PHYS 10 Physics Seminar
This seminar brings together Honours Physics, Chemical Physics and Mathematical Physics students in all years to hear invited speakers, view physics-related films, and learn about current research.
PHYS 111 Physics 1
An introduction to physics for students intending to concentrate their further studies in biology, dentistry, medicine and paramedicine; includes particle kinematics and dynamics, energy and momentum conservation, rotational mechanics, properties of liquids, temperature and heat.
PHYS 112 Physics 2
A continuation of PHYS 111; includes simple harmonic motion, electrostatic force and potential, electric current and power, DC circuits, magnetic field and induction, wave motion, sound and optics.
PHYS 115 Mechanics
Brief review of kinematics. Particle dynamics, work, energy, conservation of energy. Conservation of linear momentum, collisions, rotational kinematics and dynamics, conservation of angular momentum. Equilibrium of rigid bodies.
PHYS 121 Mechanics and Waves 1
An introductory course in physics for students intending to concentrate their future studies in the physical sciences, optometry or mathematics; includes particle kinematics and dynamics, forces in nature, work and energy, conservation of energy and linear momentum, rotational kinematics and dynamics, and conservation of angular momentum.
PHYS 121L Mechanics and Waves 1 Laboratory
For students who have taken or are taking PHYS 121. Students intending to follow a Physics or Mathematical Physics plan must take PHYS 131L.
PHYS 122 Mechanics and Waves 2
A continuation of PHYS 121; includes gravitation, fluid mechanics, oscillating systems, wave motion, interference and an introduction to quantum mechanics.
PHYS 122L Mechanics and Waves 2 Laboratory
For students who have taken or are taking PHYS 122. Students intending to follow a Physics or Mathematical Physics plan must take PHYS 132L.
PHYS 125 Physics for Engineers
Oscillations; simple harmonic motion. Wave motion, travelling and standing waves; transverse and longitudinal waves, including sound. Geometrical optics; reflection and refraction. Physical optics; interference and diffraction. Quantum physics; quantization of radiation; hydrogen atom.
PHYS 131L Mechanics and Waves Laboratory
For students who have taken or are taking PHYS 121 and who intend to follow a Physics or Mathematical Physics plan; all other students who have taken or are taking PHYS 121 should select PHYS 121L.
PHYS 132L Mechanics, Waves and Measurement Laboratory
For students who have taken or are taking PHYS 122 and who intend to follow a Physics or Mathematical Physics plan; all other students who have taken or are taking PHYS 122 should select PHYS 122L.
PHYS 139 Scientific Computer Programming
Introduction to scientific computer programming techniques as applied to problem solving in physics, with examples from first year mechanics. Simple sequential programs, control structures, functions, data types, data storage and scientific graphing. Introduction to object oriented programming. Numerical differentiation, integration, root determination and solution of linear equation systems.
PHYS 222 Electricity and Magnetism 1
Coulomb's law, electric field, Gauss' law, potential, capacitance, properties of dielectrics, current, resistance, electromotive force, D.C. circuits and instruments.
PHYS 223 Electricity and Magnetism 2
Magnetic fields, induced electromotive forces, magnetic properties of matter, alternating currents, electromagnetic waves.
PHYS 226 Geometrical Optics
Fermat's principle, reflection and refraction at plane and spherical surfaces, thin and thick lenses, optical instruments such as magnifiers, microscopes, telescopes, spectrometers, normal magnification.
PHYS 232L Measurement Laboratory
A laboratory that teaches programming (e.g.LabVIEW) for the computer interfacing of physics experiments and automatic data collection.
PHYS 234 Quantum Physics 1
Background of quantum physics. Quantization, waves and particles. The uncertainty principle. The Schroedinger equation and postulates of quantum mechanics. Bound states in square wells. Introduction to the harmonic oscillator. Transmission through barriers.
PHYS 239 Scientific Computation 1
Numerical analysis in electrostatics, mechanics and quantum mechanics with emphasis on finite difference and finite element solution methods.
PHYS 241 Electricity and Magnetism
Coulomb's law, electric fields, Gauss' law, electric potential. Capacitance, current, resistance, circuits. Magnetic fields, Ampere's Law, induced electromotive forces, magnetic properties of materials.
PHYS 246 Physical Optics
Nature of light, wave motion, superposition of waves, interference of light, Fraunhofer diffraction and resolution limit of optical instruments; the diffraction grating and the analysis of light. Fresnel diffraction. Polarized light. Coherence of light, lasers, holography. Fibre Optics.
