Physics seeks to describe the nature of the physical world. The most
fundamental of the natural sciences, it forms an essential part of any serious program of
study in any branch of science, and indeed, to an increasing degree in the modern world, it
is important in any well-balanced curriculum for the non-scientist as well.
In the
undergraduate program the development of fundamental concepts and mathematical formulation
proceeds simultaneously in a selected series of courses in physics and mathematics, from
the elementary ideas of classical mechanics through modern relativistic, quantum and
nuclear theories.
Whether the student wishes to prepare for more advanced study in physics
itself; for a career in applied areas such as photonics, materials science, or biomedical
engineering; for a career in such fields as astronomy, space research, or oceanography; or
simply wishes to be informed in an important area of scientific thought, he/she will be
able to make an appropriate choice of courses from the list.
Note: The listing of a course in the Calendar is not a guarantee that the
course is offered every year.
Note: Students must obtain a grade of at least C- in all courses used to
fulfill prerequisite requirements. Otherwise, written permission of the
appropriate Department Head or Program Co-ordinator must be obtained.
PHYS 1021 (3CR)
SOLAR SYSTEM ASTRONOMY
Format: Lecture 3 Hours, Laboratory 1.5 Hours
Exclusion: PHYS 1001
Note: In addition to daytime lab periods all students will need to be present at a number
of night time observing periods at the university observatory
This course introduces observational and solar system astronomy. Topics
include observational astronomy, celestial mechanics, solar system patterns, theories
of origin, radiometric dating, processes which transform planet surfaces, planetary
atmospheres, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the search for life beyond Earth. It
considers extrasolar planetary systems in the context of theories of solar system formation.
PHYS 1031 (3CR)
STARS, GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE
Format: Lecture 3 Hours, Laboratory 1.5 Hours
Exclusion: PHYS 1001
Note: In addition to daytime lab periods all students will need to be present at a
number of night time observing periods at the university observatory
This course introduces stellar and galactic astronomy as well as cosmology.
Topics include optics and telescopes, atomic structure and spectra, the sun, stellar
types and evolution, stellar remnants (black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs),
quantum and relativistic ideas, galaxies, and dark matter and energy.
PHYS 1051 (3CR)
GENERAL PHYSICS I
Format: integrated lecture/collaborative learning/laboratory, 6 hours
This algebra based introductory physics course will cover kinematics,
dynamics, work and energy, momentum in one dimension, fluid mechanics, waves
and sound, DC circuit electricity, geometrical and physical optics, and an
introduction to modern physics. This course provides a basic knowledge of
the concepts of physics needed in all sciences. Students enrolling in Physics 1051
should normally have completed a university preparatory level course in
Mathematics.
PHYS 1401 (3CR)
THE PHYSICS OF MUSIC AND SOUND
Format: Integrated Lecture and Laboratory 3 Hours
This course explores various aspects of music production, sound transmission
and perception. The topics include simple harmonic motion, waves and sound, standing waves,
spectral analysis, human ear and voice, auditorium acoustics, and woodwind, brass, and
percussion instruments. It also introduces mathematical analysis.
PHYS 1551 (3CR)
GENERAL PHYSICS II
Format: integrated lecture/collaborative learning/laboratory, 6 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1051 and MATH 1111; or permission of the Department
Note: MATH 1111 may be taken as a Corequisite with permission of the Department
This calculus based introductory physics course covers rotational
motion, angular momentum, simple harmonic motion, gravitation, electric fields
forces and potentials, capacitors, magnetism, electromagnetic induction, AC
circuits, introductory thermodynamics, nuclear reactions and additional selected
topics in modern physics.
PHYS 2251 (3CR)
CLASSICAL WAVES
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 and MATH 1121; or permission of the Department
In this course the study of free, forced and damped harmonic oscillator
is followed by a treatment of discrete coupled oscillators in one dimension.
This is then generalized to the study of traveling and standing waves in
continuous media. Ideas of Fourier components of signals are introduced.
A number of examples will be taken from physical optics, and the topics
in this course provide the theoretical basis for understanding modern
photonic devices.
PHYS 2801 (3CR)
DATA ACQUISITION AND ANALYSIS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1051 and MATH 1111; or permission of Department
This experimentally oriented course is designed to give the students
an exposure to the techniques and software tools that can assist them in
using computers to enhance their work throughout a science curriculum.
Basic methodology for data manipulation is introduced (error analysis,
statistical analysis of data, linear regression, graphing, Fourier
transform techniques), as are aspects of simulation, digitization,
interfacing and data acquisition, and presentation. The course will
also include sensors and transducers to convert a variety of signals
(light, pressure, strain, radioactivity, sound, etc.) into electrical form.
PHYS 3001 (3CR)
ASTROPHYSICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1001 or PHYS 1031, and PHYS 1551; or permission of the Department
Note: In addition to daytime lab periods all students will need to be present at a number of
night time observing periods at the university observatory
This course examines issues in stellar, galactic and extra-galactic astrophysics.
Topics covered include celestial co-ordinate systems, astronomical luminosity relationships,
astrophysical instrumentation, stellar spectra, Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, stellar evolution, protostars,
stellar deaths (white dwarfs, neutron stars, stellar black holes), energy processes and transport in stars,
stability and variable stars, the structure of our galaxy, galaxy types and evolution, and energetic sources
such as quasi-stellar objects.
PHYS 3021 (3CR)
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1001 or PHYS 1021, and at least second-year standing; or permission of the Department
This course will examine issues concerning the origin, evolution and survival of life in the
universe from an astrophysical perspective. Topics covered include cosmology and the origin and
evolution of the universe, solar system origin, detection of extrasolar planets, what is life and what
conditions are necessary to sustain it, searches for life in the solar system, habitable zones, complex organics in
extraterrestrial materials, delivery of organics to the primordial and current Earth and other planets,
astrophysical threats to life on Earth, life in space, and searches for extraterrestrial intelligence.
PHYS 3101 (3CR)
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory/problem solving 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551, and PHYS/MATH 3451, MATH 2111 and MATH 2121; or permission of the Department
This course will cover vector analysis, differential and integral
calculus as well as solutions of the Poisson and Laplace equations for
different electrostatic problems. Certain special techniques such as method
of images, separation of variables and multipole expansion are then introduced.
Magnetostatics and electric and magnetic fields in matter are also examined
leading to the conclusion of this course where Maxwell equations are
integrated and applied.
PHYS 3201 (3CR)
STATISTICAL MECHANICS
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 3701 and MATH 2111; or permission of the Department
The conditions under which the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, the Bose-Einstein
distribution, and the Fermi-Dirac distribution apply are developed. Applications of these
distributions to many physical systems are examined in detail.
PHYS 3321 (3CR)
ANALOG ELECTRONICS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 and PHYS 2801; or permission of Department
This is a course in analog electronics and in analog signal processing,
and would be valuable both for those planning to go on in technical careers
and for scientists who wish to develop tools for the collection and analysis
of data. Topics include impedance matching considerations, semiconductor
physics, pn junction diodes, AC circuit analysis, passive filter designs,
DC power supply construction including regulation, junction and field effect
transistors and transistor amplifier circuits, operational amplifiers, active
filter designs, signal conditioning circuits such as Schmitt trigger,
modulation and demodulation, noise (sources, frequency characteristics,
and control measures), integrating sensors and electronics, practical
issues in electronics, and an introduction to the photonic transition.
PHYS/COMP 3361 (3CR)
DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING AND ELECTRONICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: COMP 1631 and PHYS 1551; or permission of the Department
Note: This course is cross-listed with COMP 3361 and may therefore count
as three credits in either discipline.
This course introduces students to both digital electronic circuits
and digital signal processing, and would be valuable both for those
planning to go on in technical careers in computer science or in physics,
and for scientists who wish to develop tools for the collection and
analysis of data. Topics to be covered include digital logic gates,
Boolean algebra, counting circuits, digital signal conditioning,
sampling considerations such as the Nyquist criterion, analog to
digital and digital to analog conversion, Fourier Transform theory
and application as FFT, correlation and convolution, digital filtering
using finite impulse response and infinite impulse response circuits
including the ztransform and filter design, and digital image processing
including two dimensional FFT techniques, microprocessors, microcontrollers
and digital signal processing integrated circuits.
PHYS/MATH 3451 (3CR)
METHODS OF MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Note: This course is cross-listed with MATH 3451 and may therefore count
as three credits in either discipline.
Prereq: MATH 2111, MATH 2221, PHYS 2251
This course provides students with a selection of mathematical skills needed
in more advanced physics courses. Frequently utilized mathematical methods in
theoretical physics are introduced in close connection to physics applications.
