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Chair Edward Sternin Professors Emeriti John E. Black, Ramesh C. Shukla Professors Shyamal K. Bose, Douglas H. Bruce, Bozidar Mitrovic, Fereidoon S. Razavi, Maureen Reedyk, Stuart M. Rothstein, Kirill Samokhin, Art van der Est Associate Professors David A. Crandles, Edward Sternin Assistant Professor Thad A. Harroun Participating Faculty Henryk Fuks, Jan Vrbik Adjunct Professors James A. Blackburn, John Katsaras, Reinhard Kremer Academic Advisers David Crandles, Maureen Reedyk Senior Laboratory Instructor Frank A. Benko Laboratory Demonstrator Fulvio Boseglav Director Co-operative Programs Cindy Dunne |
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Administrative Assistant Elizabeth Horvath 905-688-5550, extension 3412 Mackenzie Chown B210 The department offers four-year programs of study leading to a BSc Honours in Physics, a BSc Honours Co-op option in Physics, a BSc with Major Physics and a three-year BSc Pass degree program. Students may take a single major in Physics or a combined major with Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics or Great Books/Liberal Studies. In addition, the department offers a four-year Honours program leading to a B. Sc. degree in Physics with a concentration in Applied Optics and Laser Technology. This program combines Brock courses with those offered by Niagara College. The core of the program is designed to provide an understanding of the principles and fundamental interactions of classical and quantum physics as well as many applications of these principles in technology and everyday life. It is possible for non-Physics degree students to take advanced courses, provided they have the physics and mathematics required in the year 1 Physics program. An experimental physics path of PHYS 2P31 and 3P92 or a modern physics path of PHYS 2P50 and 3P91 are possible. The Physics Co-op program combines academic and work terms over a four and one-half year period. Students spend two years in an academic setting, where they acquire the necessary background prior to taking the first work placement. In addition to the current fees for courses in academic study terms, Physics Co-op students are assessed an annual administrative fee (see the Schedule of Fees). Eligibility to continue is based on the student's major average and non-major average. A student with a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average will be permitted to continue. A student with a major average lower than 70 percent will not be permitted to continue in the Physics Co-op program, but may continue in the Physics stream. The Physics Co-op program designation will be awarded to those students who have honours standing and who have successfully completed a minimum of twelve months of Co-op work experience. The department also offers a Minor in Physics program. The goal of this program is to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of various branches of physics and their applications. The selection of courses is tailored to the needs and interests of individual students with diverse backgrounds (e.g., philosophy, classics, business and finance, mathematics and other science programs). Students should consult one of the Undergraduate Student Advisers of the Physics Department (physics@brocku.ca or ext. 3412) to plan the sequence of courses most suited to their background and needs. |
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Students admitted to the Co-op program must follow the program schedule as listed below. Failure to adhere to the schedule may result in removal from the Physics Co-op program. Year 1
Year 2
Spring/Summer Sessions:
Year 3 Fall Term:
Winter Term:
Year 4 Fall Term:
Winter Term:
Spring/Summer Sessions:
Year 5 Fall Term:
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Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree. |
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The Department of Physics and the Faculty of Education co-operate in offering two Concurrent BSc (Honours)/BEd programs. The Physics BSc (Honours)/BEd programs combines the BA Honours program or BA Integrated Studies Honours program with the teacher education program for students interested in teaching at the Intermediate/Senior level (grades 7-12) and at the Junior/Intermediate level (grades 4-10). Refer to the Education-Concurrent BSc (Honours)/BEd (Intermediate/Senior) or Education-Concurrent BSc Integrated Studies (Honours)/BEd (Junior/Intermediate) program listings for further information. |
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Honours Year 1
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Pass Program Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree. |
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Honours Year 1
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Honours Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
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Physics and Chemistry Consult the Chemistry entry for a listing of program requirements. Physics and Liberal Arts (Honours only) Consult the Liberal Arts entry for listing of program requirements. |
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Students in other disciplines can obtain a Minor in Physics within their degree programs by completing four full credits from the following courses with a minimum 60 percent average:
