Physics 480W, Experimental Modern Physics

Dr. Greg Severn MWF 1:25-2:20 ST252, ST285 (Lectures & Tutorials) T 2:30-5:20 ST290 & ST 287 (Laboratory experiments) (Dated: Spring 2018 Draft Version 1.0)

Professor: Dr. Greg Severn, ST285 x6845, sev- physics and plasma physics. Attention to the practical [email protected] side of testing advanced modern physical theories in the laboratory is an important part of the course, as Office Hours: MW 1:30-3:50, T 10-11:00, & by appoint- is grasping the integration and interplay of theory and ment. Appointments are always possible. experiment. Coming to understand how theory and Catalog listing: EXPERIMENTAL MODERN PHYSICS experiment relate to each other in carefully designed Units: 4, Prerequisites: PHYS 330 (Quantum experiments is an essential part of understanding how Mechanics), A laboratory-based course science advances. And for all these reasons, this course focused on the introduction to principles is a good introduction to the world of physics research. of research techniques with an emphasis Mastery of experimental and theoretical ideas will be on modern physics. Experiments illustrate demonstrated through well written summary papers. physical phenomena pertaining to core areas These will conform to current standards for research of physics: quantum mechanics, atomic and papers in Physics, and this writing intensive course is nuclear physics, laser physics and plasma the first course in our curriculum in which this skill physics. Analog and digital data acquisition is inculcated. Above all, the student is introduced instrumentation, high-resolution optical to the review process to which all contribu- and laser technology, and phase sensitive tions to the scientific literature (worthy of the detection technology will be explored. This name) are subjected. Students will learn to write course is the writing intensive course. mathematical prose, and will be aided using (learn- ing) the software program LATEX. To sum, each ex- Course description and Learning outcomes: This periment presents a challenge to the student to inte- course is part of the core of the upper division physics grate a thorough and comprehensive understanding of major program (along with 314, 324, and 330). Its both classical and modern physics concents with strate- prerequisites are Physics 330 and 272. The Physics gic and sophisticated experimental design, all of which Major Program currently recognizes 4 learning out- the student is expected to understand coherently, and comes. Throughout the program and especially at the demonstrated discursively in small group tutorial ses- time of graduation, physics majors should be able to sions with the instructor, and in written, peer-reviewed demonstrate papers. Tutorial work, and the writing process will be described below. 1. a thorough knowledge and comprehension of the core concepts of classical and modern In order to facilitate double-majoring in physics and physics. engineering, in consultation with the Shiley School of Engineering, we have added the following two learning 2. a set of fundamental skills that can be applied to a outcomes: variety of situations, including a) writing skills; b) presentation skills; c) laboratory skills; d) 1. The ability to understand how particular exper- computer skills; and e) problem-solving skills. iments work and how measurements are made is 3. the ability to apply their physics experience critically important. The experiments that the and knowledge to analyze new situations. students do this semester are conducted in the context of modern, or current technology. This 4. Physics majors understand and articulate changes over time. As we study each experimen- the nature of science, and its development tal design, we set as a goal that the student can through the scientific method. appreciate the historical context in which the cur- Are all of these outcomes directly relevant to this rent experiments are conducted, how this context course? Yes; I’ve put the relevant outcomes to our differs from the past, and how the future may class in boldface. Outcome 2b is treated intensively bring into play new technologies that permit enor- in PHYS 493, Seminar I, and we are moving to place mous advances over the current ones (they always an upper division computational physics course in a have). permanent place in our curriculum. As an upper di- 2. Each of the experiments we do will be seen to vision experimental modern physics course, it empha- have contributed to humanity’s store of knowl- sizes the execution of laboratory experiments (we have edge of how nature works. We will along the way 4 experiments planned for this semester) and what one make reference to technical applications of these can learn from them. Each illustrates very deep phys- new advances (e.g. the laser, magnetic resonance ical phenomena pertaining to core areas of physics: imaging, atomic clocks and their applications, and quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, laser so on and so forth) for two very important reasons: 2 1) practical applications enhance the sense of im- of professional research work as described above. Stu- portance of the work at hand, and 2) advances dents are introduced to the peer-review process, in technology and advances in physics have al- whereby, at the time of their first submission, ways been intimately intertwined (e.g. advances they are assigned a manuscript submitted by in radar technology permitted experiments that another student (not doing the same experi- led directly to the discovery of NMR, and the ment), and are given a rubric in order to com- MASER, and so on and so forth). We set it as plete a report. Each student receives a peer a goal that the student grasp these important as- review report from a fellow student and one pects of the interrelationship between fundamen- from the ’tyrant journal editor’, the instructor tal physical science and technology with a view to of the course, and uses these reports to refine, potential paths of discovery in the future. Both of rewrite, edit, and so forth the original submis- these goals emphasize the necessity if not the util- sion to produce a final submission (which is then ity of lifelong learning. They also serve as a re- graded according to the rubric). The four pa- minder that one can spark interest in many ways, pers account for 70% of the grade of the course. one being the recognition that knowledge leads to Written peer-review reports count toward 10% practical useful practical applications for the good of the grade of the course (as part of the tu- of society. torial and participation grade). More on grades presently. The final submission (the first and final sub- Text: Experiments in Modern Physics 2nd Ed., A.C. mission dates can be found on the tentative schedule Melissinos and J. Napolitano, Academic Press, 2003. below-final submission are due one week after the first submission date is given) is accompanied by a cover Lab Manual(s): Reprints, lab