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Physics CoursesFor Distribution Requirement purposes, all PHY courses are classified as SCIENCE courses. |
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Note Books listed in course descriptions will not necessarily be the texts for the course, but do indicate the level of presentation. More detailed and current information on courses is available through the Physics Department website. Pre- and co-requisites are recommendations which may be waived in special circumstances - students should consult the Department prior to the beginning of term. SCI199H1 SCI199Y1 Undergraduate seminar that focuses on specific ideas, questions, phenomena or controversies, taught by a regular Faculty member deeply engaged in the discipline. Open only to newly admitted first year students. It may serve as a distribution requirement course; see page 48. PHY100H1 In 1915 Einstein presented a quartet of papers that revolutionized our understanding of gravity. He commented: “Hardly anyone who has truly understood this theory will be able to resist being captivated by its magic.” The General Theory of Relativity is not the only theory of physics that is magical, and Einstein was not physics’ only magician. We uncover the wonders of the classical and the quantum world courtesy of Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Heisenberg and others. Topics include planetary motion, chaos, the nature of light, time travel, black holes, matter waves, Schrödinger’s cat, and quarks. No mathematics is required, and any necessary elementary classical physics is reviewed. PHY101H1 The universe is not a rigid clockwork, but neither is it formless and random. Instead, it is filled with highly organized, evolved structures that have somehow emerged from simple rules of physics. Examples range from the structure of galaxies to the pattern of ripples on windblown sand, to biological and even social processes. These phenomena exist in spite of the universal tendency towards disorder. How is this possible? Self-organization challenges the usual reductionistic scientific method, and begs the question of whether we can ever really understand or predict truly complex systems. PHY131H1 A first university physics course primarily for students not intending to pursue a Specialist or Major program in Physical or Mathematical Sciences. Topics include: momentum, energy, force, work, power, angular momentum, classical kinematics & dynamics, friction, thermal properties, gases, liquids, viscosity. PHY132H1 The second university physics course primarily for students not intending to pursue a Specialist or Major program in Physical or Mathematical Sciences. Topics include: oscillations, waves, sound, light, electricity, magnetism, special relativity. PHY151H1 The first physics course in many of the Specialist and Major Programs in Physical Sciences. It provides an introduction to the concepts, approaches and tools the physicist uses to describe the physical world while laying the foundation for classical and modern mechanics. Topics include: mathematics of physics, energy, momentum, conservation laws, kinematics, dynamics, and gravity. PHY152H1 The second physics course in many of the Specialist and Major Programs in Physical Sciences. Topics include special relativity and electromagnetism. PHY189H1 A limited enrollment seminar course for First Year Science students interested in current research in Physics. Students will meet active researchers studying the universe from the centre of the earth to the edge of the cosmos. Topics may range from string theory to experimental biological physics, from climate change to quantum computing, from superconductivity to earthquakes. The course may involve both individual and group work, essays and oral presentations. PHY201H1 A conceptual overview of some the most interesting advances in physics and the intellectual background in which they occurred. The interrelationship of the actual practice of physics and its cultural and intellectual context is emphasized. PHY205H1 An introduction to the physics of everyday life. This conceptual course looks at everyday objects to learn about the basis for our modern technological world. Topics may include anything from automobiles to weather. JOP210H1 An introduction to the theory and practice of holography. Human perception & 3D visualization; fundamentals of 3D modeling; ray and wave optics; interference, diffraction, coherence; transmission and reflection holograms; color perception; stereograms. Applications of holography in art, medicine, and technology. Computer simulation, design, and construction of holograms. PHY225H1 The 2nd year Physics Laboratory. Topics including experimental techniques, instrumentation, and data analysis are introduced through experiments, complementary lectures, and library research to some of the great experiments of physics. ENV235Y1 See “Centre for Environment” PHY238Y1 Electromagnetism; biological effects of radiation; physical optics; macroscopic