Course Syllabus

PHY4604: Wave Mechanics I

Department of Physics, College of Science

3 credit hours


Table of Contents

 


Instructor Information 

  • Instructor: Prof. Viatcheslav Kokoouline
  • Office Location: I work at the Physics department, office PSB 302 (in Physical Science Building)
  • Office Hours: TuTh 4:30-6 PM
  • Phone: 407-823-2325
  • Digital Contact: slavako@ucf.edu

Teaching Assistants 

  • GTA(s): N/A

Course Information

  • Term: Fall 2021
  • Course Number & Section: PHY-4604-1
  • Course Name: Wave Mechanics
  • Credit Hours: 3
  • Class Meeting Days: Tuesday, Thursday
  • Class Meeting Time: 3:00-4:15 PM
  • Class Location: ENG1 O224 (distance learning, occasionally, using zoom https://ucf.zoom.us/j/93624815213?pwd=MkNUWkNtQ3VIUC8vRkFEZ1BCQ2Iydz09 )
  • Course Modality: Mixed. It is expected that the most of the lectures will be in the face-to-face mode. However, some of the classes will be in an online mode, especially, if somebody is tested COVID positive. I will inform you, via webcourses, when we have to switch to the online mode.

Enrollment Requirements 

Course Prerequisites: Physics 1-3 and Mechanics (PHY2048, PHY2049, PHY3101, PHY3220) and Math at the level of PHZ3113 i.e. algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, vectors, differential and integral calculus, linear algebra. Knowledge of Analysis of functions of complex variables is a plus.

Course Description

Postulates of quantum mechanics, operators and observables, Schrodinger equation with simple applications.

Course Materials and Resources

Required Materials/Resources

  • No single required textbook.

Optional Materials/Resources

Recommended references:

  • (1) N. Zettili Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications
  • (2) R. Shankar, Principles of Quantum Mechanics
  • (3) J.J. Sakurai, Modern Quantum Mechanics
  • (4) C. Cohen-Tannoudji, Quantum Mechanics
  • (5) A.S. Davydov, Quantum Mechanics
  • (6) D. J. Griffiths Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

 

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will understand why Classical Physics is limited in the description of the world around us.
  • Students will understand main concepts of Quantum Mechanics (QM).
  • Students will be able to solve typical QM problems.
  • The students will be able to analyze typical situations requiring a quantum mechanical approach.

Course Activities

The course comprises a set of lectures, online activities (computer-modeled experiments), quizzes, homework assignments, two midterm exams, and the final exam. The pace of the course is intense. You must be prepared to spend several hours every week on homeworks and reading.

Activity Submissions

All assignments (quizzes, exams, lab reports) will be submitted through webcourses@ucf.

Several problems will be assigned each week. You will have approximately seven days to complete each assignment. The homework will not be graded, but every week there will be, at least, one quiz testing how you are able to solve assigned or similar problems. Exam problems will be similar to assigned homework problems. The weight of homeworks in the final grade is zero. However, it is important to realize that without solving homework problems in advance, you will not be able to solve problems during quizzes and exams.

Attendance/Participation

You are not penalized for excused absences during tests (quizzes, exams..). Reasons for acceptable absences may include illness, serious family emergencies, special curricular requirements (e.g., judging trips, field trips, professional conferences), military obligations, severe weather conditions, and religious holidays.

• Where possible, advance notice is required. For medical emergencies submit a doctor’s note stating that you were not in condition to attend the activity. Please note that the medical emergency must be such that it warrants an absence. For example, a running nose is not a valid excuse. 

• For religious holidays submit a signed letter prior to the holiday. 

• For unexpected death in the family you must notify the instructor that you plan to miss class activities. When you return you must bring a copy of the funeral program and a document (e.g. plane ticket) that proves that you traveled to the destination of the funeral. 

• For official UCF events submit the UCF form signed by the supervisor of the event prior to the event. Please note that SGA and Greek events are not official UCF events.
• Excuses that relate to your personal scheduling and behavior are not valid. Examples of invalid excuses are: work schedule, weddings, honeymoons, speeding tickets, traffic jams, flat tires, engine malfunction, oversleeping, single parent, helping a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend with an unexpected situation, participating in a protest, etc. 
Attending a conference is also personal scheduling. However if it is related to the work/research you do for a faculty and you present an oral talk at the conference, the instructor will decide on a case-by-base.

Make-up Exams and Assignments

Per university policy, you are allowed to submit make-up work (or an equivalent, alternate assignment) for authorized university-sponsored activities, religious observances, or legal obligations (such as jury duty). If this participation conflicts with your course assignments, I will offer a reasonable opportunity for you to complete missed assignments and/or exams. The make-up assignment and grading scale will be equivalent to the missed assignment and its grading scale. In the case of an authorized university activity, it is your responsibility to show me a signed copy of the Program Verification Form for which you will be absent, prior to the class in which the absence occurs. In any of these cases, please contact me ahead of time to notify me of upcoming needs.

Assessment and Grading Procedures

The table shows the weight distribution for each assignment.

Assignment

Percentage of Grade

Quizzes

30%

Midterm exams

2x10%=20%

Final exam

20%

Discussions

5%

Lab reports

25%

Total

100%

 

The table shows the range for each letter grade and uses a plus/minus system.

Letter Grade

Points

A

≥93 points

A-

≥87  points

B+

≥82 points

B

≥78 points

B-

≥74 points

C+

≥70 points

C

≥66 points

C-

≥62 points

D+

≥58 points

D

≥54 points

D-

≥50 points

F

<50 points

 

Consult the latest Undergraduate or Graduate catalog for regulations and procedures regarding grading such as Incomplete grades, grade changes, and grade forgiveness.

Course Schedule

Approximate schedule:

Dates

Topics

Week 1

Failure of the classical physics: photoeffect and other experiments, naive quantum mechanics, matter waves, probabilistic model

Week 2

Linear Vector Spaces

Week 3

Operators, matrices, eigenvalues

Matrix elements of operators

Week 4

Postulates of Quantum Mechanics, Schrodinger equation

Week 5

One-dimensional motion in quantum mechanics

September 28

Exam 1

Week 6

Wave packets, potential barrier, tunneling

Week 7

Uncertainty

Week 8

Harmonic oscillator

Week 9

Passage to classical mechanics

Week 10

Indistinguishability, Symmetry

November 2

Exam 2

Week 11

Motion in many degrees of freedom

Week 12

Angular momentum

Week 13

Motion in a central potential, Hydrogen atom

Week 14

Spin

Week 15

Research presentations

December 9
Final Exam: 1:00 PM – 3:50 PM



 

 

 


The items below are approved, up-to-date university-wide policies. We recommend you leave them as they are. If you make any changes, and the Policy accordions break, email webcourses@ucf.edu.

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Policy Statements

 

 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due