Course Syllabus

University of Central Florida
Department of Physics

Fall 2015

Instructor: Dr. Eduardo Mucciolo
Office: PS 457
Contact information: mucciolo@ucf.edu, 407-823-1882
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 – 10:20 am, ENG1, room 286
Office hours: TBA
Course website https:://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/1139926 (UCF student access only)
Credit hours: 3
Prerequisities:: undergraduate Newtonian Mechanics

Course Description: PHY 6246 is a required course in the Physics Ph.D. program. It provides an in-depth coverage of Canonical Mechanics and the fundamentals of Dynamical Systems.

Objectives: (a) have the student understand canonical mechanics concepts in preparation for research work in physics, astronomy, and sciences in general, and (b) have the student become familiar and comfortable with advanced problem-solving techniques. With these goals in mind, the course is designed to provide the student with ample opportunity to practice working on and to demonstrate understanding of mechanics concepts.

Content:

Part I : Constraints and generalized coordinates; D'Alembert principle; Lagrange's equations; Hamilton's principle; Euler-Lagrange equations; Hamiltonians; Legendre transformations; Canonical systems and transformations; Symmetries and conservation laws, Noether's theorem; Infinitesimal transformations; Canonical transformations; Liouville's theorem: Poisson brackets; Integrals of motion; Hamilton-Jacobi equations: Angle and action variables; Integrability; Symmetry groups.

Part II : Dynamical systems; Equilibrium points, linearization, and stability; Flows in phase space, long-time behavior; Poincare maps, attractors; Bifurcations and critical points; Chaos and routes to chaos and KAM theorem; Lyapunov exponents; Strange attractors; Fractals; Chaotic motion in celestial mechanics.

Part III (TBA by the instructor): special relativity; or mechanics of continuous media; or fundamentals of fluid mechanics.

Goals and philosophy: The primary goals are to (a) have the student understand advanced mechanics concepts in preparation for future studies and future work in physics, astronomy, and sciences in general, and (b) have the student become familiar and comfortable with problem-solving techniques. With these goals in mind, the course is designed to provide the student with ample opportunity to practice working on and demonstrate understanding of mechanics concepts.

Textbook and course materials: Mechanics, 5th edition, by Florian Scheck (Springer-Verlag, 2010). Notice that all UCF students have free on-line access to this book! The URL is

http://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-05370-2

(free access only from a campus IP or through UCF's library website).

UCF students can download a pdf copy for personal use, as well as order their own hard copy for just $25.

Other highly recommended books are:

• Classical Mechanics, 3rd edition, by H. Goldstein, C. Poole, and J. Safko (Addison Wesley, 2001).
• Classical Mechanics: A Contemporary Approach, by J. V. Jose and E. J. Saletan (Cambridge University Press, 2003).

Grading system: The student's grade will be based on the homework average (40%), one mid-term exam (30%), and a final exam (30%). About ten homework assignments will be handed out (typically due on Mondays). Grading will be done over a scale from 0 to 100, with letter grades distributed as: A (100-90), B (89-76), C (75-66), D (65-50), and F (49-0). Pluses and minuses may be used. All grades from assignments and exams will be posted in Webcourses.

Homework Assignments: About ten homework assignments will be handed out. Late homework because of an unexcused absence will receive zero points and will be counted toward the average. An excusable absence is one that can be documented to be caused by illness, death in the immediate family, serious family emergencies, travel related to your graduate work, court-imposed legal obligations, or observation of a religious holiday. In case of an excusable absence, late homework will be accepted by the instructor no more than one week after the official due time. Homework should be written up neatly, or typeset. Poor handwriting will result in a lower grade. All graded homework assignments will be returned to the students. Problem solutions will be provided after the assignment is graded and will be made available through Webcourses. Students are encouraged to interact outside class time and discuss homework assignments, but solutions must be developed individually.

Exam schedule: The tentative day for the mid-term exam is October 8 (Thursday) during normal lecture time. The final exam has been scheduled for December 10 (Thursday), from 7:00 pm to 9:50 pm in ENG1- 286.

Attendance: Mandatory (it will be taken). University-excused absences exist only for religious observances, intercollegiate activities and athletics, and university-verified family or medical emergency.

Make-up exams:: Only given to students taking part in University-sanctioned activities. Authentic justifying documentation must be provided in advance. Exceptions are to be made for medical and family emergencies at the discretion of the instructor.

Students with disabilities: The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternative formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

Plagiarism and cheating : Many incidents of plagiarism result from students' lack of understanding about what constitutes plagiarism. However, they are expected to familiarize themselves with UCF's policy. Please read this information at the website

http://goldenrule.sdes.ucf.edu

UCF Creed: Please read this information at the website

http://creed.sdes.ucf.edu

Plagiarism and cheating of any kind on an exam or assignment will result in zero points (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subjected to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. Students are assumed to adhere to the academic creed of this University and maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. The instructor will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity.