Courses

PHYS 631. Mathematical Methods of Theoretical Physics. 3 Credits.
Linear vector spaces and matrices, curvilinear coordinates, functions of complex variables, ordinary and partial differential equations, Fourier series, integral transforms, special functions, differential forms.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 281L and PHYS 332.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 632. Advanced Research Analytics. 3 Credits.
Required preparation, ability to program in a high-level computer language. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the required preparation. Methods required for the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of physics measurements and theory. Error analysis, statistical tests, model fitting, parameter estimation, Monte Carlo methods, Bayesian inference, noise mitigation, experimental design, big data, selected numerical techniques including differential equations and Fourier techniques.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 633. Scientific Programming. 3 Credits.
Required preparation, elementary Fortran, C, or Pascal programming. Structured programming in Fortran or Pascal; use of secondary storage and program packages; numerical methods for advanced problems, error propagation and computational efficiency; symbolic mathematics by computer.
Requisites: Prerequisite, MATH 528 or 529, or PHYS 631 or 632.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 660. Fluid Dynamics. 3 Credits.
The physical properties of fluids, kinematics, governing equations, viscous incompressible flow, vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, irrotational incompressible flow.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 401; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: MASC 560, ENVR 452, GEOL 560.

PHYS 671L. Independent Laboratory I. 3 Credits.
Six laboratory hours a week.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 401 and 412; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 672L. Independent Laboratory II. 3 Credits.
Six laboratory hours a week.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 401 and 412; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 701. Classical Dynamics. 3 Credits.
Variational principles, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. Symmetries and conservation laws. Two-body problems, perturbations, and small oscillations, rigid-body motion. Relation of classical to quantum mechanics.
Requisites: Prerequisite, advanced undergraduate mechanics.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 711. Electromagnetic Theory I. 3 Credits.
Electrostatics, magnetostatics, time-varying fields, Maxwell’s equations.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 631 and 632.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 712. Electromagnetic Theory. 3 Credits.
Maxwell’s equations, time-varying fields, and conservation laws. Plane EM waves, polarization, propagation, dispersive media. Wave guides and resonant cavities. Radiation from slow-moving charges. Special theory of relativity. Radiation from relativistic charges. Interaction between radiation and matter.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 715. Visualization in the Sciences. 3 Credits.
Computational visualization applied in the natural sciences. For both computer science and natural science students. Available techniques and their characteristics, based on human perception, using software visualization toolkits. Project course.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: COMP 715, MTSC 715.

PHYS 721. Quantum Mechanics. 3 Credits.
Review of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. Spin, angular momentum, perturbation theory, scattering, identical particles, Hartree-Fock method, Dirac equation, radiation theory.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 421.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 722. Quantum Mechanics. 3 Credits.
Review of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. Spin, angular momentum, perturbation theory, scattering, identical particles, Hartree-Fock method, Dirac equation, radiation theory.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 421.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 741. Statistical Mechanics. 3 Credits.
Classical and quantal statistical mechanics, ensembles, partition functions, ideal Fermi and Bose gases.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 701 and 721.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 771L. Advanced Spectroscopic Techniques. 3 Credits.
Advanced spectroscopic techniques, including Rutherford backscattering-channeling, perturbed angular correlation, Raman scattering, electron paramagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, optical absorption, and Hall effect. Two hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory a week.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 401 or 412; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 772L. Advanced Spectroscopic Techniques. 3 Credits.
Advanced spectroscopic techniques, including Rutherford backscattering-channeling, perturbed angular correlation, Raman scattering, electron paramagnetic resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, optical absorption and Hall effect. One hour of lecture and five hours of laboratory a week.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 401 or 412; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 780. Advanced Materials Science. 3 Credits.
This course covers the physical fundamentals of material science with an in-depth discussion of structure formation in soft and hard materials and how structure determines material mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. Topics include amorphous and crystal structures, defects, dislocation theory, thermodynamics and phase diagrams, diffusion, interfaces and microstructures, solidification, and theory of phase transformation. Special emphasis will be on the structure-property relationships of (bio)polymers, (nano)composites, and their structure property relationships.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: MTSC 780, BMME 780, CHEM 780.

