Physics 312 Course Syllabus: Spring 1997

• Electrical and thermal properties of materials (9 lectures).
  1. Review of electrostatics. Lightning rods and air cleaners.
  2. Review of quantum mechanics. Eigenstates and eigenvalues.
  3. Particle in a well, harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom.
  4. Quantum theory of atoms, molecules, liquids, and solids.
  5. Electrical conductivities of metals, superconductors, semiconductors, and insulators.
  6. Carrier density. Photoconductivity; xerographic copiers and laser printers.
  7. Semiconductor physics. The p - n junction. Diodes and transistors. Transistors as amplifiers.
  8. Review of magnetism. Magnets, magnetic levitation, tape recorders.
  9. Information storage. Magnetic media. Compact disks.
• Communications technology (6 lectures).
  1. Review of Maxwell's equations.
  2. Production and reception of electromagnetic waves. Radiation, dipole antennas.
  3. Transmission of information. Fourier analysis.
  4. Atmospheric effects. EM waves in plasmas. The ionosphere.
  5. Television and radio, radar.
  6. Communications satellites. Global Positioning System.
• Nuclear physics and energy (8 lectures).
  1. Nuclear structure. Conservation laws. Liquid drop model. Nuclear reactions.
  2. The Big Bang. Nucleosynthesis. Origin and abundance of the elements.
  3. Stellar evolution.
  4. Nuclear reactors. Neutron moderation. Fission versus fusion.
  5. Nuclear medicine.
• Medical imaging (6 lectures).
  1. Xrays.
  2. Nuclear magnetic resonance.
  3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  4. Physics of lasers. Lasers in medicine.