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Programs of
Study
Physics
Course Descriptions
— Physics
- PHYS 100 — (E) History of Science and
Technology — 3 credits
- The evolution of scientific enquiry in human
history. Focus on key concepts and laws of nature that have enabled humans to
develop modern technological societies. A major theme will be that science
arises from traditions that are spiritual as well as technical, with the
spiritual tradition being explored from the perspective of the life and
traditions of the Catholic Church.
- PHYS 101 — (E) The Solar System — 3
credits
- The study of the solar system, its origin, its
evolution, its fate. Study of the planets, asteroids, meteors and comets.
Theories about the cosmos from antiquity to the modern age.
- PHYS 102 — (E) Earth Science — 3
credits
- Selected topics from geology and meteorology,
weather forecasting, ground and surface water, mountain building, volcanoes,
earthquakes, plate tectonics, and oceanography.
- PHYS 103 — (E) Seeing the Light — 3
credits
- The physics of light and vision. Includes topics
such as biophysics of the human eye, the visual system, color vision, binocular
vision, and the wave nature of light.
- PHYS 104 — (E) Introduction to Consumer
Technology — 3 credits
- Every day we listen to the radio or compact-disc
recordings, watch TV, use photocopiers and fax machines without really knowing
how they work. Designed to provide the scientific background to understand the
operation of common communication systems and electronic equipment.
- PHYS 105 — (E) Man and the Evolutionary
Universe — 3 credits
- The study of the universe from the ancient times to
the present. The ideas and approaches of various peoples are to be discussed,
from the era of the powerful myths to the scientific approach of the Greeks, up
to modern times, focusing on man and the evolving universe, in a historical and
modern perspective. The role and the involvement of the Church in scientific
thinking will be stressed as well.
- PHYS 106 — (E) Energy and the Environment
— 3 credits
- Focus on various aspects of man’s use of
energy and changes in the environment that accompany that use. Sources of
energy; the nature of the present energy and environmental crises and possible
solutions; energy requirements of the future; conservation; and alternate
energy sources.
- PHYS 107 — (E) “Hands-On” Physics
— 3 credits
- An introduction to the scientific method with an
emphasis on physical reality. A series of experiments and discussions
illustrate various physical phenomena allowing the participation in the
assessment of important social, political, and scientific issues.
- PHYS 108 — (W, E) New York Times
Physics — 3 credits
- Every day we are bombarded with information
regarding the impact of technology on our lives. Using The New York
Times, students will explore the scientific and technological concepts of
our modern world. Topics will vary weekly.
- PHYS 109 — (E) The Conscious Universe
— 3 credits
- A course that discusses and concentrates on matters
like waves, auanta and quantum theory. Science will be viewed as a rational
enterprise committed to obtaining knowledge about the actual character of
physical reality and the character of the physical law.
- PHYS 110 — Meteorology — 3 credits
- Focus on the basic physical and chemical phenomena
involved in the determination of climate and weather, enabling the student to
comprehend weather events, patterns, and forecasting. Topics include:
atmosphere composition and structure, moisture and precipitation, cloud
formation, pressure and wind, cyclones, circulation of atmosphere, air masses
and fronts, and forecasting.
- PHYS 112 — Natural and Manmade Disasters
— 3 credits
- This introductory-level science course for
non-science majors covers earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanoes, landslides,
fire, comet/meteor impacts and nuclear accidents. The conditions necessary for
the disasters, the forces that are unleashed, and civilization’s role in
them are examined. (Not for major elective credit in Physics, Biophysics or
EE).
- PHYS 113 — (E) The Science of Light and
Photography — 3 credits
- An introductory-level science course intended for
non-science majors covers the basic science of light and its application in the
technology of photography. Topics range from a historical overview of early
photographic methods to modern digital cameras. The scientific principles of
light waves and rays, the optics of lenses, the process involved in picture
taking and the formation and development of the image. Topics include the
nature of light, laws of optics, development of black and white and color
images, and digital electronics for photographic capture and display. Not for
major elective credit in Physics, Biophysics or EE.
- PHYS 114 — Solar Electricity — 3
credits
- The history, physics and engineering of obtaining
energy from the sun, with special attention to environmental impact of
Photovoltaic (PV) technology. Topics include: environmental protection,
economic growth, job creation, diversity of supply, rapid deployment,
technology transfer and innovation with a free, abundant and inexhaustible fuel
source. Not for major elective credit in Physics, Biophysics or Electrical
Engineering.
- PHYS 120-121 — (E) General Physics — 8
credits
- (Prerequisites: MATH 103-114) General college
course for pre-medical, pre-dental, biology, biochemistry and physical therapy
majors. Mechanics, heat, electricity and magnetism, sound and light. Three
hours lecture and two hours laboratory.
- PHYS 140-141 — (E) Elements of Physics
— 8 credits
- (Co-requisite: MATH 114-221) Calculus-based
introduction to the elements of physics. Topics covered: mechanics, heat,
sound, light and electricity and magnetism. Required of Physics, Electrical
Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science and Chemistry majors. Three hours
lecture and two hours laboratory.
- PHYS 201 — (E) Stellar Evolution — 3
credits
- An introduction to astrophysics for non-science
students, it concentrates on the study of the sun, stars and the universe.
Their evolution, birth, lifetimes and deaths. The remnants of the stars, and
exotic entities such as neutron stars, quasars, black holes. Galaxies and
galaxy formations. The expanding universe. Red shifts and cosmological
principles. Grand unified theories.
- PHYS 204 — (E) Information Technology
— 4 credits
- Lectures and demonstrations are designed to
describe and explain the basics of information technology and engineering for
students outside the technical disciplines. It includes data representation,
graphics and visual information, data compression, data transmission and
network technology.
- PHYS 270 — Elements of Modern Physics
— 4 credits
- (Prerequisites: PHYS 141, MATH 114) Introductory
modern Physics course for Physics and Engineering majors; also recommended for
other science majors. Review of classical physics; special theory of
relativity; atomic theory of hydrogen from Bohr to Schroedinger; multielectron
atoms and the periodic table; introduction to nuclear physics. Three hours
lecture and two hours laboratory. Lab fulfills a writing intensive requirement
(W).
- PHYS 350 — Applied and Engineering
Mathematics — 3 credits
- (Prerequisites: MATH 222, PHYS 141) An applied
course featuring first and second-order differential equations with constant
coefficients; Fourier series, Fourier transforms, and Laplace Transforms;
Partial differential equations and boundary value problems; special functions
including Bessel functions and Legendre polynomials. MAPLE software is
utilized. Three hours lecture. (Also listed as ENGR 350.)
- PHYS 351 — Mathematical Physics II — 3
credits
- An advanced course that includes the following
mathematical approaches and applications: functions of complex variables,
infinite series in the complex plane, theory of residues, conformational
mapping, Fourier and Laplace transforms, advanced partial differential
equations, boundary value problems, and Green’s functions.
- PHYS 352 — Statistical and Engineering
Thermodynamics — 3 credits
- (Prerequisite: PHYS 270) Derivation of
Thermodynamics from probability theory and atomic physics; Laws of
Thermodynamics; Maxwell relations; chemical potential and phase changes;
refrigerators and heat pumps; theory of gasses and theory of solids. Special
topics dependent upon interests of majors represented. Three hours lecture.
(Also listed as ENGR 352.)
- PHYS 371 — Advanced Mechanics — 3
credits
- (Pre- or co-requisite: MATH 341) Comprehensive
course in Newtonian dynamics,variational principles, Lagrange’s and
Hamilton’s equations; theory of small oscillations and specialized
non-linear differential equations in mechanical systems.
- PHYS 372 — Atomic and LASER Physics —
3 credits
- (Prerequisite: PHYS 270, MATH 222) Intensive and
quantitative treatment of modern atomic physics using the principles and
techniques of quantum mechanics. The study of energy levels, pumping, feedback
and transition rates in lasers. Required of Physics majors and highly
recommended elective for electrical engineers. Three hours lecture with
optional laboratory.
- PHYS 447 — Electromagnetics I — 3
credits
- (Prerequisite: PHYS 270; pre- or co-requisite: PHYS
350) Analytic treatment of electrical and magnetic theory; vector calculus of
electrostatic fields; dielectric materials; vector calculus of magnetic fields.
Three hours lecture. (Also listed as EE 447.)
- PHYS 448 — Electromagnetics II — 3
credits
- (Co-requisite: PHYS 447) Magnetic materials,
electromagnetic induction, displacement currents, Maxwell’s equations;
radiation and waves; applications include transmission lines, wave guides and
antennas. Three hours lecture. (Also listed as EE 448.)
- PHYS 448L — Electromagnetics Design
Laboratory — 1 credit
- (Co-requisite: PHYS 448) Laboratory designed to
emphasis and reinforce the experimental basis of electromagnetism. Multi-week
projects require the student to perform experiments that measure fundamental
electrical constants, the electrical and magnetic properties of matter, and the
properties of electromagnetic waves. Two hours laboratory. (Also listed as EE
448L.)
- PHYS 460 — Non-linear Systems and Chaos
— 3 credits
- Non-linear systems in mechanics and electronics are
studied. Limit cycles, chaotic attractors, hysteresis, stability and phase
space are defined and applied to complex systems. Classical oscillators, e.g.,
Duffing oscillator, the van der Pol oscillator and the Lorenz equations, will
be solved through various approximation methods. Chaos, bifurcations, routes to
chaos, chaotic maps, correspondence between maps and Poincare sections of
physical systems will be studied.
- PHYS 473 — Optics — 3 credits
- (Prerequisites: PHYS 270, MATH 341 or PHYS 350) An
introduction to the principles of geometrical, physical and quantum optics.
Topics to be covered include ray and wave optics, superposition, diffraction,
interference, polarization, Fourier methods, and coherence theory. Practical
devices such as photodetectors and light sources will also be discussed. Three
hours lecture.
- PHYS 474 — Acoustics — 3 credits
- (Prerequisite: PHYS 350) This course covers the
fundamentals of vibration as applied to one-, two- and three-dimensional
systems with varied boundary conditions. Transmission, absorption, attenuation,
and radiation are covered. Resonators and wave guides and filters are studied
along with the fundamentals of transducers. Acoustical issues in hearing are
covered, time permitting.
- PHYS 493-494 — Undergraduate Physics
Research I -II — 6 credits
- (Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor)
Students choose a research project sponsored by a member of the department and
approved by the instructor and chairperson. Students gain experience with
research literature, techniques and equipment. Weekly seminars are given on
quantum mechanics, mathematics tools, and topics related to ongoing research
projects. A written report is required.
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