Faculty
Professor and Chair, S. Tomsovic; Regents Professors, J. Dickinson, Y. Gupta; Professors, G. Collins, M. Kuzyk, K. Lynn, P. Marston, M. Miller, L. Wang; Associate Professors, S. Dexheimer, M. McCluskey, B. Pate, G. Tripard; Assistant Professors, J. Blakeslee, D. Blume, S. Bose, P. Engels, G. Worthey; Instructors, M. Allen, P. Blakeslee, F. Gittes, S. Swaminathan.
Program
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers programs of graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science in Physics (both thesis and non-thesis) and Doctor of Philosophy. A Master of Science (thesis and non-thesis) and a certificate in optoelectronics is also available. The Department also offers graduate study in the Materials Science and Astronomy Programs, and participates in the Computer and Natural Sciences Option.
Requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Physics include formal courses in physics and supporting areas at the graduate level. The thesis master's degree is a project-oriented terminal degree designed to provide the student with research experience. The non-thesis master's is a PhD preparatory degree which qualifies the student to take the doctoral preliminary examination.
Prospective PhD candidates who do not have a master's degree normally complete the non-thesis master's during the first two years of graduate study.
Programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy require the completion of a core sequence of graduate level course work and advanced graduate level courses in physics. In addition, the student must pass the comprehensive preliminary examination, and must present and defend a dissertation based on original research conducted under the guidance of a member of the Physics faculty. The requirements for the certificate in optoelectronics include two graded courses and two laboratory courses in optoelectronics.
The Department stresses a friendly and informal atmosphere within which graduate students can tailor the program to meet their specific needs and interests. Entering students usually are supported with a teaching assistantship. The TAs direct laboratory work and staff a help room for undergraduates taking courses in the elementary physics curriculum. The Department of Physics and Astronomy also has available a few research assistantships for entering graduate students with exceptional qualifications.
Graduate admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree with a record of achievement in physics, chemistry, or mathematics. All applicants must submit scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test and the Subject Test in physics. Foreign students must also arrange to submit scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The Department of Physics and Astronomy has active research programs in several fields in which graduate students may participate. These include studies in the following:
Acoustics and physical optics: Physical aspects of acoustical and optical wave propagation; radiation pressure of sound; acoustic levitation and applications to microgravity science (on Earth orbiters); scattering of sound; light scattering and diffraction catastrophes; dynamical instabilities of fluids.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysical and cosmological generation of gravitational waves, strategies for detection of gravitational waves, gravitational wave detection and source modeling, physics of strong gravitational fields, black holes; stellar populations of galaxies, the search for planets, observational cosmology, education and public outreach.
Femtosecond and nonlinear optical physics: Femtosecond time-resolved studies of electronic and vibrational dynamics in condensed matter and molecular systems; novel nonlinear-topical effects and optomechanical effects in polymer optical fibers; laser-probes of mechanical properties of polymers; nonlinear optics of fractal clusters; photorefraction and photonic crystals.
High pressure and shock dynamics: Condensed matter response under high dynamic pressures; time-resolved optical spectroscopy to examine chemical reactions and structural changes in condensed materials; theoretical and numerical analysis of nonlinear wave propagation; experimental studies of equation of state of solids and liquids; continuum, electrical and metallurgical studies under shock loading.
Nuclear solid-state physics: The local atomic and electronic structure of metals and alloys studied using nuclear probe techniques: perturbed gamma-gamma angular correlations, Mössbauer effect, positron annihilation; point defects; equilibrium defects, diffusion and annealing; phase transitions; high temperature ordered alloys, grain boundaries; nanocrystalline materials.
Surface and materials physics: Study of fundamental processes related to electronic and structural properties of interfaces; reaction of active molecules, radicals, and ions with substrates; emission of particles from materials undergoing fracture; laser etching and ablation at surfaces; quantum hall effect; Bose-Einstein condensation.
Theoretical physics: Statistical mechanics of critical phenomena and the renormalization group; nonlinear dynamics; structure of liquid surfaces and interfaces; quantum liquids and solids; dynamics and spectroscopy of gases, liquids, solids, polymers and molecular clusters; optical phonons in semiconductor double heterostructures; chaos and semiclassical methods; mesoscopic systems, quantum dots and corrals; quantum wells and resonant tunneling diodes; nonlinear optics in polymeric systems; high Tc superconductivity.
Interdisciplinary programs in Materials Science, Engineering Science, Computer and Natural Sciences, and Biophysics can be arranged for students having interest in these areas. Cooperative research programs are being actively pursued with the Materials Science and the Molecular Sciences Departments at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory in Richland, WA.