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The concentration in Applied Optics and Laser Technology combines a basic Bachelor's education in the core fields within Physics with practical training in fibre optics, photonics, and high vacuum and laser technologies. This is a four-year honours program and involves courses offered through Brock University and Niagara College's postgraduate certificate program in Advanced Laser Technologies. Students completing the program will receive a B.Sc. Honours degree in Physics with concentration in Applied Optics and Laser Technology, as well as a postgraduate certificate in Advanced Laser Technologies from Niagara College. The program aims to fulfill the increasing demand from the fibre optics and telecommunications industry for graduates with knowledge and technical skills in photonics, opto-electronic devices, and laser, thin film and high vacuum technologies. Normally, to acquire these qualifications students would first complete a university degree and then complete a suitable technical program at a college. The Brock-Niagara program combines the two in a single integrated package. Students may enter this program directly in year one, or transfer to this program in or at the end of year 2 of any four-year Physics program. Enrolment will be limited, depending on the availability of lab space at Niagara College. Admission to the Concentration program will include concurrent admission to the Niagara College postgraduate certificate program in Advanced Laser Technology. |
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The department offers an MSc program in condensed matter physics including experimental and/or theoretical research. Current research interests and activities involve experimental, theoretical and computational studies in materials science and condensed matter. For details, see the Graduate Calendar or contact the Chair of the Department. |
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Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details. # Indicates a cross listed course * Indicates primary offering of a cross listed course |
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Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met. ASTRONOMY COURSES Introduction to Astronomy I Description of the appearance of the night sky, history of astronomy, light and telescopes, measuring the properties of stars, structure and functioning of the Sun. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in ASTR 1F00. Introduction to Astronomy II Formation and evolution of stars, properties of some unusual astronomical objects, such as pulsars and black holes, galaxies, cosmology and a discussion of the planets of the solar system. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Note: ASTR 1P01 is highly recommended. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in ASTR 1F00. PHYSICS COURSES Co-op Work Placement I First co-op placement (4 months) with an approved employer. Restriction: open to PHYS Co-op students. Co-op Work Placement II Second co-op placement (4 months) with an approved employer. Restriction: open to PHYS Co-op students. Co-op Work Placement III Third co-op placement (4 months) with an approved employer. Restriction: open to PHYS Co-op students. Co-op Work Placement IV Co-op placement (4 months) with an approved employer. Restriction: open to PHYS Co-op students. Co-op Work Placement V Co-op placement (4 months) with an approved employer. Mechanics and Waves Kinematics, Newton's laws and their applications to equilibrium and dynamics with examples from biomechanics; waves and sound. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P91. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P91. Electromagnetism, Optics and Modern Physics Charges and fields, electric currents and circuits, electromagnetic waves and wave nature of light, optics and elements of modern physics. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or permission of the instructor. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P92. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P92. Fluids, Heat and Light Fluids in equilibrium, surface tension and capillary action; fluids in motion, viscosity and turbulent flow. Heat and temperature, elements of kinetic theory and the laws of thermodynamics. Optics and elements of modern physics. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or permission of the instructor. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P93. OEVI students may register without the prerequisite. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P93. Mechanics and Waves with Laboratory Combination of lectures and tutorials in PHYS 1P21 with a laboratory session. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week; lab, alternating weeks, 3 hours per week. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P21. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P21. Electromagnetism, Optics and Modern Physics with Laboratory Combination of lectures and tutorials in PHYS 1P22 with a laboratory session. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week; lab, alternating weeks, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P91. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P22. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P22. Fluids, Heat and Light with Laboratory Combination of lectures and tutorials in PHYS 1P23 with a laboratory session. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week; lab, alternating weeks, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P91 or permission of the instructor. Note: students may not concurrently register in PHYS 1P23. OEVI students may register without the prerequisite. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 1P23. Introduction to Medical Physics Physical and chemical interactions of ionizing radiations and their biological effects, structural imaging (magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, computed tomography and optical microscopy); nuclear medicine, therapeutic applications of radiation. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): one of 4U/M PHYS (SPH4U), PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92, 1P93. Introductory Mechanics Mechanics of particles and systems of particles by the Newtonian method; conservation of linear momentum, angular momentum and energy; elementary dynamics of rigid bodies; oscillators; motion under central forces; selected applications. Lectures, problem sessions, 3 hours per week; lab, tutorial, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended); one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93; MATH 1P01 and 1P02. Analog Electronics Conduction in metals and semi-conductors; circuit analysis; semi-conductor junction, diode and transistor; rectification, switching and amplification; operational amplifiers, active filters; laboratory instruments. Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended); one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93; one MATH credit or permission of the instructor. Note: no previous course in electricity/magnetism/electronics is required. Secondary school algebra and some basic calculus will be used in the quantitative sections. Digital Electronics Principles of digital electronics; combinatorial logic and circuits; sequential circuits, counters; digital computing and control; analog-to-digital conversion; signal sampling; elements of computational science; an introduction to programming. Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended); one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93; one MATH credit or permission of the instructor. Modern Physics Special relativity, photons, the wave-particle aspects of electromagnetic radiation and matter; introduction to wave mechanics; the hydrogen atom and atomic line spectra; orbital and spin angular momenta; lasers. Lectures, tutorial, 4 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended); one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93; MATH 1P01 and 1P02. Introduction to Classical and Modern Optics Geometrical and wave optics, reflection, refraction, lenses, matrix methods, aberrations, gradient index phenomena including fibre optics, interference, coherence, holography, Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, polarization. Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended); one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93; MATH 1P01 and 1P02. Cellular Biophysics Introduction to the molecular biophysics of cellular membranes, structure and function of the major cell components (lipids, proteins and carbohydrates), experimental physical techniques, photobiology, biological electrokinetics, bioinformatics, biomechanics, and biomimetics. Lectures, 3 hours per week; lab, alternate week, 4 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P31 or permission of the instructor. Electromagnetism I Electric field, divergence and curl of electrostatic field; relation between electric work and energy; conductors; application of Laplace's and Poisson's equation in electrostatics; electrostatic field in matter; field in polarized object and linear dielectric. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): MATH 2F05, or MATH 2P03 and 2P08. Electromagnetism II Magnetostatics, divergence and curl of magnetic field; magnetic vector potential; magnetic field in matter; magnetization; field of magnetic object; magnetic field inside of linear and non-linear media; electrodynamics; Ohm's law; Faraday's law and Maxwell equations; energy and momentum in electrodynamics; electromagnetic waves. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P35. Statistical Physics I Introduction to probability distribution functions, accessible states, entropy, temperature, partition functions and relations to thermodynamic functions. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P50. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics Wave particle dualism, Schrodinger equation, solution of simple one-dimensional barrier problems and the harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, angular momentum theory, introduction to perturbation theory and variational methods. Lectures, lab/problem sessions, 4 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P50; MATH 2F05, or MATH 2P03 and 2P08. Classical Mechanics Advanced treatment of the mechanics of particles and of rigid bodies; Lagrangian and Hamiltonian methods; Poisson brackets, applications to the theory of small oscillators and central force motions, elements of chaotic motions. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P20; MATH 2F05, or MATH 2P03 and 2P08. Completion of this course will replace previously assigned grade and credit obtained in PHYS 3P20. Experimental Physics I Laboratory experiments to be selected from atomic physics, nuclear physics, solid state physics. Lab, 1 day per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P50 or permission of the instructor. Experimental Physics (Electronics) II Operational amplifiers, converters, switches, microcomputers and their application to physical measurements. Lab, 1 day per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P31 or permission of the instructor. Note: PHYS 2P32 recommended. Solid-State Devices Principles of operation of solid-state devices, from the point of view of the quantum theory; electronic bands and conduction in semiconductors; operation and manufacture of silicon and germanium diodes, junction and field effect transistors; thin-film deposition technology; special topics. Lectures, lab, 6 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P70. Research Project I Small experimental, theoretical or applied physics research project to be carried out under the supervision of a member of the department. Restriction: open to PHYS (single or combined) and CAST majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits, a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average or approval to year 4 (honours). Note: the project may, under special circumstances, be started in the summer months. Students must consult with the Department Chair regarding their proposed program during the first week of lectures. Research Project II Small experimental, theoretical or applied physics research project to be carried out under the supervision of a member of the department. Restriction: open to PHYS (single or combined) majors with either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits, a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average or approval to year 4 (honours) and permission of the department. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 4F90. Note: the project may, under special circumstances, be started in the summer months. Students must consult with the Department Chair regarding their proposed program during the first week of lectures. PHYS 4F90 and 4F91 may be taken concurrently. Solitons and Nonlinear Wave Equations (also offered as MATH 4P09) Introduction to solitons. Travelling waves, nonlinear wave and evolution equations (Korteweg de Vries, Bousinesq, nonlinear Schrodinger, sine-Gordon), soliton solutions and their interaction properties, Lax pairs and construction of single and multi soliton solutions. Lectures, 3 hours per week; lab/tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): one of MATH 3P09, 3P51, 3P52. Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic wave propagation in vacuum, dielectrics, conductors and ionized gases; reflection, refraction, polarization at the plane boundary between two media; wave guide and transmission line propagation; dipole and quadrupole radiation fields; antenna systems; electromagnetic radiation pressure; transformation of the electromagnetic fields. Lectures, problem sessions, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P35, 3P36, MATH 3P08 and 3P09. Statistical Physics II Fundamental postulates, equilibrium statistical mechanics and its relation to thermodynamics. Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics are derived and applied in appropriate physical situations of non-interacting and interacting particles; fluctuations; elementary treatment of transport theory. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P41, 3P70, MATH 3P08 and 3P09. Quantum Mechanics I Postulates about states, observables, probabilities, change of state in a measurement, and time evolution. Dirac's bra and ket notation; representation and transformation theory. Two-level systems. Complete set of commuting observables and classification of states. Symmetries and their usage in classification of states. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P70, MATH 3P08 and 3P09. Quantum Mechanics II Operator methods in quantum mechanics, charged particles in electromagnetic field, angular momentum, variational method, time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theories, theory of scattering. Lectures, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P70, MATH 3P08 and 3P09. Nuclear Physics Intrinsic properties of nuclei, nuclear binding energy; qualitative treatment of shell model; alpha, beta and gamma radioactivities, nuclear fission, characteristics of nuclear reactions. Lectures, problem sessions, 3 hours per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P50 and 3P70. Modern Wave Optics: Optical Tweezers to Atom Clouds Optical lattices, spatial light modulators, evanescent waves and their applications from biology to ultracold atoms. Laser cooling and optical trapping. Manipulation of crystal properties by light. Optical patterns: tweezers, mirrors, funnels, bottles. Maple-based coursework. Lectures, tutorials, 4 hours per week. Condensed Matter Physics I Crystal structures and crystal binding; the vibration of atoms in solids and the thermodynamics of solids; introduction to transport properties of solids. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P70. Condensed Matter Physics II Energy bands in metals and semiconductors, dynamics of electrons, Fermi surfaces and transport properties of solids, magnetism, screening in electron gas, optical properties. Lectures, 3 hours per week; tutorial, 1 hour per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 4P70. Advanced Electronics Laboratory Families of logic devices, selection and implementation techniques; synchronous and asynchronous sequential circuits; safety and physical constraints; programmable array logic designs; digital signal processing, optoelectronics; CAD; circuit layout. Lab, 1 day per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 3P92. Note: completion of a project from design to a working device is required. General Relativity and Black Holes (also offered as MATH 4P94) Review of Special Relativity and Minkowski space-time. Introduction to General Relativity theory including gravitation and the space-time metric, light cones, horizons, asymptotic flatness; energy-momentum of particles and light rays (geodesics). Static black holes (Schwarzschild metric), properties of light rays and particle orbits. Rotating black holes (Kerr metric). Lectures, 3 hours, lab/tutorial 1 hour, per week. Prerequisite(s): PHYS 2P20, 2P50, MATH 2F05; or permission of the instructor. Special Topics Examples of topics are relativity and cosmology; surface physics and electronic states in ordered and disordered systems. Lectures, problem sessions, 4 hours per week. |
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2009-2010 Undergraduate Calendar
Last updated: January 8, 2014 @ 01:30PM