phenomena; heat engines and metabolism. Examples are taken, where applicable, from the life sciences. PHY251H1 Point charges; Coulomb’s Law; electrostatic field and potential; Gauss’ Law; conductors; electrostatic energy; magnetostatics; Ampere’s Law; magnetostatic energy; Lorentz Force; Faraday’s Law; dielectric and magnetic materials; Maxwell’s equations. PHY252H1 The quantum statistical basis of macroscopic systems; definition of entropy in terms of the number of accessible states of a many particle system leading to simple expressions for absolute temperature, the canonical distribution, and the laws of thermodynamics. Specific effects of quantum statistics at high densities and low temperatures. PHY255H1 Complex notation; free, damped and forced harmonic oscillations; resonance; AC circuits; coupled oscillators; normal modes; travelling waves; simple harmonic wave; wave equation; wave impedance; transverse and longitudinal waves; flow of energy in waves; reflection and transmission at interfaces; group and phase velocity; Fourier series and Fourier transforms. PHY256H1 Failures of classical physics; the Quantum revolution; Stern-Gerlach effect; harmonic oscillator; uncertainty principle; interference packets; scattering and tunnelling in one-dimension. PHY299Y1 Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. See page 48 for details. JBO302Y1 Principles of Human Physiology with tutorials on the biophysical concepts applied to physiological processes. Restricted to students enrolled in the Biophysics and Physiology (Theoretical) programs. JPA305H1 Introduction to methods for remote sensing of buried archaeological remains, (magnetics, resistivity, electromagnetics), dating (Carbon 14, TL, ESR, etc.) and analysis (X-Ray, INAA) of ancient materials. Application of methods and interpretation of results in archaeological contexts. Issues of art and authenticity are also addressed. Course includes a laboratory component. (Not offered every year) (Given by the Departments of Physics and Anthropology) JPA310H1 Introduction to the principles behind archaeometric methods for remote sensing, dating, and analysis of archaeological materials, and interpretation of results. Course includes both field and in-house laboratory components. Offered in conjunction with JPA305H1. (Not offered every year) (Given by the Departments of Physics and Anthropology) PHY305H1 The laboratory functions as an integrated lecture course/laboratory program. Passive linear circuits: theorems, networks, and equivalents; meters, transient and steady responses, power, transformers, transmission lines. Digital devices: gates logic, Boolean algebra, minimization, flip-flops, counters, delays. Op-amps: dependent sources, amplifiers, integrators, feedback, slew rate, filters. Diodes: peak detector, rectification, regulators. Noise: sources, grounding, shielding, ground loops. Transistors: characteristics, analysis, amplifier design. PHY307H1 Problem solving with computers, using both algebraic and numerical methods. After a brief introduction to the basic techniques, various physics problems are treated with increasingly more sophisticated techniques. Examples include the physical pendulum, heat equation, quantum mechanics, Monte Carlo simulation, differential equation, and graphical presentation of results. PHY308H1 The analysis of digital sequences; filters; the Fourier Transform; windows; truncation effects; aliasing; auto and cross-correlation; stochastic processes, power spectra; least squares filtering; application to real data series and experimental design. PHY309H1 Classic quantum mechanics problems are explored using Maple computer algebra and graphics. These include bound state and scattering problems in 1D, angular momentum and spin, commutator algebra, scattering in 3D and time dependent processes. General techniques for computer-aided problem solving are developed. PHY315H1 The role of radiation in the generation, maintenance and evolution of planetary atmospheres and climate: Radiation laws, absorption and emission. Simple radiative exchange processes and atmospheric models. Energy balance. Radiation and climatic change. Comparative radiation studies in planetary atmospheres. Pollution and man-made effects. PHY326H1 Experiments in this course are designed to form a bridge to current experimental research. A wide range of exciting experiments relevant to modern research in physics is available. The laboratory is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. PHY341H1 Complex nature of the scientific method; inter-connection between theory, concepts and experimental data; characteristics of premature, pathological and pseudo-science; public perception and misperception of the scientific method; the supposed end of the Golden Era of Science; the insufficiency of reductionism; trends in modern science. (Offered in alternate years with PHY342H1) PHY342H1 Topics of current prominence in the physical sciences and mathematics are discussed. Topics change each year as the sciences evolve. Appropriate topics