Undergraduate Course Atlas - Spring Semester 2007

Content: This course is meant to unveil the physical nature of many natural phenomena that are such a part of our daily life that we seldom wonder about them. For example, how are trees able to stand up so tall and how can water reach the leaves at the top of them? How do muscles move so that we can contract and extend our legs and arms? How can some three meters of genetic code fit into the nucleus of a cell? How does color perception occur? Etc. Physiology is the science of the regularory processes and, as such, its aim is to postualte quantitative reactions and/or equations that explain and predict the observed behavior of individuals or species. Therefore, the course will be organized into a few sections exploring intriguing physical problems in the plant and animal world and their solutions.

Audience: Freshmen only.

Particulars: TBA

Text: TBA

Content: The course will explore some of the ways in which the principles and methods used in physics are applied to problems in modern medicine. Part of the course will be devoted to a study of the physics of modern imaging systems having acronyms such as MRI, CT and PET. More traditional areas (x-ray, radiation, and nuclear medicine physics) will also be covered. Mathematical and statistical ideas will be developed as needed.

Audience: The course is intended for "pre-med" students, students in health or biological sciences, or physics majors who are curious about medical physics.

Prerequisites: Physics 142 or 152, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: One mid-term exam, plus a verbally presented report. No final exam.
Several classes will involve a visit to a medical facility on the greater Emory Campus (e.g. Grady Memorial, Crawford Long, or Emory University Hospital); such classes may last until 9:00 PM.

Content: Physics BA majors have a choice of taking either Physics 254, Classical Physics or both Physics 361, Analytical Mechanics I and Physics 365, Electromagnetic Fields I. Physics 254 covers, in one semester, core elements of 361 and 365 at a simpler mathematical level. Both tracks prepare you for 300-level physics electives; the 361-365 sequence further prepares students for graduate study in physics. If you took both 361 and 365, one would count as one of your four physics electives.

Audience: For Physics BA majors and others who desire a broader and more conceptual treatment of basic classical mechanics and electromagnetism.

Prerequisites: Physics 253.

Particulars: Midsemester exam; homework problems; final presentation.

Content: Discusssion covers astronomical coordinates, celestial mechanics, Kepler's Laws, gravitation, planetary analysis techniques, planetary and interplanetary debris composition and structure, ring system formation, extrasolar planetary systems, with laboratory sessions in the Emory observatory.

Prerequisites: Physics 253.

Particulars: In addition to investigating the content areas listed above, students will also research current topics in astronomical research for brief in-class presentations. A mid-term and a final comprehensive exam will also be given. There is one 3-hour laboratory on Monday evenings which needs to be registered for as a related component.

Text: Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics, Zeilik and Gregory

Content: Electrostatics, solution methods for Poisson and Laplace equations, steady currents and electromagnetic induction, magnetic and electrostatic energy, slowly varying currents, Maxwell's equations, propagation of electromagnetic waves, and wave propagation in bounded regions.

Audience: Required for Physics B.S. and B.S. Applied majors. Physics B.A. majors may take either Physics 361(Fall) and 365 (Spring), or Physics 254 (Spring).

Prerequisites: Physics 152 and Mathematics 211, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: The course will feature regular homework assignments, one or two mid-term exams, and a final exam.

Text: Introduction to Electrodynamics, 3rd ed., Griffiths.

Content: Introduction to fluid dynamics for biologists, chemists, and physicists. Emphasis will be placed upon developing intuition for fluid dynamics from biological examples.

Audience: Advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics, chemistry, or math.

Prerequisites: Multidimensional calculus AND Physics 361, 365 or consent of instructor.

Particulars: TBA

Texts: Elementary Fluid Dynamics, Acheson
Life in Moving Fluids, Vogel

Content: The goal of this course is to show how basic principles and techniques of physics can be applied to the physical examination of works of art. Questions of material choice, working method, authenticity, provenance, and restoration are each addressed through scientific investigation. Lecture and discussion consider historical uses of materials in the production of works of art, as well as the circumstances motivating the scientific analysis of specific objects. Case studies drawn from the Carlos Museum collection will provide context for these discussions. In hands-on workshops, students will produce paper, drawings, and paintings on which they will conduct practical lab experiments using beta radiography, infrared reflectography, neutron activation analysis, and ultraviolet fluorescence.

Audience: Students with an interest in art and science. Prior coursework in physics, visual history is not required.

Particulars: TBA

Text: TBA

Content: Varies.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Particulars: Adapted to the particular needs of individual students, with the instructor acting as advisor.

Content: The course will cover the physics of optics and waves. Most of this course will be devoted to the derivation and solution of wave equations for a variety of physical systems and environments. Our understanding of wave propagation will then be applied to analyze a variety of optical systems.

Prerequisites: Physics 365, and Physics 320 or the equivalent, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: This class includes regular homework and exams. Each student will also conduct a library research project during the 2nd half of the semester, write a research report, and give an in-class presentation about their work. Includes a three-hour laboratory each week (Wednesday 3:00 PM- 6:00 PM).

Content: Computational techniques will be introduced that will enable students to simulate, analyze, and graphically visualize physical systems and processes. Some of the topics that may be covered include numerical integration, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, random walks and diffusion, percolation and critical phenomena, fractals, cellular automata, Monte Carlo techniques, and molecular dynamics.

Prerequisite: Physics 142 or 152, Computer Science 150 or 170, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: The grade in the course will be based on numerical projects and a final research paper. Final projects will be selected from different areas of physics according to student interest and background.

Text: An Introduction to Computer Simulation Methods: Applications to Physical Systems, 2nd ed., Gould and Tobochnik (Addison-Wesley, 1996)

Content: The course focuses on how structure and dynamics at the molecular level contribute to the observed function of biological systems, with a specific emphasis on proteins. An introduction to protein structure and dynamics is given, followed by a detailed examination of specific protein systems, including those involved in solar energy conversion, visual transduction and molecular motion (motors). A parallel focus is on the physical techniques of spectroscopy and scattering that are used to obtain the molecular-scale information. The physical techniques are described in the context of the problems in molecular biophysics that they have solved.

Audience: The course is intended for students in the physical, chemical or biological sciences who wish to understand fundamental molecular "operating principles" of biological systems, and specifically, proteins.

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor.

Particulars: Three take home exams; problem sets; term paper.

Content: Introductory quantum theory, including the Schrödinger equation, concepts of eigenstate and eigenvalue, the uncertainty principle, simple harmonic oscillator, central force problems, angular momentum, operator formalism, and matrix representation.

Prerequisite: Physics 361, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: Grades are based on exams and homework assignments. Problems are assigned on a regular basis. There is a midterm and a final exam.

Text: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, Griffiths (Prentice Hall) (Optional)

Content: Selected applications and interpretations of quantum mechanics.

Prerequisite: Physics 461, or consent of instructor.

Particulars: Two exams and a final exam; homework problems.

Texts: Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Ohanian
The Quantum Challenge, Greenstein and Zajonic

Audience: For students participating in the College Honors Program.

Prerequisite: Consent of the undergraduate physics advisor. Independent research for students invited to participate in the Physics Department's Honors program.

Audience: For students participating in the College Honors Program.

Prerequisite: Consent of honors research advisor.

Content: Final Semester of independant research for students invited to participate in Physics Department Honor's program. WR is satisfied by acceptance of completed honors thesis.

Audience: For students who wish to participate in physics research with the instructor acting as research director.

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.