PHY 4134
Widely Applied Physics I
Monday & Wednesday & Friday, 1:00-1:50 pm, Fall 2016
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 1:30-3:00 p.m. for Fall 2016
Instructor Prerequisites Text Objectives Grading Schedule Quizzes
Instructor:
Name: Dr. Pete Markowitz
Office: CP209
Phone: 305-348-1710
Email: markowit@fiu.edu
Department Home Page:
http://www.fiu.edu/physics
Home Page:
http://www.fiu.edu/~markowit
Prerequisites:
The course is not terribly mathematically intensive, but does
require using exponentials and doing simple integrals. Although in
the past we have asked that you have already taken Modern Physics,
this year we are asking only that you have taken Physics II. Ideally
you would also have Modern Physics as either a co- or pre-requisite.
That implies obviously that you also have passed Calculus II (MAC 2312). The course will also use
Mathematica. Experience with Mathematica is NOT assumed. The
beginning Wolfram tutorial
online may be useful as an introduction as well as some
examples from other classes. We will be using Blackboard for course
management (grades and homework solutions). You will need to use
your FIU email account for all
class emails. If you do not regularly log into your FIU account, you
will need to set the forwarding (or start checking it regularly).
Textbook:
Nuclear Physics: Principles and Applications, John S. Lilley,
published by Wiley (2001), ISBN 0471979368.
The objective of the course is to introduce students to the
basics of nuclear physics and some of the applications derived from it.
The course will first review the experimental and theoretical foundation that has been obtained over the last 100 years. Then it will provide the physics principles behind the interactions of radiation with matter. This will allow the subsequent discussion of selected topics in medical physics and industrial applications. The course will conclude with a discussion of reactor technology and, time permitting an outlook on fusion energy.
The course is NOT a laboratory course and you should not expect to do laboratory write-ups. On the other hand, the course will find ways to demonstrate the detection of radiation and the use of various techniques. There will be a "hands-on" component to the course.
Course Format:
This course is primarily classroom based, however the there are a
variety of interactive, hardware aspects of the course. Additionally,
the grading is
internet-based (i.e.,
Blackboard ). Solutions to homeworks will also be available
within
Blackboard . We will also introduce using Mathematica for a fraction of
the course homework.
A rough schedule and topic list is given
in the below. Some sections or chapters will be covered in
greater depth than others.
It is important to read the sections prior to each class as they will complement the class exercises, discussions and activities. You should also read those sections that will not be covered in class. As you read, you should take notes (or create a "reverse outline" of the text), and bring those pre-class notes to class. They will be used as part of your grade.
Some lectures will be given in the class however we have better uses for classroom time than repeating material which you will have read the previous night in preparation. You will also be asked to give an individual presentation at the end of the term.
Blackboard and e-mail will be used throughout the course to facilitate communications between the instructor and students. For that purpose, you will need to use your official FIU email. If you were registered before the start of classes, you should already have received a welcome email from me.
Grading:
We will have two in-class mid-terms plus a cumulative final for
the course. Additionally, all students will take turns demonstrating
lecture demonstrations.
Grades are based on unannounced, conceptual quizzes (weekly), homework, mid-term examinations, and the
(cumulative) final exam:
Conceptual Quizzes |
15% |
Student Demos |
10% |
Worksheet |
10% |
Homework |
20% |
Mid-term exam I |
15% |
Mid-term exam II |
15% |
Final Exam |
15% |
Letter grades are approximately based upon the following scale:
A |
>93% |
A- |
90-92% |
B+ |
88-89% |
B |
83-87% |
B- |
80-82% |
C+ |
78-79% |
C |
73-77% |
Course Schedule:
A draft calendar for the course is given here, but will be updated
throughout the course.
New reading and homework assignments will be given each lecture. Note that
they may cover more or less than one chapter. Students are
encouraged to work with others on the homeworks, however all the work turned
in must be the student's own. *Indicates a Mathematica assignment.* To get started
on the Mathematica assignments, a page showing how to make a plot
( (pdf file is here),
(Mathematica notebook is here)).
An older example page written for E&M is available here.
