| |
| |
May 20, 2024
|
|
|
|
|
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [NOTE!!!! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. FOR THE CURRENT CATALOG, GO TO CATALOG.NIU.EDU]
Graduate Courses
|
|
|
A list of graduate courses in alphabetical order.
|
| |
| |
-
PHYS 500 - Analytical Mechanics II
Motion of complex systems. Study of oscillating, rotating, and vibrating systems, nonlinear mechanics, mechanics of continuous media, and relativistic mechanics. Use of Fourier analysis, tensors, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulation.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 300 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 510 - Computational Physics
Techniques of physics problem solving using computers. Application of numerical analysis, linear analysis, iterative methods, and Monte Carlo simulation to problems in classical and modern physics. Use of equation-solving software and high-level programming languages.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: CSCI 240, PHYS 300, and PHYS 370, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 520 - Acoustics I
Vibrating strings, bars and plates, acoustic wave equation, transmission and absorption of sound, radiation, and filters.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 367 or MEE 322; and MATH 334 or MATH 336; or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 530 - Optics
Geometrical, physical, quantum, and experimental optics with emphasis on topics of current interest. Three lectures plus a threehour laboratory weekly.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 370 or consent of department.
Credits: 4
|
| |
-
PHYS 531 - Medical Imaging I
Basic principles of imaging science for diagnostic applications and therapy planning in radiation therapy. Imaging technology including 2-D x-ray imaging and 3-D imaging using CT, MRI, and ultrasound. Mathematical methods of image reconstruction and anatomical structure identification.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 534 - Radiation Physics I
Radiation from nuclear reactions and accelerators and the interaction of radiation with matter. Theory of particle interactions including photons, electrons, protons, neutrons, and heavy nuclei. Natural and artificial radioactivity, radiation detection, dose determinations, and shielding.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 383, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 560 - Quantum Physics
Schrodinger wave equation, eigen-values and eigen-functions, methods of approximation, and applications to the square well, the harmonic oscillator, and hydrogen-like atoms.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 300 and PHYS 370, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 561 - Modern Physics
Applications of quantum physics to atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei, and elementary particles.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 560 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 563 - Thermodynamics, Kinetic Theory, and Statistical
Review of such topics as the laws of thermodynamics, the entropy concept, and thermodynamic potentials. Probability, distribution functions, and transport phenomena. Introductory treatment of classical and quantum-mechanical statistical mechanics. Emphasis on applications to areas of modern physics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 320 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 570 - Electricity and Magnetism II
Maxwell’s equations; propagation, reflection, and transmission of electromagnetic waves; wave guides; dipole radiation; radiation by point charges; electrodynamics in special relativity.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 300 and PHYS 370, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 572 - Physical Measurements
Special laboratory problems.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 2
|
| |
-
PHYS 574 - Methods of Experimental Physics
Basic techniques of experimental physics, including high-vacuum techniques, digital electronics, design and construction of research apparatus, radiation safety, etc. Open to graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in all sciences. Strongly recommended for all graduate students in physics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 375 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 575 - Laboratory Electronics II
Applications and use of integrated circuits and computer interfaces for experimental measurement and control. Includes digital electronics, digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion, power supplies, and active filters and oscillators. Includes lecture and one 3-hour laboratory period a week.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 375 or consent of department.
Credits: 4
|
| |
-
PHYS 577 - Astrophysics
Kepler’s laws and solar system, analysis of solar radiations, nuclear reactions in the sun, and other selected topics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 283 and PHYS 300, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 580 - Introduction to Materials Science
Mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and structural properties of modern engineering materials.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 300 and PHYS 370, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 585 - Methods of Mathematical Physics II
Tensor analysis. Functions of complex variable, residue calculus, partial differential equations of mathematical physics and Green’s function.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 385 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 592 - Science Teaching in the Elementary, Middle, and Junior High School: Grades K-9
Crosslisted as GEOL 586X. Selected instructional methods and materials for teaching science in elementary, middle, and junior high schools with emphasis on the physical sciences. Analysis of modern curricula and practice in the use of associated laboratory materials developed for use at all levels from grades K-9. Designed for the classroom teacher and pre-teacher, but open to science supervisors and administrators. Not available for credit in the major.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: A general physical science course and consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 594 - Use of Technology in Secondary Science Teaching
Crosslisted as GEOL 584X. Selected methods for the evaluation and use of technology in both the instructional and laboratory setting in secondary science education. Topics may include the interfacing of computers for data acquisition in the laboratory, strategies for integrating the Internet into the curriculum, and use of video/multimedia equipment.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 2
|
| |
-
PHYS 595 - Teaching of Physical Sciences
Crosslisted as CHEM 595X, GEOG 595X, and GEOL 595X. Preparation for licensuren in grades 6-12 in one or more of the fields of physical science: physics, chemistry, earth science, and general science. Examination and analysis of modern curricula; classroom and laboratory organization; microteaching and observation of teaching; lesson planning; multicultural education; teaching science to the exceptional child; reading and the teaching of science; and methods of evaluation.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department. CRQ: ILAS 401 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 597 - Student Teaching (Secondary) in Physics/Physical Sciences
Student teaching in grades 6 12 for 10 weeks or for one semester. Assignments to be arranged with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teacher Placement Office after approval by the Department of Physics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 495, or PHYS 595, and consent of department.
Credits: 7-12
|
| |
-
PHYS 600 - Classical Mechanics
Hamiltonian formulation, canonical transformations, Hamilton-Jacobi theory, special relativity, continuous media and fields.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 500 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 605 - Institute for Science Teachers
Lectures, demonstrations, laboratory work, and field trips, designed for the science teacher. Subject matter from the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and earth sciences. May be repeated to a maximum of 16 semester hours. On application to institute director and by invitation only.
Credits: 1-8
|
| |
-
PHYS 621 - Physical and Applied Acoustics
Topics of current interest in acoustics including quantum effects, interaction of sound and light, bioacoustics, architectural acoustics, transducers, physics of musical instruments, speech acoustics, and psychoacoustics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 624 - Acoustics Laboratory
Methods of analysis of sound and vibration, including holographic interferometry, FFT analysis, experimental modal testing, audio tests and measurements, acoustic diffraction and interference, sonoluminescence, acoustic fields, and psychoacoustics.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 429 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 630 - Advanced Optics
Quantum optics and lasers. Topics in nonlinear optics, to include frequency doubling crystals, parametric crystals, acoustic scattering. Fourier optics. Kirchhoff-Fresnel theory of diffraction. Other contemporary topics at discretion of instructor.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 530, PHYS 570, or PHYS 560, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 634 - Radiological Physics and Dosimetry
Methods of measuring and calculating dose to the patient for common tumors. Field shaping techniques to increase dose conformity to the target. External beam therapy as well as radioactive seed implants (brachytherapy). Various dosimeters used for measurement as well as their limitations and accuracy.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 534 and consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 645 - Surface Physics
Topics include surface crystallography, thermodynamics, electronic structure, reconstruction, clean surfaces, chemisorption, physisorption, and experimental techniques of surface analysis including Low-Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) desorption, stimulated desorption, various electron spectroscopies, electron microscopy, and X-ray scattering. Topics limited to discretion of instructor.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 660 and PHYS 666, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 659 - Special Problems in Physics
Special problems in physics under supervision of staff. Problems may be technical in nature or concerned with teaching procedure. May be repeated to a maximum of 15 semester hours, but no more than 10 semester hours may apply toward a master’s degree.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 1-10
|
| |
-
PHYS 660 - Quantum Mechanics I
Linear vector spaces, operators, and the formal structure of quantum theory; elementary treatment of simple systems; matrix mechanics; angular momentum and spin, timeindependent and dependent perturbation methods, variational principle; applications to simple atoms and molecules.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 560 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 661 - Quantum Mechanics II
Identical particles, exclusion principle and exchange effects; interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter; introduction to scattering theory, partial wave analysis, and Born approximation; simple many-body theory in the Hartree-Fock framework.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 660 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 663 - Statistical Physics I
Classical and quantum distribution functions, entropy and temperature, connection with themodynamics; partition function, quantum gases, nonideal gases; Boltzmann equation and the H-theorem; fluctuation and transport phenomena; phase transitions and critical phenomena, non-equilibrium problems, scaling and critical behavior; introduction to renormalization group methods.
