Basic physics principles of energy sources and energy production, conversion, distribution, and storage. This course will focus on the basic physics principles and applications of engines, nuclear energy, solar power and photovoltaic, geothermal, wind and hydropower, fuel cells, batteries, bioenergy and fossil energy, as well as energy harvesting in the internet age. We will also learn a closely related topic of physics of climate and "drawdown". The course will conclude with the outlook of renewable energies. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: PHYS 2620 or instructor permission.

First semester of the introductory physics sequence recommended for prospective physics majors. Topics include particle kinematics and dynamics, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, fluids, oscillatory motion, waves, sound, and thermodynamics. Emphasis is on building foundations for future studies in physics. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: MATH 1310; Co-requisite: MATH 1320; or instructor permission.

Selected experiments in mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics. One lecture hour and four laboratory hours per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 1429, PHYS 2419; co-requisite: PHYS 2620.

Individual study of topics in physics not normally covered in formal classes. Study is carried out under the tutelage of a faculty member with whom the requirements are agreed upon prior to enrollment. (S-SS) Prerequisite: Instructor permission

A research project on a topic in physics carried out under the supervision of a faculty member culminating in a written report. May be taken more than once. (S-SS) Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

First and second year students enrolled in the Physics PhD program are required to take Physics Colloquium in their first and second years of study.

Lectures on topics of current interest in physics research and pedagogy. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

This course introduces a modern topic in theoretical high energy physics to an advanced undergraduate / beginner graduate student audience. Among the directions which are being explored are the physics of extra dimensions, and a unified treatment of gravity and electromagnetism in the context of string theory. Prerequisite: Physics 3210 (Classical Mechanics), 3430 (Electricity & Magnetism II) and 3660 (Quantum Mechanics II), or permission of the instructor.

Group theory is an elegant method based on symmetry to understand complex phenomena in nature. This course is to learn the basic principles of Discrete Group Theory and its application to Condensed Matter Physics. Representation theory, characters and basis functions of a group, and group theory in quantum mechanics will be discussed to learn the basic principles, and a few applications will be discussed. Prerequisite: PHYS 3650 or CHEM 3410.

Discusses thermodynamics and kinetic theory, and the development of the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles. Includes Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, techniques for handling interacting many-particle systems, and extensive applications to physical problems.