: SQ (if credit also earned in PHY 131)

PHY 150 Physics I. (4)
spring
Introductory physics for majors. Kinematics, Newton’s Laws, basic forces, energy, momentum, special relativity. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab. Prerequisite: MAT 270 or 290 (or its equivalent).
General Studies: SQ

PHY 151 Physics II. (4)
fall
Continuation of PHY 150. Electromagnetic fields; Ampere’s and Faraday’s Laws; Maxwell’s equations; basic circuit elements. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab. Prerequisites: MAT 271 (or 291 or its equivalent); PHY 121, 122 (or 150).
General Studies: SQ

PHY 190 Seminar: Physics as a Curriculum and a Profession. (1)
fall and spring
Seminar for new Physics majors. Instruction and information on curriculum, departmental functions, and professional preparation. Weekly meetings and excursions. Pass/fail grading.

PHY 201 Mathematical Methods in Physics I. (3)
spring
Differential equations, linear equations, vectors, matrices, Fourier series, and numerical methods. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab. Prerequisite: MAT 272 (or its equivalent). Corequisite: PHY 252.
General Studies: CS

PHY 241 University Physics III. (3)
fall and spring
Thermodynamics, kinetic theory, physical and wave optics, relativity, photons, matter waves, atomic physics. 3 hours lecture, 1 hour recitation. Prerequisites: PHY 131; nonmajor.

PHY 252 Physics III. (4)
spring
Continuation of PHY 151. Wave physics, oscillations, harmonic systems, physical optics, thermodynamics, kinetic theory. 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab. Prerequisites: MAT 272 (or its equivalent); PHY 131 and 132 (or 151 or its equivalent). Corequisite: PHY 201.
General Studies: SQ

PHY 302 Mathematical Methods in Physics II. (2)
fall
Continuation of PHY 201. Vector calculus, complex variables, partial differential equations, special functions, numerical methods. 1 hour lecture, 3 hours lab. Prerequisite: PHY 201 (or its equivalent).

PHY 310 Classical Particles, Fields, and Matter I. (3)
fall
Particle kinematics, mechanics, conservation laws, particle motion in force fields, dynamics of two-body systems, reference frames, rigid body motion, relativity. Corequisites: both PHY 302 and 314 or only instructor approval.

PHY 311 Classical Particles, Fields, and Matter II. (3)
spring
Electrostatic and gravitational fields, Poisson and Laplace equations, dielectric materials, magnetic fields and materials, magnetic induction, Faraday’s Law. Prerequisites: PHY 302, 310. Corequisite: PHY 315 or instructor approval.

PHY 314 Quantum Physics I. (3)
fall
Photons, models of the atom, wave properties of matter, introduction to wave mechanics, 1-dimensional systems in quantum mechanics. Prerequisites: PHY 201 and 252 (or their equivalents). Corequisites: both PHY 302 and 310 or only instructor approval.

PHY 315 Quantum Physics II. (3)
spring
General principles of quantum mechanics, 3-dimensional problems, approximation methods, spin, introduction to many-particle systems. Prerequisites: PHY 302, 310, 314. Corequisite: PHY 311 or instructor approval.

PHY 333 Electronic Circuits and Measurements. (3)
fall and spring
Basic principles of electronic circuit analysis and measurement techniques using modern instrumentation and computer-aided analysis of data. 1 hour lecture, 3 hours lab; required equivalent effort outside of lab. Corequisite: PHY 201 or instructor approval.

PHY 334 Advanced Laboratory I. (2)
spring
Selected experiments from contemporary physics. Emphasizes modern instrumentation, computer-assisted acquisition and analysis of data, and report form writing. Lecture, lab. Prerequisites: PHY 310, 314, 333.
General Studies: L (if credit also earned in PHY 420)

PHY 361 Introductory Modern Physics. (3)
fall and spring
Special relativity and introductory quantum theory with applications drawn from atomic, nuclear, and solid-state physics. 3 hours lecture, 1 recitation. Prerequisite: PHY 131.

