E. Uchimoto, Chair
Physics is considered to be the most fundamental of all the
disciplines in the natural sciences. In physics we try to describe
and understand a myriad of physical phenomena ranging from subatomic
to cosmological scales by quantifying the relationships among
different physical quantities. Not only does physics have its
own merit as a challenging but exciting scientific endeavor,
it provides the basis for understanding underlying processes
in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, computer science,
engineering, and even in behavioral sciences. Applications of
physics are virtually unlimited: computers, communications,
energy production, medical technology, and space flight, to
name just a few.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a range of physics
courses from introductory to advanced undergraduate level in
both experimental and theoretical physics with computational
methods in mind. In addition, we offer introductory to advanced
astronomy and astrophysics courses in which astronomical applications
of physics are emphasized. These courses deal with the Universe,
from the solar system to clusters of galaxies, both theoretically
and observationally.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers the Bachelor
of Arts degree with a major in physics. Graduates with this
degree are prepared for further study in physics or related
fields at the masters or Ph.D. level, as well as a wide variety
of technical positions in industry. In addition, the department
offers two other degree paths which combine a solid background
in the study of physics with in-depth study in other fields.
These options allow for specialization in related fields and
provide appropriate background for certain employment opportunities
and for continued graduate or professional study:
Astronomy: The astronomy option provides a thorough study
of astronomy and astrophysics as well as a solid background
in physics and mathematics. Graduates from this program have
gone on to graduate programs in astronomy and astrophysics while
others have found career opportunities at national astronomical
observatories.
Computational Physics: The computational physics option
provides a thorough study of computer science and computational
physics as well as a solid background in physics and mathematics.
Graduates from this program have gone on to graduate programs
in physics and computer science while others have found career
opportunities in technical fields.
Special Degree Requirements
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Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog.
See index.
All majors must meet the Upper-division Writing Expectation
by successfully completing an upper-division writing course
from the approved list in the Academic Policies and Procedures
section of this catalog. See index.
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Physics
Thirty eight credits in physics must be earned for the Bachelor
of Arts degree with a major in physics. Required courses in
Physics are: 221N 222N or 121N 122N (221N 222N strongly recommended),
301, 314 (315 strongly recommended), 322, 341, 371 (372 strongly
recommended), 441 and 452. Mathematics 152, 153, and 251 also
must be taken.
Physics majors must satisfy successfully the general education
requirements including the following requirement in Foreign
Language/Symbolic Systems: Completion of the second semester
of a foreign language or demonstration of equivalent skill in
a foreign language in testing administered by the Counseling
Center and Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures,
and completion of at least one computer science language course
(CS 131, 203, or 204).
Recommended courses in other departments include Mathematics
311, 312.
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Physics:
Astronomy Option
The entering freshman students interested in working toward
this degree would normally have had the high school mathematics
courses which would prepare them for enrollment in Mathematics
121 during the autumn semester of the freshman year. If they
have four years of college preparatory mathematics, including
high school trigonometry, or can pass an examination which will
exempt them from Mathematics 121, they should initially enroll
in Calculus I. During the first two years of college, the student
in the astronomy option should take Calculus I, II, III and
Applied Differential Equations. The student should also enroll
in the introductory astronomy sequence, Astronomy 131N 132N.
In addition, they should enroll in as many electives and non
major courses satisfying departmental graduation requirements
as course scheduling permits. Foreign language requirements
must be met as set forth above under Bachelor of Arts with a
major in Physics. The prospective major in the astronomy option
will normally not take any physics courses until the second
year. During the sophomore year, students should enroll in Physics
221N 222N.
Thirty nine credits in astronomy and physics courses are required
for the B.A. degree in physics with astronomy option, in addition
to the general requirements for graduation. The thirty nine
credits should include Physics 221N 222N plus at least two of
the following course sequences: Physics 314 315, 322 323, 371
372, or 341 452 plus at least one additional upper-division
physics course from this list. In addition, Astronomy 131N 132N,
353, and 363 364 are required ASTR 351 strongly recommended).
Bachelor of Arts with a major in Physics:
Computational Physics Option:
The purpose of the computational physics option is to provide
a thorough background in both physics and computer science and
to inculcate a deeper understanding of their goals and methods.
A student earns the computational physics option by completing
at least 50 credits in the two disciplines, 30 of these credits
in physics courses and 20 of these in computer science courses.
The following courses are required: Physics 221N 222N, 301,
314, 341 and 371 (PHYS 315, 372, and 441 recommended); Computer
Science 131 132, 331, 332, and six credits of CS electives selected
from courses numbered 200 and above (CS 231 and 335 recommended);
Mathematics 152 153, 225, 251, 311 and 325 (MATH 305, 341, and
471 recommended). Also required is one course from Chemistry
334 or Forestry 220. Foreign language requirements must be met
as set forth above under Bachelor of Arts with a major in Physics.
Students expecting to enroll in the program must meet the admission
requirements of the computer science major. See computer science.
Teacher Preparation in Physics
Major Teaching Field of Physics: For an endorsement in the major
teaching field of Physics, a student must complete the following
course requirements: 34 credits in Physics including Physics
121N 122N or 221N 222N, 301, 314, 322 323, 328, 341, 371 and
452. Also required are Astronomy 131N 132N; Mathematics 152
153, 158, 241 or 341, and 251; Computer Science 131 or 201 or
203; Curriculum & Instruction 426, Chemistry 151N and 485;
Biology 101N or 103N or 120N or 121N; and Geology 100N and 301.
Students also must gain admission to Teacher Education and Student
Teaching and meet the requirements for certification as a secondary
teacher (see the School of Education section of this catalog).
Minor Teaching Field of Physics: For an endorsement in
the minor teaching field of Physics, a student must complete
Physics 121N 122N or 221N 222N, 322 323, 328, 341 and 371. Also
required are Astronomy 131N or 132N; Biology 101N or 103N or
120N or 121N; Chemistry 151N, 485; Mathematics 152 153, 158,
241or 344, 251; and Computer Science 131 or 201 or 203. Students
also must gain admission to Teacher Education and Student Teaching
and meet the requirements for certification as a secondary teacher
(see the School of Education section of this catalog).
Suggested Course of Study
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Bachelor of Arts with a Major
in Physics
For physics majors with four years of college preparatory
mathematics or exemption from MATH 121 by examination:
First Year
CS 131 Fundamentals of Computer Science
*ENEX 101 Composition
MATH 152 153 Calculus I, II
PHYS 221N 222N General Physics
Electives and General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
*Semester of enrollment depends of beginning letter of student's
last name.
Second Year
MATH 251 Calculus III
PHYS 301 Vector Analysis
PHYS 322 323 Optics
PHYS 341 Fundamentals of Modern Physics
Foreign Language
Electives
Total....................................................................................................................
Third Year
MATH 311 312 Applied Analysis
PHYS 314-315 Electromagnetism
PHYS 371-372 Mechanics
PHYS 441 Modern Exp Phys Lab
PHYS 446 Thermo & Stat Mech
PHYS 453 Selected Topics or 473 Quantum Mechanics
Electives and General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
Fourth Year
PHYS 446 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
PHYS 452 Quantum Physics Atomic
PHYS 453 Selected Topics or 473 Quantum Mechanics
Electives and General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
For physics majors with fewer than four years of college
preparatory mathematics (students who begin MATH 152 in
the second semester use this suggested course of study for
physics courses):
First Year
ASTR 131N 132N Elementary Astronomy
CS 131Fundamentals of Computer Science
*ENEX 101 Composition
MATH 121 PreCalculus
MATH 152 Calculus I
Foreign language
Elective
Total....................................................................................................................
* Semester of enrollment depends on beginning letter of
student's last name.
Second Year
MATH 153-Calculus II
MATH 158-Differential Equations
MATH 251-Calculus III
PHYS 221N-222N-General Physics
PHYS 301-Vector Analysis
Electives or General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
Third Year
MATH 311-312-Applied Analysis
PHYS 322-323 Optics
PHYS 341-Fundamentals of Modern Physics
PHYS 371-372- Mechanics
PHYS 441 Modern Exp Phys Lab
PHYS 446 Thermo & Stat Mech
PHYS 453 Selected Topics or 473 Quantum Mechanics
Electives and General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
Fourth Year
PHYS 314-315 Electromagnetism
PHYS 446-Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
PHYS 452-Quantum Physics Atomic
PHYS 453-Selected Topics or 473 Quantum Mechanics
Electives and General Education
Total....................................................................................................................