Due Date |
Topic |
Due for class |
22 August 2016 |
Introduction and Syllabus |
Section 1.1-1.2 |
24 August 2016 |
The Basics of Nuclear Physics |
Sections 1.3-1.4 |
26 August 2016 |
Nuclear Potential |
Sections 1.5-1.6 HW 1 |
29 August 2016 |
Nuclear Structure |
Sections 2.1-2.2 |
31 September 2016 |
Nuclear Structure |
Section 2.3 |
2 September 2016 |
Radiation detectors |
meet in Sr. Lab |
5 September 2016 |
No Class |
Labor Day |
7 September 2016 |
Nuclear Structure |
Sections 2.4-2.5 HW 2 |
9 September 2016 |
Nuclear Structure |
Section 3.1 |
12 September 2016 |
Nuclear Instability |
Section 3.2 |
14 September 2016 |
Nuclear Instability |
Sections 3.3-3.4 HW 3 |
16 September 2016 |
Nuclear Reactions |
Sections 4.1-4.2 |
19 September 2016 |
Nuclear Reactions |
Sections 4.3-4.6 |
21 September 2016 |
Interactions of Radiation
with Matter |
Sections 5.1-5.2 |
23 September 2016 |
Interactions of Radiation
with Matter |
Sections 5.3-5.4 HW 4 |
26 September 2016 |
Section 5.5
|
|
28 September 2016 |
Detectors & Instrumentation |
Sect. 6.1-6.3 HW 5 |
30 September 2016 |
Detectors & Instrumentation |
Sect. 6.4-6.5 |
3 October 2016 |
Detectors & Instrumentation |
Sections 6.6-6.8 |
5 October 2016 |
Detectors & Instrumentation |
Blackboard reading |
7 October 2016 |
|
|
10 October 2016 |
Biological Effects of Radiation |
Section 7.3-7.4
HW 6 |
12 October 2016 |
Biological Effects of Radiation |
Section 7.5 |
14 October 2016 |
|
Exam I |
17 October 2016 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Section 9.2 HW 7 |
19 October 2016 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Section 9.3 |
21 October 2016 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Section 9.4 |
24 October 2016 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Section 9.5 HW 8 |
26 October 2016 |
Nuclear Medicine |
Guest Lecture: Dr. R. Laird |
28 October 2015 |
Nuclear Medicine |
In class worksheet |
31 October 2015 |
Fusion |
Section 11.1-11.3 |
2 November 2015 |
Fusion |
Section 11.4-11.5 |
4 November 2015 |
|
Exam II |
7 November 2015 |
Fusion |
Chpt 11 HW 9 |
9 November 2015 |
Fusion |
Guest lecture, Dr. Werner Boeglin |
11 November 2015 |
No Class |
Veteran's Day |
14 November 2015 |
Fusion |
Chpt 11 |
16 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 HW 10 |
18 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 |
21 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 HW 11 |
23 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 |
25 November 2015 |
No Class |
|
28 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 |
30 November 2015 |
Fission |
Chpt 10 |
2 December 2015 |
Fision |
Chpt 10 |
5 December 2015 |
Final Exam |
12:00 pm |
Quizzes:
Quizzes will be based on previous days' material, the readings due that
day for class, and examples from homeworks previously due. They will
be entirely conceptual.
Homework:
Homework problems must be neatly done, with each problem begun on a fresh page. Multiple problems on the same sheet or sheets with multiple solutions to the same problem will not be accepted. No pages with scratched-out work will be accepted -- if you spoil the page, begin with a clean sheet. Problems will not be accepted if the solutions are scribbled sideways, upside down, or at the edge of another problem. There should not be multiple columns on a single page. Paper does not need to be ruled, but cannot be torn out of a notebook.
Homework assignments normally are due
at the beginning of class on the due date (e.g., 4:00 pm).
As of 4:01 pm, homework not turned in is late.
Late homework will continue to be accepted for one week (7 days) for 50%
credit. Homework assignments will not be graded or accepted if they are past
due by more than 7 days. No credit or grading of homework turned in
later than 7 days will be provided. Solutions will be linked from
the moodle course page at that time. No make-up for missing homework is
possible.