The tensor material will be taken from Mathematics for Physicists Optional Topic A. Material on groups may also be found in Optional Topic B.
This material is very interesting, but also challenging! Please keep
up with the reading, and turn the homework problems in on time. Please
consult with me whenever you have a question.
Grading will be based on homework, midterm and final. The
take-home
midterm is on relativity. The take-home final is comprehensive but
emphasizes
material from the last 2/3 of the course. Please check the dates
and
be sure to keep your schedule clear on those days.
| Homework |
35% |
| Midterm |
30% |
| Final |
35% |
| Date | Topic | Reading | Problems | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 Tu | History of special relativity. Vectors, forms, tensors in 2 and 3 dimensions |
Lea Op Topic A; J 11- 1,2,3,4 |
Op Topic A Pr 3, 7, 8d |
Aug 31 |
| Aug 31 Th | Transformation laws. Mechanics in SR | 11-5,6 | ||
| Sep 5 Tu | Collision problems | 11-5,6 | ||
| Sep 7 Th | The Lorentz group | Op topic B; J 11-7 |
Op Topic A Pr 14b, 15, 16, 17 J11.6 |
Sep 7 |
| Sep 12 Tu | Thomas precession | 11-8 | ||
| Sep 14 Th | Relativistic E&M Transformation of the fields |
11-9, 10, 12 | 11.8, 9, 20 |
Sep 14 |
| Sep 19 Tu | Lagrangians and Hamiltonians | 12-1 | ||
| Sep 21 Th | Motion in EM fields | 12- 2,3 | 11.13, 15,18 | Sep 21 |
| Sep 26 Tu | Particle drifts, Adiabatic invariance | 12-4,5 | ||
| Sep 28 Th | Darwin Lagrangian | 12-6 | 12.3, 4 | Sep 29 |
| Oct 3 Tu | Conservation laws | 12.7,10 | ||
| Oct 5 Th | Coulomb collisions, Cerenkov
radiation More on Cerenkov |
13-1,2, 3,4 | 12.11,18 | Oct 5 |
| Oct 10 Tu | Scattering | 13-5, | |
|
| Oct 12 Th | Green’s function for wave equation | 12-11 | Mid-term exam Ch 11 and 12 |
Due Oct 12 |
| Oct 17 Tu | Calculation of the fields, Power radiated | 14-1, 2 | |
|
| Oct 19 Th | Angular distribution of radiated power |
14-3,4,5 | 13.5, 8 | Oct 19 |
| Oct 24 Tu | Frequency distribution: synchrotron radiation | 14- 6 | ||
| Oct 26 Th | More on synchrotron radiation Thomson scattering |
14-7, 8 | 14.4, 8, 13 | Oct 26 |
| Oct 31 Tu | Multipole fields Dipole fields - far field |
9-1,2 | ||
| Nov 2 Th | Quadrupole fields, Antennae | 9-3,4,5 | 14.15, 23 |
Nov 2 |
| Nov 7 Tu | Spherical wave solutions | 9-6 | ||
| Nov 9 Th | Multipole expansions Properties of multipole fields |
9-7,8,9 | 9.3,12 |
Nov 9 |
| Nov 14 Tu | Relation to sources, Atomic and nuclear systems |
9-10,11, 12 | ||
| Nov 16 Th | Scattering Scattering by perturbations |
10.,2 | 9.16, 17 |
Nov 16 |
| Nov 20-24 |
THANKSGIVING |
10.8 | ||
| Nov 28 Tu | Plane wave expansion, scattering | 10.3,4 | ||
| Nov 30 Th | Scalar and Vector diffraction theory | 10.5, 6,7 | 9.22 |
Nov 30 |
| Dec 5 Tu | Babinet's principle | |||
| Dec 7 Th | Radiation damping and self fields | 16-1,2 | 10.14 |
Dec 7 |
| Dec 12 Tu | More on self fields | 16-3 | ||
| Dec 14 Th | Atoms- line breadth | 16-7,8 | 10.20 |
Dec 14 |