handouts, and supporting letter in which the student details significant changes documentation for each experiment will be posted to in the text as prompted by the referee reports, rebut- our website or placed in the filing cabinet in ST290. ting requested changes that the author feels are unnec- essary, and observing where accepted alterations have Web pages: Our course has its own web page, been made. Please see the public course website for (eventually supported by Web CT) see more details. http://www.sandiego.edu/~severn/p480W. One can if one wishes to ’port’ LATEX to one’s own Tutorials: teaching in PHYS 480W for two of the 3 weekly computer (for free). The student is encouraged to go lecture meetings occurs in small groups meeting (small to http://www.miktex.org/ to download a personal group defined as those students performing a given copy, or to other freeware sites. Just about all you experiment) with the the instructor (who is also the need to know about LATEX can be found on one of the tyrant journal editor). A list of questions is prepared links in our course web page. There is also a free-web to which the students respond with written out solu- installation of LATEX that may be used online. This tions (note, tutorial questions are posted on the public can be found at www.sharelatex.com As this is the course website), delivered discursively as well as alge- easiest and most complete installation of the software, braically, often festooned with cartoon figures as aids I will assume the student will create his or her own for ones understanding of the solution to the prompt. account there and begin doing LATEX assignments (and During tutorial sessions, the tutor and student(s) dis- there will be, stay tuned..) using ’sharelatex’. cuss the work with a view toward mutual critical eval- uation and deep down understanding. Questions and The writing process: you will learn how to write scientific comments fly. The student is expected to piece things papers suitable for publication. The math and physics together for him or herself, to become critical of writ- communities, on the whole, have used some version of ten materials (everything from research papers to lab TEX (the American Physical Society uses REVTeX, a manuals) so that at length the student improves at pro- A version of LTEX) for formatting mathematical prose, ducing them. Besides being terrifying, it’s kinda fun. and so will we. But we will discuss many aspects And a lot of work. Tutorial deliverables (in the form of scientific writing, not just the formatting of equa- of these written out solutions) along with an assess- tions. The American Institute of Physics Manual of ment of the student performance in the tutorial ses- Style will be our guide. Paper are scored according sion amount to 10% of the grade. It is particularly in to the rubric found on our public course website. will the tutorial sessions that students come to understand, have three scores, one for physics content and correct- and at length be able to critique, experimental design, ness, which includes theoretical and technical aspects and the theoretical core modern physics principles that of experimental design, experimental uncertainty and undergird that design. descrepancy, and so on, one for prose (grammar, com- position, etc.), and one for following the rules for ac- Class meeting schedule, & Calendar: Typical lecture ceptable formatting established by the American In- topics pertinent to each student group include but are stitute of Physics, as set forth in the AIP Manual of not limited to a) writing mathematical prose, b) pro- Style. This however does not prepare the student for fessional standards for writing in physics c) LATEX and the process. mathematical composition (this takes a few sessions There are four papers due, each one writen as research for students to reach minimal proficiency, although paper communicating the results from each experiment use of ’sharelatex’ has cut this time considerably, described below, and held up to the current standards d) the peer review process in physics, with practice 3 Grades: The breakdown of the final grade will be as fol- TABLE I. Meeting schedule for Experimental Modern Physics lows: Papers - 70%, Tutorial & participation assign- (EMP). The individual experimental research groups meet tuto- rially, and of course in Lab. We’ll meet together as a large group ments 20%, Final Oral Exam 10%. Tutorial grades only once a week. will be assigned according to the demonstrated ability of each student to grasp the essence of each experi- Course Room M T W Th F ment, that is to say, by preparing responses for the and Time ‘questions to ponder’ section of each laboratory experi- ment description. This of course includes asking honest EMP ST252 Tutorial Tutorial Groups questions about the readings and the tutorial questions (1:25- Group I Group II I&II 2:20) (some of which involve calculations). But don’t worry, EMP-L ST290, Groups your assessment here depends more on how you fin- (2:30- ST 287 I&II ish than on how you begin each new experiment. One 5:20pm) of course can lower one’s score by not doing the read- ings or trying the problems or by not participating in the tutorial discussions. But if one troubles over the TABLE II. List of Experiments readings conscientiously, the experiments will be eas- ier to do, and the paper will be easier to write. The Experiment Code Topic & Laboratory LAT Xassignments only need be done to get full credit. OP High resolution optical spec- E troscopy, Zeeman effect and Roughly speaking, I assign letter grades according to Hyperfine structure (hfs) in Rb the scale, 85/75/65/50/0. The management reserves NMR Nuclear Spin Echoes and estimating the right to tweak the scales and final grades slightly spin-spin relaxation times. to better match the performance of the class. PW Plasma discharge physics, the Lang- muir Probe, and Ion Acoustic Waves in laboratory plasmas LS High resolution laser spectroscopy TABLE III. Tentative plan for sequence of experiments. and Rb hfs [New this semester] Week Date Group I Group II II 1 Feb. OP NMR III 8 Feb. at revising patches of papers taken from student IV 15 Feb.a and profession submissions, e) advanced concepts in V 22 Feb.b quantum theory common to 3 of the 4 experiments f) VI 1 Mar. NMR OP historical examples of experimental design problems VII 8 Mar. Spring Break! in experimental physics as illustrative of the process of VIII 15 Mar. design. These topics are part of large group lectures. IX 22 Mar. Tutorial meetings happen in smaller groups according X 29 Mar. P L to the schedule below, in table I. XI 5 Apr. XII 12 Apr. The list of experiments and meeting schedule for large XIII 19 Apr. L P group meetings, tutorials and labs, along with a tenta- XIV 26 Apr. tive schedule of experiments are shown in tables II and XV 3 May III, respectively. XVI 10 May a Submit first draft this week; also submit reviewers comments. b Final draft of first paper submitted.