Physics 3 (U03232)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 9 ? Acronym : PHY-3-Phys3

First Half: Optics. This course gives a broad introduction to optics and it applications. It covers geometric optics and its application to basic optical system, polarsiation of light and its properties, twin and multiple beam interference, its appliactions in interferometers and thin films and simplifed diffrations and its implication in spectroscopy and imaging.

Second half: Nuclear & Particle Physics. This course explores the quantum world at the nuclear and particle scales. Basic concepts of nuclear physics are introduced and nuclear properties, structure and decays are discussed. There follows an introduction into the physics of elementary particles. The fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions are described.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Physics 2B: Waves, Quantum Physics and Materials (PHY-2-B); Foundations of Mathematical Physics (PHY-2-FoMP) or Principles of Mathematical Physics (PHY-2-PoMP).

? Prohibited combinations : U01360 Nuclear and Particle Physics U01358 Optics

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Undergraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 6 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	10:00	10:50	KB
Lecture	Tuesday	10:00	10:50	KB
Lecture	Thursday	10:00	10:50	KB
Lecture	Friday	10:00	10:50	KB

? Additional Class Information : Workshop/tutorial sessions, as arranged.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course a student should understand and solve problems on:
Optics:
1)paraxial geometric optics using Gaussian lens formula and matrix ray methods
2)material dispersion in singlet and achromatic double, Cauchy's Formula and concept behind Sellmeier's Relation
3)basic optical systems, including eye, magnifier, telescope, microscope, optical aberrations and their control
4)linear polarised light, Fresnel's relations and Brewster's angle at an interface, circular and elliptical polarised light, crystal birefringent and activity,
5)optical interference in amplitude and wavefront division schemes, basic interferometers and uses, Newton's rings, thin films for anti-reflection and high reflectivity applications
6)far-field diffraction, Fourier formulation and relation to imaging system , Rayleigh criterion, Fresnel diffraction
Nuclear & Particle:
1)Identify nuclear forces
2)Understand external properties of nuclei (eg mass, charge distributions) & internal properties eg angular momentum, spin, parity, magnetic moment, excited states
3)Describe nucleon-nucleon interactions
4)Compare theoretical descriptions such as liquid drop, shell and collective models
5)Interpret semi-empirical mass formula and apply to binding energies, stability
6)Understand statistical nature of nuclear decay and summarise, account for the various mechanisms
7)Identify elementary particles eg quarks, leptons, gauge bosons; describe quantum properties eg spin, mass, charge, isospin, strangeness
8)Identify particle interactions and understand description in quantum dynamics using the concepts of Feynman diagrams and virtual exchange bosons
9)Describe composite hadrons using quark model and decay modes and lifetime or resonance width
10)Understand particle accelerators, detectors and apply symmetries, conservation laws, relativistic kinematics to particle scattering and decay
11)Describe qualitatively the Standard Model and illustrate its main features