Monash University Science Handbook 1995

Copyright © Monash University 1995
Enquiries to publishing@udev.monash.edu.au

Fourth-year physics lecture units The lecture units are as follows; only prescribed texts are included.

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Advanced instrumentation

Signals and systems, representations. Analog signals and systems, modulation and demodulation. The phase-locked loop. Noise and its characteristics, methods of noise reduction. Discrete and digital signals and systems. Digital signal processing and filter design. Time and frequency domains for both analog and discrete cases. Fourier transform and z-transform and the convolution theorem. Instruments for signal-to-noise improvement.

Prescribed text

Haykin S Communication systems 2nd edn Wiley, 1983

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Advanced materials synthesis

The synthesis of materials has reached a stage where desired properties can be `engineered' into the material as a result of the method of preparation or modification. This has come about with the advent of many synthesis techniques as the result of which bulk and/or surface properties of materials can be controlled. In this unit the following topics will be discussed: rapid solidification techniques including thermal spraying; chemical vapour deposition; physical vapour deposition; molecular beam epitaxy; sol-gel processing; ion-beam modification and laser processing. This unit will include inspections of relevant facilities at Melbourne research/industrial laboratories. Each of these will occupy one afternoon and will require each student to complete a short assignment relating to the process involved. These assignments will constitute 40 per cent of the assessment. The balance will comprise a library research project for which each student will be given an individual topic.

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Classical field theory

The aim is to consider general formulations of classical field theories, such as the Maxwell field, which are germane to relativistic quantum field theory. Variational principle for classical fields. Lagrangian formulation of the field equations. Energy-momentum tensors and conservation theorems. Hamiltonian formulation of the field equations. Canonical transformation theory for fields. Classical field theory. Introduction to the quantised Maxwell field.

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Computational methods

Modelling methodology, boundary problems, finite element analysis, non-linear systems. Monte Carlo methods in scattering problems and materials science, inverse scattering problems, computed tomography. Neural networks and cellular automata in applied physics. Hardware requirements, computer architectures, parallel algorithms.

Prescribed text

Koonin S E Computational physics Benjamim, 1985

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Diffraction

The interaction of x-rays, electrons and neutrons with condensed matter. Diffraction from a perfect periodic array. The phase problem. The Debye-Waller factor. Thermal diffuse scattering. Diffuse scattering from imperfections, short range order and local strains. Diffraction from amorphous materials.

Prescribed texts

Schwartz L H and Cohen J B Diffraction from materials 2nd edn, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1987

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Electrodynamics

This unit will provide an advanced treatment of Maxwell's equations: Photon mass; Proca equation. Boundary value problems; numerical methods. Green's function method. Vector potential in quantum mechanics; Aharonov-Bohm effect. Gauge transformations. Poincaré transformations. Field tensor and its dual; energy-momentum tensor. Differential forms. Lagrangian density; the Maxwell field; symmetries and conservation laws. Electromagnetic waves; dispersion, Kramers-Kronig relations. Coherent and incoherent scattering. Goedicke's condition. For PHS4200 students, the last few lectures will address specific topics in applied physics, instrumentation and measurement.

Prescribed texts

Jackson J D Electrodynamics 2nd edn, Wiley, 1975

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Experimental design and data handling

The scientific method, logic and science. Empiricism and models. Experimental design, controlled and non-controlled experiments. Numbers and scales, methods of counting, measurement and dimensional analysis. Representation of data in digital and discrete forms. Interpretation of results, transformations, normalisation, curve fitting. Statistics, parametric and non-parametric statistics. Error, regression, orthogonal polynomials. Analysis of variance, correlation and cluster analysis.

Prescribed text

Lyons L A A practical guide to data analysis for physical science students CUP, 1992

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Lasers and optics

A selection of topics from laser principles and applications and modern optics. Crystal optics (linear and nonlinear). Fourier optics. Light scattering and fibre optics. Holography, speckle interferometry. Atomic absorption spectroscopy.

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Magnetism

This unit will describe various concepts and techniques in magnetism, with emphasis on metallic systems. The topics covered will include experimental techniques, classification of magnetic properties, magnetic anisotropy, domains, hysteresis loop, origins of magnetism, classical paramagnetism, localised moment model, band magnetism, magnetic impurities.

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Many-body theory

An introduction to the basic tools of many-body physics: Green's functions and Feynman diagrams, with applications to band magnetism and superconductivity.

Prescribed texts

Mahan G D Many-particle physics 2nd edn, Plenum, 1990

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Nuclear astrophysics

This concerns the various methods of measuring the relative abundances of the elements in the solar system, stars and gaseous nebulae. A discussion of the nuclear reactions which have probably contributed to element production; cosmological element production and element production in the galaxy.

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Nuclear physics

Estimation of magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole nuclear moments from the shell model, comparison with experiment, measurement, hyperfine interactions. The Nilsson model and non-spherical nuclei. Collective motions. The scattering and reaction cross-sections of nuclei. The optical model.