PHYS 256 Geometrical and Physical Optics
Electromagnetic waves and the nature of light. Geometrical optics, matrix treatment. Physical Optics: interference, Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, polarization. Optical instruments.
PHYS 258 Thermal Physics
Temperature and thermodynamic equilibrium. Work, internal energy and heat; first law, with examples. Kinetic theory of gases. Basic probability theory. Microscopic states and entropy. Absolute temperature, reversibility and the second law. Thermodynamic Functions and Maxwell's relations. Phase transitions. Third Law. Other applications of thermodynamics.
PHYS 263 Classical Mechanics and Special Relativity
Newtonian dynamics of particles and systems of particles. Oscillations. Gravity and the central force problem. Lorentz transformations and relativistic dynamics.
PHYS 275 Astrophysics 1 -- The Solar System
The Planets, Newtonian gravity and celestial mechanics, the formation of stars and planets, meteorites, asteroids, comets, planetary interiors, planetary surfaces, planetary atmospheres, the origin of life.
PHYS 280 Introduction to Biophysics
Introduction to a physical understanding of biological systems at macro and molecular scales. The course is intended for 2nd year science and engineering students and will cover a broad spectrum of topics in biophysics, as well as an introduction to neurobiology, nanotechnology and biotechnology.
PHYS 334 Quantum Physics 2
The harmonc oscillator. Hydrogen atom, angular momentum and spin. Time-independent perturbation theory. Fine structure of hydrogen. Zeeman effect. Identical particles. The variational principle. Ground state of the helium atom. The hydrogen molecular ion. Applications in atomic and molecular physics.
PHYS 335 Condensed Matter Physics
Gas, liquid and solid phases. Thermodynamic origin of order and phase transitions. Fluid mechanics. Elasticity of continuum materials. Waves. Properties of the solid state. Crystals and fractals. Reciprocal lattice. Diffraction. Classical elastic theory of the crystalline state.
PHYS 339 Scientific Computation 2
Introduction to selected topics in numerical treatment of problems in condensed matter physics, astrophysics, optics, and/or biophysics. Examples of covered computational methods are: Monte Carlo method, Molecular Dynamics, optimization, and solution to partial differential equations.
PHYS 352 Analogue Electronics
p and n materials, pn diodes, junction and FET transistors. Transistor amplifiers and their equivalent circuits. Operational amplifiers. Oscillators and power supplies. Computer simulation of devices and circuits.
PHYS 353 Digital Electronics
Logic gates, flip-flops and shift registers. Binary numbers and Boolean algebra. An introduction to microprocessors. This will include arithmetic logic units, parallel input/output ports, assembly language and a number of examples.
PHYS 356 Introduction to Communication and Optical Communication Physics
An introduction to optical fibre, waveguides, and passive optical devices. An overview of semiconductors, light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and detectors. Modulation schemes, noise sources and signal detection techniques in communications and optical communications.
PHYS 356L Introduction to Communication and Optical communication Physics Laboratory
For students who have taken or are taking PHYS 356.
PHYS 359 Statistical Mechanics
Fundamental postulate of statistical thermodynamics. Entropy. Microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles. Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein and Boltzmann Statistics. Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution. Applications to specific heat of solids, classical and quantum gases, electrons in metals, Planck's law of radiation, and Bose-Einstein condensation.
PHYS 360A Modern Physics Laboratory 1
Selected experiments in mechanics, optics, electronics, atomic, molecular, nuclear and solid state physics.
PHYS 363 Intermediate Classical Mechanics
Non-inertial frames of reference. Calculus of variations. Lagrangian mechanics. Coupled oscillations and normal modes. Hamiltonian dynamics.
PHYS 364 Mathematical Physics 1
Vector operators in curvilinear coordinates. The partial differential equations of mathematical physics. Separation of variables. Sturm-Liouville theory. Legendre, Bessel and other special functions. Fourier series.
PHYS 365 Mathematical Physics 2
Complex Variable theory. Fourier and Laplace transforms, with applications. Green's functions.
PHYS 375 Astrophysics 2 -- Stars and Stellar Evolution
Observational techniques, spectral classification, stellar motions and distances, open clusters, globular clusters, stellar populations, theory of the structure, atmosphere, formation and evolution of stars.
