Physics 251 (Modern Physics)

plus PHY 252 (Modern Physics Lab)

Fall 2009


Instructor:
Prof. Chris Jacobsen (Chris.Jacobsen@stonybrook.edu, office D-102, phone 631-632-8093).  Office hours: Tuesdays 11:30 - 12:30 or by appointment.  Please feel free to contact me to meet at other times!
Laboratory T.A.s:
Christian Holzner (office hours held in D-118 on Wednesdays 09:00-10:00 or by appointment, Christian.Holzner@stonybrook.edu).
Hyejin Ryu (office C-119, office hours Mondays 17:15-18:15, Hyejin.Ryu@stonybrook.edu)

Course syllabus and further information.
Recitation schedule with links to homework solutions, and PHY 252 lab schedule with links to lab writeups.

Lecture schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:50 - 14:10, Harriman 112.  This is an approximate schedule; I expect to deviate from it!
Date
 Subject
Tuesday, Sep. 1
 Lecture 1: Introduction to the course.  EM waves and relativity. 
Thursday, Sep. 3
 Lecture 2: Relativity II.
Tuesday, Sep. 8
 Lecture 3: Relativity III.
Thursday, Sep. 10
 Lecture 4: Relativity IV.  Beat frequency audio: mp4, wav.
Tuesday, Sep. 15
 Lecture 5: Relativity V.  Class will start 30 minutes late; CJ on AA 115 LHR-JFK which is due to land at 11:00.
Thursday, Sep. 17
 Lecture 6: Blackbody radiation and photons. "First impressions" book report due; submit via Blackboard.
Tuesday, Sep. 22
 Lecture 7: Blackbody radiation, photons, and the Compton effect.
Thursday, Sep. 24
 Lecture 8: From electrons to plum pudding to the fly in the cathedral (Thomson to Rutherford).  
Tuesday, Sep. 29
 No classes; Monday class schedule.  CJ gone
Thursday, Oct. 1
 Exam 1 on Chapters 1-3. Equation sheet. Exam and solutions. Histogram of exam scores.  Previous exams and solutions: spring_2009, spring 2008.  CJ gone
Tuesday, Oct. 6
 Lecture 9: Rutherford scattering and the nucleus.
Thursday, Oct. 8
 Lecture 10: The Bohr model, and de Broglie waves.
Tuesday, Oct. 13
 Lecture 11: Wave equations and complex notation; the Schrödinger equation for matter waves.
Thursday, Oct. 15
 Lecture 12: Infinite quantum well (particle in a box).  Interpretation of wave functions.  2D quantum well.  Harmonic oscillator.
Tuesday, Oct. 20
 Lecture 13: Finite square well and tunneling.
Thursday, Oct. 22
 Lecture 14: Heisenberg uncertainty relationship.  Quantum averages and fluctuations. 
Tuesday, Oct. 27
 Lecture 15: Schrödinger equation solution for the atom.
Thursday, Oct. 29
 Lecture 16: Hydrogen atom II.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
 Exam 2 on Chapters 4-6.  Exam and solutions. Equation sheet.  Previous exams and solutions: spring_2009, spring_2008.   CJ gone
Thursday, Nov. 5
 Lecture 17: uest lecture by Prof. Tom Weinacht. CJ gone
Tuesday, Nov. 10
 Lecture 18: Quantum statistics I: Maxwell-Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac, and Bose-Einstein distribution functions.
Thursday, Nov. 12
 Lecture 19: Lasers; Fermi sea
Tuesday, Nov. 17
 Lecture 20: Band theory, semiconductors I
Thursday, Nov. 19
 Lecture 21: Semiconductors II.
Tuesday, Nov. 24
 Lecture 22: The nucleus.
Thursday, Nov. 26
 No classes; Thanksgiving break
Tuesday, Dec. 1
 Lecture 23: The nucleus, and radioactivity.
Thursday, Dec. 3
 Lecture 24: Radioactive dating. Nuclear fission and fusion.  Final book report due; submit via Blackboard.
Tuesday, Dec. 8
 Lecture 25: Health effects of radiation.  Nuclear fission reactors.  Nuclear fusion reactors.
Thursday, Dec. 10
 Lecture 26: Nuclear weapons and nuclear materials.
Thursday, Dec. 17
 Final exam, 17:15-19:45.  Equation sheet.  Previous exams and solutions: spring 2009, spring 2008.
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Recitation schedule
Recitations meet Wednesdays.  Section 1: 14:20-15:15 Physics P-130.  Section 2: 17:20-18:15, Physics P-117.
Homework is due by noon on Friday in A-129, where there's a PHY 252 lab box which is near the back of the room on your right.
Date
 Homework due
Wednesday, Sep. 2
 No recitation
Wednesday, Sep. 9
 Homework 1 due on Friday, Sep. 11.  Solutions.
Wednesday, Sep. 16
 Homework 2 due on Friday, Sep. 18.  Solutions.
Wednesday, Sep. 23
 Homework 3 due on Friday, Sep. 25.  Solutions.
Wednesday, Sep. 30
 No recitation. CJ gone, but available 4:15 pm til 5 pm on Skype (cjjxray)
Wednesday, Oct. 7
 Homework 4 due on Friday, Oct. 9.  Solutions.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
 Homework 5 due on Friday, Oct. 16. Solutions.
Wednesday, Oct. 21
 Homework 6 due on Friday, Oct. 23. Solutions.
Wednesday, Oct. 28
 Homework 7 due on Friday, Oct. 30. Solutions.
Wednesday, Nov. 4
 No recitation. CJ gone
Wednesday, Nov. 11
 Homework 8 due on Friday, Nov. 13. Solutions.
Wednesday, Nov. 18
 Homework 9 due on Friday, Nov. 20. Solutions.
Wednesday, Nov. 25
 No recitation
Wednesday, Dec. 2
  