PHY 412 Classical Particles, Fields, and Matter III. (3)
fall
Electromagnetic fields of moving charges, Maxwell’s equations, harmonic phenomena, oscillations, waves, electromagnetic radiation, covariant electromagnetism, introduction to general relativity. Prerequisites: PHY 311, 333. Corequisite: PHY 416 or instructor approval.

PHY 416 Quantum Physics III. (3)
fall
Introduces the quantum theory of atoms, molecules, solids and nuclei, Dirac’s equation. Prerequisites: PHY 311, 315. Corequisite: PHY 412 or instructor approval.

PHY 420 Research Paper. (1)
fall and spring
Scientific report writing. Culminates in a paper based on library or laboratory research or both. Taken in conjunction with other courses as approved. Conference. Prerequisite: instructor approval.
General Studies: L (if credit also earned in PHY 334)

PHY 441 Statistical and Thermal Physics I. (3)
fall
Statistical and experimental basis of heat, temperature, and entropy. Mechanical and statistical basis of the laws of thermodynamics. Applications of macroscopic thermodynamics. Phase equilibrium. Prerequisites: PHY 311, 315.

PHY 442 Statistical and Thermal Physics II. (3)
spring
Principles and applications of statistical mechanics. Quantum statistics of ideal gases and simple solids. Equilibrium of phases and chemical species. Transport theory. Irreversible processes and fluctuation. Prerequisite: PHY 441.

PHY 452 Physical Optics. (3)
fall
Principles of reflection, refraction, diffraction. Additional topics from contemporary optics may include Fourier transform spectroscopy, linear systems theory, holography. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours lab. Prerequisites: PHY 302, 311, 315. Corequisite: PHY 412.

PHY 462 Subatomic Physics. (3)
spring
Nuclear properties, models, decays and reactions; fundamental forces, field theories, symmetry principles; hadrons, quarks, and leptons; the Standard Model. Prerequisites: PHY 311, 315.

PHY 465 Advanced Laboratory II. (2)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 334. Students are encouraged to substitute laboratory research project in consultation with faculty sponsor. Prerequisite: PHY 334.

PHY 466 Advanced Laboratory III. (1 – 3)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 465. Prerequisite: PHY 465.

PHY 480 Methods of Teaching Physics. (3)
spring
Evaluation of various approaches to the teaching of high school physics. Preparation of demonstrations and experiments. Organization of a laboratory. Designed for secondary school physics teachers. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

PHY 481 Materials Physics I. (3)
fall
Fundamentals of materials physics: crystal structure, diffraction, elasticity, point defects, dislocations, lattice vibrations, thermal properties, periodic potential, band structure. Prerequisites: PHY 311, 315.

PHY 482 Materials Physics II. (3)
spring
Electronic behavior of materials: energy bands, electronic properties, metals, semiconductors, insulators, optical properties, magnetic properties, superconductivity, biophysics. Prerequisite: PHY 481 (or its equivalent).

PHY 484 Internship: Physics Teaching. (1 – 4)
fall, spring, summer
Preparation for high school physics teaching. Student works closely with a faculty member in the elementary physics program. May be repeated for a total of 6 semester hours. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

PHY 495 Project Research. (1 – 3)
fall and spring
Supervised project in physics or astrophysics. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

PHY 498 Pro-Seminar. (1 – 7)
selected semesters

PHY 501 Methods of Theoretical Physics. (3)
fall and spring
Provides mathematical foundations for graduate students in basic and applied physics. Complex variables, vector spaces, operators, matrices, ordinary differential equations, integral equations and transforms, and special functions. May include additional topics.

PHY 502 Methods of Theoretical Physics. (3)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 501. Prerequisite: PHY 501.

PHY 521 Classical Mechanics. (3)
fall
Variational principles, Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s equations, rigid body motion, canonical transformations, Hamilton-Jacobi theory.

PHY 523 Relativity. (3)
selected semesters
Special and general theories of relativity. Prerequisite: PHY 532 or instructor approval.