Physics
501 Graduate Seminar 1 Introduction to graduate and interdisciplinary research. S, F grading.
514 Optoelectronics Lab I 1 (0-3) to 3 (0-9) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 3 hours. Prereq graduate standing. Experiments with optical systems: Imaging, interference, coherence, information storage/processing, gas and solid state lasers, optical fibers, and communications systems.
515 Optoelectronics Lab II V 1 (0-3) to 3 (0-9) May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 3 hours. Experiments in optical physics, physical properties of light, laser physics, waveguides, quantum confined semiconductor structures and ultrafast dynamics and nonlinear optics.
521 Classical Mechanics I 3 Prereq Phys 320; 571 or c//. Laws of motion as developed by Newton, d’Alembert, Lagrange, and Hamilton; dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 521).
533 Thermal and Statistical Physics I 3 Prereq Phys 330; Math 440. Thermodynamic laws and potentials, kinetic theory, hydrodynamics and transport coefficients, introduction to statistical mechanics, ensembles, partition functions. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 533).
534 Thermal and Statistical Physics II 3 Prereq Phys 533, 551 or Chem 531, 535. Phase transitions and critical phenomena, Ginzburg-Landau theory, Bose-Einstein condensation, superfluids, Fermi systems, low-temperature expansions. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 531).
541 Electromagnetic Theory 3 Prereq Phys 342, 571 or c//. Special relativity and the classical electromagnetic field; emission, propagation, and absorption of electromagnetic waves. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 541).
542 Electrodynamics 3 Prereq Phys 541. Interaction of matter and electromagnetic radiation; classical and quantum electrodynamics. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 542).
545 Nonlinear Optics 3 Prereq Phys 534, 542, 551. Nonlinear wave propagation theory applied to several nonlinear-optical phenomena; experimental techniques that probe a material’s nonlinearity.
546 Quantum Electronics 3 Prereq Phys 541, 551 or c//. The physics of lasers and of coherent optical radiation generation and propagation.
550 Quantum Theory I 3 Prereq Math 440, 441, Phys 450. Introduction to quantum theory; physical and mathematical foundations; application to atomic systems. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 551).
551 Quantum Theory II 3 Prereq Phys 550, 571. Symmetry and invariance; angular momentum theory; approximation methods. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 552)
552 Quantum Theory III 3 Prereq Phys 551. Scattering theory; relativistic wave mechanics; quantum field theory. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 553).
561 Atomic and Molecular Physics 3 Prereq Phys 550. Physics of atoms and molecules using quantum theory. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 561).
563 Physics of the Solid State 3 Prereq Phys 534, 551. Lattice vibrations and defects; ionic and electronic conductivities; band theory; magnetic properties; luminescence. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 563).
566 Biological Physics 3 Graduate-level counterpart of Phys 466; additional requirements. Credit not granted for both Phys 466 and 566.
571 Methods of Theoretical Physics 3 Prereq Math 440, 441. Mathematical methods for theoretical physics; linear algebra, tensor analysis, complex variables, differential equations, integral equations, variational calculus, and group theory. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 571).
573 Physical Applications of Group Theory 3 Prereq Phys 551. Introduction to group theory with application to atoms, molecules, solids, and elementary particles; no previous knowledge of group theory assumed. Cooperative course taught by UI (Phys 573), open to WSU students.
581 Advanced Topics 3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 12 hours. Topics of current interest in advanced physics. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI (Phys 581).
590 Seminar 1 May be repeated for credit. S, F grading.
592 Wave Propagation Seminar 2 Prereq Math 440, 441. May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Waves in the continuum; elastic, plastic, and hydrodynamic waves; shock waves. S, F grading.
594 Seminar in Solid-State Physics 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Topics in the physics of solids; the experimental and theoretical study of the electronic and atomic structure of materials. S, F grading.
595 Seminar in Astronomy/Astrophysics 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Prereq graduate standing. Current topics in theoretical and observational aspects of modern astrophysics. S, F grading.
596 Seminar in Optical Physics 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 3 hours. Current topics in experimental and theoretical aspects of optical physics. S, F grading.
598 Teaching Undergraduate Physics Laboratories 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Principles and practices of teaching, planning and management of undergraduate physics laboratories; choice and care of equipment. S, F grading.
600 Special Projects or Independent Study Variable credit. S, F grading.
700 Master's Research, Thesis and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading.
702 Master's Special Problems, Directed Study and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading.
800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation and/or Examination Variable credit. S, F grading
Astronomy
501 Graduate Seminar 1 Same as Phys 501. S, F grading.
581 Advanced Topics in Modern Astrophysics 3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 9 hours. Same as Phys 581.
595 Seminar in Astronomy/Astrophysics 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 hours. Same as Phys 595. S, F grading.
600 Special Projects or Independent Study Variable credit S, F grading.