PHYS 380 Molecular Biophysics
Intermolecular forces, chemical bonds, hydration, biomolecular conformations, dynamics and transitions (e.g. DNA packing and protein folding), cell membranes, self-assembly, reaction kinetics and dynamics, molecular motors, single-molecule manipulations, experimental techniques in molecular biophysics.
PHYS 432 Physics of Solid State Devices
The theories of solid state physics are applied to explain the operation and use of several electronic devices, including the p-n junction, transistors, tunnel diodes, field effect devices, opto-electronic devices, etc.
PHYS 434 Quantum Physics 3
Symmetry and rotations. Time-dependent perturbation theory. Fermi's golden rule. Two-level systems. Emission and absorption of radiation. Magnetic effects and nuclear magnetic resonance. Scattering theory.
PHYS 435 Solid State Physics
Notions of elementary excitations (lattice, vibrations, magnons, plasmons, electron-hole pairs). Semi-classical theory of transport (Drude). Thermal properties of gas of weakly interacting fermions and bosons. Free-electron and weakly interacting theory of metals. Bloch's theorem and Band effects. Tight-binding model. Interacting systems - Mott transition, spin density waves, and elements of superconductivity theory. Selected topics.
PHYS 437A Research Project
A research project in any area of Physics approved by the course co-ordinator(s). The student is required to present a summary of the project orally and to submit a written report in a style suitable for publication. Some projects, especially those with an experimental emphasis, will likely continue as 437B. In these cases, students will submit an interim written report, in addition to the oral presentation.
PHYS 437B Research Project (continued)
A continuation of the project undertaken in PHYS 437A. The student is required to present a summary of the project orally or by poster and to submit a written report in a style suitable for publication.
PHYS 441A Electromagnetic Theory
Electrostatics, magnetostatics, and the macroscopic description of dielectrics and magnetic materials. Includes appropriate mathematical techniques, potential theory and the method of images.
PHYS 441B Electromagnetic Theory
Maxwell's Equations. Electromagnetic fields and the Lorentz Transformation. Plane waves in insulators, conductors and plasmas. Reflection and refraction at plane boundaries. Guided waves. Dipole radiation.
PHYS 444 Modern Particle Physics
An introduction to the experimental and theoretical aspects of present-day particle physics. Basic concepts. Accelerators and detectors. Symmetry principles. Electromagnetic, strong and weak interactions.
PHYS 445 Modern Optics
Basic electromagnetic wave theory. Polarization, reflection, refraction, and dispersion. Temporal coherence and spectra. Spatial coherence and diffraction. Spatial filtering. Lasers, modes and beam propagation. Special topics may include crystal optics and nonlinear effects, holography, fibre optics and communications.
PHYS 454 Quantum Theory 2
The Hilbert space of states, observables and time evolution. Feynman path integral and Greens functions. Approximation methods. Coordinate transformations, angular momentum and spin. The relation between symmetries and conservation laws. Density matrix, Ehrenfest theorem and decoherence. Multiparticle quantum mechanics. Bell inequality and basics of quantum computing.
PHYS 460A Advanced Laboratory 1
Selected advanced experiments in mechanics, optics, electronics, atomic, molecular, nuclear and solid state physics.
PHYS 467 Introduction to Quantum Information Processing
Basics of computational complexity; basics of quantum information; quantum phenomena; quantum circuits and universality; relationship between quantum and classical complexity classes; simple quantum algorithms; quantum Fourier transform; Shor factoring algorithm; Grover search algorithm; physical realization of quantum computation; error-correction and fault-tolerance; quantum key distribution.
PHYS 475 Astrophysics 3 -- Galaxies and Cosmology
Galaxies, quasars, dark matter, observational cosmology, big-bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave background.
PHYS 476 Introduction to General Relativity
Tensor analysis. Curved space-time and the Einstein field equations. The Schwarzschild solution and applications. The Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological models.
PHYS 480 Radiation Biophysics
The effect of radiation of various kinds on cells and tissues; mechanisms of damage, repair theories, genetic effects, dose-response relationships; cancer radiotherapy (x-rays, electrons, neutrons, protons, negative Pi mesons); other types of cancer therapies used in conjunction with radiotherapy (e.g. hyperthermia); late effects of radiation; carcinogenesis; risk vs. benefit; applications.
PHYS 482 Physics of Medical Imaging
Introduction to imaging concepts in medicine. Nuclear medicine, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and optical imaging. Physics principles and applications with emphasis on the former.
PHYS 490 Special topics in Physics
A lecture course offered in a particular branch of physics, subject to availability of instructor.