Auburn University Physics Department
Encyclopedia
The Physics Department at Auburn University
offers academic programs leading to B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics
. As of 2008, it has 21 full-time faculty members.
; and honors physics (PHYS1607/1617), which is well suited for physics majors. There is also a course "Foundations of Physics" (PHYS1000), dubbed "Physics for Poets", in which rudimentary mathematics is used. Higher undergraduate courses include undergraduate-level classical mechanics
, quantum mechanics
, classical electrodynamics, and statistical physics
.
Normally, new graduate students spend the first two years on covering the graduate core courses: classical mechanics (PHYS7100), classical electrodynamics (PHYS7200/7250), quantum mechanics (PHYS7300/7350), and statistical physics (PHYS7400). In approximately two years, Ph.D. students must take the qualifying exams known as the General Doctoral Exams (GDE). They consist of three separate sections (classical and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and classical electrodynamics) conducted with a spacing of approximately three days in the fall semester. Students who fail any of the sections must retake and pass them in the next semester in order to stay in the Ph.D. program.
Students who have passed the GDE normally take part in research activity; additionally, there are higher-level courses available at the Department which may be useful at this stage: relativistic quantum mechanics (PHYS8100), introduction to atomic physics
(PHYS8200), plasma physics (PHYS8600), solid state physics (PHYS8700).
Many faculty members have numerous publications in well-known peer-reviewed journals . For a longer list of publications, see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
who founded the Department.
At present, the Department has the following research facilities.
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
offers academic programs leading to B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. As of 2008, it has 21 full-time faculty members.
Undergraduate
The Department offers a range of introductory undergraduate courses with several options: general physics (PHYS1500/1510), also known as "algebra-based", aimed mainly at non-science majors; engineering physics (PHYS1600/1610), which uses calculusCalculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
; and honors physics (PHYS1607/1617), which is well suited for physics majors. There is also a course "Foundations of Physics" (PHYS1000), dubbed "Physics for Poets", in which rudimentary mathematics is used. Higher undergraduate courses include undergraduate-level classical mechanics
Classical mechanics
In physics, classical mechanics is one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces...
, quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, classical electrodynamics, and statistical physics
Statistical physics
Statistical physics is the branch of physics that uses methods of probability theory and statistics, and particularly the mathematical tools for dealing with large populations and approximations, in solving physical problems. It can describe a wide variety of fields with an inherently stochastic...
.
Graduate
There are two graduate programs at the Auburn Physics Department: M.S. (with the thesis and non-thesis options) and Ph.D. A Master's degree is not a prerequisite for entering the Ph.D. program.Normally, new graduate students spend the first two years on covering the graduate core courses: classical mechanics (PHYS7100), classical electrodynamics (PHYS7200/7250), quantum mechanics (PHYS7300/7350), and statistical physics (PHYS7400). In approximately two years, Ph.D. students must take the qualifying exams known as the General Doctoral Exams (GDE). They consist of three separate sections (classical and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and classical electrodynamics) conducted with a spacing of approximately three days in the fall semester. Students who fail any of the sections must retake and pass them in the next semester in order to stay in the Ph.D. program.
Students who have passed the GDE normally take part in research activity; additionally, there are higher-level courses available at the Department which may be useful at this stage: relativistic quantum mechanics (PHYS8100), introduction to atomic physics
Atomic physics
Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is primarily concerned with the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus and...
(PHYS8200), plasma physics (PHYS8600), solid state physics (PHYS8700).
Research
Four research groups exist at the Department: atomic physics, condensed matter physics, plasma physics, and space physics.Many faculty members have numerous publications in well-known peer-reviewed journals . For a longer list of publications, see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Facilities
The Physics Department is housed at Allison Lab, named after the American physicist Fred AllisonFred Allison
Fred C. Allison was an American physicist.Allison developed a magneto-optic spectroscopy method. that became known as the Allison magneto-optic method. He claimed to have discovered two new elements using this method...
who founded the Department.
At present, the Department has the following research facilities.
- The Semiconductor Lab
- The Surface Science Lab
- Compact Toroidal Hybrid, a magnetic confinement fusion device
- The Accelerator Lab
- The Plasma Science Laboratory
- The Laboratory for Nanophotonics
- The AMO Physics Laboratory
- A local Beowulf cluster PRISM