Physics 215

Computational Methods in Physics

Class:	TR 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., D-208
Professor:	G.P.Gilfoyle; Office: Gottwald Science Center, D-104; phone: 289-8255; electronic mail: ggilfoyl@richmond.edu; Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:30 pm, TR 3:30-4:30 am. Other times by appointment or availability.
Objective:	Learn the use of the computer as a tool to solve physics problems.
Textbook:	Numerical Methods for Physics by Alejandro L. Garcia, 2nd edition (required), Physics for Scientists and Engineers by R.A.Serway and J.W.Jewett or some equivalent text (recommended).
Prerequisites:	Physics 132 and some programming familiarity.
Course Work:	Each class meeting will consist of some combination of lecture, demonstration, laboratory work, or student presentation (see SCHEDULE).
Attendance:	Attendance at all classes is expected. An excused absence is one given by the dean, a doctor, or a department. An excusable absence is one that the instructor excuses for what he deems to be sufficient reason. Only the dean can excuse an absence from a test or exam. A student is responsible for all work missed during an absence.
Grading:	Grades will be computed on the following basis:

Written and Oral Assignments	25%
Midterm Exam	25%
Project Introduction	5%
Project Theory Section	5%
Final Project	35%
$\rm I^2$(Initiative and Independence)	5%

Final Project:	A paper is required which presents the problem to be solved, it's physical significance, and a discussion of the input, techniques used, and output of the code. An appendix should be included that contains a hardcopy of the code. The computer codes are due before the submission of the final paper (see schedule). Computer codes will be written in Mathematica.
Homework:	Homework will be assigned regularly, but only a fraction of it will be collected. The midterm exam will be based on these assignments and it is utter madness to neglect them. Late homework will be accepted, but unexcused, late, submissions will be reduced by one point per day late. Late submissions will be excused only at the discretion of the instructor.
Exams:	The midterm exam will consist of short-answer questions and problems.
Student Talks:	Presentations will be required describing the progress of each student's project (see SCHEDULE).

Physics 215 Schedule

Spring 2008

Date		Topic (Chapter)		Date		Topic (Chapter)
Jan	15	Falling Out of an		Mar	11	Spring Break
	17	Airplane (1-2)			13	"
	22	"			18	Midterm Exam
	24	"			20	Research Resources
	29	"			25	Student Talks
	31	"			27	Student Talks/Introductions due
Feb	5	A Chaotic Pendulum(3)		Apr	1	Student Talks
	7	"			3	"
	12	"			8	Talks/Theory Section due
	14	"			10	Student Talks
	19	Nuclear Smuggling (11)			15	Student Talks
	21	"			17	"
	26	Neutron Diffusion (6)			22	Talks/Programs due
	28	"			24	Talks/Drafts due
Mar	4	Neutron Diffusion/Topics Due
	6	Neutron Diffusion

Important Deadlines:

Topics due	Tuesday, March 4
Introductions due	Thursday, March 27
Theory section due	Thursday, April 10
Final codes due	Tuesday, April 22
Rough Drafts Due (optional):	Thursday, April 24
Final Papers Due:	Wednesday, April 30, noon

Physics 215 Homework

Spring 2008

Like all physics courses one the best ways to understand the material is to work through the assigned problem sets. Some of the homeworks here will be collected and graded. Others will appear on the midterm exam so it is utter madness to avoid them. As always check the website for the latest information.

Date		Assignment			Date	Assignment
Jan	15	S&J Chap 2; Free Fall 1-4, hand in 4; Series 1-4, hand in 3.		Mar	11	Spring Break
	17	Differentiation 1-4; Differentiation lab, hand in part 3.			13	" "
	22	ODEs 1-4; Read Section 2.1 in Garcia.			18	Midterm
	24	Complete lab on First-Order ODEs, hand in no. 3; SHO handout 1-5.			20	Prepare Student talks
	29	Garcia Chap 2 - 1, 11, 14.			25	" " "
	31	Hand in lab on coupled DEs, parts 2-3;			27	" " "
Feb	5	Second order DEs handout 1-3.		Apr	1	" " "
	7	Hand in lab on 2nd order DEs; Read 'Chaos' in Dec, 1986 Scientific American.			3	" " "
	12	Garcia Chap 3 - 1, 2, 8, 10.			8	" " "
	14	Hand in lab on chaos.			10	" " "
	19	Nuclear Physics handout (1-6); Garcia Chap 11 - 2, 3.			15	" " "
	21	Hand in lab on nuclear self-attenuation.			17	" " "
	26	PDE handout 1-4 .			22	" " "
	28	Project topic due next time; Garcia Chap 6 - 1, 2, 10.			24	" " "
Mar	4	Hand in lab on partial DEs;
	6	Review

Physics 215 Computational Techniques

Spring 2008

The dates are not exact. They map out roughly when the methods are covered.

