Syllabi 123
Syllabi 123
Syllabi 123
Graduate School
Physics Subject Board
Course Syllabi
for
1xx, 2xx, and 3xx Courses
Taught at TIFR-Mumbai
P-100.1: Electronics and Numerical Methods
Syllabus:
Electronics:
1. Two-port network, Norton/Thevenin theorem, ideal I/V source and meter characteristics,
maximum power/voltage transfer, LCR circuits, co- axial cables as transmission lines
2. Diode characteristics, rectifier circuit, Solar cells and LEDs Transistor CE characteristics, CE
amplifier, load line
3. OpAmp basics, inverting/non-inverting amplifiers
4. Boolean algebra, Logic gates, Universal Gates
5. Other topics selected by the instructor
Recommended Text Books:
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Numerical Methods:
1. Vector and tensor calculus: vector space, metric, differential operators in general coordinates,
Gauss's and Stokes' theorems
2. Linear algebra: matrices as operators, diagonalization, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, eigenfunctions
3. Series of numbers and functions: absolute, uniform and asymptotic convergence, power series
4. Complex analysis: analyticity, Cauchy's integral theorem, Laurent expansion, singularities,
analytic continuation, calculus of residues, evaluating integrals
5. Approaches for solving linear differential equations: separation of variables, series solutions,
Green's function, Fourier and Laplace transforms
6. Sturm-Liouville theory: functions as infinite dimensional vector spaces, orthogonal basis,
eigenvalue problems
7. Special functions: generic properties in the light of Sturm-Liouville theory and complex analysis
Special topics:
1. Introduction to Mathematica
2. Integral transforms: Fourier and Laplace transforms,
3. Essential statistics: Bayes' theorem, binomial - Poisson - Gaussian distributions, central limit
theorem, data fitting, hypothesis testing
Recommended textbooks:
Special topics:
1. Nonlinear dynamics
2. Fluid dynamics: Navier-Stokes equation
Recommended textbooks:
3. Harmonic Oscillator
a. Schrodinger equation approach, Energy quantization, Hermite polynomial, eigenfunctions,
Quick intro to numerical method to finding energy eigenvalues (shooting method)
b. Operator approach using raising and lowering operators, ground state wave function and
recursive approach to get higher levels, Coherent states in harmonic oscillator
4. QM in 3D
a. Schrodinger equation in spherical coordinates, separation of variables, angular equation,
radial equation, quantum numbers
b. Hydrogen atom
c. Angular Momentum, ladder operators, eigenvalues, eigenfunctions
d. Spin, spin (Pauli matrices), introduction to addition of angular momentum
5. Symmetries in QM
a. Discrete symmetries, Parity or space inversion
b. Lattice translation as a discrete symmetry, Bloch’s theorem
Special topics:
1. Variational Method, Ground State Energy of Helium
2. The WKB approximation
Recommended Textbooks:
1. David J Griffiths : Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (Springer)
2. J. J. Sakurai : Modern Quantum Mechanics (Addison Wesley)
3. Cohen-Tannoudji : Quantum Mechanics (John Wiley and Sons)
4. E. Merzbacher : Quantum Mechanics (John Wiley and Sons)
5. R. Shankar : Principles of Quantum Mechanics (Springer)
P-106.1: Classical Electrodynamics I
Syllabus:
Special topics:
Suggested textbooks:
Special topics:
Recommended textbooks:
1. Revision of formalism:
a. States, operators, measurement.
b. Evolution in Schrodinger and Heisenberg picture.
c. Density matrices, decohrence.
2. Angular momentum:
a. Raising and lowering operators, addition of angular momenta, Clebsch-Gordan coefficients.
b. Effect of rotation on states and operators.
c. Wigner-Eckart theorem, applications: selection rules, atomic transitions
3. Approximation methods:
a. Semiclassical (WKB) approximation,
b. Variational principle for ground state energy
6. Scattering:
a. Lippman-Schwinger equation, scattering amplitude, differential scattering cross section,
Born approximation.
b. Spherically symmetric potentials: phase shifts and energy dependence, scattering length, low
and high energy scattering limits.
c. Forward scattering amplitude, optical theorem, resonant scattering.
Special topics:
1. Eikonal approximation, scattering of identical particles, time-dependent scattering, inelastic
scattering, scattering on long-range potentials.
