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Instruction offered by members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Faculty of Science.
Department Head - R.I. Thompson
Note: For listings of related courses, see Astronomy, Astrophysics, Medical Physics and Space Physics.
Students intending to register in any Physics course should read the relevant Faculty of Science Program section of this Calendar.
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Physics
501
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Special Relativity
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Lorentz transformations in classical mechanics; relativistic kinematics; spacetime diagrams; relativistic energy and momentum conservation; Geometrical interpretation; applications of relativistic kinematics; four-vector formalism and tensors; applications, primarily to relativistic electrodynamics.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 325 and 457 and Mathematics 353 or Applied Mathematics 309.
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Physics
507
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Solid State Physics
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Crystal structure. Classification of solids and their bonding. Fermi surface. Elastic, electric and magnetic properties of solids.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 or Chemistry 373 and Physics 449 and 455.
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Physics
509
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Plasma Physics
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Occurrence of plasmas in nature, single particle motion, plasmas as fluids, waves in plasmas, diffusion, resistivity, equilibrium and stability, kinetic theory of plasmas, non-linear effects.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 343 and 455.
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Physics
521
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Nonlinear Dynamics
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Topics: Introduction to nonlinear dynamical systems: Phase space representation, nonlinear oscillators, bifurcations, normal forms, pattern formation, amplitude equations, deterministic chaos, attractors, fractals, synchronization
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Applied Mathematics 433 and Physics 381 and 449 or consent of the Department
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Physics
533
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Advanced Mathematical Methods of Physics
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Hilbert space. Complete orthonormal sets of functions. Sturm-Liouville theory. Green functions. Integral equations.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 or Chemistry 373 and Physics 455.
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Physics
543
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Quantum Mechanics II
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Theory of angular momentum and applications, perturbation theory and applications. Identical particles. Introduction to relativistic wave equations.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 or Chemistry 373.
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Physics
561
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Stable and Radioactive Isotope Studies, Fundamentals
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A multidisciplinary course. Topics include nucleosynthesis, radioactive decay, isotope exchange phenomena, kinetic isotope effects, tracer techniques, molecular spectra and instrumentation.
Course Hours:
H(2-1)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Physics
571
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Laser Physics
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Theoretical aspects of lasing and lasers. Principles of operation of solid-state, liquid, and gas lasers. Applications of laser systems to research, medical, and industrial projects.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 and 455.
Notes:
Physics 449 is suggested but not required.
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Physics
573
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Atmospheric and Environmental Physics
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Quasi-static uniform atmosphere. Atmospheric optics. Scattering in the atmosphere. Atmospheric visibility and aerosols. Cloud physics. Atmospheric electricity. Radiative transfer. Atmospheric circulation. Hydrological cycling. Stable isotopic techniques. Pollutants. Energy transfer. Turbulence. Sky shortwave and visible radiation distribution. Near infrared sky radiation, cloud detection and estimation.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
One of Physics 449 or Chemistry 371 or consent of the Department.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit for both Physics 573 and Applied Physics 573 will not be allowed.
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Geometrical Optics: lenses, mirrors, and other basic optical components. Matrix Methods. Physical Optics: Interference, Diffraction, and Polarization. Fourier Optics. Modern Optics: Lasers and Fibre Optics.
Course Hours:
H(3-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 325 and 457 and Applied Mathematics 433.
Antirequisite(s):
Credit will not be allowed for both Physics 575 and 471.
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Physics
581
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Computational Physics III
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Solution of problems associated with the analysis of physical systems, using digital computers, high level programming languages, and mathematical computation systems (e.g., Maple, Macsyma).
Course Hours:
H(3-3)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 or Chemistry 373 and Physics 381 and 455.
Notes:
A knowledge of a high level programming language (C, C++, Fortran or Pascal) is highly recommended.
Also known as:
(formerly Physics 535)
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Physics
597
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Senior Physics Laboratory
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Selected advanced experiments. Where possible, students may choose those experiments most suited to their interests. Development of technical and computer-based skills, technical writing and presentation skills.
Course Hours:
H(1-6)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 497 or 325.
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Physics
598
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Research in Physics
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Research project in Physics.
Course Hours:
F(0-6)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 443 and 449 and 455 and consent of the Department.
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Physics
599
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Independent Study
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Each student will be assigned a project in consultation with a tutor. A written report and oral presentation are required.
Course Hours:
H(0-9)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Notes:
This course may be repeated once for credit.
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Graduate Courses
Only where appropriate to a student's program may graduate credit be received for courses numbered 500-599.
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Physics
603
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Experimental Methods of Physics
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Instrumentation for physical experiments. General philosophy of experimentation; signal processes; signal processing methods; instrument design and control; data acquisition and storage; specific detection methods.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
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Physics
605
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Advanced Data Analysis
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Methods of extraction of significant information from experimental data degraded by noise. Parametric and non-parametric statistical methods; curve fitting; spectral analysis; filtering, sampling, convolution and deconvolution techniques.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
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Physics
609
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Advanced Classical Mechanics
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Variational principles, Lagrange's equations, Noether's theorem. Hamilton's equations and canonical transformations. Hamilton-Jacobi theory, action-angle variables. Perturbation theory.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 343 or equivalent.
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Physics
611
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Statistical Physics
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Classical and quantum ensemble theory applied to interacting systems: real gases, spin lattices, phase transitions. Kinetic theory: Boltzmann equation, transport processes, irreversible processes and fluctuations.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 449 or equivalent.
