The Ohio State University Department of Physics

Courses

Course descriptions and schedules offered below are a helpful guide to find courses offered by the department. This listing is not meant to replace the official course catalog maintained by the University Registrar.
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CHEMPHY 8880.01

Frontiers in Spectroscopy
An overview of both fundamental and applied topics on the frontier of spectroscopy. Prereq: Physics 7501, Chem 6510, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 10 cr hrs or 6 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
CHEMPHY 8880.02

Frontiers in Spectroscopy
An overview of both fundamental and applied topics on the frontier of spectroscopy. Prereq: Physics 7501, Chem 6510, or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
CHEMPHY 8999

Research in Chemical Physics
Research for doctoral dissertation purposes only. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable. This course is progress graded (S/U).
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 5261

Environmental Soil Physics
Principally involves the state and transport of water, heat and gas within soil, and the associated soil physical properties. Prereq: Not open to students with credit for ENR 5261. Cross-listed in ENR.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 5810

Topics in Computational Physics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in Computational Physics. Prereq: 5500 or 5500H; and CSE 1222, 1223, 1224, Astron 1221, Engr 1221, or 1281H; or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Spring
PHYSICS 6802

Topics in Elementary Particle Physics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in physics. Elementary Particle Physics. Prereq: 5501 or grad standing or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 6804

Topics in Atomic and Molecular Physics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in physics. Atomic and Molecular Physics. Prereq: 5501 or grad standing or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 6805

Topics in Nuclear Physics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in physics. Nuclear Physics. Prereq: 5501 or grad standing or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 6806

Topics in Condensed Matter Physics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in physics. Condensed Matter Physics. Prereq: 5501 or grad standing or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 6809

Topics in Biophysics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in Biophysics. Prereq: 5501 or grad standing or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Autumn
PHYSICS 6820

Special Topics
Experimental and theoretical aspects of areas of current interest in physics. Special Topics. Prereq: Prereq: 5501 or grad standing. Repeatable to a maximum of 24 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 7401

Electromagnetic Field Theory
Electric and magnetic fields in material media, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, radiation by simple systems and by moving charges. Special theory of relativity. Prereq: 5401 and 7701, or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Spring
PHYSICS 7501

Quantum Mechanics 1
Postulates and Schroedinger eq., linear vector spaces, path-integral formulation; symmetry, orbital angular momentum, central potentials, spin angular momentum. Prereq: 5501 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Autumn
PHYSICS 7502

Quantum Mechanics 2
Variational method; perturbation theory, semiclassical treatment of electromagnetic radiation, quantized electromagnetic radiation, scattering theory; density matrix; Dirac equation. Prereq: 7501.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Spring
PHYSICS 7601

Classical and Statistical Physics I
Lagrangian dynamics, variational principles, Hamilton's equations, canonical transformations, symmetries and conservation laws. Introduction to statistical physics; fundamental postulates. Prereq: 5300 or grad standing in Physics or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Autumn
PHYSICS 7602

Classical and Statistical Physics II
Entropy, therm. potentials and changes of phase; microscopic expression for entropy and basis of classical ensemble theory. Canonical and grand ensembles; Quantum statistical mechanics. Prereq: 5600 or equiv. or 7601.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Spring
PHYSICS 7603

Advanced Statistical Physics
Interacting systems; Ising and Heisenberg models of magnetism, theory of dense gases and liquids, phase transitions and critical phenomena; non-equilibrium statistical physics, Boltzmann equation. Prereq: 7502 and 7602, or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Spring
PHYSICS 7701

Analytic and Numeric Methods of Physics
Analytical and numeric boundary value problems, complex analysis, Fourier series, Legendre polynomials, spherical harmonics, and Bessel functions. Prereq: grad standing in Physics or permission of instructor.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term: Autumn
PHYSICS 7891

Departmental Seminar or Workshop
Departmental Seminar or Workshop Prereq: Permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 20 cr hrs. This course is graded S/U.
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 7998

Graduate Research
Laboratory and/or theoretical research on an individual basis on topics of current interest. Prereq: 5700, or equiv, and permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 36 cr hrs or 6 completions. This course is graded S/U.
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8802.01

Topics in Elementary Particle Physics 1
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Elementary Particle Physics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8802.02

Topics in Elementary Particle Physics 2
A (continued) systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Elementary Particle Physics. Prereq: 8802.01 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8803.01

Topics in Astroparticle Physics 1
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Astroparticle Physics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8804.01

Topics in Atomic and Molecular Physics 1
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Atomic and Molecular Physics. Prereq: 7501, or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8805.01

Topics in Nuclear Physics 1
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Nuclear Physics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8806.01

Topics in Condensed Matter Physics 1
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Condensed Matter Physics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8806.02

Topics in Condensed Matter Physics 2
A (continued) systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Condensed Matter Physics. Prereq: 8806.01 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8808.01

Topics in the Theory of Quantized Fields I
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Theory of Quantized Fields. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8808.02

Topics in the Theory of Quantized Fields II
A (continued) systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Theory of Quantized Fields. Prereq: 8808.01 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8809.01

Topics in Biophysics
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each semester. Biophysics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 6 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8820

Special Topics
A systematic advanced treatment of areas of current interest in physics; topics will be announced each quarter. Special Topics. Prereq: 7501 or permission of instructor. Repeatable to a maximum of 12 cr hrs.
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite(s):
Term:
PHYSICS 8999

Research in Physics
Research for thesis or dissertation purposes only. Au, Sp, Sum Semesters. Prereq: Permission of Instructor. Repeatable. This course is graded S/U.
Credit Hours: 1
Prerequisite(s):
Term: