Plans for lectures

We plan to have seven lectures as follows. The schedule can be found on the left. 

The main book will be Randy Harris, Modern Physics, Second edition, Pearson International Edition

but there are many other similar books.

Lecture 1: (chapter 3-4, Harris)

The experimentel background of modern Physics. Material waves (“de Broglie waves”). Wave packets and the Heisenberg uncertainty relation. Wave-particle duality. Planck’s radiation law. X-ray emission and spectra. photoelectric effect. pair production.

Lecture 2: (chapter 4, Harris)

Atomic structure. The Bohr model of the atom. Atomic energy levels.

The foundations of quantum mechanics. Interpretations of wave functions. Plane wave solutions.

Lecture 3: (chapter 5, Harris)

Applications of the Schrödinger equation to simple potentials.

The harmonic oscillator. infinite potential well, finite potential well, bound states.

 chapter 6,

Unbound states. potential step. Quantum tunneling. Quantum mechanical phenomena in the natural sciences and technology, such as tunneling, scannng microscope

Lecture 4: (chapter 7, Harris)

The Schrödinger Equation in ThreeDimensions.

Three dimensional harmonic oscillator. 3D infinite well Angular Behavior in a Central Force

Lecture 5: (chapter 8, Harris)

Atomic physics.

Angular momentum and spin. Angular Momentum Quantization: Identical Particles. The Spin·Orbit Interaction The hydrogen atom and the periodic table. The Pauli principle.

Lecture 6: (chapter 10, Harris)

Molecular and solids.

Lecture 7: (chapter 11-12, Harris)

Nuclear and particle physics Radioactive decay. decay law. Binding energy. The structure of the nucleus. Nuclear models. nuclear reactions. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Fundamental particles.

If time allows, a short presenation on special relativity.