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Physics
613
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Electrodynamics
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Interaction between charged particles and the electromagnetic field in relativistic formulation. Scattering and energy losses of charged particles. Radiation by charged particles.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 457 and 501 or equivalents.
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Physics
615
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Advanced Quantum Mechanics I
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Basic formalism of the theory and its interpretation, symmetry generators. Scattering theory. Bound states. Charged particles in electric and magnetic fields. Approximation methods.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 543 or equivalent.
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Physics
617
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Advanced Quantum Mechanics II
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Second quantized description of N-particle systems. Quantum theory of the electromagnetic field, coherent states. Relativistic quantum mechanics.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 543 or equivalent.
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Physics
619
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Statistical Physics II
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Topics Theories of equilibrium and nonequilibrium critical phenomena and methods to study fluctuating systems selected from the following list of topics: Percolation, scaling theory, phase transitions, Landau-Ginzburg theory, lattice models, Monte Carlo methods, renormalization group, self-organized criticality, theory of random graphs; Brownian motion, random walks and diffusion, Fokker-Planck-Equation, Markov processes, stochastic differential equations, first passage times.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Physics 611.Ìý
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 481 or its equivalent.
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Physics
621
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Nonlinear Dynamics and Pattern Formation
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Topics: Introduction to pattern formation and self-organization in nature: Reaction-diffusion systems, hydrodynamical systems, bistable media, excitable and oscillatory media, stability analysis, bifurcations, pattern selection, amplitude equations and normal forms, fronts, traveling waves, topological defects, spiral waves, spatiotemporal chaos, defect-mediated turbulence, spatiotemporal point processes
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 451, 481 and 521 or equivalents.
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An introduction to Einstein's theory of gravitation. Applications to the solar system, black holes, and cosmology.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
It is expected that a student's background will include Physics 501 or equivalent.
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Physics
663
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Applications of Stable Isotopes
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Application of stable isotope techniques with special focus on Hydrogeology, Geology and Environmental Sciences. The use of isotopes to understand the water, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles is demonstrated. Topics include hydrology, paleoclimates, geothermometry, fossil fuels exploration and recovery, pollutant tracing, food webs, forensic investigations, among others.
Course Hours:
H(2-1)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
Also known as:
(Geology 663)
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Physics
671
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Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy
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Atomic structure and spectra. Rotational, vibrational and electronic spectra of diatomic molecules, including microwave, infrared, Raman and visible/ultraviolet spectroscopic techniques. Hund's coupling cases. Polyatomic molecular spectroscopy. Examples from astronomy and upper atmosphere/space physics.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
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Physics
673
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Quantum and Nonlinear Optics
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Fundamentals of quantum and nonlinear optics including atom-photon interactions, coherence, electromagnetically induced transparency, open systems and decoherence, and applications to quantum information technology.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
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Physics
675
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Special Topics in Laser and Optical Sciences
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Lectures by Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, Engineering, and/or Medicine staff on current research topics in laser science and modern optical techniques.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Physics
677
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Implementations of Quantum Information
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Proposals and realizations of quantum information tasks including quantum computation, quantum communication, and quantum cryptography in optical, atomic, molecular, and solid state systems.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of the Department.
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Physics
691
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Scientific Communication Skills (formerly Graduate Seminar)
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Required, multi-component, program of courses for all graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy designed to assist students in improving their scientific oral and written communication skills. Each student must complete a minimum of 3 terms of Physics 691 during each graduate course, although the normal load is 4 terms, and additional terms may be required of students on an as need basis. The components of Physics 691 are:
691.11. Effective Scientific Speaking for MSc Students
691.12. Graduate Seminar for MSc Students I
691.13. Effective Scientific Writing for MSc Students
691.14. Graduate Seminar for MSc Students II
691.16. Graduate Seminar for MSc Students III
691.18. Graduate Seminar for MSc Students IV
691.21. Effective Scientific Speaking for PhD Students
691.22. Graduate Seminar for PhD Students I
691.23. Effective Scientific Writing for PhD Students
691.24. Graduate Seminar for PhD Students II
691.26. Graduate Seminar for PhD Students III
691.28. Graduate Seminar for PhD Students IV
Effective Scientific Speaking courses provide instruction on preparing and presenting quality scientific oral presentations, including discussions of the aspects of quality presentations and exercises aimed at improving student speaking skills, and will be taken by graduate students in their first fall terms in program. Effective Scientific Writing courses provide students with instruction on preparing quality scientific papers, as well as exercises aimed at improving students' writing skills, and will be taken during students' send fall term in program. The Graduate Seminar courses will be run each winter, and provide all students enrolled in each course the opportunity to present one or two scientific talks, as well as to provide peer feedback to other students in the course. At the end of each Graduate Seminar term, the course instructor(s) will identify those students who have reached an acceptable level of scientific speaking competency and exempt these students from any further Physics 691 Graduate Seminar courses for their current degrees.
Course Hours:
Q(2S-0)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Physics
697
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Topics in Contemporary Physics
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Topics will be from the research areas of staff members.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Physics
699
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Project in Physics
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Each student will select a project in consultation with a staff member. The project may be experimental or theoretical in nature. A written report and an oral presentation are required.
Course Hours:
H(0-9)
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Physics
701
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Independent Study
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Each student will select a topic of study in consultation with a staff member. The topic will be in the research area of the staff member. This course may not be used to meet the regular course requirements in the MSc and PhD programs.
Course Hours:
H(0-9)
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Courses of Instruction