Prerequisites & Notes
CRQ: PHYS 561, PHYS 563, PHYS 660, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 666 - Solid State Physics I
Crystal symmetry, lattice vibrations, free and Bloch electrons, Brillouin zones and band structures; introduction to lattice dynamics and transport properties; Fermi surfaces; semiconductors; simple treatment of mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of solids.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 560 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 667 - Solid State Physics II
Magnetism, superconductivity, optical properties, screening and dielectric response in solids; electrodynamics of metals, phonons, elasticity and anharmonicity; second-order phase transitions, disordered systems.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 666 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 670 - Electromagnetic Theory I
Maxwell’s equation, plane waves in isotropic and anisotropic dielectrics, conducting media, wave guides and plasmas, dipole radiation and diffraction.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 570 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 671 - Electromagnetic Theory II
Radiation from moving charges, relativistic formulation of electrodynamics, collisions and scattering, multipole radiation, radiation damping and self forces.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 670 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 673 - Beam Physics I
Production and acceleration of charged particle beams; an historical account of accelerators; review of geometric optics; E&M of accelerators; dynamics, equations of the motion, and transfer maps; linear beam optics; beam line modules; particle optical devices; periodic transport.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 600 and PHYS 670, or consent of instructor.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 680 - Introduction to Nanophysics
Characterization, fabrication, and physical properties of nanostructures. Topics may include length scales, fabrication by top-down and bottom-up approaches, probing techniques, transport and optical properties, superconductivity and magnetism of nanostructures.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 560 or PHYS 660 and PHYS 580 or PHYS 666, or consent of the department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 683 - Beam Physics II
Multiparticle beam dynamics: space-charge effects; self-consistent theory of beams; emittance dilution and control; other collective effects (wakefield, coherent synchrotron radiation) and associated instabilities; phase space manipulations.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 671 and PHYS 673, or consent of instructor.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 684 - Introduction to High Energy Physics and Astrophysics
Quarks, leptons, and gauge bosons; fundamental interactions and their unification in the standard model of particle physics; big bang cosmology.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 561 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 686 - Phenomenology of Particle Physics
Advanced topics in the standard model of quarks, leptons, gauge bosons, and their fundamental interactions. Particle production and decay phenomenology.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 684 or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 692 - Seminar on College Teaching of Physics
Traditional and nontraditional methods for teaching physics at the college and community college levels. Laboratory and demonstration apparatus discussed. May include teaching classes under the guidance of an experienced teacher. May not be applied toward the master’s degree.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 699 - Master’s Thesis
Individual investigation of a problem under the supervision of an adviser in the department. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of research supervisor and the department.
Credits: 1-6
|
| |
-
PHYS 751 - General Relativity
Special relativity on a flat space-time metric, manifolds and curvature, Einstein’s equation, Schwarzschild solution.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: PHYS 600 and PHYS 670, or consent of department.
Credits: 3
|
| |
-
PHYS 790 - Special Topics in Physics
A. Condensed Matter Physics
B. Elementary Particle Physics
C. Nanophsyics
D. Beam Physics
E. Medical Physics
F. Other Topics of Current Interest
Lectures and discussions on topics in various fields of physics at the graduate level. May be repeated in one or more fields of physics to a maximum of 9 semester hours in any one area, but no more than 15 semester hours may apply toward a master’s degree, and no more than 24 semester hours toward a Ph.D.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 1-6
|
| |
-
PHYS 798 - Physics Seminar
Discussion of current problems in physics under guidance of staff.
Credits: 1
|
| |
-
PHYS 799 - Doctoral Research and Dissertation
May be repeated to a maximum of 100 semester hours.
Prerequisites & Notes
PRQ: Consent of department.
Credits: 1-15
|
| |
|
|
|
Print this Page