Physics 215


Computational Methods in Physics


Class: TR 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m., D-208
Professor: G.P.Gilfoyle; Office: Gottwald Science Center, D-110; phone: 289-8255; electronic mail: ggilfoyl@richmond.edu; Office hours: MW 2:00-4:00 PM; MW 9:15-10:15 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), Principles of Physics by R.A.Serway and J.W.Jewett or some equivalent text (required).
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.
Grading: Grades will be computed on the following basis:


Written and Oral Assignments 25%
Average of Two Exams 25%
Project Introduction 5%
Project Theory Section 5%
Final Project 35%
$\rm I^2$(Initiative and Independence) 5%

Unexcused, late, submissions will be reduced by one point if not handed in at the start of class, another point if not handed in by the end of that day, and a point for each day late thereafter. Late submissions will be excused only at the discretion of the instructor.

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.
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 2012


Date   Topic (Chapter)   Date   Topic (Chapter)
Jan 10 Falling Out of an   Mar 6 Spring Break
  12 Airplane (1-2)     8 "
             
  17 "     13 Neutron Diffusion/Topics Due
  19 "     15 Neutron Diffusion
             
  24 "     20 Student Talks/Introductions due
  26 A Chaotic Pendulum(3)     22 Research Resources
             
  31 "     27 Exam 2
Feb 2 "     29 Student Talks
             
  7 "   Apr 3 Student Talks/Theory Section due
  9 "     5 Talks
             
  14 Exam 1     10 Student Talks
  16 Nuclear Smuggling (11)     12 "
             
  21 "     17 Talks/Programs due
  23 "     19 Talks/Optional Drafts due
             
  28 "     25 Final papers due
Mar 1 Neutron Diffusion (6)        

Important Deadlines:


Exam 1 Tuesday, Feb 14
Exam 2 Thursday, Mar 27
Topics due Tuesday, March 13
Introductions due Thursday, March 20
Theory section due Thursday, April 3
Final codes due Tuesday, April 17
Rough Drafts Due (optional): Thursday, April 19
Final Papers Due: Wednesday, April 25, 5 pm

Physics 215 Homework


Spring 2012


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 10 S&J Chap 2; Free Fall 1-5; Series 1-4; do Introduction.nb Mar 6 Spring Break
12 Differentiation 1-4; Differentiation lab, hand in part 3 on Tuesday. 8 " "
17 Ordinary Differential Equations 1-4; Read Sections 1.1, 1.5, and 2.1 in Garcia. 13 Shooting the Sun - 2: Problems 1-3; Complete HPC1 lab.
19 Complete lab on First-Order ODEs; Chap 2 (Garcia) - Prob. 1. 15 Shooting the Sun - 2: Problems 4-6; Complete HPC2 lab; Project introduction due next Tuesday.
24 Finish CoupleDE.nb; Garcia Chap 2 - 11, 14. 20 Project introductions due today; Three-body lab due on Thursday.
26 Read Chap 12 in S&J; hand in lab on coupled DEs, parts 2-3 next Thursday (2/2). 22
31 No class. 27 Exam 2
Feb 2 Harmonic Oscillator 1-5; Read Chap 12 in S&J. 29
7 Second order DEs 1-4. Apr 3 Talks: Tanveer, Justin, Ilya; Theory section due on Thursday.
9 Parts 1-2 in Chaos1.nb (do NOT hand in). 5 Theory section due; Talks: Chris, Ben, Nick; talks next Tuesday: Jocelyn, Brynna.
14 Exam 1 10 Talks: Jack, Kate, Jocelyn.
16 Chaos2 lab due next Tuesday. 12 Talks: Brynna, Chelsea, Andy, Tom, Tucker.
21 Read Chap 44 in BIG version of S&J in D208; Nuclear Physics 1-6. 17 Talks: Tom, Tucker; Poster draft due on Thursday
23 Complete Self-attenuation lab. 19 Poster drafts due.
28 Hand in nuclear smuggling lab on Thursday; Shooting the Sun: Problems 1-3, 10-12; Read Sections 8.1-8.6 in S&J. 25
Final projects due
Mar 1 Shooting the Sun: Problems 4-9; Complete three-body lab.

Physics 215 Computational Techniques


Spring 2012


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


Date   Topic (Chapter)   Date   Topic (Chapter)
Jan 10 Taylor Series   Mar 6 Spring Break
  12 Tests of Convergence     8 "
             
  17 First and Second Order     13 Monte Carlo Methods
  19 Differential Equations     15 "
             
  24 Euler Methods     20 Student Talks/Introductions due
  26 "     22 Research Resources
             
  31 "     27 Exam 2
Feb 2 "     29 Student Talks
             
  7 "   Apr 3 Talks/Theory Section due
  9 "     5 Student Talks
             
  14 Exam 1     10 Student Talks
  16 Monte Carlo Methods     12 "
             
  21 "     17 Talks/Programs due
  23 "     19 Talks/Drafts due
             
  28 "     25 Final papers due
Mar 1 "      

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 of Projects


    Week Task/Materials Due
    9 Introduce problem (Why should I care?).
    11 Develop a model/differential equation that describes your system. Introductions due in Week 10.
    12 Develop algorithms and write code. Theory section due.
    13 Test code. Start exploring the physics.
    14 Explore the physics in depth. Write paper. Final codes due Week 14. Drafts due Week 14 (optional).


    Final paper due Apr 25, 5 pm.


  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.