might include: high-temperature superconductivity, cosmology, chaos and non-linear dynamics. (Offered in alternate years with PHY341H1) PHY346H1 Molecular structure of biological systems: bonds, orbitals, molecular excitation and energy transfer, theory of absolute reaction rate, formation of biomacromolecules. Energetics and dynamics of biological systems: state functions, entropy and stability, thermodynamic basis of biochemical reactions, analysis of fluxes, electric fields in cells and organisms. The kinetics of biological systems: problems and approaches of system and compartmental analysis, models of biochemical reactions and some complex biological processes. PHY351H1 Symmetry and conservation laws, stability and instability, generalized co-ordinates, Hamilton’s principle, Hamilton’s equations, phase space, Liouville’s theorem, canonical transformations, Poisson brackets, Noether’s theorem. PHY352H1 Review of vector & tensor calculus, transformation properties of vectors & tensors, electrostatics, basic formulae of magnetostatics, electrodynamics (Maxwell’s Equations), gauge transformations of scalar & vector potentials, retarded potentials, Liénard-Wiechert potentials, radiation, special theory of relativity, relativistic mechanics and relativistic electrodynamics. PHY353H1 Review of Maxwell’s equations; electric fields in matter; magnetic fields in matter; electromotive force; electromagnetic induction; electromagnetic waves in vacuum; waves in dielectric and conductive materials, skin effect; waves in dispersive media: polarization phenomena; Fresnel equations; reflection and refraction from an interface; Brewster angle, total internal reflection; interference, coherence effects; interferometers; Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction; waveguides, optical fibres, radiation. PHY355H1 The general structure of wave mechanics; eigenfunctions and eigenvalues; operators; orbital angular momentum; spherical harmonics; central potential; separation of variables; hydrogen atom; Dirac notation; operator methods; harmonic oscillator and spin. PHY357H1 The subatomic particles; nuclei, baryons and mesons, quarks, leptons and bosons; the structure of nuclei and hadronic matter; symmetries and conservation laws; fundamental forces and interactions, electromagnetic, weak, and strong; a selection of other topics, CP violation, nuclear models, standard model, proton decay, supergravity, nuclear and particle astrophysics. This course is not a Prerequisite for any PHY 400-level course. PHY358H1 Quantum theory of atoms, molecules, and solids; variational principle and perturbation theory; hydrogen and helium atoms; exchange and correlation energies; multielectron atoms; simple molecules; bonding and antibonding orbitals; rotation and vibration of molecules; crystal binding; electron in a periodic potential; reciprocal lattice; Bloch’s theorem; nearly-free electron model; Kronig-Penney model; energy bands; metals, semiconductors, and insulators; Fermi surfaces. This course is not a Prerequisite for any PHY 400-level course. PHY359H1 Designed for students interested in the physics of the Earth and the planets. Study of the Earth as a unified dynamic system; determination of major internal divisions in the planet; development and evolution of the Earth’s large scale surface features through plate tectonics; the age and thermal history of the planet; Earth’s gravitational field and the concept of isostasy; mantle rheology and convection; Earth tides; geodetic measurement techniques, in particular modern space-based techniques. PHY371Y1 PHY372H1 An individual study program chosen by the student with the advice of, and under the direction of, a staff member. A student may take advantage of this course either to specialize further in a field of interest or to explore interdisciplinary fields not available in the regular syllabus. PHY398H0 PHY399Y0 An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. See page 48 for details. PHY407H1 For course description see PHY307H1. PHY408H1 For course description see PHY308H1. PHY409H1 For course description see PHY309H1. PHY426H1 Prerequisite: PHY326H1 PHY428H1 Prerequisite: PHY426H1/325Y1 PHY429H1 Experiments in these advanced laboratory courses are designed to form a bridge to current experimental research. A wide range of experiments relevant to modern research in physics is available. These courses are a continuation of PHY326, but students have more freedom to progressively focus on specific areas of physics or to do extended experiments or projects. The lab is open from 9:00am. - 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. JGP438H1 An introduction to the geophysical exploration of the subsurface. Topics covered include gravity, seismic, magnetic, electrical and electromagnetic surveying and their application in prospecting, hydrogeology, and environmental assessments. This course is intended primarily for geological engineering and geology students. PHY445H1 The mathematical, physical and engineering basis for medical