• Number of Credits: 1
• Prerequisites: Admission to the Graduate Program
• Ronald Selsby
• Office: C-302 (ext 7554)
  University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
  Department of Physics

Text

Articles taken from the American Journal of Physics, and other journals of similar scope.

Minimum Require Facilities

• The Departamental seminar room is fully equipped for seminars; it has a projector and screen for presentations, and board for discussions.

Instructional Strategy

• Lectures by video conference

Student Evaluation

All students must participate in every weekly seminar during the semester and give one seminar in order to receive a passing grade. Students meeting these conditions will be graded according to the scale of Passed Superior, Passed Notable, Passed Good. Otherwise the grade will be Not Approved.

Description

Students will participate in a weekly presentation offered by visiting, local faculty and graduate students in the various research areas of Physics.

Objectives

After the completion of this course the student will be able to:

• Explain the basic laws of physics and their range of application
• Translate physical concepts into mathematical language
• Develop critical thinking and conceptual understanding of phenomena
• Show the relationship between mathematical descriptions and the understanding of physical phenomena.
• Explain the significance of models, theories and experiments in the scientific method

Content

• Topics in Condensed Matter Physics (weeks 1-4)
  • Solid State (Crystals)
  • Liquids
  • Liquid Crystals
  • Polymers
• Phase transitions (weeks 5-8)
  • Order parameter and type of phase transition: first and second order transition
  • Mean field theory
  • Critical exponents
  • Hypothesis of universality and universality classes
• Plasma physics (weeks 9-12)
  • Kinetic theory of gases
  • Plasmas in magnetic fields
  • Metals
  • Superconductors
• Miscellaneous topics (weeks 13-15)
  • Astrophysics
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Biological Physics
  • Particle and High Energy Physics

RIGHTS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
ACOMODO RAZONABLE
INTEGRIDAD ACADEMICA
HOSTIGAMIENTO SEXUAL

Jose F Nieves