GRADUATE CATALOG

Physics and Astronomy

Robert I. Boughton, Chair
104 Overman Hall

Lewis P. Fulcher, Graduate Coordinator
167 Overman Hall
Phone: 419-372-2421

Graduate Faculty

Professors-

Associate Professors-

Assistant Professors-


Graduate Degrees Offered

Master of Science, Master of Science with concentration in Radiological Physics, and Master of Arts in Teaching

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

The prospective graduate student in physics should have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree with a major in physics, or a minor in physics and a major in a cognate field from an accredited institution. The student should also have taken a minimum of one year of college chemistry. If necessary, in order to attain this standing , the applicant may take the required courses at this university without graduate credit or satisfactorily complete an examination to provide the required prerequisites for graduate work.
The candidate working toward a Master of Arts in Teaching degree must have had at least one year's teaching experience and hold a valid teaching certificate from the state in which he or she is teaching.

Requirements for the Master's Degree

Plan I consists of not less than 30 hours in 500- and 600- level courses approved for graduate credit including a minimum of 16 hours at the 600- level. The major consists of not less than 16 hours chosen from courses in PHYS. PHYS 601, 603, 605 and 606 (1 hour) are required of all physics students in Plan I. The formal concentration in Radiological Physics includes the following requirements: PHYS 528, 613, N682 (Nuclear Physics), 617, and four specified courses offered at Medical College of Ohio. The Plan I student must also register for one hour of PHYS 681 per semester. In addition to the above 16 hours in the major field, a formal thesis must be presented by the Plan I student, and the candidate must pass an oral examination on the thesis.

Plan II consists of not less than 32 hours in the 500- and 600- level courses approved for graduate credit including two hours of PHYS 691 (directed research seminar). As an important part of the research seminar work, the student must submit a scholarly paper. The major consists of at least 20 hours in PHYS beyond PHYS 691. PHYS 601, 603, 605 and 606 (2 hours) are required of all physics students in Plan II. The formal concentration in Radiological Physics includes the following requirements: PHYS 528, 613, N682 (Nuclear Physics), 617, and four specified courses offered at Medical College of Ohio. The Plan II student must also register for one hour of PHYS 681 per semester. In addition, the Plan II candidate must pass a final written comprehensive examination covering selected fields included in the major not later than three weeks before the end of the final registration period before the awarding of the degree. The requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching degree are outlined under "Degree Requirements" in this Catalog. No further requirements are added by the Physics and Astronomy Department.

Courses for Graduates

PHYS 601. Techniques in Experimental Physics (3) I. Laboratory oriented course in which various experimental techniques and topics of current use in physics and engineering are treated.

PHYS 603. Advanced Electrodynamics (3) I. Elements of electrodynamics including: electrostatics, magnetostatics, electromagnetism, radiating systems, and relativity. Prerequisites: PHYS 501, 502, 518 or equivalent work.

PHYS 604. Statistical Mechanics (2) II. On demand. Phase space; thermodynamic laws; ergodic theorem; Liouville's theorem; microcanonical and canonical ensembles; quantum statistics with applications to theory of gases, solids and simple quantum systems. Prerequisite: PHYS 501 or equivalent.

PHYS 605. Advanced Classical and Quantum Mechanics (4) II. Elements of classical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Applications to current problems in physics. Prerequisites: PHYS 501, 502, 517 or equivalent work.

PHYS 606. Techniques of Computational Physics Seminar (2) I. Study of computational techniques and practice. Emphasis will be placed on various operating systems and languages in common scientific use. Graded S/U.

PHYS 610. Advanced Solid State Physics (3) III. Quantum theory of solids, including: treatment of conduction electrons in metals and semiconductors, electron transport properties, band theory, dielectric, magnetic and optical properties of solids, and superconductivity. Second quantization and pseudopotential techniques. Prerequisite: PHYS 510 or permission of instructor.

PHYS 613. Signal Processing (3) I. Introduction to techniques of signal processing, spectral analysis of continuous signals, sampling, discrete Fourier transforms and fast Fourier transforms, convolution, correlation and filtering. Various transducers and A/D conversion processes. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

PHYS 617. Data Telecommunications (3) II. An introduction to the theory and practice of data telecommunications circuits and systems. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

PHYS 650. Physics for In-Service Teachers (3-5). On demand. Intensive physics course for secondary or middle school teachers of science who wish to enhance their physics background. Special attention is paid to the development of lecture-demonstration and laboratory apparatus and techniques. Subject matter can vary from year to year. May be repeated. Not acceptable for credit towards a graduate degree in physics.

PHYS 681. Seminar in Physics (1) I, II. Systematic study of selected topics in physics. May be repeated to four hours. Graded S/U.

PHYS 682. Special Topics in Physics (3) On demand. Seminar on subject in modern physics representing an important advance in the field or a special competence of individual staff members. Normal grading. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

PHYS 684. Readings in Physics (1-3). Individual registration. Special topics in specific areas of physics suited to needs of individual student. May be repeated to eight hours. Normal grading. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

PHYS 689. Co-operative Education in Physics (1-6) On demand. Work and study in physics in an industrial, commercial or government laboratory setting in an approved cooperative position. May be repeated to six hours. Graded S/U.

PHYS 691. Directed Research in Physics (1-2) I, II. Supervised independent research on a particular topic. Suitable for work toward paper for M.S. Plan II or M.A.T. degrees, but open to others interested in physics research. Prerequisite: one hour of PHYS 606.

PHYS 694. Workshop in Physics (1-4) On demand. Topics and issues within the discipline; topics vary from term to term.

PHYS 695. Workshop on Current Topics in Physics (1-4) I, II, III On demand. Topics and issues within the discipline; topics vary from term to term.

PHYS 699. Thesis Research (1-12). Credit for thesis study. Enrollment in excess of nine hours is acceptable for Plan I M.S. degree, but no more than six hours may be credited toward degree. Minimum acceptable toward degree is two hours. Graded S/U.

Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit

PHYS 501. Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics I (4) I. Survey of basic methods of mathematical techniques applied to physics, including linear algebra, ordinary differential equations, and vector calculus with emphasis on how these concepts are used in physics. Parallel development is given to numerical methods used to solve physical problems. Use of an appropriate scientific programming language is included. Four lecture-recitations. Prerequisites: PHYS 212; or PHYS 202 and MATH 232.

PHYS 502. Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics II (3) II (Alternate years). Survey of basic mathematical and computational techniques for solving partial differential equations, including the wave equation, Poisson's equation, and the heat transfer equation. Introduction to Fourier analysis with applications and the Fast Fourier Transform algorithms and their implementation. A rudimentary treatment of special functions, as they arise in solving physical problems, will be given. Prerequisite: PHYS 501 or permission of instructor.

PHYS 503. Stellar Structure and Evolution (3) I (Alternate years). Basic data, stellar interiors, theoretical models. Advanced evolutionary states; red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars, supernovas and black holes. Prerequisites: PHYS 301 or equivalent, and permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for ASTR 403.

PHYS 510. Solid State Physics (3) II (Alternate years). Continuum and atomic theories of solids, lattice vibrations, specific heat of solids, electron theory of metals and semiconductors. Superconductivity. Prerequisite: PHYS 307 or equivalent.

PHYS 511. Physics of Materials (3) II (Alternate years). Structure and physical properties of ceramics, composites, polymers, metallurgically important alloys and amorphous systems. Theory of physical properties of these substances: specific heat, conduction, diffusion. Prerequisite: PHYS 307 or equivalent.

PHYS 517. Quantum Mechanics (3) II. Duality of matter and radiation, state functions and interpretation, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, wave equations and principles of wave mechanics, elementary applications of Schroedinger's equation, operator methods and approximation techniques. Prerequisite: PHYS 501 or equivalent.

PHYS 518. Electricity and Magnetism I (3) I . Electric and magnetic fields; Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic field with applications in propagation, absorption, reflection, transmission of radiation. Prerequisite: PHYS 501 or equivalent.

PHYS 519. Electricity and Magnetism I I (3) II (Alternate years). PHYS 518 continued with applications to guided waves and physical optics. Relativity.
Prerequisite: PHYS 518 or equivalent.

PHYS 528. Microcomputer Interfacing (3) I. Medium and large scale integrated circuits such as peripheral interface adapters. UARTS, A/D converters are used to interface a microcomputer to the external world of the laboratory. One class period and two three-hour laboratories. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

PHYS 529. Selected Topics in Microelectronics (1-3) On demand. An individual, in-depth study of a microelectronics project. Designed to integrate the introductory knowledge gained in PHYS 528 into a complete microelectronics system. Arranged. Prerequisite: PHYS 528 or equivalent.

PHYS 533. Philosophy and Physics of Space and Time (3) II. Physical theories of space and time from philosophical, scientific and historical points of view. Topics include Zeno's paradoxes, Green's concepts of space and time, classical Newtonian world view, general ideas of modern theory of relativity and cosmology. Cross listed in PHIL.


For further information, please contact:

Robert I. Boughton,
Chair, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Director, Center for Materials Science
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403
(419)372-2421::FAX (419)372-9938
e-mail: boughton@bgnet.bgsu.edu