Undergraduate Courses 2017-18

Motions and Newton's Laws; work and energy; conservation of energy and momentum; rotation; rigid body; gravity; simple harmonic and damped oscillations; forced oscillations; standing waves and sound waves; heat; kinetic theory of gases; thermodynamic laws.

Force and motion; work and kinetic energy; conservation of energy and linear momentum; rigid body and angular momentum; oscillations and waves; temperature, kinetic theory and thermodynamics.

Fields and potentials; Gauss's, Ampere's and Faraday's laws; inductance; magnetism and matter; Maxwell's equations.

Ideal gas and kinetic theory, heat, entropy, thermodynamics; Coulomb's law, electric fields, Gauss's, electric potential, capacitance, magnetic field, Lorentz force, Ampere's Faraday's and Lenz's laws.

Introduction to relativity; introduction to quantum theory: particle-wave duality and Schrodinger equation; atoms, molecules; and statistical physics: Maxwell, Bose and Fermi distributions.

Laboratory accompanying PHYS 126.

Electric field and potential; direct-current circuits; magnetic field and induction; alternating-current circuits; Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves; the origins of quantum theory; quantization of atomic energies; electron waves and quantum theory.

An introduction to the exciting discoveries of black holes and the early universe, and through them some basic theories in general relativity, field theory, thermodynamics and cosmology.

For Physics students only. All undergraduate Physics students are required to take PHYS 180, PHYS 280 and PHYS 380 in sequence. About five physics seminars by faculty or invited speakers and small group tutorial under the supervision of a faculty member. Course duration is one year.

This course covers special topics selected by the instructor on the basis of individual student's request. The course is for first year students only. The instructor's approval is required for taking this course.

For non-Physics students only. Origin of modern astronomy, gravity, light and telescope, star light and atoms, stars (binary, formation, evolution, death), neutron stars and black holes, normal galaxies, peculiar galaxies, cosmology, the solar system, life on other world.

Introduction to the experimental techniques of physics and the statistical analysis of data through lectures and a variety of experiments. Students may select one of the two laboratory sequences: electronics and optics.

Physical applications of analytic and numerical methods are studied in such topics as differential equations, Fourier series, Laplace transforms, matrices and vectors.

Newtonian mechanics, including rigid bodies; oscillating systems; gravitation and planetary motion; Lagrange equations; Hamilton's equations; normal modes and small oscillations.

A physics core course. Electrostatics: electric charge and fields, multipoles, Laplace equation, dielectrics; magnetostatics: currents, magnetic fields and vector potential, magnetic materials; Maxwell's equations.

Electrodynamics: applications of Maxwell's equations, propagation in various media, radiation, relativistic electrodynamics, transmission lines and wave guides.

This course is intended for students who want to understand deeper the application of electricity and magnetism to more advanced situations. Selected problems in electricity and magnetism will be discussed in detail in this course.

Basic properties of Schrodinger equation, simple examples, angular momentum and hydrogen atom, electrons, spin and statistics, multi-electron atoms, stationary state and time-dependent perturbation theories, Fermi golden rule, simple applications.

This course is a more in-depth version of PHYS234 Elementary Quantum Mechanics I. Topics include: classical mechanics, Schrodinger equation and simple examples in one-dimension, formulation of quantum mechanics in terms of Hilbert space and Dirac bracket notation, real and momentum space representations, Heisenberg and Schrodinger pictures, Schrodinger equation in three-dimensions, angular momentum, hydrogen atom wavefunction, systems of identical particles, the periodic table.

Ray tracing, matrix optics, wave optics, superposition of waves and interference, coherence, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, polarisation, Fourier optics, holography, phase and group velocity, material dispersion, propagation of Gaussian beams.

Electromagnetic wave propagation in waveguide, fabrication of optical fibres, step index fibre, fields, modes, propagation and dispersion in monomode and multimode fibres, couplers and connectors, fibre optics communication system, and fibre optic sensors.

An integrated study of the nature and behavior of metals, ceramics and polymers. Topics include crystal structures, phase diagrams, microstructures and microscopy, defects, phases and interfaces in materials systems, phase transformations, deformation, annealing and failure of materials.

Phase transitions and phase diagrams, crystal growth, vacuum physics and technology, thin film preparation by physical vapor deposition, sputtering and sol-gel. Chemical processing such as chemical vapor deposition, oxidation, wet and plasma etching. Lithography and patterning techniques.

The essential of environmental physics; global climate and the role of the atmosphere and ocean; greenhouse warming and other elements of weather and climate; physical principles of energy generation and use; limited energy resources and renewable energies; air pollution and the transport of pollutants; environmental monitoring and analyses; basic environmental spectroscopy; basic acoustic and noise pollution.

Continuation of PHYS 180. For Physics students only. All undergraduate Physics students are required to take PHYS 180, PHYS 280 and PHYS 380 in sequence. Physics seminars by faculty or invited speakers and small group tutorial under the supervision of a faculty member. Each student must lead one discussion session. Course duration is one year.

This course covers special topics selected by the instructor on the basis of individual student's request. The course is for second year students only. The instructor's approval is required for taking this course.

A laboratory course to accompany PHYS 011. Experiments in mechanics and heat are chosen to illustrate the experimental foundations of physics presented in PHYS 011.

Advanced experiments selected from all areas of physics; independent work emphasized. Formal reports and oral presentations are required.