Wednesday, Dec. 9
  

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PHY 252 Lab schedule (A-133) 
Section 1: Wednesdays 15:20-17:20 (Christian Holzner)
Section 2: Wednesdays 18:20-20:20 (Hyejin Ryu)
Section 3: Mondays 15:20-17:20 (Christian Holzner)
Section 4: Mondays 18:20-20:20 (Hyejin Ryu)
Notes on error analysis are here, and suggestions on writing lab reports are here.  Grading criteria for sections 1 and 3 are here.  Notes on using Excel for plotting results.
Sections 3 and 4
 Sections 1 and 2
 Lab
Monday, Aug. 31
 Wednesday, Sep. 2
 No lab
Monday, Sep. 7
 Wednesday, Sep. 9
 No lab (no classes Sep. 7)
Monday, Sep. 14
 Wednesday, Sep. 16
 Lab 1: Michelson Interferometer I
Monday, Sep. 21
 Wednesday, Sep. 23
 Lab 2: Micrometer nonlinearities; searching for the Aether Wind
Monday, Sep. 28
 Wednesday, Sep. 30
 No lab (no classes Sep. 28)
Monday, Oct. 5
 Wednesday, Oct. 7
 Lab 3: Measurement of e/m for electrons
Monday, Oct. 12
 Wenesday, Oct. 14
 Lab 4: Measurement of the charge of the electron
Monday, Oct. 19
 Wednesday, Oct. 21
 Lab 5: The Photoelectric effect
Monday, Oct. 26
 Wednesday, Oct. 28
 Lab 6: Bragg scattering
Monday, Nov. 2
 Wednesday, Nov. 4
 Lab 7: Emission spectrum of hydrogen
Monday, Nov. 9
 Wednesday, Nov. 11
 Make-up lab
Monday, Nov. 16
 Wednesday, Nov. 18
 Lab 8: Geiger counter
Monday, Nov. 23
 Wednesday, Nov. 25
 No lab; Thanksgiving week
Monday, Nov. 30
 Wednesday, Dec. 2
 Lab 9: Radioactivity
Monday, Dec. 7
 Wednesday, Dec. 9
 Make-up lab
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