Physics U2303

Fall 2015
Modern Physics
Prof. Brent Nelson
Course Description: Reviews the experimental foundations for modern physics,
such as the demonstration of the atomic nature of matter, the properties of the
electron, the wave-nature of elementary particles and the existence of
intrinsic spin. Introduces the theory of special relativity, as well as the early
theories of quantum physics. Presents the Schrodinger equation and its
solutions in one dimension for simple systems. Discusses, mostly at a
phenomenological level, such subjects as atomic and nuclear structure, solidstate physics, elementary particles and fundamental interactions, cosmology
and the Big Bang model.
Course Goals: (1) To understand what experimental evidence led to the
postulates of special relativity and quantum mechanics. (2) To understand the
interplay between theory and experiment during the historical development of
quantum mechanics. (3) To develop an understanding of how quantum
mechanics is interpreted in the modern context. (4) Learn to solve boundarycondition problems in quantum mechanics. (5) To extend this knowledge to
larger systems, including the atomic, molecular and nuclear. (6) To become
familiar with the on-going questions at the frontier of modern physics research.
Course Location: 109 Robinson, MWTh 1:35-2:40pm
Instructor Office Hours: Mondays 5-6pm; Wednesdays 10-12 (225 Dana)
Instructor Contact Information: b.nelson@neu.edu, 617-373-2956
Textbook: The textbook we will use is
Modern Physics (6th edition).Paul A. Tipler and Ralph A.
Llewellyn.
ISBN 1-4292-5078-X
In addition, copies of lecture slides shown in class will be available in a
separate bound Class Pack at the campus bookstore. Not all material covered in
lectures will be found in the textbook, so attendance at lectures is strongly
encouraged. It is assumed that you will have read the relevant textbook
passages before attending the lectures.

Physics U2303 (Fall 2015) Grading

Homework: Problem sets will be assigned each week from the master list of
homework problems, distributed as part of the Class Pack. The assigned
problems will be announced in the Thursday lectures (and on the course
Blackboard site), one week before they are due. Homework is to be submitted
at the beginning of the lecture on Thursdays. Late assignments will not be
collected. You may discuss the assignments with your classmates, but the work
you submit must be your own. Solutions will be posted to Blackboard.
Grading: Your final grade will be determined based on your performance on the
homework assignments, two midterm exams and the final exam. The scoring
breakdown is as follows: final 25%, midterms 15% each, homework 45%.
Exams: The two midterms will be scheduled for Monday, October 19 and
Monday, November 23. The first midterm will cover the course up to the
Schrodinger equation. The second midterm will cover the second half of the
course, excluding nuclear physics. The final will be cumulative and will include
nuclear physics, but not particle physics and cosmology. NOTE: I expect the
exams to be challenging, and I aim for a class average score of about 70%.
Final Letter Grade: Your course grade will be determined both by your overall
weighted total score, with the weights given above under Grading. The
following table indicates target overall score ranges corresponding to various
final course grades
A = 93-100%
A- = 88-92%
B+ = 84-88%
B = 78-84%
B- = 74-78%
C+ = 70-74%
C = 65-70%
C- = 60-65%
Since exams and assignments can vary slightly in difficulty from semester to
semester, the actual score ranges may be adjusted slightly downward from
those given in the table. Any such adjustment, upward or downward, will be
decided after the second midterm, and will be announced in class.

Physics U2303 (Fall 2015) Course Outline

Review
Waves and the wave equation, superposition, wave packets, interference,
diffraction, Maxwells equations and light as an electromagnetic wave
Relativity
Classical notions of relativity, Michelson-Morley experiment, postulates of
special relativity, Lorentz transformations, Minkowski space, spacetime
diagrams, relativistic energy and momentum, invariant mass and invariant
lengths, energy-mass conversion and binding energy, relativistic collisions
Old Quantum Mechanics
Quantization of electric charge and discovery of the electron, blackbody
radiation, Rayleigh-Jeans law and the UV catastrophe, Plancks theory of
quantized radiation, photoelectric effect, X-ray physics and the Compton
effect, atomic spectra, Rutherfords experiment, the Bohr model of the atom,
the Franck-Hertz experiment
New Quantum Mechanics
De Broglies hypothesis, probabilistic interpretation of the wave function,
Schrodinger equation in 1D, expectation values and operators, simple systems
in 1D (square well, harmonic oscillator, barriers and tunneling), Schrodinger
equation in 3D, hydrogen atom solutions, intrinsic angular momentum, the
Stern-Gerlach experiment, total angular momentum
Atomic and Molecular Systems
Quantum mechanics of multiple particles, the periodic table, chemical bonds,
atomic transitions (absorption and scattering), stimulated emission
Nuclear Systems
Basic properties of nuclei, nuclear stability and decay, nuclear reactions,
fission and nuclear energy, fusion (i.e. how the sun shines), radioactive dating,
nuclear magnetic resonance and imaging
Elementary Particles and Fundamental Interactions
Antiparticles and experimental evidence for their existence, the Standard
Model of particle physics, symmetries and conservation laws, the quark
model, experimental evidence for the Standard Model

Physics U2303 (Fall 2015) Course Policies

Study Groups: You are strongly encouraged to form small groups to work
together on parts of the course. In the real professional worlds, you will spend
a significant amount of your career working with other people, and now is a
good time to start. On the other hand, you also want to be sure that you are
learning to work independently. There is a delicate balance here, which you
need to discover for yourself as a part of maturing.
Help: If you have trouble with the homework, seek help immediately - do not
fall behind in the course. You have several places to go for help: your lecturer
(after class, during office hours, or by arrangement); the Physics Workshop in
300 Churchill near the physics labs (a schedule should be posted near 111 Dana
by the second week of class). There is also peer tutoring available. See
http://www.northeastern.edu/physics/undergraduate/help-with-physicsclasses/ for more details.
Academic Misconduct: Appropriate disciplinary action, potentially including
failing the student, will be taken in the event of cheating, plagiarism,
dishonesty, or other academic misconduct. Since students in this course are
often encouraged to work in teams, some specific remarks are in order. It is not
considered cheating if you:
Work together on homework assignments, as long as you each work out
and submit your own final answers
Get help from professors, physics workshop, tutors, etc. on the homework
assignments
Work together on preparing for quizzes and exams
It is considered cheating if you:

Submit work done by others (without your participation) as your own

Copy work on quizzes and exams

Please review the relevant College of Science Academic Course Policies,

included in the Class Pack.