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2016　Preface to Modern Physics

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Academic unit or major
Physics
Instructor(s)
Hirahara Toru 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Wed3-4(H135)  
Group
-
Course number
ZUB.G241
Credits
1
Academic year
2016
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
2016/4/27
Lecture notes updated
2016/4/5
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

This course gives an introduction to special relativity and old quantum theory. Concepts such as experiments to measure the speed of light, Lorentz transformation, Lorentz contraction, relation between mass and energy, black-body radiation and Planck's formula, corpuscular theory of light, Bohr's atomic model, and hypothesis of de Broglie will be presented.

The aim of the course is to understand the basic concepts of special relativity and old quantum theory, which are the basis of state-of-art physics research and are also applied in operation of real electronic devices. Further knowledge will be given in Electromagnetism II or Introduction to quantum theory, but the overview will be lectured.

Student learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) understand the basic concepts of special relativity and express them mathematically.
2) understand the basic concepts of the old quantum theory and express them mathematically.

Keywords

Special relativity, quantum theory, Lorentz transformation, black-body radiation, wave–particle duality

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Two-thirds of each class is devoted to fundamentals and the rest to advanced content or application. To allow students to get a good understanding of the course contents and practice application, problems related to the contents of this course will be provided occasionally.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Classical mechanics and magnetism, Michelson-Morley's experiment Understand why we need the relativistic theory.
Class 2 Lorentz transformation Derive the Lorentz transformation based on the principle of special relativity.
Class 3 Lorentz contraction、time dilation、twin paradox Understand how space and time is transformed by the Lorentz transformation.
Class 4 Momentum, mass and the equation of motion Modify Newton mechanics based on the special relativistic principle and derive the relativistic equation of motion.
Class 5 Minkowski space and covariance of four-dimensional vectors and the equation of motion Understand the concept of Minkowski space and represent the equation of motion using four-dimensional vectors.
Class 6 Corpuscular theory of light and energy quanta Understand that light possesses dual nature of particles and waves.
Class 7 Wave nature of electrons and the uncertainty principle Understand that electrons possess dual nature of waves and particles.
Class 8 Bohr's atomic model and the old quantum theory Understand Bohr's atomic model and learn the old quantum theory.

Textbook(s)

Yoichi Kazama, "Introduction to relativity", Baifukan (in Japanese)
Tamiaki Yoneda, "Introduction to quantum theory", Baifukan (in Japanese)

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Handouts will be distributed when necessary. Students are expected to use these documents for preparation and review purposes.

Assessment criteria and methods

Learning achievement is evaluated by a final exam.

Related courses

  • PHY.E212 ： Electromagnetism II
  • PHY.Q207 ： Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
  • PHY.F353 ： General Relativity
  • PHY.Q331 ： Relativistic Quantum Mechanics

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites.

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