Cuny queens Colleg

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503. Selected Topics in General
Physics. 4 hr.; 4 cr. Prereq.: Matriculation
for the M.S. in Education and an under-
graduate major in biology, chemistry, or
geology. Selected topics in the current high
school physics curriculum are studied, with
special emphasis on understanding of con-
cepts, including recent developments and
research; on lecture demonstrations; and
on laboratory experiments.††
601. Introduction to Mathematical
Physics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: A course in
mechanics and an approved mathematics
background. Selected topics in mechanics,
thermodynamics, electrostatics, magneto-
statics, the electromagnetic field, and the
restricted theory of relativity. The mathe-
matical methods developed include such
topics as linear and partial differential
equations, the calculus of variations, nor-
mal and curvilinear coordinates, expansion
of a function as a series of orthogonal func-
tions, vector, tensor, and matrix analysis.††
611. Analytical Mechanics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: An undergraduate course in
mechanics and an approved mathematics
background. Analytical mechanics of parti-
cles and rigid bodies. Free and forced oscil-
lations; coupled systems; vibrating strings
and membranes; the top. Use of numerical
integration and power series, vector and
tensor analysis, Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s
equation. Fourier series and Bessel func-
tions.††
612. Fluid Dynamics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.:
Physics 233, 234, or Mathematics 223 or
224, and Physics 122 or 146. A macroscopic
description of the physical properties of flu-
ids. Topics include fluid equations for
inviscid compressible and incompressible
flow, wave propagation, shock waves and
related discontinuities, stability and turbu-
lence, and other topics.††
621. Electronics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.:
Undergraduate course in electromagnetism
and modern physics. Physical principles
underlying operation of solid state, vacu-
um, and gaseous electronic devices; theory
of rectifier, amplifier, and oscillator cir-
cuits; introduction to digital circuitry.††
622. Physics of Lasers. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Pre-
req.: Physics 355 or 312. Principles of oper-
ation of solid, liquid, and gas lasers and
application of lasers to research.
625. Introduction to Quantum
Mechanics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: Permis-
sion of department, a course in modern
physics, and an approved mathematics
background. Planck, Einstein, Compton,
and the light quantum. The Bohr atom,
Bohr-Sommerfeld quantum conditions,
and interpretations by de Broglie waves.
Solutions of problems, including the free
particle, particle in box, the harmonic
oscillator, and the hydrogen atom. Waves
and the uncertainty principle. The
Schrödinger equation and the solution of
the above problems. Transmission through
a potential barrier. Spin, identity of 
particles, exclusion principle, statistics,
exchange phenomena.
635. Introduction to Modern Physics I. 
3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: A course in modern
physics; coreq.: Physics 625. An introduc-
tion to molecular and solid state phenome-
na. Molecular structure and spectra of
diatomic molecules, quantum theory of
chemical bonding and dipole moments,
crystal structure, lattice dynamics, free
electron theory of metals, band model of
metals, insulators, and semiconductors.
636. Introduction to Modern Physics
II. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: A course in modern
physics; coreq.: Physics 625. The experi-
mental facts and elements of the quantum
theories pertaining to: natural and artifi-
cial radioactivity; interaction of charged
particles and gamma rays with matter;
nuclear structure; emission of alpha, beta,
and gamma rays; nuclear reactions and
models; the nuclear force; neutron process-
es; muons; pions; strange particles.
641. Statistical Physics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Pre-
req.: Undergraduate courses in advanced
mechanics and advanced thermodynamics. 
