3.00 Credits
3 Capstone course for physics majors which uses symmetry principles and conservation laws to unify the physics of atoms, molecules, and solids: nuclei and elementary particles; and relativity and astrophysics. Atoms: review of the hysdrogen atom using Schroedinger theory, many electron atoms including electronic states, addition of angular momenta and spectra; Molecules: the hydrogen molecule ion, H2 molecule and the covalent bond, the ionic bond, molecular vibrations and rotations and molecular spectra; Solids: review of statistical physics both classical and quantum, cohesive energy of both ionic and covalent solids, band theory of solids for metals and semiconductors, application to quantum well devices. Nuclear sizes, shapes, masses and binding energies; nuclear force and models; radiactive decay and conservation laws; nuclear reaction cross sections, reaction kinematics, mechanisms, fission, fusion, particles and fields, conservation laws, families, interactions and decays, quark model and recent developments. Review of special relativity, general relativity, experimental tests of Einstein's theory, stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis; white dwarfs, neutron starts, black holes; structure and distribution of galaxies; cosmological red shift, cosmic microwave background, dark matter, relativistic cosmology, big bang model; formation of nuclei and atoms; Friedmann universes, Einstein-deSitter model, inflationary scenarios, open problems in cosmology.