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Last updated 2006-May-2

Physics 318: Introduction to Quantum Physics II, Spring 2006

Final will be Mon May 8th, 2006, from 9:30am to 12:30pm, or 10am to 1pm.

Teaching

The course meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10-11am in Crow 204.

Instructor:	Prof. Mark Alford Office: Compton 358; Phone: 5-5034; Email: p318@wuphys.wustl.edu Office hour: Wednesday, 11am-noon, i.e. after the lecture. Students are also welcome to make appointments to see Prof. Alford at other times.
TA:	James Shifflett Office: Power House, located at J-5 (building 78) on the campus map. Phone: 5-6249; Email: `shifflet(at)hbar.wustl.edu` Office hour: Wed 3-4pm.
Sections:	Thurs 5-6pm in Crow 204, our regular classroom.

Books

Course Textbook:	Modern Physics by Bernstein, Fishbane, and Gasiorowitz, ISBN 0-13-955311-8. You must own a copy of this book: the course will follow it closely, and many of the homework problems will come from it. There is a list of corrections to errors and obscurities in the textbook (see "Course materials" below). Please contribute to this list.
Other useful books:	Modern Physics for scientists and engineers by Taylor and Zafiratos (and Dubson, 2nd edition). Introductory quantum mechanics by Liboff. Introduction to quantum mechanics by Griffiths. (on reserve in the physics library)

Course outline

This course continues the introduction to Quantum Physics that was started in Physics 217. We will look at a variety of applications in areas of physics ranging from atomic and molecular systems to elementary particles and condensed matter. The course is defined by the material presented in the lectures, which will approximately follow assorted chapters in the textbook, Modern Physics by Bernstein, Fishbane, and Gasiorowitz:

Chapter 9:	Electron spin (sections (9.5) and (9.6) only)
Chapter 8:	Tunnelling through general barriers (sections (8.3) and (8.4) only)
Chapter 10:	Multi-particle systems, fermions and bosons.
Chapter 11:	Atoms, periodic table of elements, molecules.
Chapter 16:	Particles, fundamental interactions, conserved quantities. (Skip "Heavy Quarks" p499-501)
Chapter 14:	Condensed matter physics. First few sections.

Grading

The final grade will be a weighted average of homework (30%), the midterm (30%) and the final exam (40%).

Homework:	Problem sets will be handed out every week. Students are expected to hand in the solutions on the due date, typically a Friday. Late homework will only be accepted by prior arrangement with Prof. Alford. In no case can homework be given a grade after the solutions have been distributed. Students are encouraged to form study groups and discuss the homework with each other, but each student must formulate his or her own solutions. When answering a question, you will usually only get partial credit if you just write down an answer, with no justification. To get full credit you need to give reasons why your answer is correct.
Midterm:	The midterm is Wed March 8, 2006 in Compton 241, from 9am to 11am.
Final:	The final exam is scheduled for Monday May 8th 2006 in Crow 204. The officially allocated time slot is 10:30am to 12:30pm, but the professor would like to offer more time, by allowing students to take the exam from 9:30am to 12:30pm, or 10am to 1pm. Please check your other final exam times, and let the professor know if there will be a conflict.
Exam rules:	These rules apply to both the midterm and the final. Each student may compile a single letter-size hand-written "crib sheet" of formulae. Both sides of the sheet may be used, but the sheet must be an original hand-written document, not a copy. Each student is expected to bring a calculator to the exam. The exam will include one question (perhaps slightly edited) that has previously appeared in the homework. When answering a question, you will usually only get partial credit if you just write down an answer, with no justification. To get full credit you need to give reasons why your answer is correct.

Course materials

Homework assigned so far:	PostScript version	PDF version
Suggested reading:	follow this link
Corrections to errors and obscurities in the textbook:	PostScript version	PDF version
"Essentials of Quantum Mechanics":	PostScript version	PDF version
Diagram of available electron states in multi-electron atoms	PostScript version	PDF version	PNG image
Diagram of the lightest, lowest-spin hadrons	PostScript version	PDF version	PNG image
Diagram of all light hadrons [optional extra]	PostScript version	PDF version	PNG image

For an understandable discussion of the paradoxes and weirdness of quantum mechanics, I recommend:

The Infamous Boundary by David Wick and W. Farris
The Quantum Challenge by G. Greenstein and A. Zajonc

For more information on particle physics, see The Particle Adventure.

Course Evaluation

During the evaluation period, Thurs April 13th to Wed May 3rd, you can supply your evaluation of the course at the course evaluation website.