PHYS 821. Advanced Quantum Mechanics. 3 Credits.
Advanced angular momentum, atomic and molecular theory, many-body theory, quantum field theory.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 722.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 822. Field Theory. 3 Credits.
Quantum field theory, path integrals, gauge invariance, renormalization group, Higgs mechanism, electroweak theory, quantum chromodynamics, Standard Model, unified field theories.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 722.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 823. Field Theory. 3 Credits.
Quantum field theory, path integrals, gauge invariance, renormalization group, Higgs mechanism, electroweak theory, quantum chromodynamics, Standard Model, unified field theories.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 722.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 824. Group Theory and its Applications. 3 Credits.
Required preparation, knowledge of matrices, mechanics, and quantum mechanics. Discrete and continuous groups. Representation theory. Application to atomic, molecular, solid state, nuclear, and particle physics.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 829. Principles of Magnetic Resonance. 3 Credits.
Prerequisite, CHEM 781 or PHYS 721; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 831. Differential Geometry in Modern Physics. 3 Credits.
Applications to electrodynamics, general relativity, and nonabelian gauge theories of methods of differential geometry, including tensors, spinors, differential forms, connections and curvature, covariant exterior derivatives, and Lie derivatives.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 701, 711, and 712.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 832. General Theory of Relativity. 3 Credits.
Differential geometry of space-time. Tensor fields and forms. Curvature, geodesics. Einstein’s gravitational field equations. Tests of Einstein’s theory. Applications to astrophysics and cosmology.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 831; permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 861. Nuclear Physics. 3 Credits.
Nuclear reactions, scattering, nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 543 and 721.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 862. Nuclear Physics. 3 Credits.
Overview of Standard Model of particle physics. Fundamental symmetries and weak interactions. Neutrino physics. Particle-astrophysics and cosmology.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 543 and 721.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 871. Solid State Physics. 3 Credits.
Equivalent experience for students lacking the prerequisite. Topics considered include those of PHYS 573, but at a more advanced level, and in addition a detailed discussion of the interaction of waves (electromagnetic, elastic, and electron waves) with periodic structures, e.g., X-ray diffraction, phonons, band theory of metals and semiconductors.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 421.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: MTSC 871.

PHYS 872. Solid State Physics II. 3 Credits.
Topics considered include quantum and thermal fluctuations, and thermodynamics of phase transitions in a broad variety of condensed matter systems, their kinetic theory and hydrodynamics, novel materials (two-dimensional electron gas, graphene, topological insulators and superconductors, Dirac/Weyl/nodal line semimetals), condensed matter applications of modern field-theoretical methods (path integral, renormalization group, holography).
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 871.
Grading status: Letter grade
Same as: MTSC 872.

PHYS 873. Theory of the Solid State. 3 Credits.
Calculation of one-electron energy band structure. Electron-hole correlation effect and excitons. Theory of spin waves. Many-body techniques in solid state problems including theory of superconductivity.
Requisites: Prerequisite, PHYS 722.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 883. Current Advances in Physics. 3 Credits.
Permission of the instructor. In recent years, elementary particle physics, amorphous solids, neutrinos, and electron microscopy have been among the topics discussed.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 885. Introductory Graduate Seminar in Physics and Astronomy. 1 Credit.
Introduction to skills needed for success in graduate courses and research, including practice using general-purpose mathematical/computational tools, assessment of the research landscape and research project design, preparing a proposal, and participating in peer review. Professional development topics such as ethics and etiquette, time management, and career planning are also covered.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 893. Seminar in Solid State Physics. 1-21 Credits.
Research topics in condensed-matter physics, with emphasis on current experimental and theoretical studies.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 895. Seminar in Nuclear Physics. 1-21 Credits.
Current research topics in low-energy nuclear physics, especially as related to the interests of the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 896. Seminar in Particle Physics. 1-21 Credits.
Symmetries, gauge theories, asymptotic freedom, unified theories of weak and electromagnetic interactions, and recent developments in field theory.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 897. Seminar in Theoretical Physics. 1-21 Credits.
Topics from current theoretical research including, but not restricted to, field theory, particle physics, gravitation, and relativity.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 899. Seminar in Professional Practice. 1-21 Credits.
Required preparation, Ph.D. written exam passed. The role and responsibilities of a physicist in the industrial or corporate environment and as a consultant.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 901. Research. 1-21 Credits.
10 or more laboratory or computation hours a week.
Grading status: Letter grade.

