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UIMS
Methods of Experimental Physics
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The powerful theoretical models which enrich our understanding of the physical universe are underpinned by experimental observations and our appreciation of these theories is enhanced by an awareness of how some of the important experiments are performed. This course examines the fundamental principles of the experimental techniques involved. The precision of any measurement is ultimately limited by the uncertainties described by statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. The course begins with an analysis of these effects and examples of experiments affected by them. In addition, most experiments are also limited by practical considerations and there are many examples of technological breakthroughs which have been driven by the needs of experimental physics. Some of the technologies which make the experiments possible are described.
Course OutlineMethods of Experimental Physics. 18L 2006. Prof JF Williams1L Introduction. The scale of our universe for mass, length and time. Powers of Ten film. 2L. Vacuum pumps, gauges, design. Pumping impedance, speed, tubes, apertures, pumps, systems 3L Electrometer measurements, charge, voltage, current, resistance. Application to Hall effect, semiconductor resistivity, photomultiplier spectral response, potential of a chemical cell, diode characteristics. 2L. Principles of detectors of particles. Electronic circuitry. Linear and logic circuitry. Charged particle counting and spectrometry, amplifiers, discriminators time-to-amplitude convertors etc, coincidence experiments. 2L. Polarisation of particles, classical and quantum. Beth’s experiment, angular momentum and torque of a photon. 2L Quantum time dependence, femtosec reaction dynamics, potential barriers, molecules. 2L. Spectroscopy of excited atomic states, exchange, spin-orbit interaction, configuration interaction 2L Spin and orbital magnetic moments, angular momentum, g-factor, spatial quantisation, Stern Gerlach measurement, Zeeman effect, polarisation by scattering. 2L An experiment to produce and observe magnetic resonance, optical pumping, Zeeman effect. An experiment on an excited state of mercury. Two essays of about 1500 words each (excluding figures) from the following topics. Essay 1 Describe the following particles (phenomenon, quantity etc) and their properties and the principle of operation of a detector which would indicate as many of the properties of the particle as possible. Electron, proton, neutron, positron, positronium, muon, muonium, quark, neutrino, plasmon, gluon, exciton, anyon, spin wave, Bloch wave. Essay 2. Define one of the following physical quantities (phenomenon, technique etc) and the principle of operation of a detector which would indicate as many of the characteristics (properties etc) of the particle (phenomenon, technique etc) as possible. Permeability of the vacuum, permittivity of the vacuum, Lamb shift, Lande g-factor, electric dipole moment of an electron, electric dipole moment of a neutron, Planck’s constant, Bose-Einstein condensate, CCD detectors, sono-luminescence, fluorescence spectroscopy, caged atoms, positron annihilation spectroscopy, positron Auger spectroscopy, polarised electrons, Josephson frequency-to-voltage quotient, quantised Hall resistance ExamsFor interest you will find the exams written by Frank Van Kann from previous years, as well his solutions to the exam attached below. 2001 exam and solution I also include for you here the front page of the 2005 exam. Lecturers | ||||
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