Physics 486 - Course Syllabus - Spring 2011

Lecture will meet in 144 Loomis. The first lecture is Tuesday, January 18.

Week	Date	Topics	Lectures	Homework	Discussion	Reading
1	Jan 18 Jan 20	Introduction; Blackbody Radiation and Planck's Law Light Quantization Matter Waves; Simple Atomic Models	Lecture 1 (pdf) Lecture 2 (pdf)		Discussion 1 Solutions (pdf)	Lecture notes Lecture notes
2	Jan 25 Jan 27	Wave-Particle Duality; Schrodinger's Equation Quantum Particle in a Box	Lecture 3 (pdf) Lecture 4 (pdf)	Homework 1 Due Feb. 1 solutions	Discussion 2 Solutions (pdf)	Lecture notes; Griffiths 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2
3	Feb 1 Feb 3	Expectation Values and Probabilities Superpositions of Eigenstates	Lecture 5 (pdf) Lecture 6 (pdf)	Homework 2 Due Feb. 8 solutions	Discussion 3 Solutions (pdf)	Lecture notes; Griffiths 1.5, 2.2, 3.2
4	Feb 8 Feb 10	Discrete Superpositions of Eigenstates; Continuity Equation	Lecture 7 (pdf)	Homework 3 Due Feb. 15 solutions	Discussion 4 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
5	Feb 15 Feb 17	Continuous Superpositions; Momentum Representation Quantum Particle Near a Potential Step	Lecture 8 (pdf) Lecture 9 (pdf)	Homework 4 Due Feb. 22 solutions	Discussion 5 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
6	Feb 22 Feb 24	Quantum Particle in a Finite Square Well Potential Quantum Particle in a Harmonic Oscillator Potential	Lecture 10 (pdf) Lecture 11 (pdf)	Homework 5 Due Mar. 1 solutions	Discussion 6 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
7	Mar 1 Mar 3	Quantum Particle in a Harmonic Oscillator Potential Dirac Notation and Matrix Formulation of Operators	Lecture 12 (pdf) Lecture 13 (pdf)	Homework 6 Due Mar. 8 solutions	Discussion 7 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
8	Mar 8 Mar 10	Particle Scattering Tunneling	Lecture 14 (pdf) Lecture 15 (pdf)	Exam practice problems Solutions No homework this week	No discussions this week	TBA
9	Mar 15 Mar 17	Mid-Term Exam (in class)	Mid-Term Exam solutions	No homework this week	Hour Exam Review Problems
10	Mar 22 Mar 24	Spring Break
11	Mar 29 Mar 31	Applications of Tunneling Approximation Methods: non-degenerate perturbation theory	Lecture 16 (pdf) Lecture 17 (pdf)	Homework 7 Due Apr. 5 solutions	Discussion 8 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
12	Apr 5 Apr 7	Approximation Methods: variational methods SEQ in 2D and 3D Systems; Degeneracy	Lecture 18 (pdf) Lecture 19 (pdf)	Homework 8 Due Apr. 12 solutions	Discussion 9 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
13	Apr 12 Apr 14	Angular Momentum in 2D Quantum Systems Angular Momentum States in Central Potentials – I	Lecture 20 (pdf) Lecture 21 (pdf)	Homework 9 Due Apr. 19 solutions	Discussion 10 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
14	Apr 19 Apr 21	Angular Momentum States in Central Potentials – II Matrix Representation of Angular Momentum	Lecture 22 (pdf) Lecture 23 (pdf)	Homework 10 Due Apr. 26 solutions	Discussion 11 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
15	Apr 26 Apr 28	Radial States of the Hydrogen Atom	Lecture 24 (pdf)	Homework 11 Due May 3 solutions	Discussion 12 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
16	May 3	Spin	Lecture 25 (pdf)		Discussion 13 Solutions (pdf)	TBA
	???, May ???	Final Exam ??? 144 Loomis