Reference books:
1. J. J. Sakurai: Modern Quantum Mechanics (Addison Wesley)
2. L. I. Schiff: Quantum Mechanics (Mcgraw-Hill)
3. L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz: Quantum Mechanics: non-relativistic theory (Butterworth-Heinemann)
P-206.1: Classical Electrodynamics II
Syllabus:
Special topics:
Suggested textbooks:
Special Topics:
1. Atomic collisions.
Suggested textbooks:
1. Nuclear Interaction Symmetry and Conservation laws, N-N interaction, quark model of the
nucleon, The meson picture, the tensor part of the n-n force and the deuteron problem
2. Nuclear Decays: a-decay, b-decay and rudiments of neutrino physics, EM decay and election rules
3. Liquid drop model, nuclear incompressibility and nuclear mass formula
4. Nuclear fission, Nuclear viscosity, Electric giant resonances in nuclei
5. Collective motion in nuclei, Bohr-Wheeler expansion for arbitrary surface, Nuclear rotation and
vibrations
6. Independent particle model, Fermi gas model, Shell model and spin-orbit splitting, Hartree Fock
equations.
7. Nuclear Reactions, Kinematics, Coulomb scattering and excitations, compound and direct
reactions, polarization scattering.
8. Nuclear Astrophysics: Energy production in stars: p-p chain and CNO cycle.
Special Topics:
1. Introduction to heavy-Ion induced high spin physics: Super and hyper deformation.
2. Rudiments of three-body force and three-body nuclear physics
3. Physics with Radioactive ion beams
4. RHIC physics
Suggested textbooks:
1. Physics of Stars and the Sun: Observable properties of stars, Stellar structure and evolution,
Helioseismology and solar neutrino problem, star formation
2. Physics of Galaxies: Galaxy formation and evolution, Rotation curves and dark matter
3. Interstellar medium
4. High Energy Astrophysics: Physics of degenerate matter and Chndrasekhar limit, Neutron stars,
white dwarfs and black holes, pulsars, quasars, and gamma-ray bursts, Supernovae
Recommended books:
1. Crystal structure, symmetries, scattering, solids - crystalline, amorphous and liquid crystals
2. Types of solids- van der Waals, covalent, ionic and metallic bonding
3. Lattice vibrations, heat capacity- Einstein and Debye models; vibrations of mono and di-atomic
lattices
4. Free electron models, electronic heat capacity and transport, Hall effect
5. Electrons in periodic potential, Bloch theorem, tight binding model
6. Semiclassical transport theory– electron motion in DC/AC fields, effective mass, holes
7. Semiconductors- basics, p-n junction
8. Superconductivity- Meissner effect, London’s equations, BCS model, Ginzburg-Landau model,
flux quantization, types of superconductors, vortex lattice
9. Magnetism- diamagnetism, paramagnetism of d and f electrons, Hund’s rules, ferro and anti-
ferromagnetism, spin glass, Heisenberg model, mean field theory, spin waves, Pauli
paramagnetism, Kondo effect
10. Ferroelectricity- basics
Special topics:
1. CMR/GMR
2. Quantum Hall effect, soft condensed matter
3. Novel materials: Nanostructures, fullerenes
Recommended Textbooks:
1. Introduction to Elementary Particles: discovery, four basic interactions, particle zoo, classification
of elementary particles, review of detector and accelerator methods.
2. Theory preliminaries: natural units, special relativity, covariant notation, relativistic wave
equations: Klein-Gordon equation, Dirac equation, plane wave solutions, spin and helicity,
chirality, projection operators, trace relations; transformation properties: Lorentz covariance of
Dirac equation, C, P and T invariance, bilinear covariants.
3. Fundamental interactions: isospin, Yukawa theory, Gamow-Teller correction, weak interactions,
Fermi theory, IVB model, parity violation, θ-π puzzle, Cabibbo theory.
4. Quark Model: introduction to groups, Lie groups and representations, root and weight diagrams,
eightfold way, quark model, colour quantum numbers.
5. Introduction to QFT: classical fields, Lagrangian density for scalar and Dirac fields, U (1) gauge
theory, Nöther's theorem, canonical quantization of scalar, fermion and gauge fields (Hamiltonian
quantization only); QED: Interaction picture, Dyson formulation, S matrix, Wick reduction and
Feynman rules, QED Lagrangian and basic QED processes.
6. Construction of electroweak model: Gauge theories: U (1), SU (2) and SU (3) gauge theory,
spontaneous symmetry breaking, Goldstone theorem and Higgs mechanism; mass generation,
charged and neutral currents, absence of FCNC, GIM mechanism and multiple generations, CKM
matrix.
Special Topics:
Recommended Textbooks: