Physics 521

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics II

Spring 2014

Home Page: http://www.pa.uky.edu/~gardner/p521/

MWF: 11:00 - 11:50PM, CP 287

Syllabus

Lecturer: Prof. Susan Gardner
Office: Chem-Phys 361
Phone: 257-4391
E-mail: gardner at pa dot uky dot edu
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday 4-5PM and by appointment.

Required textbook:
S. Gasiorowicz Quantum Physics, Third Ed. (2003)

Recommended textbook:
R. Blumel Foundations of Quantum Mechanics - from Photons to Quantum Computers (2010)

Course Description and Prerequisites

Physics 521 is the second semester of a year-long introductory course in quantum mechanics. Knowledge of quantum mechanics at the level of Phy 520 is required.

The behavior of physical systems at the nanometer scale is strikingly counterintuitive to those well-versed in the study of classical phenomena. Yet ``strange'' as these systems may be, their behavior can be understood in the context of a theoretical framework with genuine predictive power. It is our continuing purpose to develop such a quantum mechanics and to investigate its consequences for physical systems operating at the nanometer scale.

A bevy of texts, of varying sophistication and coverage of applications, exist in the literature. An annotated bibliography of them has been included in the course web site.

Gasiorowicz, the required text, starts gently and continues to emphasize the empirical ramifications of the quantum phenomena described. The mathematical details are suitably presented, though the text's particular strength is the number of physical examples it brings to bear - please note that much supplementary material (including errata!) appears online. The lectures will borrow heavily, though not exclusively, from this text. In the course at hand we elaborate on the mathematical framework we introduced in the previous semester to develop an essential but realistic understanding of the structure of known matter, particularly of atoms and molecules. We will also consider the interaction of radiation with matter and use this to describe empirical tests of our theoretical picture of matter. The notions we discuss here -- of spin and of the symmetries of many-particle systems, as well as of theoretical approximation schemes which allow us to attack more complex problems -- will prove key tools in the study of matter, be it atoms or molecules, baryons, mesons, solids, or neutron stars. In addition, in recent decades tremendous progress has been made in the understanding of the foundations of quantum mechanics, with extraordinary technological ramifications which we are yet in the process of realizing. I will attempt to describe these ideas in the context of our traditional course; it is to the end of exploring such developments that the book of Bluemel should prove useful.

Course Topics:

Lecture Schedule

The reading assignments and lecture plan will generally be posted ~1 week before the lecture in question. "G" denotes Gasiorowicz.

[Updated: 02/03/14]

Date	Reading	Description
W Jan. 15	Ch. 8 (G)	The H-atom
F Jan. 17	Ch. 8 (G)	The H-atom (cont.)
M Jan. 20	MLK Birthday, Academic Holiday
W Jan. 22	Ch. 10 (G)	Parity and the H-atom; Spin
F Jan. 24	Ch. 10 (G)	Spin; Pauli Matrices
M Jan. 27	Ch. 10 (G)	Empirical Evidence for Spin (Zeeman Effects)
W Jan. 29	Ch. 10 (G)	Spin Precession in a Magnetic Field
F Jan. 31	Ch. 10 (G)	Paramagnetic Resonance
M Feb. 3	Snow Day (Lecture Cancelled)
W Feb. 5	Ch. 10 (G)	Paramag. Res. (cont.); Identical Particles
F Feb. 7	Ch. 10 (G)	Addition of Angular Momenta (Two Spins)
M Feb. 10	Ch. 10 (G)	Quantum Entanglement; "EPR Paradox"
W Feb. 12	Ch. 10 (G)	Addition of Angular Momenta; Clebsch-Gordan coefficients
F Feb. 14	Ch. 10 (G)	Addition of Angular Momenta; Clebsch-Gordan coeffs. (cont.)
M Feb. 17	Ch. 10 (G)	Particle Physics Applications
W Feb. 19	Ch. 11 (G)	Perturbation Theory
F Feb. 21	Ch. 11 (G)	Degenerate Case
M Feb. 24	Ch. 11 (G)	Stark Effect
W Feb. 26	Ch. 12 (G)	Real H-atom; Fine Structure
F Feb. 28	Ch. 12 (G)	Fine Structure (cont.)
M Mar. 3	Ch. 12 (G)	Hyperfine Structure
W Mar. 5	Ch. 12 (G)	Origin of the 21-cm Line
F Mar. 7	Ch. 13 (G)	N Identical Particles
M Mar. 10	Ch. 13 (G)	Exchange Terms; Pauli "Repulsion"
W Mar. 12	Ch. 13 (G)	Fermi Gas Model; the End of Stars
F Mar. 14	Ch. 14 (G)	Helium Atom
M Mar. 17	Spring Break
W Mar. 19	Spring Break
F Mar. 21	Spring Break