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Requirements for a Minor
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To earn a minor in physics the student must complete PHYS 121N-122N
or 221N-222N; PHYS 371-372; and six credits from PHYS 301, 314-315,
322-323, 341, 446, or 452-453.
Courses
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Astronomy
U=for undergraduate credit only, UG=for undergraduate or graduate
credit, G=for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates
the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated
after the R.
U 131N Elementary Astronomy I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq.,
high school algebra and geometry. Solar system astronomy.
U 132N Elementary Astronomy II 3 cr. Offered spring.
Prereq., high school algebra and geometry. A survey of normal
and variable stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies, quasars,
pulsars, neutron stars, black holes, and other topics.
U 134N Elementary Astronomy Laboratory I 1 cr. Offered autumn.
Prereq. or coreq., ASTR 131N Laboratory exercises in solar system
astronomy.
U 135N Elementary Astronomy Laboratory II 1 cr. Offered
spring. Prereq. or coreq., ASTR 132N. Laboratory exercises in
stellar and galactic astronomy.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 198 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-10)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended
classroom experience which provides practical application of
classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval
must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Center
for Work-Based Learning.
UG 351 Planetary Science 3 cr. Offered autumn even-numbered
years. Prereq., PHYS 221N or 121N and MATH 150 or 152. Same
as GEOL 309. Physical and geological characteristics of planets,
satellites, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids, with an emphasis
on comparative planetology.
UG 353 Galaxies and The Universe 3 cr. Offered spring odd-numbered
years. Prereq., ASTR 132N, PHYS 222N, MATH 251. The nature of
the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies, galactic evolution,
the large scale structure of the universe, active galaxies and
quasars, and cosmology, including the early universe.
UG 362 Observational Astronomy 3 cr. Offered summer.
Prereq., ASTR 132N, PHYS 222N. Telescopes and instrumentation
for the determination of the positions, brightness, colors and
other properties of stars; particular attention to photoelectric
photometry. Includes observational and computational problems.
UG 363 Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics I 3 cr. Offered
autumn odd-numbered years. Prereq., ASTR 132N, MATH 251, and
PHYS 222N; PHYS 341 recommended. Detailed application of physical
laws to determine the nature of the stars; analysis of stellar
spectra and atmospheres; solar astrophysics; structure of stars
and their evolution.
UG 364 Stellar Astronomy and Astrophysics II 3 cr. Offered
spring even-numbered years. Prereq., ASTR 363. Continuation
of ASTR 363.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 398 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended
classroom experience which provides practical application of
classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval
must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Center
for Work-Based Learning.
Physics
U 105N Physics of Music and Hi-Fidelity 3 cr. Offered
intermittently. Study of waves, sound and electricity as applied
to music and hi-fidelity. Not appropriate toward general physics
requirement in any major.
U 121N General Physics I 5 cr. Offered autumn and spring.
Prereq., working knowledge of high school algebra and trigonometry.
Mechanics, sound, and heat. For non-physical science majors.
Satisfies medical school requirements. Credit not allowed for
both PHYS 121N-122N and 221N-222N.
U 122N General Physics II 5 cr. Offered spring. Prereq.,
PHYS 121N. Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.
Credit not allowed for both PHYS 121N-122N and 221N-222N.
U 141N Relativity: From Galileo to Einstein and Beyond 3
cr. Offered spring. Prereq., working knowledge of high school
physics and high school calculus, or consent of instr. Modern
theoretical study of space, time, the principle of relativity,
and its implications. Analysis of apparent paradoxes, and applications
to particle physics.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 198 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended
classroom experience which provides practical application of
classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval
must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Center
for Work-Based Learning.
U 221N General Physics I 5 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq.
or coreq., calculus. This course satisfies medical and technical
school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, sound, and
heat. Credit not allowed for both PHYS 221N-222N and 121N-122N.