The assumptions behind the relevant theorems are mentioned in order to discuss
their limitations, however, more rigourous mathematical proofs are not generally covered.
Topics include vector and tensor analysis, use of special functions, operators and
eigenvalue problems. Fourier analysis, and complex variable techniques in physics.
The lab component of the course will use symbolic algebra and numerical software, such as
Maple, to solve associated physics problems.
PHYS 3521 (3CR)
PHYSICS OF THE LIVING BODY
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1051 and MATH 1111 and at least second year standing; or permission of Department
Exclusion: Any version of PHYS 3521 previously offered under a different title
This course is intended primarily for students in biology and psychology.
The course introduces and describes from a physics perspective the many
physical processes involving living organisms. Study includes the human
body, with examples from other animals given for purposes of comparison.
Topics include sound and hearing (including Fourier analysis and resonance),
light and vision (including microscopy), electrical pulses, electrocardiac
measurement, mechanics of body motion, scaling relations, fluid flow, feedback
relationships and thermodynamics.
PHYS 3581 (3CR)
MEDICAL PHYSICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 or PHYS 3521 ; or permission of
Department
This course is intended both for physics students who are
considering a career in medical physics or in the field of medicine,
and for students in other programs with similar interests. The course
considers fundamental concepts of ionizing radiation, diagnostic
applications of medical physics, and therapeutic applications of medical
physics. Topics in the diagnostic area include x-rays, computed
tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography,
nuclear medicine and ultrasound. Topics in the therapeutic area include
radiation generators, absorbed dose calculations, dose measurement,
treatment planning, quality assurance and brachytherapy.
PHYS 3601 (3CR)
FLUID MECHANICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 1551 and MATH 1121; or permission of the Department
The objective of this course is to develop an understanding of fluid properties.
Topics include: Fluid properties, static forces in fluids, kinematics and dynamics of
flow, Bernoulli's and momentum equations, dimensional analysis and similitude, and flow
through pipes.
PHYS 3701 (3CR)
THERMODYNAMICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 2801 and MATH 2111, or permission of the Department
The objective of the course is to develop a clear and broad understanding of the
First and Second Law of Thermodynamics, with application to a wide range of problems.
Topics include: the general energy equation, First Law, Second Law, entropy,
limiting-cycle efficiencies, irreversibility and availability, steam power plant,
refrigeration and gas engine applications.
PHYS 3751 (3CR)
PHYSICS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION AND TRANSFER
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: CHEM 1021, PHYS 1551 and MATH 1121
Prereq or coreq: PHYS 3701 or CHEM 2211; or permission of Department
The goal of this course is to teach aspects of energy harvesting,
storage and transmission with particular emphasis on the theory and
development of renewable energy resources. The specific technologies
considered will vary somewhat according to the interests of the class
but will normally include wind power, photovoltaic generation, other
forms of solar energy, nuclear fission and fusion energy generation,
hydroelectric, combustion based fuel generation, tidal energy and fuel
cells.
PHYS 3811 (3CR)
MODERN PHYSICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 2251; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: Any version of PHYS 3811 previously offered under a different title
This course considers the two major revolutionary ideas of modern
physics, quantum mechanics and special relativity. It considers Lorentz transformations,
length contraction and time dilation, relativistic mass and momentum, including
the fourvector relativistic notation. It also examines evidence for
quantization along with early models for atoms and discusses De Broglie's hypothesis
for the matter wave. Other topics include the Schrodinger
equation and its solutions for some usual systems. The course ends with a look
at the three dimensional systems and a
discussion of angular momentum in quantum mechanics.
PHYS 3821 (3CR)
QUANTUM MECHANICS I
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 3811 and PHYS/MATH 3451; or permission of the Department
This course is an introduction to formal quantum mechanics: the matrix formulation,
harmonic oscillator, perturbation theory, two-state systems, multiparticle systems, and
an introduction to the general theory of angular momentum.
PHYS 4101 (3CR)
ELECTROMAGNETIC THEORY
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 2251 or MATH 2121; PHYS 3101; or permission of the Department
An advanced treatment of static and time-dependent electric and magnetic fields in
materials. Particular attention will be given to wave solutions of Maxwell's equations
for spatial dependent media such as wave guides.
PHYS 4201 (3CR)
SOLID STATE PHYSICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 2251; or permission of the Department
This course studies the various quantized models used to describe the thermal,
electrical, optical and electromagnetic properties of solids. It also analyses conductors, semi-conductors
and insulators.
