UCLA Physics & Astronomy (2024)

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 1A, 1B, and 1C (or 1AH, 1BH, and 1CH). Corequisite: Physics 32. Photons, black-body radiation, photoelectric effect, uncertainty principle, Bohr atom, Schrödinger equation, hydrogen atom, and selected topics in atomic, solid-state, nuclear, and particle physics. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“Modern Physics,” Serway, Moses, and Moyer (3rd ed., 2005)

Learning outcomes: Advancing the knowledge of modern physics concepts and phenomena. The knowledge gained in a collection of modern physics topics will enable a better understanding of a range of applications in modern science and technology. The acquired analytical skills will also facilitate subsequent undergraduate research experience.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 1A, 1B, and 1C (or 1AH, 1BH, and 1CH), Mathematics 32A/B and 33A. Corequisite: Mathematics 33B. Vectors and fields; operators and transformations; matrices, tensors, and differential forms; ordinary differential equations and integral theorems; Fourier transform. P/NP or letter grading.

This course is currently listed as Physics 131 (as of May 2021).

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“Mathematical Methods for Physicists,” Arfken, Weber, and Harris (7th ed., 2013)

Learning outcomes: Developing proficiency in a broad range of mathematical methods that are applicable to a variety of physics problems in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal physics. The acquired mathematics skills will prepare students to succeed in the upper division physics core curriculum.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: Physics 32. Newtonian mechanics and conservation laws, gravitational potentials, calculus of variations, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, central force motion, linear and nonlinear oscillations. Grading: P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“Classical Dynamics,” Thornton and Marion (5th ed., 2003)

Learning outcomes: Ability to apply knowledge of classical mechanics to understand and analyze a broad variety of physical phenomena. Understanding and applying Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism to describe dynamical systems.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: Physics 105A. Conserved quantities, collisions and scattering, special relativity, non-inertial reference frames, rigid bodies, coupled oscillators and normal modes. Grading: P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“Classical Dynamics,” Thornton and Marion (5th ed., 2003)

Learning outcomes: Ability to apply knowledge of various aspects of classical mechanics to understand and analyze a broad variety of physical phenomena, including rigid bodies and coupled oscillators. Understanding of the rules to change reference frame to describe a dynamical system, including relativistic and noninertial cases.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 32. Electrostatics and magnetostatics. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
"Introduction to Electrodynamics,” Griffiths (4th ed., 2017)

Learning outcomes: Ability to analyze physics problems involving static electric and magnetic fields, potentials and their sources.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 110A. Corequisite: Physics 105B. Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, potential and fields, radiation, Lorentz invariance. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“Introduction to Electrodynamics,” Griffiths (4th ed., 2017)

Learning outcomes: Mastering fundamental laws and concepts in electrodynamics encoded in Maxwell’s equations, as well as their implications such as electromagnetic waves and radiation.

(4) Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 115A. Corequisite: Physics 115B. Fundamentals of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Classical and quantum ensembles. Simple applications including heat engines and pumps. Degenerate Fermi gases, Bose condensates, and blackbody radiation. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
“An Introduction to Thermal Physics,” Schroeder (1st ed., 1999)

Learning outcomes: Developing the foundational understanding of the principles of thermal and statistical physics and the ability to apply these principles to a set of representative physical examples. Be able to synergize the knowledge acquired from the entirety of the core physics education in the thermodynamic contexts.

Units: 4.0 Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: Physics 17, 105A. Classical background. Basic ideas of quantum nature of light, wave-particle duality, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, Schrödinger equation. One-dimensional square well and harmonic oscillator problems. One-dimensional scattering, Formal theory, Hilbert spaces and Dirac notation. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
”Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” Griffiths (3rd ed., 2017)

Learning outcomes: Mastering the underlying mathematical structures and the physical principles of quantum mechanics, in particular the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, time evolution and measurements. Applying the principles of QM to simple one dimensional systems.

Units: 4.0 Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: Physics 115A. Corequisite: Physics 105B. Three-dimensional problems. Central potentials. Hydrogen atom. Angular momentum and spin, identical particles, and Pauli exclusion principle. Electrons in an electromagnetic field. Symmetries. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
”Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” Griffiths (3rd ed., 2017)

Learning outcomes: Application of the principles of quantum mechanics to three dimensional systems and multi-particle systems. Ability to calculate the energy levels of Hydrogen and related Atoms. Understanding the quantum mechanical realization of angular momentum and spin, including the addition of angular momentum. Understanding the importance and implementation of symmetries in quantum mechanics.

Units: 4.0 Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Requisite: Physics 115B. Time-independent perturbation theory, application to atomic spectra. Time-dependent perturbation theory. Fermi’s golden rule. Scattering. WKB approximation. P/NP or letter grading.

Guidelines for topics to be covered in this class and suggested approximate schedules are listed below.

Textbook:
”Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” Griffiths (3rd ed., 2017)

Learning outcomes: Ability to use approximation methods, such as time independent and time dependent perturbation theory, WKB approximation and Fermi’s Golden rule to calculate spectra, transition amplitudes and scattering cross sections for interacting systems. Application of quantum mechanical approximation methods in atomic, particle and condensed matter physics.