Courses

In this class you will get a chance to explore the scientific wonders of the universe. Topics vary each semester but generally include: motion, energy, waves, electricity, magnetism, sound, light, relativity, atomic structure, molecules, quantum physics, the nucleus, chemistry, meteorology, geophysics, the solar system, stars, and cosmology. PHYS 1010 requires limited math, but has wide applications like electronics, wifi, rockets, satellites, nuclear reactors, lasers, climate change, earthquakes, the tides, eclipses, plate tectonics, fossil fuels, telescopes, solar energy, and the origin of universe. PHYS 1010 is for non-science majors. Premedical and pre-dental students should take PHYS 2010, 2020.

For non-science majors. Introduces physics and science in everyday life, considering objects from our daily environment and focusing on their principles of operation, histories, and relationships to one another. 1050 is concerned primarily with mechanical and thermal objects, while 1060 emphasizes objects involving electromagnetism, light, special materials, and nuclear energy. They may be taken in either order.

For non-science majors. Introduces physics and science in everyday life, considering objects from our daily environment and focusing on their principles of operation, histories, and relationships to one another. 1050 is concerned primarily with mechanical and thermal objects, while 1060 emphasizes objects involving electromagnetism, light, special materials, and nuclear energy. They may be taken in either order.

The subject of energy will be considered from the perspective of a physicist. Students will learn to use quantitative reasoning and the recognition of simple physics restraints to examine issues related to energy that are of relevance to society and the future evolution of our civilization. Prerequisite: Physics and math at high school level.

A study of the physics concepts behind the motion of spinning and curving projectiles in worldwide sports such as soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, football, etc. and rolling and sliding balls/diska along a flat surface. Basic explanations include utilizing kinematics, gravity, friction, air flow, and Newton's Laws. Learn about hang time, topspin, dimples,drag crisis, sideways forces, least energy launch angle, jumping, and crouching.

First semester of the introductory physics sequence recommended for prospective physics majors. Topics include particle kinematics and dynamics, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, fluids, oscillatory motion, waves, sound, and thermodynamics. Emphasis is on building foundations for future studies in physics. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: MATH 1310; Co-requisite: MATH 1320; or instructor permission.

First semester of introductory physics sequence recommended for engineers. Topics include particle kinematics and dynamics, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, fluids, oscillatory motion, waves, sound, and thermodynamics. Emphasis is on development of skills for practical applications. Three lecture hours. Co-requisite: MATH 1320 or equivalent.

Group problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, and application of physics to real life scenarios in the framework of classical mechanics and thermodynamics. The course is geared towards STEM majors and required for engineering and physics majors. Co-requisites: PHYS 1425 or 1420.

New course in the subject of physics.

This course provides an introduction to the Python programming language with applications to common problems in the science and engineering fields. It emphasizes three core skills: analyzing data, simulating data, and visualizing data. No previous programming or computer experience is required. Prerequisite: MATH 1210 or equivalent, or instructor permission.

This course teaches how to use the computer to solve quantitative problems. This involves learning the skills to write computer programs dedicated to certain tasks, to visualize data graphically, to use scientific software, and to learn other practical skills that are important for a future career in the sciences.

Overview of current areas of research in the broad discipline of physics, including the historical context of their development. Describes various career options in physics, including academia, government, and industry. Outlines the college physics curriculum and describes opportunities to participate in research at the university.

Physics 2010 and 2020 constitute a terminal course sequence covering the principles of mechanics, heat, electricity and magnetism, optics, atomic, solid state, nuclear, and particle physics. A working knowledge of arithmetic, elementary algebra, and trigonometry is essential. The PHYS 2010 - 2020 sequence does not normally serve as prerequisite for the courses numbered 3110 and above. PHYS 2010, 2020, in conjunction with the laboratories PHYS 2030, 2040, satisfy the physics requirement of medical and dental schools. PHYS 2010 is prerequisite for 2020. Three lecture hours.

Physics 2010 and 2020 constitute a terminal course sequence covering the principles of mechanics, heat, electricity and magnetism, optics, atomic, solid state, nuclear, and particle physics. A working knowledge of arithmetic, elementary algebra, and trigonometry is essential. The PHYS 2010 - 2020 sequence does not normally serve as prerequisite for the courses numbered 3110 and above. PHYS 2010, 2020, in conjunction with the laboratories PHYS 2030, 2040, satisfy the physics requirement of medical and dental schools. PHYS 2010 is prerequisite for 2020. Three lecture hours.