Date		Topic (Chapter)		Date		Topic (Chapter)
Jan	15	Taylor Series		Mar	11	Spring Break
	17	Tests of Convergence			13	"
	22	First and Second Order			18	Midterm Exam
	24	Differential Equations			20	Research Resources
	29	Euler Methods			25	Student Talks
	31	"			27	Student Talks/Introductions due
Feb	5	Runge-Kutta Methods		Apr	1	Student Talks
	7	"			3	"
	12	"			8	Talks/Theory Section due
	14	"			10	Student Talks
	19	Monte Carlo Methods			15	Student Talks
	21	"			17	"
	26	Relaxation methods			22	Talks/Programs due
	28	"			24	Talks/Drafts due
Mar	4	"
	6	"

Physics 215 Project Guidance

1. Expectations
   1. Ask your own questions!
      • They will evolve in time.

      • They have to be justified (Why should I care?).

   2. Use the techniques we developed in class to solve your problem.

   3. Reach a physics conclusion. A nice code is not enough.

2. Week-by-Week Schedule

   
   

   Week	Task/Materials Due
   Mar 17-21	Introduce problem (Why should I care?).
   Mar 24-28	Develop a model/differential equation that describes your system. Introductions due Mar 27.
   Mar 31 - Apr 4	Develop algorithms and write code.
   Apr 7-11	Test code. Theory section due Apr 8.
   Apr 14-18	Finish testing code. Start exploring the physics.
   Apr 21-25	Explore the physics in depth. Write paper. Final codes due Apr 22. Drafts due Apr 24 (optional).

   
   

   Final paper due Apr 30, noon.
   
   

3. Student Talks
   1. About 15 minutes each.

   2. Use transparencies or a computer. The board usually takes too long.

4. Grading
   1. Each talk is graded like a homework.

   2. The introduction and theory sections are each 5% of your grade.

Project Candidate List with References

Below is a list of possible project topics along with some references that will give more background to the topic. Use this list as a starting point for developing your own project. You should expand on the reference lists here for your work.

1. Scattering by a central potential (or collisions between almost anything from stars to marbles).

   Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

   Computational Physics, S.E. Koonin

   
   

2. The structure of degenerate white dwarfs (rated PG).

   Astronomy: Fundamentals and Frontiers, R. Jastrow and M.H. Thompson

   Astrophysical Concepts, M. Harwit

   An Introduction to the Study of Stellar Structure, S. Chandreshakhar

   
   

3. ICBM Intercept (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Patriot missile).

   Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

   Computing for Scientists and Engineers, W.J. Thompson

   Ballistic Missile Defense, A.B.Carter and D.N.Schwartz, editors

   
   

4. Launching a MIRV (Global Thermonuclear War).

   Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

   Computing for Scientists and Engineers, W.J. Thompson

   Multiple-Warhead Missiles, H.F.York, Sci. Am., 229 no.5, 18(1973).

   
   

5. Solving Schroedinger's Equation (or how things really work).

   Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles, R. Eisberg and R. Resnick

   Computational Physics, S.E. Koonin

   Quantum Mechanics on the Personal Computer, A.Brandt

   
   

6. Decay of Hot Nuclear Matter (how hot can hot get).

   Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles, R. Eisberg and R. Resnick

   Computational Physics, S.E. Koonin

   Quantum Mechanics on the Personal Computer, A.Brandt

   
   

7. Molecular Diffusion (or how you get wet).

   Physics, D.C. Giancoli

   The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. I, R.P. Feynman

   The Mathematics of Diffusion, J. Crank

   An Introduction to Numerical Analysis, K.E. Atkinson

   
   

8. Heat Transfer (or why you sweat).

   Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

   Introduction to Ordinary differential Equations, A.L. Rabenstein

   An Introduction to Numerical Analysis, K.E. Atkinson

   
   

9. Ferromagnetism (why do natural magnets exist?).

   Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

   Computational Physics, N.J.Giordano

   
   

10. The Physics of Baseball, Football, Basketball, etc.

    Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

    The Physics of Baseball, R.K.Adair

    
    

11. Touring the Solar System (how Pathfinder got there).

    
    

    Physics, D.Halliday, R.Resnick, and J.Walker

    The Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, P.G.Hill

12. Chaos in the Double Pendulum and the Rings of Saturn.

    Chaos Theory, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory

    An Introduction to Computer Simulation Methods, by H.Gould and J.Tobochnik.

    
    

    Note: All of the references above are in the Richmond library except Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker. The same topics are covered in any introductory physics with calculus text which are available in D208.