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Quantum field theory

General field theory and Noether theorems. Schwinger's variational principle. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of the field equations in the Heisenberg picture. Time development equations in other pictures. Unitary transformations and conservation theorems. Commutation relations. Free Maxwell field. Free Dirac field. Interacting Maxwell and Dirac fields. Ordering theorems. Feynman diagrams. Applications to Compton scattering, Moeller scattering and pair production.

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Quantum mechanics

The relativistic Dirac equation, positrons and the natural occurrence of Pauli's theory of spin. The form of a spin eigenstate, and the observation of interference effects after a rotation by 2[[pi]]. [[Omega]][[alpha]]v[[epsilon]][[pi]][[alpha]][[chi]][[kappa]][[epsilon]][[tu]] u[[omicron]][[tau]][[iota]][[omicron]][[nu]] [[alpha]][[nu]]d [[eta]][[omicron]][[omega]] [[tau]][[eta]][[epsilon]] [[alpha]][[nu]][[alpha]][[lambda]][[psi]][[sigma]][[iota]][[sigma]] [[omicron]][[phi]] [[Sigma]][[tau]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[nu]]-[[Gamma]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[lambda]][[lpha]][[chi]][[eta]] [[alpha]][[nu]]d [[omicron]][[tau]][[eta]][[epsilon]][[rho]] [[epsilon]][[xi]][[pi]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[iota]]u[[epsilon]][[nu]][[tau]][[sigm]] [[lambda]][[epsilon]][[alpha]]d[[sigma]] [[tau]][[omicron]] [[tau]][[eta]][[epsilon]] [[phi]][[omicron]][[rho]]u[[alpha]][[lambda]] [[Eta]][[iota]][[lambda]][[beta]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[tau]] [[sigma]][[pi]][[alpha]][[chi]][[epsilon]] [[sigma]][[tau]][[rho]][[upsilon]][[chi]][[tau]][[upsilon]][[rho]][[epsilon]] [[omicron]][[phi]] [[theta]][[upsilon]][[alpha]][[nu]][[tau]][[upsilon]]u [[tau]][[eta]][[epsilon]][[omicron]][[rho]][[psi]]. [[Eta]][[iota]][[lambda]][[beta]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[tau]] [[sigma]][[pi]][[alpha]][[chi]][[epsilon]] [[alpha]][[sigma]] [[alpha]] [[pi]][[rho]][[omicron]]d[[upsilon]][[chi]][[tau]] [[sigma]][[pi]][[alpha]][[chi]][[epsilon]], [[chi]][[omicron]][[rho]][[rho]][[epsilon]][[lambda]][[alpha]][[tau]][[iota]][[oicron]][[nu]][[sigma]] [[iota]][[nu]] [[pi]][[rho]][[omicron]][[beta]][[lambda]][[epsilon]]u[[sigma]] [[omega]][[iota]][[tau]][[eta]] u[[omicron]][[rho]][[epsilon]] [[tau]][[eta]][[alpha]][[nu]] [[omicron]][[nu]][[epsilon]] [[pi]][[alpha]][[rho]][[tau]][[iota]][[chi]][[lambda]][[epsilon]], [[pi]][[alpha]][[rho]][[tau]][[iota]][[chi]][[lambda]][[epsilon]] [[chi]][[rho]][[epsilon]][[alpha]][[tau]][[iota]][[omicron]][[nu]] [[alpha]][[nu]]d d[[epsilon]][[sigma]][[tau]][[rho]][[upsilon]][[chi]][[tau]][[iota]][[omicron]][nu]] [[omicron]][[pi]][[epsilon]][[rho]][[alpha]][[tau]][[omicron]][[rho]][[sigma]].<> Prescribed texts

Merzbacher E Quantum mechanics 2nd edn, Wiley, 1970

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Readings in applied physics

This unit is a directed course of study on the topic selected by the students in consultation with their supervisor. This may include selected reading, attending seminars and tutorials. Topics might include impulse acoustics, computer vision, x-ray imaging, tomography.

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Scientific visualisation and image analysis

Representation of physical data as images, visualisation methods for multi-dimensional data, continuous and discrete data spaces. Features and feature extraction from images, multiple resolution representations. Graphs and trees as image structures. Principle component, co-occurrence and covariance analysis. Data-to-image interface, spreadsheets and image processing software.

Prescribed text

Pratt W K Digital image processing 2nd edn, Wiley, 1991

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Solid state physics

A knowledge of both third-year solid state physics units will be assumed. Excitations and transport phenomena in metals, semi-conductors and disordered systems.

Prescribed texts

Ashcroft N W and Mermin N D Solid state physics Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1976

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Spectroscopy

Transitions in quantised systems. Nuclear magnetic resonance and nuclear quadrupole resonance. Mössbauer spectroscopy. Electron spin resonance. Microwave, infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Electronic spectroscopy of atoms and molecules.

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Statistical mechanics

Review of ensemble theory. Canonical ensemble and grand canonical partition functions treated classically and quantally. Fluctuations. Special topics: a selection from the Ising model, imperfect gases, liquid helium, Green's functions.

Prescribed texts

Huang K Statistical mechanics Wiley, 1963



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