Group problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, and application of physics to real life scenarios in the framework of classical mechanics and thermodynamics. The course satisfies the requirements for pre-health students. Co-requisites: PHYS 2010

Group problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, and application of physics to real life scenarios in the framework of electricity and magnetism. The course satisfies the requirements for pre-health students. Co-requisites: PHYS 2020. Prerequisite: PHYS 2030

Second semester of the introductory physics sequence recommended for prospective physics majors. Topics include electricity, magnetism, circuits and optics. Emphasis is on building foundations for future studies in physics. Three lecture hours. PHYS 1420 or PHYS 1425; co-requisite MATH 2310; or instructor permission

Second semester of introductory physics sequence recommended for engineers and other scientists. Topics include electricity, magnetism, circuits and optics. Emphasis is on development of skills for practical applications. Three lecture hours. Prerequisites: PHYS 1420 or PHYS 1425; co-requisite: MATH 2310; or instructor permission.

Group problem solving, data acquisition and analysis, and application of physics to real life scenarios in the framework of electricity and magnetism. The course is geared towards STEM majors and required for engineering and physics majors. Co-requisites: PHYS 2415 or 2410. Prerequisite: PHYS 1429

Introduction to quantum physics and relativity, with application to atomic structure, nuclear and elementary particle physics, condensed matter physics, and cosmology. Three lecture hours, one problem hour. Prerequisite: PHYS 1720 or 2410 or 2415, and MATH 2310 or instructor permission.

Elementary Lab for Physics Majors, 2nd semester. Selected experiments in mechanics, heat, electricity and magnetism and optics. One lecture hour and four laboratory hours per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 1710, 1720, 2620, 2630; or instructor permission.

Applications of computers to solving basic problems in physical science. Introduction to programming, use of external libraries, and implementation of basic algorithms with focus on numerical methods, error analysis & data fitting. No previous computer experience is required. One Lecture & one lab session per week. Prerequisite: One semester of calculus and one semester of introductory physics (PHYS 1710, 1420, 1425, or 2010).

Develop and extend the techniques of introductory physics and calculus to solve more complicated problems. The course covers topics in mechanics, fluids, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, waves, and optics. PHYS 1420 or 1425; MATH 2310. Co-requisites: PHYS 2410 or 2415; MATH 3250 or instructor permission

Application of basic physics principles to functions of the human body: biomechanics, metabolism, cardiovascular, cognitive & respiratory systems, and the senses. Medical diagnosis and therapy technologies (e.g., PET, MRI, CT) are discussed. Prerequisite: one semester of calculus and PHYS 2010 or PHYS 1420 or PHYS 1425 or PHYS 1710. Corequisite: PHYS 1710 or PHYS 2020 or PHYS 2410 or PHYS 2415 or instructor permission.

Applications of physical principles to a diverse set of phenomena: order of magnitude estimates, dimensional analysis, material science and engineering, astrophysics, aeronautics and space flight, communications technology, meteorology, sound & acoustics and fluid dynamics. Not all topics will be covered in every course. Three lecture hours. (Y) Prerequisite: PHYS 2620 or instructor permission.

Basic physics principles of energy sources and energy production, conversion, distribution, and storage. This course will focus on the basic physics principles and applications of engines, nuclear energy, solar power and photovoltaic, geothermal, wind and hydropower, fuel cells, batteries, bioenergy and fossil energy, as well as energy harvesting in the internet age. We will also learn a closely related topic of physics of climate and "drawdown". The course will conclude with the outlook of renewable energies. Three lecture hours. Prerequisite: PHYS 2620 or instructor permission.

Selected experiments in mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and modern physics. One lecture hour and four laboratory hours per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 1429, PHYS 2419; co-requisite: PHYS 2620.

The course begins by covering the fundamentals of analog and digital electronics, including the use of transistors, FET's, operational amplifiers, TTL, and CMOS integrated circuits. Following this students conduct projects with modern microcontroller boards (Arduino and Raspberry Pi) using the concepts and the experience gained from the prior fundamentals. Six laboratory hours. Prerequisite: PHYS 2040 or PHYS 2419.

Approximately five experiments drawn from the major fields of physics. Introduces precision apparatus, experimental techniques, and methods of evaluating experimental results. Outside report preparation is required. Six laboratory hours. Prerequisite: PHYS 2640 or PHYS 3140

Approximately five experiments drawn from the major fields of physics. Introduces precision apparatus, experimental techniques, and methods of evaluating experimental results. Outside report preparation is required. Six laboratory hours. Prerequisite: PHYS 2640 or PHYS 3140

Statics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies treated with extensive use of vector calculus; includes the Lagrangian formulation of mechanics. Prerequisite: MATH 3250 or MATH 3255, and PHYS 1710 or PHYS 2410 or PHYS 2415, or instructor permission.

Applications of nuclear physics and nuclear energy: Introduction to nuclear physics, radioactivity, radiation standards and units, interaction of radiation with matter, accelerators, x-ray generators, detectors, biological effects, nuclear medicine, nuclear fission and reactors, nuclear fusion. Three lecture hours. (Y) Prerequisite: PHYS 2620 or instructor permission.

Includes temperature and the laws of thermodynamics; introductory treatments of kinetic theory and statistical mechanics; and applications of Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, and Fermi-Dirac distributions. Prerequisite: MATH 3255 (preferred) or MATH 3250, and PHYS 2620, or instructor permission.

This course covers linear algebra and complex analysis, with a review of vector calculus. Emphasis is on applications in physics. Students cannot receive credit for both PHYS 3340 and MATH 4210.

Systematic treatment of electromagnetic phenomena with extensive use of vector calculus, including Maxwell's equations. Prerequisite: MATH 4220, and PHYS 1720 or PHYS 2410 or PHYS 2415, or instructor permission.

Includes Maxwell's equations; electromagnetic waves and their interaction with matter; interference, diffraction, polarization; waveguides; and antennas. Prerequisite: PHYS 3420.

Independent study supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a written report, essay, or examination. May be repeated for credit.

The course will examine basic principles of simple theories for metals, the basics of crystallography and crystal structures, the reciprocal space, lattice vibrations, elastic properties of solids, electronic band structure, impurities and defects, dielectric properties, magnetism and superconductivity. Prerequisite: PHYS 2620.

Includes quantum phenomena and an introduction to wave mechanics; the hydrogen atom and atomic spectra. Prerequisite: MATH 3250, MATH 4210 or PHYS 3340, PHYS 2620, or instructor permission.

Continuation of PHYS 3650. Intermediate quantum mechanics including perturbation theory; application to systems of current interest. Prerequisite: PHYS 3650.

Individual study of topics in physics not normally covered in formal classes. Study is carried out under the tutelage of a faculty member with whom the requirements are agreed upon prior to enrollment. (S-SS) Prerequisite: Instructor permission

A research project on a topic in physics carried out under the supervision of a faculty member culminating in a written report. May be taken more than once. (S-SS) Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

First and second year students enrolled in the Physics PhD program are required to take Physics Colloquium in their first and second years of study.

Lectures on topics of current interest in physics research and pedagogy. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

This course introduces a modern topic in theoretical high energy physics to an advanced undergraduate / beginner graduate student audience. Among the directions which are being explored are the physics of extra dimensions, and a unified treatment of gravity and electromagnetism in the context of string theory. Prerequisite: Physics 3210 (Classical Mechanics), 3430 (Electricity & Magnetism II) and 3660 (Quantum Mechanics II), or permission of the instructor.

This is an introductory cosmology course for an advanced undergraduate/beginner graduate audience. This course aims to give a window into the history of our Universe, presented here in reverse order: the expanding Universe, the cosmic microwave radiation background and the very early universe. Prerequisite: MATH 3250 or equivalent, PHYS 2620, or instructor permission.

Practical electronics for scientists, from resistors to microprocessors. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

Reviews special relativity and coordinate transformations. Includes the principle of equivalence; effects of gravitation on other systems and fields; general tensor analysis in curved spaces and gravitational field equations; Mach's principle, tests of gravitational theories; perihelion precession, red shift, bending of light, gyroscopic precession, radar echo delay; gravitational radiation; relativisitic stellar structure and cosmography; and cosmology. Prerequisite: Advanced calculus through partial differentiation and multiple integration; vector analysis in three dimensions.

Includes reflection and refraction at interfaces, geometrical optics, interference phenomena, diffraction, Gaussian optics, and polarization. Prerequisite: PHYS 2320, 2415, 2610, or an equivalent college-level electromagnetism course; knowledge of vector calculus and previous exposure to Maxwell's equations.

This course will study various phenomena in condensed matter physics, including crystallography, basic group theory, x-ray and neutron diffraction, lattice vibrations, electrons in a metal, electronic band theory, electrons under an external magnetic field, semiconductors, magnetism and superconductivity. Not only the topics but also the theoretical and experimental techniques that are covered in this course are essential for PhD students as well as advanced Undergraduate students in Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering to excel in their research career. Prerequisite: PHYS 3650 (Quantum Mechanics I) or an equivalent course

A review of computational methods for differentiation, integration, interpolation, finding zeroes, extrema, etc. proceeding to a concentration on numerical solutions of differential equations, basic spectral analysis, numerical methods for matrices and Monte Carlo simulation applied to problems in classical and modern physics. Prerequisite: PHYS 2660; pre- or corequisite: PHYS 3210 and PHYS 3650, or instructor permission.

Advanced topics in computational physics including numerical methods for partial differential equations, Monte Carlo modeling, advanced methods for linear systems, and special topics in computational physics. Prerequisite: PHYS 5630, or instructor permission.

Studies subatomic structure; basic constituents and their mutual interactions.

An introduction to quantum computation, a modern discipline looking for ways to harness the power of quantum mechanics to gain exponential speedup of computations and simulations. We will go through the basic algorithms, discuss error correction and various physical platforms suggested for a possible implementation of such a computer. The course assumes a knowledge of linear algebra, basic probability and familiarity with quantum mechanics.

The statics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. Discusses the methods of generalized coordinates, the Langrangian, Hamilton-Jacobi equations, action-angle variables, and the relation to quantum theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 3210 and MATH 5220.

Discusses thermodynamics and kinetic theory, and the development of the microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles. Includes Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac distributions, techniques for handling interacting many-particle systems, and extensive applications to physical problems.

A consistent mathematical account of the phenomena of electricity and magnetism; electrostatics and magnetostatics; macroscopic media; Maxwell theory; and wave propagation. Prerequisite: PHYS 7250 or instructor permission.

Development of the theory of special relativity, relativistic electrodynamics, radiation from moving charges, classical electron theory, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of electrodynamics. Prerequisite: PHYS 7420 or instructor permission.

Introduces the physical basis of quantum mechanics, the Schroedinger equation and the quantum mechanics of one-particle systems, and stationary state problem. Prerequisite: Twelve credits of 3000-level physics courses and MATH 5210, 5220, or instructor permission.

Includes angular momentum theory, techniques of time-dependent perturbation theory, emission and absorption of radiation, systems of identical particles, second quantization, and Hartree-Fock equations. Prerequisite: PHYS 7610 or instructor permission.

Independent research or practical training supervised by a faculty member. May be repeated for credit.

This course will build upon PHYS 5240 and will explore topics in relativity that are frequently used in research in gravitation and cosmology theory. This will include Hamiltonian, tetrad, and Landau-Lifshitz formulations of relativity; perturbations of flat spacetime, black holes, and compact stars; conformal methods, singularity theorems, and black-hole mechanics; and inflation and cosmological perturbation theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 5240 or Instructor Permission

The description and basic theory of the electronic properties of solids including band structure, electrical conduction, optical properties, magnetism and super-conductivity. Prerequisite: PHYS 7620 or instructor permission.

Introduces the quantization of field theories, including those based on the Dirac and Klein-Gordon equations. Derives perturbation theory in terms of Feynman diagrams, and applies it to simple field theories with interactions. Introduces the concept of renormalization. Prerequisite: PHYS 7620.

Applies field theory techniques to quantum electrodynamics and to the renormalization-group description of phase transitions. Introduces the path integral description of field theory. Prerequisite: PHYS 8630.

Discusses nuclear theory and experiment from the modern perspectives of the fundamental theory of the strong interaction: Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD).

Studies the quantum theory of light and other boson fields with a special emphasis on the nonclassical physics exemplified by squeezed and entangled quantum states. Applications to quantum communication, quantum computing, and ultraprecise measurements are discussed. Prerequisite: PHYS 7610 or instructor permission.

For master's thesis, taken under the supervision of a thesis director.

Workshops given by UVA Physics faculty describing their research. Restricted to Arts and Sciences graduate students in Physics only

Workshops given by UVA Physics faculty describing their research.

For students who have not passed the Qualifying exam for doctoral research, taken before a dissertation director has been selected.

For doctoral dissertation, taken under the supervision of a dissertation director.