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History 181B: Modern Physics
Schedule
| Date |
Topic |
Assignment (in the reader unless bold or italics) |
|
Unit
1:
Classical World Pictures
Roadmap
1 |
| W |
1/22 |
Introduction
and overview |
|
| F |
1/24 |
Natural
philosophy and mechanical explanation |
|
| M |
1/27 |
New
mechanical principles |
Joule, "Mechanical Equivalent" |
| W |
1/29 |
Thermodynamics |
Clausius, "Second Law" |
| F |
1/31 |
Electricity
and magnetism |
Coulomb, "Electric Force" |
| M |
2/3 |
Electromagnetism |
Maxwell, selections, and start on Night Thoughts |
| W |
2/5 |
Making
sense of Maxwell |
Duhem, "Physical Theory" |
| F |
2/7 |
Classical
world pictures (1) |
Mach, "Economy of Science" |
| M |
2/10 |
Classical
world pictures (2) |
McCormmach,
Night
Thoughts, and essay |
| W |
2/12 |
Statistical
mechanics and kinetic theory |
Klein, "Mechanical Explanation" |
| F |
2/14 |
The
world of a physicist |
Tables from "Physics circa 1900" |
|
Unit
2:
Challenges
Roadmap
2 |
| M |
2/17 |
HOLIDAY |
|
| W |
2/19 |
New
radiations, new phenomena (1) |
Röntgen,
"Rays," Curie,
"Radium" and website |
| F |
2/21 |
New
radiations, new phenomena (2) |
Thomson,
"Cathode Rays" |
| M |
2/24 |
The
quantum: Planck on radiation |
Carson,
"Quantum Theory" through p. 13 |
| W |
2/26 |
Making
sense of the quantum |
Physical
Review essay |
| F |
2/28 |
Einstein
and relativity (1) |
Einstein, "Electrodynamics" |
| M |
3/3 |
Einstein
and relativity (2) |
Heisenberg, "Relativity" through p. 120 |
| W |
3/5 |
Einstein
and relativity (3) |
Einstein, "Autobiographical Notes" |
| F |
3/7 |
General
relativity and beyond |
Heisenberg, "Relativity," p. 121 on |
| M |
3/10 |
Midterm exam |
(review for midterm) |
|
Unit
3:
The Quantum Mechanical Era
Roadmap
3 |
| W |
3/12 |
Atomic
physics |
|
| F |
3/14 |
The
old quantum theory of atomic structure |
Carson,
"Quantum Theory" p. 13 on |
| M |
3/17 |
Making
quantum mechanics (1) |
Heisenberg, "Quantum Theory," 1st
Nobel option |
| W |
3/19 |
Making
quantum mechanics (2) |
Heisenberg, "Physical Content" |
| F |
3/21 |
Making
sense of quantum mechanics |
Bohr, "Bohr-Einstein Dialogue" |
| |
|
SPRING VACATION |
|
| M |
3/31 |
Making
use of quantum mechanics |
Pauli, "Exclusion Principle" |
| W |
4/2 |
Fields
and particles (1) |
Dirac, "Electrons and Positrons" |
| F |
4/4 |
Particles
and nuclei |
Brown and Hoddeson, "Elementary-Particle Physics" |
| M |
4/7 |
The
rise of American physics |
"Lawrence,"
ch. 1, and start on Copenhagen |
| W |
4/9 |
Advancing
physics at home |
"Lawrence,"
ch. 2 , ep. 1, 2nd
Nobel option |
| F |
4/11 |
Nuclear
physics |
Frisch, "Nucleus," Hahn and Strassmann, "Existence," and
Meitner
and Frisch, "Disintegration" |
| M |
4/14 |
The
threats of the 30s |
"Physics and National Socialism" |
| W |
4/16 |
Physics
under National Socialism |
Frayn,
Copenhagen,
and essay |
|
Unit
4:
World War II and Beyond |
| F |
4/18 |
The
physicists' war |
"Lawrence,"
ch. 3 , ep. 2 |
| M |
4/21 |
Fission
as a weapon |
Weisskopf, "The Bomb," Sakharov, "Tamm Group" |
| W |
4/23 |
Physics,
politics, and the state |
"Lawrence,"
ch. 4 , ep. 3, and Roberts, "Dollars" |
| F |
4/25 |
The
postwar expansion |
Bulletin
of the Atomic Scientists essay |
| M |
4/28 |
Rethinking
quantum field theory |
Weisskopf, "Field Theory," to p. 77 |
| W |
4/30 |
Renormalization |
Dyson, "Feynman, Schwinger, and Tomonaga" |
| F |
5/2 |
The
Standard Model |
Weisskopf, "Field Theory," p. 77 on |
| M |
5/5 |
And
beyond |
Mattuck, "Feynman Diagrams," 3rd
Nobel option |
| W |
5/7 |
Astrophysics
and cosmology |
Gamow, "Galaxies" |
| F |
5/9 |
A
new world picture? |
Anderson, "More is Different" |
| M |
5/12 |
Where
next? |
Bell, "Six possible worlds" |
|
| Final
Exam |
| M |
5/19 |
Final exam, 8:00-11:00 a.m. |
|
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Copyright © Cathryn Carson 2003 |