Maxwellian distribution of velocities, mole-
cular motion, and temperature; elementary
theory of the transport of momentum (vis-
cosity), energy (heat), and matter (diffu-
sion). Entropy and probability; Maxwell-
Boltzmann statistics, equipartition of ener-
gy and classical theory of heat capacity of
gases and solids. Bose-Einstein and Fermi-
Dirac statistics; quantum theory of para-
magnetism.††
645. Solid State Physics. 3 hr.; 3 cr. Pre-
req.: Physics 625. Crystal structure and
symmetry; crystal diffraction; crystal bind-
ing; phonons and lattice vibrations; ther-
mal properties of insulators; free electron
theory of metals; energy bands; Fermi sur-
faces; semiconductors; selected topics in
super conductivity, di-electric properties,
ferroelectricity, magnetism.††
651. Foundations of Physics. 3 hr.; 3 cr.
Prereq.: Physics 625. The course presents
the fundamental physical principles and
concepts in a manner intended to show the
interrelatedness of the various basic cours-
es given in the undergraduate curriculum;
classical and quantum mechanics, electro-
magnetic theory, phenomenological and
statistical thermodynamics, and the prin-
ciple of special relativity. The treatment
provides historical and philosophical per-
spective. Some of the topics discussed are:
the nature of space and time, concepts of
force, mass, and inertia, action-at-a-dis-
tance and field theories, indeterminateness,
the role of probability, the unidirectional
character of time, the foundations of special
and general relativity, symmetry principles
and conservation theorems, the dimension-
less number, and cosmological considera-
tions. The unsettled character of all topics
discussed is emphasized.
657. Introduction to Astrophysics. 3
hr.; 3 cr. Prereq.: Undergraduate courses
in mechanics, electromagnetism, and mod-
ern physics. An introductory study of the
spatial positions, movements, and constitu-
tions of the stars, star clusters, and nebu-
lae.††
661, 662. Computer Simulation of
Physical Models. 3 hr.; 3 cr. each sem.
Prereq.: A course in differential equations
or intermediate methods of mathematical
physics. A seminar course in which com-
puter programming will be used to obtain
solutions to a wide variety of interdiscipli-
nary problems such as the queuing prob-
lem in traffic flow, population dynamics,
cell proliferation and death. Fourier optics,
radiation shielding and safeguards, atomic
motion in crystals and liquids.††
671, 672. Modern Physics Laboratory.
Hr. to be arranged; 1 cr. Experiments
selected from among the areas of atomic,
nuclear, solid state, molecular, and wave-
optics physics. Depending on the experi-
ment, objectives will vary: to learn basic
techniques, to measure fundamental con-
stants by repeating classic experiments; to
do preliminary reading and planning of
procedures which are then to be used in
making the measurements.
701, 702. Mathematical Methods in
Physics. 3 hr. plus conf.; 4 cr. each sem.
Prereq.: 701 – Physics 601; 702 – Physics
701. Topics in complex variables; perturba-
tion and variational methods of solution of
differential equations; Green’s functions;
eigenfunction expansions; integral trans-
forms; integral equations; difference equa-
tions, linear algebra; Hilbert space; tensor
analysis; group theory; higher algebra;
numerical methods for solving equations.
711. Analytical Dynamics. 3 hr. plus
conf.; 4 cr. Prereq.: Physics 601 or coreq.:
Physics 701. The Lagrangian formulation
including Hamilton’s principle; Lagrange
equations; central force motion; Kepler
problems, scattering; rigid body motion;
transformation matrices, Eulerian angles,
inertia tensor. The Hamiltonian formula-
tion including canonical equations; canoni-
cal transformations; Hamilton-Jacobi
theory. Small oscillations. Continuous sys-
tems and fields. Relativistic dynamics. Fall
715, 716. Electromagnetic Theory. 3 hr.
plus conf.; 4 cr. each sem. Prereq.: 715 –
Physics 601 or coreq.: Physics 701; 716 –
Physics 715. Electrostatics, magnetostat-
ics, and boundary value problems;
Maxwell’s equations; multipole radiation;
radiation from accelerated charges; scat-
tering theory; special theory of relativity.
725, 726. Quantum Mechanics. 3 hr.
plus conf.; 4 cr. each sem. Prereq.: 725 –
Physics 625, 601 or 701, and 711; 726 –
Physics 725. Historical foundations. The
Schrödinger formulation. Wave packets and
uncertainty principle. Harmonic oscillator
and potential barrier problems. W. K. B.
approximation. Operators and eigenfunc-
tion. Central forces and orbital angular
momentum. Scattering: Born approxima-
tion, partial waves. Linear vector spaces.
The Heisenberg formulation. Spin and total
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