Physics

A course in fundamental physics that covers classical mechanics, fluid mechanics, basic thermodynamics, sounds, and waves. Meets premedical requirements. One lecture, three classes, one three-hour laboratory.

Continuation of 101. A course in fundamental physics that covers electricity, magnetism, and an introduction to the quantum world. Meets premedical requirements. Two 90-minute lectures, one preceptorial, and one three-hour laboratory.

The physical laws that govern the motion of objects, forces, and forms of energy in mechanical systems are studied at an introductory level. Calculus-based, primarily for engineering and science students, meets premedical requirements. Some preparation in physics and calculus is desirable; calculus may be taken concurrently. One demonstration lecture, three classes, one three-hour laboratory.

Continuation of 103. Electromagnetism from electrostatics, DC and AC circuits to optics, and topics of modern physics are treated at an introductory level. Some preparation in physics and calculus is desirable; calculus may be taken concurrently. Calculus-based, primarily for engineering and science students, meets premedical requirements. One demonstration lecture, three classes, one three-hour laboratory.

PHY105 is an advanced first year course in classical mechanics, taught at a more sophisticated level than PHY103. Care is taken to make the course mathematically self contained, and accessible to the motivated physics student who may not have had exposure to an introductory college level physics course. The approach of PHY105 is that of an upper-division physics course, with more emphasis on the underlying formal structure of physics than PHY103, including an introduction to modern variational methods (Lagrangian dynamics), with challenging problem sets due each week and a mini-course in Special Relativity held over reading period.

Parallels 104 at a more sophisticated level, emphasizing the unification of electric and magnetic forces and electromagnetic radiation. To enter this course, students must have done well in 103 or 105. 103 students must attend the lectures on special relativity given in reading period as part of 105. Three lectures, one class, one three-hour laboratory.

A new one semester physics course designed specifically for life science majors. Selected topics in physical theory and experiment will be presented and highlighted using a range of examples.

What do future leaders of our society need to know about physics and technology? The course is designed for non-scientists who will someday become our influential citizens and decision-makers. Whatever the field of endeavor, they will be faced with important decisions in which physics and technology play an important role. The purpose of this course is to present the key principles and the basic physical reasoning needed to interpret scientific and technical information and to make the best decisions. Topics include energy and power, atomic and subatomic matter, wave-like phenomena and light, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

What do future leaders of our society need to know about physics and technology? The course is designed for non-scientists who will someday become our influential citizens and decision-makers. Whatever the field of endeavor, they will be faced with important decisions in which physics and technology play an important role. The purpose of this course is to present the key principles and the basic physical reasoning needed to interpret scientific and technical information and to make the best decisions. Topics include energy and power, atomic and subatomic matter, wave-like phenomena and light, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 192. An integrated course that covers the material of PHY 103 and MAT 201 with the emphasis on applications to engineering. Physics topics include: mechanics with applications to fluid mechanics, wave phenomena, and thermodynamics. The lab revolves around a single project to build, launch, and analyze the flight dynamics of water-propelled rockets. One lecture, three preceptorials, one three-hour laboratory.

Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 191. An integrated course that covers the material of PHY 103 and MAT 201 with the emphasis on applications to engineering. Math topics include: vector calculus; partial derivatives and matrices; line integrals; simple differential equations; surface and volume integrals; and Green's, Stokes's, and divergence theorems. One lecture, two preceptorials.

The solar system and planets around other stars; the structure and evolution of stars; supernovae, neutron stars, and black holes; gravitational waves; the formation and structure of galaxies; cosmology, dark matter, dark energy, and the history of the entire universe. Prerequisites: PHY 103 or 105 and MAT 103 or 104 or equivalent. Compared to AST 203, this course employs more mathematics and physics. Intended for quantitatively-oriented students.

Classical mechanics, with emphasis on the Lagrangian method. The underlying physics is Newtonian, but with more sophisticated mathematics introduced as needed to understand more complex phenomena. Topics in this intensive course include the formalism of Lagrangian mechanics, central-force motion and scattering, rigid body motion and noninertial forces, small oscillations, coupled oscillations, and waves. Prerequisite: 103-104, or 105-106 (recommended), or permission of instructor; prior completion of MAT 201 or 203 recommended. Two 90-minute lectures.

Black holes are amazing: so much mass is contained in such a small region of space that nothing, not even light, can escape. In this class, we will learn to understand what black holes are, and (equally importantly) what they are not (sorry, science fiction!). We will grapple with the seeming simplicity of black holes and their weirdness. We will also study how black holes are discovered and how they give rise to some of the most astonishing phenomena in the Universe. We will cover concepts at the forefront of modern astronomy and physics and highlight the power of quantitative thinking (algebra only) and the scientific method.

Covers the basics of analytical mechanics, but shifts the emphasis to wave phenomena before moving on to aspects of quantum mechanics and quantum statistical mechanics. Special relativity is given greater weight than it usually is in PHY 205. Offers students a path toward the physics concentration that is less intensive than PHY 205 and more accessible to students with less mathematical background. Prerequisites: PHY103-104, or PHY105-106; one 200-level math course; or permission of instructor. Two 90-minute lectures.

An introduction to quantum mechanics, the physics of atoms, electrons, photons, and other elementary particles. Topics include state functions and the probability interpretation, the Schrödinger equation, the uncertainty principle, the eigenvalue problem, operators and their algebras, angular momentum and spin, perturbation theory, and the hydrogen atom. Prerequisites: PHY 106, PHY 205, or PHY 207 and MAT 203 or MAT 217, and MAT 204 or MAT 218 (MAT 204/MAT 218 can be taken concurrently); or instructor's permission. Two 90-minute lectures.

Introduction to Python coding and its application to data collection, analysis and statistical inference. The course consists of weekly hands-on labs that introduce the students to the Linux coding environment with Jupyter and Python modules. Labs involve configuring a Raspberry Pi to interface with hardware sensors to collect interrupt-driven measurements. Multivariate discriminators and confidence levels for hypothesis testing will be applied to data samples. Labs are drawn from different forms of sensors data from accelerometers and photodetectors to external sources including radio-astronomy and XRF analysis of Art Museum paintings.

This seminar introduces fundamental techniques of electronics and instrumentation. The course consists of weekly hands-on labs that introduce the students to the fascinating world of electronics. We begin with learning how to build circuits and probe their behavior and then explore what can be done to create instrumentation and make measurements. We start with analog electronics and then proceed with programmable digital logic with FPGAs. The final project involves Machine Learning implemented in FPGAs, a glimpse of what modern electronics can do.

The four-course sequence ISC 231-234 integrates introductory topics in calculus-based physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and scientific computing with Python, with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation, quantitative reasoning, and data-oriented thinking. It best suits students interested in complex problems in living organisms and prepares them for interdisciplinary research in the life sciences. The fall courses ISC 231 and 232 must be taken together. See ISC website for details on course equivalencies and recommended academic paths from ISC.

The four-course sequence ISC 231-234 integrates introductory topics in calculus-based physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and scientific computing with Python, with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation, quantitative reasoning, and data-oriented thinking. It best suits students interested in complex problems in living organisms and prepares them for interdisciplinary research in the life sciences. The fall courses ISC 231 and 232 must be taken together. See ISC website for details on course equivalencies and recommended academic paths from ISC.

A unified introduction to the physics of systems with many degrees of freedom: thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, both classical and quantum. Applications will include phase equilibrium, classical and quantum gases, and properties of solids. Three lectures. Prerequisites: Any one of PHY 106, 205, 207 or 208, or instructor's permission.

Extensions of electromagnetic theory including some important applications of Maxwell's equations. Solutions to Laplace's equation--boundary value problems. Retarded potentials. Electromagnetic waves and radiation. Special relativity. Mathematical tools developed as required. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: 104 or 106.

A second course on the basic principles of quantum mechanics with emphasis on applications to problems from atomic and solid-state physics. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: 208.

We develop the scientific ideas behind fission and fusion energy. For fission we move from elementary nuclear physics to calculations of chain reactions, understanding how both reactors and nuclear weapons work. We examine safety and waste concerns, as well as nuclear proliferation. We look at new reactor concepts. For fusion we address the physics of confining hot, ionized gases, called plasmas. We address the control of large-scale instabilities and small-scale turbulence. We examine progress and prospects, as well as challenges, for the development of economically attractive fusion power.

The course offers six different experiments from the advanced laboratory collection. Experiments include Josephson effect, ß-decay, holography, Mössbauer spectroscopy, optical pumping. Lectures stress modern experimental methods and devices. One lecture, one laboratory.

This is an introductory course in general relativity for undergraduates. Topics include the early universe, black holes, cosmic strings, worm holes, and time travel. Designed for science and engineering majors. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: MAT 201 and 202, OR MAT 203 and 204. Also PHY 205 or 207. PHY 304 is recommended.

An introduction to the fundamental principles of global geophysics. Taught on the chalkboard, in four parts, the material builds up to form a final coherent picture of (how we know) the structure and evolution of the solid Earth: gravity, magnetism, seismology, and geodynamics. The emphasis is on physical principles including the mathematical derivation and solution of the governing equations. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or 203, PHY 103/104 or PHY 105/106. Two 90-minute lectures.

Topics include the properties and nature of galaxies, quasars, clusters, superclusters, the large-scale structure of the universe, dark matter, dark energy, the formation and evolution of galaxies and other structures, microwave background radiation, and the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to today. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: MAT 201, 202; PHY 207, 208. Designed for science and engineering majors.

Stars form from the interstellar medium (ISM), and the nuclear fusion that powers stars is also the main energy source in the ISM. This course discusses the structure and evolution of the ISM and stars. Topics include: physical properties and methods for studying ionized, atomic, and molecular gas in the ISM; dynamics of magnetized gas flows and turbulence; gravitational collapse and star formation; structure of stellar interiors; radiation transport; production of energy by nucleosynthesis; stellar evolution and end states; effects of stars on interstellar environment. Prerequisites: MAT 201, 202; PHY 208, 301 or permission of instructor.

Mathematical methods and techniques that are essential for modern theoretical physics. Topics such as group theory, Lie algebras, and differential geometry are discussed and applied to concrete physical problems. Special attention will be given to mathematical techniques that originated in physics, such as functional integration and current algebras. Three classes. Prerequisite: MAT 330 or instructor's permission.

An introduction to modern condensed-matter physics, this course builds on quantum and statistical mechanics to study the electronic properties of solids, including band theory. Metals, quantum Hall effects, semiconductors, superconductors and magnetism, as well as phase transitions in condensed systems and structure and dynamic of solids and liquid crystals. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisites: PHY 208, PHY 301, and PHY 305.

The basic features of nuclear and elementary particle physics are described and interpreted, primarily in the context of the "Standard Model." Problems of current interest are discussed. Two 90-minute lectures.

The course discusses some of the most important and beautiful phenomena described by classical dynamics. This includes generalized Hamiltonian systems and variational principles, shock waves propagation, gravitational instabilities, simple solitons and vortices plus elementary exposition of the theories of turbulence and period doubling. Two 90-minute lectures. Prerequisite: PHY 205 or 207.

The Earth is a physical system whose past and present state can be studied within the framework of physics and chemistry. Topics include current concepts of geophysics and the physics and chemistry of Earth materials; origin and evolution of the Earth; and nature of dynamic processes in its interior. One emphasis is to relate geologic processes on a macroscopic scale to the fundamental materials properties of minerals and rocks. Two lectures. Prerequisites: one year of college-level chemistry or physics (preferably both) and calculus. Offered alternately with 424.

An advanced introduction to setting up and solving boundary value problems relevant to the solid Earth sciences. Topics include heat flow, fluid flow, elasticity and plate flexure, and rock rheology, with applications to mantle convection, magma transport, lithospheric deformation, structural geology, and fault mechanics. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or 202. Two 90-minute lectures.

The senior thesis (498-499) is a year-long project in which students complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member. While a year-long thesis is due in the student's final semester of study, the work requires sustained investment and attention throughout the academic year.

The senior thesis (498-499) is a year-long project in which students complete a substantial piece of research and scholarship under the supervision and advisement of a Princeton faculty member. While a year-long thesis is due in the student's final semester of study, the work requires sustained investment and attention throughout the academic year.