PHYS 992. Master’s (Non-Thesis). 3 Credits.

PHYS 993. Master’s Research and Thesis. 3 Credits.

PHYS 994. Doctoral Research and Dissertation. 3 Credits.

ASTR 701. Stellar Interiors, Evolution, and Populations. 3 Credits.
Stellar structure and evolution, including equations of stellar structure, stellar models, star and planet formation, fusion and nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution, stellar remnants, and the comparison of theory to observations.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 702. High Energy Astrophysics. 3 Credits.
White dwarfs and neutron stars: physical properties and observational manifestations. Extragalactic radio sources, relativistic jets, and supermassive black holes. Particle acceleration and radiative processes in hot plasmas. Accretion phenomena. X-ray and gamma-ray astrophysics.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 711 and 721.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 703. Structure and Evolution of Galaxies. 3 Credits.
Overview of the structure and evolution of galaxies, with emphasis on learning and applying modern research methods such as scientific literature review and computational astrostatistics. Includes galaxy morphology and dynamics, star formation, active galactic nuclei, galaxy interactions, large-scale clustering, environment-dependent physical processes, and the evolution of the galaxy population over cosmic time.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 704. Cosmology. 3 Credits.
General relativity and cosmological world models; thermal history of the early universe, nucleosynthesis, and the cosmic microwave background; growth of structure through cosmic time.
Requisites: Co-requisite, PHYS 701.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 705. Physics of Interstellar Gas. 3 Credits.
Surveys the physical processes governing the interstellar medium (ISM), which takes up the “refuse” of old stars while providing fuel for young stars forming. Covers the processes regulating the galactic gas budget and the corresponding observational diagnostics. Topics: radiative transfer, line formation mechanisms, continuum radiation, gas dynamics, star formation.
Requisites: Prerequisites, PHYS 712 and 721.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 711. Atomic and Radiative Processes in Astrophysics. 3 Credits. This course covers key topics in electromagnetism, radiative transport, and thermal and statistical mechanics in the context of astrophysics, such as stellar and planetary interiors and atmospheres, stellar evolution (including star formation and death), stellar populations, and the early universe.
Requisites: ​Undergraduate preparation at the level of Griffiths Chapters 1-7 is recommended, where the details of Chapter 6 are not needed, just the basic concepts.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 712. Astrophysical Dynamics. 3 Credits. This course provides a broad overview of astrophysical principles underlying stellar and planetary dynamics; N-body dynamics of star clusters, galaxies, and dark matter; fluid dynamics of astrophysical plasmas; and dynamics of the Universe and spacetime.
Requisites: ​Prerequisites, PHYS 701.
Grading status: Letter grade

ASTR 719. Astronomical Data. 4 Credits.
Required preparation, physics-based cosmology course or permission of the instructor. A course designed to familiarize the student with observational techniques in optical and radio astronomy, including application of photography, spectroscopy, photometry, and radio methods. Three lecture and three laboratory hours a week.
Grading status: Letter grade.

ASTR 891. Seminar in Astrophysics. 1-21 Credits.
Recent observational and theoretical developments in stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astrophysics.
Grading status: Letter grade.