U 222N General Physics II 5 cr. Offered spring. Prereq.,
PHYS 221N. Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.
Credit not allowed for both PHYS 221N-222N and 121N-122N.
U 251 Laboratory Arts 1 cr. (R-2) Offered intermittently.
Prereq., PHYS 222N and upper-division standing in physics. Elements
of glass blowing, machine shop practice and electronic construction
techniques.
UG 301 Vector Analysis 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq. or
coreq., PHYS 222N and MATH 251. Selected topics in vector algebra
and vector calculus, with examples from applications in physics.
UG 314 Electromagnetism I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq,
PHYS 301. Electricity and magnetism at the intermediate level.
UG 315 Electromagnetism II 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq.,
PHYS 314. Continuation of PHYS 314. Electricity and magnetism
at the intermediate level.
UG 322 Optics I 2 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., PHYS 222N.
And coreq., MATH 251. Topics in light and optics at the intermediate
level, with laboratory.
UG 323 Optics II 2 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHYS 322.
Continuation of PHYS 322. Topics in light and optics at the
intermediate level, with laboratory.
UG 328 Methods of Teaching Physics 2 cr. Offered spring
odd-numbered years. Prereq., PHYS 222N or 122N. Lectures topics,
demonstrations and laboratory experiments used in contemporary
approaches to the teaching of high school and introductory college
physics.
UG 341 Fundamentals of Modern Physics 3 cr. Offered autumn.
Prereq., one year of general physics. Includes historical background
for development of modern physics and an introduction to quantum
mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Credit not allowed for
graduate degree in physics.
UG 371 Mechanics I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., PHYS
301 and MATH 158 and 251. Topics in classical mechanics at the
intermediate level.
UG 372 Mechanics II 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., PHYS
371. Continuation of PHYS 371. Topics in classical mechanics
at the intermediate level.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 396 Honors Physics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently.
Prereq., consent of instr. Independent research in topics of
current interest in physics.
U 441 Modern Experimental Physics Laboratory 3 cr. Offered
spring. Prereq., PHYS 222. Advanced experiments in digital electronics,
modern physics, spectroscopy and laser science. Emphasis on
individual initiative in the laboratory and advanced measurement
techniques. This course is recommended for students entering
graduate school in experimental science.
UG 446 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 3 cr. Offered
autumn odd-numbered years. Prereq., PHYS 222N and MATH 158 and
251. Topics in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
UG 452 Quantum Physics of the Atom 3 cr. Offered autumn.
Prereq., PHYS 341 and MATH 251. Introduction to quantum mechanics.
Topics include Schroedinger equation, piecewise constant potential,
harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, angular momentum theory,
electron spin.
UG 453 Selected Topics in Modern Physics 3 cr. (R-6)
Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., PHYS 452 or consent
of instr.. Studies of a topic in advanced modern physics including
nuclear physics, solid state physics, and quantum optics. The
topic chosen will vary according to instructor.
UG 473 Quantum Mechanics 3 cr. Offered spring even-numbered
years. Prereq., PHYS 452 or consent of instr. Advanced topics
in quantum mechanics including linear vector spaces and Dirac
notation, quantum dynamics, time-dependent perturbation theory,
and scattering theory.
U 493 Omnibus Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
University omnibus option for independent work. See index.
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental
offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
G 597 Research 1-6 cr. ( R-9) Offered intermittently. Prereq.,
consent of instr. Research in selected physics topics.
G 598 Cooperative Education Experience Variable cr. (R-9)
Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of department. Extended
classroom experience which provides practical application of
classroom learning during placements off campus. Prior approval
must be obtained from the faculty supervisor and the Center
for Work-Based Learning.
G 599 Thesis Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently.
Thesis preparation and execution.
Faculty back to top
Professors
Richard J. Hayden, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1948 (Emeritus)
Mark J. Jakobson, Ph.D., University of California, (Emeritus)
Randolph H. Jeppesen, Ph.D., New Mexico State University, 1980
(Emeritus)
Eijiro Uchimoto, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1988 (Chair)
Associate Professors
David B. Friend, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1982
James P. Jacobs, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1991
Andrew S. Ware, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego,
1992
Assistant Professor
Carla M. Riedel, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1996
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