PHYS 4311 (3CR)
MODERN OPTICS
Format: lecture 3 hours, laboratory 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 2251 and PHYS 2801 and PHYS 3101; or permission of the Department
Exclusion: PHYS 4401
This course provides an advanced treatment of a number of topics in
modern optics with particular emphasis on topics of industrial and research
importance. A brief treatment of geometric optics will concentrate on the
design of optical systems. Topics in physical optics may include dispersion
in materials, production and properties of polarized light, interference,
diffraction in the Fresnel and Fraunhofer limits, Fourier optics, holography
and an introduction to quantum optics. Applications of this theoretical
background will be made in such areas as fibre-optic transmission, photonic
devices, thin film coatings, and electrochromic devices. There will also
be some considerations of electro-optical devices such as lasers, charge
coupled device detectors, image intensifiers and photodiodes.
PHYS 4411 (3CR)
CLASSICAL MECHANICS AND RELATIVITY
Format: integrated lecture/laboratory, 6 hours
Prereq: PHYS 3811 and PHYS/MATH 3451; or permission of Department
Exclusion: Any version of PHYS 4411 previously offered under a different title
This course covers three-dimensional dynamics of both particles and rigid bodies
using various coordinate systems. The course focuses on an introduction to Lagrangian
and Hamiltonian formalisms, followed by application of these approaches to problems
in constrained motion. Other topics covered include motion in resistive fluids,
planetary orbits, motion in accelerated reference frames and the inertia tensor.
The latter part of the course provides an introduction to general relativity
including spacetime invariants, metric and metric tensor, the field equations
and tests of general relativity.
PHYS 4831 (3CR)
QUANTUM MECHANICS II
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 3821 and MATH 2221; or permission of the Department
This course extends the study of principles of quantum mechanics developed in Quantum Mechanics I (PHYS 3821),
comparing
properties of continuous and discrete representations. It also develops time-independent
perturbation theory for first order, second order, and
degenerate cases and treats small perturbations through direct diagonalization of
large matrices. This course examines central force problems, elements of scattering theory, and the addition
of quantized angular momenta. The
course concludes with aspects of relativistic quantum mechanics, including the
Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations, and the evolution of spin from these equations.
PHYS 4851 (3CR)
NUCLEI AND FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES
Format: lecture 3 hours
Prereq: PHYS 3821; or permission of the Department
This is an introductory course in nuclear theory and particle physics and discusses
nuclear energy levels and spectra, scattering experiments, symmetry and conservation
principles, quantum electrodynamics, and the weak and strong interactions.
PHYS 4911 (3CR)
CURRENT TOPICS IN PHYSICS
Format: seminar
Prereq: PHYS 3811; or permission of Department
This course will introduce students to current topics and trends in
physics which are not represented in other courses in the curriculum. This
will be a seminar format course with sessions led by students, faculty and
guest speakers. A key part of the course will be development of skills for
identification and critical evaluation of primary literature in physics.
PHYS 4950/4951 (6/3CR)
INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHYSICS
Format: Independent Study
Prereq: Permission of the Department/Program Advisor. Students must obtain
consent of an instructor who is willing to be a supervisor and must register
for the course prior to the last day for change of registration in the term
during which the course is being taken.
Note: A program on Independent Study cannot duplicate subject matter covered through
regular course offerings.
Note: Students may register for PHYS 4950/51 more than once, provided the subject
matter differs.
This course permits senior students, under the direction faculty members,
to pursue their interest in areas not covered, or not covered in depth, by other
courses through a program of independent study.
PHYS 4990 (6CR)
HONOURS THESIS
Format: independent study/thesis
Normally, a student electing this course is expected to accomplish work equivalent
to any fourth year course. Students are encouraged, but not required, to work on the
project in the Department during the summer immediately preceding the senior year. The
topic often involves experimental work, but must have a theoretical component.
PHYS 1991/2991/3991/4991 (3CR)
SPECIAL TOPIC IN PHYSICS
Format: Variable
Prereq: Set by the Department/Program when the topic and level are announced
Note: When a Department or Program intends to offer a course under this designation,
it must submit course information, normally at least three months in advance, to the Dean.
Note: Students may register for PHYS 1991/2991/3991/4991 more than once, provided the
subject matter differs.
This course either focuses on topics not covered by the current course offerings
in a department or program or offers the opportunity to pilot a course that is being
considered for inclusion in the regular program.