Physics - Level 4 Modules
- PHY4001 Physics Research Project (60 CAT Points) (1st semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: N/A
Course Content:
Students will undertake a single research project within a Research Centre in the School or at an appropriate external organisation. Safety, risk assessment, and ethics training. Searching and evaluating scientific literature.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Project Report 45%, Lab Performance 30%, Oral Presentation 15%, Literature Review 10%, Safety/Risk Assessment 0% (but must be passed)
- PHY4003 Ionising Radiation in Medicine (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Dr Jason Greenwood
Course Content:
Interactions of radiation with matter; Introduction to radio-biology; Interaction of Charged Particles with Biological Matter; Modern approaches to Radiotherapy; Selected Modern Radiation Research Topics
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 20%, Online test 30%, Project Report 50%
- PHY4004 Medical Radiation Simulation (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: PHY4003
Lecturers: Dr Stephen McMahon
Course Content:
Introduction to a basic Linux scientific computational environment. Introduction to Monte-Carlo radiation transport simulation. Proton and photon interactions with matter. Applications of radiation transport to simulate aspects of medical imaging and radiotherapy. Validation of simulations and assessment of errors
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 40%, Written Report 60%
- PHY4005 Planetary Systems (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: PHY3003
Lecturers: Dr Chris Watson, Dr Ernst de Mooij
Course Content:
Understand the structure of planetary systems and protoplanetary disks, and describe how they are formed through the comparison of observations and theory.
Understand different techniques for exoplanet discovery and calculate the values of planetary system parameters required for this.
Use knowledge of physics to constrain the orbital evolution of planets and their interior structure.
Describe the observed properties of planetary atmospheres by combining measurements with theory, and explain how these properties allow possible habitats for life to be evaluated.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 40%, Written Report 60%
- PHY4006 High-energy Astrophysics (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: PHY3003
Lecturers: Dr Stuart Sim, Dr Ryan Milligan
Course Content:
Observational overview, Accreting neutron stars and pulsars, Pulsar emission mechanisms, Black holes, active galactic nuclei, explosive transients (gamma-ray bursts, supernovae), and supernova remnants, Role of jets, Non-electromagnetic processes; cosmic rays, gravitational waves, Particle acceleration, Radiation processes (e.g., Bremsstrahlung, inverse Compton, etc.), Stellar dynamos, Flux emergence, Magnetic topologies, Zeeman + Hanle effects, Magnetic reconnection and flares.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4007 Laser Physics (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Prof Brendan Dromey
Course Content:
Basic laser physics: Population inversion and laser materials, gain in a laser system, saturation, transform limit, diffraction limit
Short pulse oscillators: Cavities, Q-switching, cavity modes, mode locking
Amplification: Beam transport considerations (B-Integral), chirped pulse amplification, stretcher and compressor design, white light generation, optical parametric chirped pulse amplification.
Different types of lasers: Fiber lasers, laser diodes, Dye lasers, high performance national and international laser facilities
Applications of state of the art lasers: Intense laser-matter interactions, high harmonic generation: perturbed atoms to relativistic plasmas, generation of shortest pulses of electromagnetic radiation
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4008 Plasma Physics (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Dr Satya Kar
Course Content:
Introduction to Plasmas: applications, fundamental concepts
Single particle orbit theory: Motion of charged particles in constant/varying electric and magnetic fields, particle drift
Plasma as Fluid: Two fluids model, Plasma oscillations and frequency.
Waves in Plasma: Electron plasma wave, Ion acoustic wave, electromagnetic wave propagation in plasma
Collisions and Resistivity: Concept of plasma resistivity, Collisional absorption of laser in plasma
Intense laser plasma Interaction: Resonance absorption, Landau damping, Ponderomotive force, Interaction in the relativistic regime, particle (electron and ion) acceleration mechanisms
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4009 Physics of Materials Characterisation (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Dr Amit Kumar, Dr Miryam Arredondo
Course Content:
Fundamental physics underlying electron microscopy-based analysis to investigate the delicate link between crystal structure and chemical composition at the nanoscale, and its impact on properties, with special focus on functional oxides and semiconductors. Physical principles of spectroscopy, Infrared and Raman spectroscopy/microscopy, Scanning nonlinear optical microscopy and scanning probe microscopy with specific applications towards study of phase transitions, domains and ferroic materials.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4010 Physics of Nanomaterials (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Dr Fumin Huang, TBC
Course Content:
The module will cover the physics of nanomaterials with the emphasis on fabrication of materials and applications in magnetic recording and photonics. Magnetic recording materials including bit patterned media and spin valves. Nanostructures for surface plasmon detection. Optical properties of metal nanoparticles and nanostructures. Concept of metamaterials and negative refractive index materials. Examples of applications of nanophotonic devices e.g. in imaging, sensing and data storage.
The second half of this module will focus on the physics of nanomaterials when they are confined to two-dimensions (such as single layer atomic sheets). The underpinning physics associated with 2D electron transport in graphene (such as Dirac-cones), 2D-chalcogenides and heterointerfaces (e.g. LAO-STO) will be discussed. The novel phenomena of conducting ferroelectric domain walls with implications for Domain-Wall based nanoelectronics and the associated physics will also be covered.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4011 Ultrafast Science (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturer: Prof Ian Williams
Course Content:
Interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with atoms and molecules, multiphoton processes, tunnelling ionisation, high harmonic generation, attosecond pulse generation and characterisation, molecular alignment, free electron lasers, pump-probe techniques, ultrafast processes.
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Assignment 30%, Examination 70%
- PHY4016 Cosmology (10 CAT Points) (2nd semester)
Pre-Requisites: None
Lecturers: Prof Stephen Smartt
Course Content:
Observational overview, Distance scale and redshift, Friedmann equation and expansion, and Universal geometry, Cosmological models, Observational parameters, The cosmological constant, Age of the universe, Density of the universe and dark matter, Cosmic microwave background, Early universe, Nucleosynthesis – the origin of light elements, Inflationary universe and the Initial singularity
Compulsory Element: None
Assessment: Group Project Report 50%, Online test 50%