imaging is introduced by combining the mathematical description of linear systems with the physics of imaging systems utilizing x-rays, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance techniques. The combination of mathematics and physics that has lead to the development of modern medical imaging systems is emphasized. Data for problem sets and labs will be processed using MATLAB software. Students not in a physics specialist program should consult the lecturer about the recommended background PHY457H1 Quantum dynamics in Heisenberg and Schrödinger Pictures; WKB approximation; Variational Method; Time-Independent Perturbation Theory; Spin; Addition of Angular Momentum; Time-Dependent Perturbation Theory; Scattering. PHY459H1 Thermal equilibrium and temperature; the three laws of thermodynamics; entropy and free energy, phases and phase transitions; Fluid dynamics; the Euler and Navier-Stokes equations; vorticity, waves; stability and instability; turbulence. PHY460H1 Nonlinear oscillator; nonlinear differential equations and fixed point analysis; stability and bifurcation; Fourier spectrum; Poincare sections; attractors and aperiodic attractors; KAM theorem; logistic maps and chaos; characterization of chaotic attractors; Benard-Rayleigh convection; Lorenz system. PHY471Y1 PHY472H1 These self-study courses are similar to PHY371Y1/PHY372H1, at a higher level. PHY478H1 PHY479Y1 An introduction to research in Physics. For further information contact the Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies. PHY480H1 Classical and quantum statistical mechanics of noninteracting systems; the statistical basis of thermodynamics; ensembles, partition function; thermodynamic equilibrium; stability and fluctuations; formulation of quantum statistics; theory of simple gases; ideal Bose and Fermi systems. PHY483H1 Basis to Einstein’s theory: differential geometry, tensor analysis, gravitational physics leading to General Relativity. Theory starting from solutions of Schwarzschild, Kerr, etc. PHY484H1 Applications of General Relativity to Astrophysics and Cosmology. Introduction to black holes, large-scale structure of the universe. PHY485H1 Basic optics and imaging, manipulation of polarization, diffraction theory, Gaussian beams, laser resonators, semiclassical laser theory and ultrafast pulse generation. Selected reviews from the range of modern areas of research, e.g. laser cooling, photonic bandgap structures, extreme optics, quantum information, and other topics. PHY487H1 Introduction to the concepts used in the modern treatment of solids. The student is assumed to be familiar with elementary quantum mechanics. Topics include: crystal structure, the reciprocal lattice, crystal binding, the free electron model, electrons in periodic potential, lattice vibrations, electrons and holes, semiconductors, metals. PHY489H1 This course surveys the experimental basis and theoretical framework of the “Standard Model” of Particle Physics and its possible extensions. Topics include the standard electroweak model, scattering and parton distributions, strong interactions and quantum chromodynamics. PHY491H1 Review of conventional, textbook quantum mechanics. Formal measurement theory and wave function collapse; quantum states and nonseparability, violation of local causality, Bell theorems, “quantum tricks”, decoherence and the emergence of classical behaviour. Hidden variables, deBroglie-Bohm theory and generalizations, many-worlds interpretation and other theories of “beables”. Consistent histories approach of Omnes and Gell-Mann and Hartle; nature of “True” and “Reliable” statements. PHY493H1 This course covers wavefield and ray approximation methods for imaging the interior of the Earth (including hydrocarbon reservoirs and mineral deposits) using seismology. PHY494H1 How to investigate Earth structure at depths ranging from metres to tens of kilometres using gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic and nuclear geophysical methods. Current methodologies and the theoretical basis for them are presented. PHY495H1 This course deals with the numerical analysis of data associated with space geodesy, earthquake seismology, geomagnetism and palaeomagnetism, isotope geochronology, as well as numerical simulations of a wide variety of geodynamic processes (e.g. mantle convection, post-glacial rebound, Earth tides). PHY496H1 A laboratory course (with introductory lectures) dealing with physical methods for exploring Earth structure; i.e., seismic, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and nuclear methods. It is designed to give “hands on” experience with the techniques of geophysical data analysis as well as data acquisition. PHY498H1 A preparatory course for research in experimental and theoretical atmospheric physics. Content will vary from year to year. Themes may include techniques for remote sensing of the Earth’s atmosphere and surface; theoretical atmosphere-ocean dynamics; the physics of clouds, precipitation, and convection in the Earth’s atmosphere. |