Course Grades

Your grade will be determined in the following manner: problem sets (35%), midterm exam (30%), final exam (35%).

The midterm exam will be a open required textbook exam which you will be asked to work in a single two-hour sitting. We will arrange an evening meeting time in mid-March in order to conduct the exam. [on 1/15/14 we determined the date and time to be Wednesday, March 12 from 7-9 PM. Students who wish to do so can work on it somewhat longer. I will reserve the room until 10PM.]

The final exam will be a in-class, open required textbook exam, of two hours in duration. I will allow you to work on it an extra hour if you wish. You must pass the final examination in order to pass the class.

A significant portion of the course grade is associated with the problem sets, and rightly so. Working problem sets is necessary to develop a genuine understanding of the material. You may discuss the problems with others, and even collaborate, but you are required to write out your solutions independently. The problem sets will be issued in one-two week intervals, and late work (if no excusable reason exists) will not be accepted. In the event that our class is large, I reserve the right to institute ``die'' homework; that is, for each problem set, the homework problem(s) that are actually graded will be determined by the roll of a die. Note that complete problem set solutions will be available on reserve in the Science library. Please note that I will drop your lowest homework score in computing your final homework grade.

Examples of excusable absences are (University Senate Rules section 5.2.4.2 ):

(i) Illness of the student or serious illness of a member of the student's immediate family. Written verification required.
(ii) The death of a member of the student's immediate family. Written verification required.
(iii) Trips for members of student organizations sponsored by an academic unit, trips for University classes, and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events.
(iv) Major religious holidays. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such holidays no later than the last day for adding a class. For all excusable absences, when feasible, the student must notify the instructor prior to the occurrence of such absences, but in no case shall such notification occur more than one week after the absence.

It is good for you to discuss the course material with others, but you really must perform all your course work *independently*. You should write out your solutions by yourself, expressing your solutions in your own words. Cheating and plagiarism in tests or exams, indeed, in all aspects of the course, are very serious academic offenses. Violators of the academic code are subject to punishment in accordance to University Senate Rules sections 6.3 and 6.4.

On-line Course Evaluation

Course evaluations are an important and mandatory component of our department's instructional management system. The on-line course evaluation system was developed to minimize the loss of classroom time and to allow each student ample time to evaluate each component of the course and its associated instructor, providing meaningful numeric scores and detailed commentary. To access the system during the spring evaluation window, simply go to the Department of Physics & Astronomy web page, click on the link for Course Evaluations, and follow the instructions. You will need to use your student ID# to log into the system; this allows us to monitor who has filled out evaluations. However, when you login you will be assigned a random number, so that all you comments and scores will remain anonymous. I will grant a homework problem's worth of credit to each of those who fill out the online evalutions.

The percentage of total course points you earn will determine your grade in the course. The following guidelines should help you interpret your performance throughout the course of the semester. Typically, a student who earns in excess of 85% of the available points can expect to receive an ``A,'' whereas a student who earns in excess of 65%, but less than 85%, of the available points can expect to receive a ``B.'' A student who earns in excess of 45%, but less than 65%, of the available points can expect to receive a ``C''. The following condition supercedes the indicated guidelines. Irrespective of your total earned points, in order to pass the class, you must earn a passing grade on the final examination.

This page was created by Susan Gardner and was last updated on January 15, 2014.