Laws of thermodynamics, entropy, thermodynamic relations, free energy; elementary statistical mechanics: Maxwell-Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics; elementary transport theory; applications to physical systems.

Laboratory accompanying PHYS 013.

This course is mainly on approximation methods in quantum mechanics. Topics include stationary state perturbation theory, variational principle, WKB method, time-dependent perturbation theory, emission and absorption of radiation, adiabatic approximation and geometric phase, scattering theory.

An introduction to modern solid state physics, including lattice structure, lattice vibrations, thermal properties, electron theory of metals and semiconductors, magnetic properties, and superconductivity.

Propagation of Gaussian beams, optical cavity and cavity modes, blackbody radiation and stimulated emission, laser principles and rate equations, examples of solid state, liquid, gas and semiconductor lasers, laser Q-switching and mode-locking, detection of optical radiation.

Light spectrum and telescope, the Sun, gravitation and relativity, stellar masses and evolution, interstellar medium, star formation, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, active galaxies and quasars, cosmology, solar system.

Nuclear and elementary particles, general symmetries and conservation laws, behavior of high energy particles and radiations, basic properties of detectors, brief introduction to cosmology.

Atomic models, radiation and matter, wave equations for simple quantum systems, perturbation theory and radiative transitions, quantum theory of one-electron atoms, many-electron atoms, molecular structure, approximation methods for many-electron systems, atomic and molecular spectroscopy.

The course provides a self-contained explanation of the basics of string theory at a level appropriate for advanced undergraduates and beginning postgraduate students in physics. This includes the classical and quantum dynamics of relativistic strings, with a brief introduction the topic of superstrings. Among the important results obtained from the approach are the space-time dimensions required to have a Lorenz invariant theory, the compactification of the excess dimensions, and the natural emergence of a quantum theory of gravitation from the theory of closed strings.

Real and reciprocal lattice, atomic structure of crystalline and amorphous solids, dislocations and other crystal defects, determination of structure and defects by x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.

Physical properties of elemental and compound semiconductors, optoelectronic and display materials, and dielectrics; their preparation techniques such as single crystal and thin film growth, physical and chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, etching, and dopant incorporation; oxidation and metallization as applied to device fabrication and integrated circuit technology.

Probability theory, entropy in information theory, relative entropy and mutual information, Second Law of thermodynamics, instantaneous code and block code, data compression: Huffman code, portfolio management. Introduction to Mathematical Finance: Options and Binomial Tree.

This course will introduce the concepts and techniques of optimization and modeling in the management of systems and business applications with many variables and constraints. We will discuss linear programming, network flow models, project management, nonlinear programming, queuing analysis, computer solutions, and the statistical physics of optimization in complex systems.

Continuation of PHYS 280. For Physics students only. All undergraduate Physics students are required to take PHYS 180, PHYS 280 and PHYS 380 in sequence. Attend regular physics colloquia and seminars and small group tutorial under the supervision of a faculty member. Each student must lead one discussion session. Course duration is one year.

This course introduces the use of computer to solve problems and to simulate physical phenomena. It covers the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, linear systems, stochastic processes, and Monte Carlo methods. Visualization tools will be used to interpret results of the calculations.

A continuation of PHYS 381. It covers the numerical solution of partial differential equations, and the simulation of models which may include traffic flow, earthquake, option pricing, etc.

This course covers special topics selected by the instructor on the basis of individual student's request. The course is for third year students only. The instructor's approval is required for taking this course.

Undergraduate research conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. A written report is required and one of the following activities is expected: identify a non-textbook problem and suggest approaches to its solution, solve a non-textbook problem, or acquire a specific research skill. Course duration is one-year. The instructor's approval is required for taking this course.

This course will introduce the basic concepts of the physical principles behind energy. We will discuss various forms of energy and their use (including electricity, fossil energy, nuclear power, various forms of renewable energy), and their impacts on the environment both from a global and a regional perspective. We will discuss issues related to energy conservation and related environmental issues in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD).

For non-Physics students only. Why can't we see stars at daytime? Why does toast land jelly-side down? Why doesn't a bicycle fall? These phenomena, which we observe in everyday life, are all governed by the laws of Physics. In this course, we shall explore how the basic laws of physics work in our everyday life with simple examples and demonstrations.

Who are scientists? What are these people and how do they think? Is there any fundamental contradiction between science and religion? Is there a "human" side of science? These are the questions we intend to discuss in this course. The course starts with an introduction to the principle of falsifiability, and the importance of precise measurement in science. These principles are then illustrated using several historical examples in science and social science. The relation between science, humanity and society will be discussed afterward. Group project(s) and presentations are required throughout the course.

Films and movies are for entertainment. As such, actions and episodes in movies frequently violate the basic laws of physics. By analyzing the situations portrayed in movies, we seek to establish some basic principles of physics such as the laws of motions, conversation laws, principles of thermodynamics and notions of modern physics. Using films to illustrate the correct (or wrong) concepts of physics is a good way to help the students to comprehend and apply the basic principles of science in an enjoyable way. Movies and films also frequently describes, sometimes in a grossly exaggerated manner, the dire consequences when science or technology falls in the hands of the bad people or when good science is applied for a wrong purpose by unsuspecting people who have good intentions. Analyzing such situations can help students to evaluate the social and philosophical implications of scientific discoveries and technological development.