MODERN PHYSICS SYLLABUS 1999
         
1) Relativity

     a) collision and decays; interaction of photons with matter 	Serway 1(7-10)
         
     b) space & time problems	Serway 1(1-5)

     c) Lorentz invariance	Serway 1(6)
      
2) Elementary particles and forces 	Serway 15

     a)  symmetry, conservation laws (isospin, hypercharge, CPT) 
 
     b)  accelerators and detectors

           the mass of the top quark
bubble chambers
           evidence for quarks

3) Evidence for quantization 
         
a)	the history of light

     b) the photoelectric effect (a debate between classical and quantized predictions) 
	Serway 2(4)
         		
     c) interlude:  Statistical distributions of particles 	Serway 9
         
         (1) the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution (distinguishable particles) 	
        
         (2) the Planck distribution (photons) 	Serway 2(2-3)
         
         (3) indistinguishable particles & the Pauli Exclusion Principle	Serway 8(4)
         
     c) the line spectrum of hydrogen 	Serway 3
         
          interlude: atomic and nuclear models
         
         (1) Thomson's atom 				 
         (2) Rutherford's nucleus 
         (3) the liquid-drop and shell models 	
         (4) Bohr's model 				

4) The particle-like behavior of light 		Serway 2(5-7) 
         
      a) the photoelectric effect 
      b) the Compton effect/pair production 
      c) the gravitational bending of light 
         
5) The wave-like behavior of matter 		Serway 4
         
      a) electron diffraction; the double-slit experiment 

      b) the de Broglie wavelength 			 

      c) the uncertainty principle 			 

6) Quantum reality: philosophical interpretations of quantum mechanics 

     a) Bell's inequality, quantum logic, the Copenhagen Interpretation, Many Worlds
         
     b) spin experiments

7) real quantum mechanics: Schroedinger equation 	Serway 5
         
      a) easy bound states: particles in boxes (infinite box, half-infinite box, finite box)
         
      b) scattering problems: barrier penetration/tunnelling & reflection	Serway 6
		
    	   applications: scanning tunneling microscope, alpha decay, stellar fusion 
         
      c) difficult bound-state problems (power series solutions) 
         
         1) the harmonic oscillator 		 
       
         2) the hydrogen atom 		

8) real quantum mechanics: the Feynman method (“Explore all paths”)
	Feynman QED

_
      
                              A MODERN PHYSICS ELECTIVE 
         
                   NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
         
                                taught by John Kolena

         
        Modern Physics is a one-semester course that emphasizes the physics of
        this century.  The topics include relativistic collisions, elementary
        particle physics, particle-wave duality, philosophical interpretations
        of quantum theory, and solutions to the Schroedinger equation for
        simple bound-state and scattering problems
         
        Prospective students are generally second-semester seniors (only two
        juniors over the past six years), who are concurrently taking first-
        year calculus (although a large fraction of the students have finished
        calculus and are in Calculus 3, Discrete Mathematics, and/or Abstract
        Algebra).  Most (80% or more) of the students have already completed a
        general physics course in their junior year; there are a few students
        who are concurrently taking the general course.  Of this 80%,
        approximately 50% are concurrently taking a second-year of physics
        which is calculus-based.

        Texts:  Concepts of Modern Physics, 4th ed., A. Beiser, McGraw-
                     Hill (1987)
         
                Modern Physics, H. Ohanian, Prentice Hall (1987)
         
                Fundamentals of Physics, 2nd ed., extended, D. Halliday and
                     R. Resnick, John Wiley & Sons (1981)
         
                Quantum Reality, N. Herbert, Anchor Press/Doubleday (1985)
         
                Additional reading from periodicals is listed in the detailed
                  syllabus which follows

        In the detailed syllabus, items marked *** involve class presentations
        by one or more student.  The course grade is based on (in order of
        decreasing weight) homework, class presentations, short quizzes, a
        term paper (defending the student's choice of quantum philosophy), and
        a final examination.

        Most of the short-term homework problems and projects are taken out of
        the texts.  Additional ones are attached.