PHY 531 Advanced Electricity and Magnetism. (3)
fall
Electrostatics and magnetostatics; potential theory and theory of constitutive relations; Maxwell’s equations; the wave equation, plane electromagnetic waves, cavities, and wave guides.

PHY 532 Electrodynamics. (3)
spring
Special theory of relativity, covariant formulation of electromagnetic interactions; inhomogeneous wave equations, Lienard-Wiechert potentials, and radiation fields; interactions of charged particles and electromagnetic waves, scattering, dispersion. Prerequisites: both PHY 412 and 531 or only instructor approval.

PHY 541 Statistical Physics. (3)
fall
Probability theory and principles of statistical inference; evaluating experimental data; foundations of statistical mechanics; general laws of thermodynamics from microscopic theories; calculation of specific properties of bulk matter.

PHY 551 X-Ray and Electron Diffraction. (3)
spring
Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction in integral formulation; diffraction of x rays and neutrons by crystal lattices; structures of solids, including crystal structure analysis; theory and techniques of electron microscopy/diffraction of crystalline/noncrystalline specimens. Prerequisite: PHY 481 or instructor approval.

PHY 561 Nuclear Physics. (3)
fall and spring
Properties of nuclei, conservation laws, internucleon forces, nuclear structure models, reactions and decays, quark model with applications to nuclei. Prerequisite: PHY 576 or instructor approval.

PHY 562 Nuclear Physics. (3)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 561. Prerequisite: PHY 561 or instructor approval.

PHY 567 Relativistic Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory. (3)
spring
Relativistic quantum mechanics and introduction to the quantum field theory of scalar, spinor, and electromagnetic fields. QED through renormalization theory. Prerequisite: PHY 577.

PHY 568 Particle Physics Phenomenology. (3)
spring
Hadron physics, internal symmetry groups, weak interactions, lepton and quark phenomenology. Prerequisite: PHY 577.

PHY 569 The Standard Model and Beyond. (3)
fall
Introduces and applies the standard model of strong and electroweak interactions. Special topics include recent developments. Prerequisites: PHY 567, 568.

PHY 571 Quantum Physics. (3)
spring
Review modern physics, chemistry, math. Differential equation, operator, matrix formulations. Free particle, bound state problems. Examples across physics and astronomy. Prerequisites: a combination of modern physics and linear and complex algebra and differential equations or only instructor approval.

PHY 576 Quantum Theory. (3)
fall and spring
Abstract approach to quantum mechanics in Hilbert space; observables and their corresponding operators, eigenstates, and eigenvalues; quantum dynamics; approximation methods; systems of identical particles; angular momentum and group representation theory; collision processes; relativistic quantum theory. Prerequisite: PHY 521.

PHY 577 Quantum Theory. (3)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 576. Prerequisite: PHY 576.

PHY 580 Practicum. (1 – 12)
selected semesters

PHY 581 Quantum Theory of Solids I. (3)
fall
Band structure models: pseudopotentials, density functional theory; optical and magnetic response; elementary excitations; transport theory, electron-photon interactions and superconductivity. Prerequisites: PHY 511 (or instructor approval), 576.

PHY 582 Quantum Theory of Solids II. (3)
spring
Continuation of PHY 581: broken symmetry; phase transitions; disorder, topological defects; nano-structures topics; soft condensed matter and current research. Prerequisites: PHY 511 (or instructor approval), 576. Corequisite: PHY 512 or instructor approval.

PHY 587 Quantum Optics. (3)
fall and spring
Quantization of the electromagnetic field. Quantum theory of coherence, photon counting, photon states, lasers, density operators, and atomic Raman scattering. Prerequisite: PHY 576.

PHY 588 Quantum Optics. (3)
fall and spring
Continuation of PHY 587. Prerequisite: PHY 587.

PHY 592 Research. (1 – 12)
selected semesters

PHY 598 Special Topics. (1 – 4)
fall and spring
Topics may include the following:

PHY 599 Thesis. (1 – 12)
selected semesters

Omnibus Courses. For an explanation of additional courses offered but not specifically listed, see “Omnibus Courses.”

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