205. Modern Physics, Fall 2008

Instructor; Jeffrey Schmidt, 319 Greenquist, jeff@rustam.uwp.edu

Text; Modern Physics by Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A. Llewellyn (any edition, it is for text readings and reference).

• Rutherford scattering data files for Geiger-Marsden experiment simulation homework. 113760EV, 227520EV, 28440EV, 56880EV (the seperate files as text)

• Source files and executable program for simulation of a precessing planetary orbit ala' general relativity, with animation. The Makefile is for my Linux-WIN32 cross-compiler, you may need to modify it if you want to re-compile. You will need the g2 library from SourceForge.

• Link to chi-squared data analysis programs.

• Rutherford scattering simulation, E=13900 eV, Thompson model, same energy , Cyrstal ball atom scattering data, same energy. C-code to generate the data and figures. You need Gnu libplot-2.2 or higher to compile this. Here is a pre-compiled set of g2 libraries and headers, and libplot libraries and headers for use with the MINGW C-compiler. Copy the headers and libs into appropriate places, and link accordingly. If you don't know C, and are not in David's 303 class, but you do know fortran 77, here is a simple set of instructions for performing graphical simulations with g2 libraries in fortran 77, and this file (a cell automata) and this Makefile for it will help you get started. MINGW has a fortran 77 compiler. See http://www.mingw.org/.

• Handout from physics 202 (pdf) or (djvu) on special relativity. We cover this in the first two weeks.

• General relativity handout (pdf) or (djvu).

Content;
The first portion of the course studies the great experiments at the core of twentieth century physics. The text material for this phase is chapters 1-7, and this section is intensive. The second phase is a survey that studies applications of the core concepts of relativity, quantization, and the statistical interpretation of quantum theory, to various systems in nature. Reading for this phase is chapters 9-12.

There will be two assignments per week, each 4-6 problems, which will be graded. The course grade is based on homework (50 % ) and periodic timed quizzes (20 % ), given at random intervals, consisting of one or two problems from the text relevent to that weeks subject material. There will be roughly ten quizzes, a midterm, and a final. The midterm and final will each count 15 %

The text will be followed closely, and will be supplemented with handouts and fill in details in computations presented in the text, and to supply additional examples and solutions to the homework and quizzes. A website for the course will be established at http://rustam.uwp.edu/205 that will archive all of this material, plus some supplimental programs and utilities.

Reserves and supplements