Lectures: Tu, 12:30-1:10, in MCH 303.
Lectures: Tu, 12:30-1:10, in MCH 303.
Lecturer: Prof. Laura Reina, 510 Keen Building,
644-9282, e-mail: click
here
Office Hours: Tuesday, from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
The most efficient way to contact me outside office hours is
by e-mail. If you need to see me in person, you should make an
appointment.
Text:
There is no textbook for this class. The material presented in this course will be available on line through the course web page and will consist of transparencies or copies of the notes used by the instructor or the guest speakers.
Topics and Objectives
This course has been designed to expose students majoring in physics to a wide variety of research topics in physics early on in their career. It does not assume any existing knowledge of college-level physics and would like to serve the purpose of fostering and enhancing the interest of young students in physics by letting them glance at the most fascinating physics topics of our times. The instructor, joined by guest speakers from the faculty of the Physics Department at FSU, will present the students with a series of talks on several cutting-edge subjects in physics research, from particle physics, to nuclear physics, astrophysics, condensed matter physics, and biophysics. All presentations will be very approachable and questions from the students will be welcomed during and after each presentation.
Here is a summary of the topics covered in class lecture by lecture with links to the material used during each lecture.
| Date | Topic | Speaker | Material | 08/27 | Particle Physics: from the Big Bang to the Large Hadron Collider. | Prof. Laura Reina | Slides, Movie | 09/03 | A primer on Collider Physics | Prof. Susan Blessing | Slides+whiteboard | 09/10 | Top-quark and Higgs discoveries | Prof. Harrison Prosper | Slides | 09/17 | Reasons to go Beyond the Standard Model | Prof. Takemichi Okui | Whiteboard | 09/24 | Q/A session on the topics covered so far. Please send me your questions! | Prof. Laura Reina | Whiteboard notes | 10/01 | Dark Energy and other Flaws of the Universe | Prof. Peter Hoeflich | Slides | 10/08 | Cosmology | Prof. Kevin Huffenberger | Slides | 10/15 | Tour of the Stars | Prof. Jorge Piekarewicz | Slides | 10/22 | Nuclear Physics at the Limits! | Prof. Mark Riley | Slides | 10/29 | Quantum computers: What are they, and how might we build one? | Prof. Nick Bonesteel | 11/5 | High Tc Superconductors and Graphene | Prof. Oskar Vafek | 11/12 | Preparing for your Junior ans Senior years | Prof. Laura Reina | Slides | 11/19 | Materials Research in the Panhandle and Other Adventures | Prof. James Brooks | Slides | 11/26 | Visit to the Magnet Lab | Prof. Irinel Chiorescu | 12/03 | Some physics topics you probably didn't think about | Prof. Per Rikvold | Slides |
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Course format and student responsibilities
The course is based on student attendance and participation. Each lecture will be a very informal discussion on a given physics topic that will be announced one week in advance. All presentations will be posted on the course web page and additional bibliography will be provided upon request.
There is no homework assigned. The students' only responsibility is to attend class and provide some constructive feedback so that the class can be better tailored to students' interests.
Exams and Grades.
The grade form of this class is S/U and will be based entirely on attendance and participation. There is no final exam. Regular, responsive, and active attendance is highly recommended.
Barring emergencies, the matters leading to a possible excused absence should be discussed with the instructor well in advance.
Attendance and Absence
A student absent from class bears the full responsibility for all subject matter and information discussed in class. Other situations are discussed under ``University Attendance Policy'' below.
University Attendance Policy
Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holidays, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
Academic Honor Policy
The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University’s expectations for the integrity of students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to “... be honest and truthful and ... [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.” (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm) The policy is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility 1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and 3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
Student Disability Resource Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu
Syllabus Change Policy
Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.