Physics 460 Quantum PhysicsClass meeting time and room: This class will meet in Darwin 29 (in the basement) MWF 9:00 - 9:50. Preface: As quoted in the first paragraph of our text, no less a physicist than Richard Feynman said, “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.” This may well be true, but we can learn how to use it, and it has been an extremely successful theory in that its predictions agree with experiments to astonishing precision. We will devote this semester to learning how nonrelativistic quantum mechanics works and in applying it to some relatively simple systems. Prerequisites: Physics 314 Introduction to Physics III and Physics 325 Mathematical Physics or their equivalents are the prerequisites for this course. (Catalog descriptions of all courses.) Text: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, 2nd ed., by David J. Griffiths (Prentice Hall, 2005). Buy it at the bookstore or online. Other useful books: It is often helpful to get additional viewpoints from other books. Numerous other textbooks are available in the library. I particularly recommend A Quantum Mechanics Primer by Daniel T. Gillespie and Primer of Quantum Mechanics by Marvin Chester for added insight (These are not for solving specific problems). Volume III of the Feynman Lectures on Physics by Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, and Matthew Sands is also well worth reading.
Useful websites: Most of the sites listed for modern physics and on the Physics 314 Course Outline are relevant for this course as well.
Course Outline:
2. The Time-Independent Schrödinger Equation 3. Formalism 4. Quantum Mechanics in Three Dimensions The Central Potential A more detailed treatment Still more advanced 5. Identical Particles Quantum Statistical Mechanics Blackbody Radiation 6. Applications Assignments and Grading: Two midterm exams will each determine 20% of your grade, the final exam will be 30%, and homework will count 30%. Check your current standing. Other lectures: Each Monday at 4:00 p.m., from Sept 11 through Nov 27, the Department of Physics and Astronomy will present a free public lecture in its renowned "What Physicists Do" series. You will find these lectures a valuable supplement to your course work, as they will help you to know what is currently happening in physics and related fields. The lectures will become increasingly easy to understand as you progress in your studies. Office hours: My office is Darwin 300I, phone 664-2594. I am there on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Official office hours are Mondays 10:00 - 10:50 and Wednesdays 12:00 - 12:50, but you can make an appointment for another time by e-mail or in class. E-mail to joe.tenn@sonoma.edu is an excellent way to contact me any time. If you have any problems which affect your performance in this course, please contact me. Do not stop attending classes.
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