NSU 2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog

429 Nova Southeastern University • Undergraduate Student Catalog • 2014–2015 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS PHYS 3500 Introduction to Mechanics (3 credits) This course covers basic topics in the mechanics of systems of particles and rigid bodies. Topics covered include vectors, rectilinear and planar motion, non-inertial coordinate systems and fictitious forces, oscillations, three-dimensional motion, gravity, central forces, and Lagrangian mechanics. This course has been exempted from the requirements of the Writing Across the Curriculum policy. Prerequisites: PHYS 2500 and MATH 3400. PHYS 3550 Non-linear Dynamics (3 credits) This course introduces the student to the basic concepts of nonlinear dynamics, chaos, and related topics in nonlinear dynamics, via numerical simulations, and the detection and quantification of chaos in experimental data. Emphasis will be on the physical concepts and examples, rather than mathematical proofs and derivations. Topics covered include: phase planes, limit cycles, bifurcations, Lorenz equations, fractals, and strange attractors. The course will be taught at a level accessible to advanced undergraduate students in all fields of science and engineering. Prerequisites: PHYS 2500 and MATH 3400. PHYS 3610 Electromagnetic Theory I (3 credits) This course covers the fundamentals of electromagnetic theory. Topics covered include vector calculus, electrostatics, magnetostatics, solutions of Laplace and Poisson equations, electric and magnetic fields inside matter. Prerequisites: PHYS 2500 and MATH 3200. PHYS 3650 Electromagnetic Theory II (3 credits) This is the continuation of Electromagnetic Theory I. Topics covered include Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves, radiation, and relativity. Prerequisite: PHYS 3610. PHYS 3700 Modern Physics (3 credits) This is an introductory modern physics course covering special relativity, quantum mechanics, nuclear, and particle physics. The concepts will be applied to a variety of situations, including some in the field of medicine. This course has been exempted from the requirements of the Writing Across the Curriculum policy. Prerequisite: PHYS 2500. PHYS 3750 Modern Physics II (3 credits) Continuation of PHYS 3700. This course covers introductory quantum mechanics, including Hilbert spaces, the Schrodinger equation, spin, and perturbation theory. Applications to one-dimensional problems, the harmonic oscillator, and the hydrogen atom are included. This course has been exempted from the requirements of the Writing Across the Curriculum policy. Prerequisite: PHYS 3700. PHYS 3000 History of Physics (3 credits) This course covers some of the major developments in physics from antiquity to the present, puts the physics into a historical context, and introduces some of the associated philosophical issues, in particular, how physics has influenced conceptions of the nature of reality. Prerequisites: PHYS 2500 or both MATH 2100 or MATH 2100H and PHYS 2360. PHYS 3100 Introduction to Biophysics (3 credits) Applications of physical principles to aspects of biology and medicine. Topics include: Diffusion and osmosis, the thermodynamics of living systems, fluid mechanics, medical imaging and radiation therapy, the nervous system and the physical basis of perception, hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions, protein folding and aggregation, and cell signaling. Prerequisites: BIOL 1500 and MATH 2100 or MATH 2100H, and PHYS 2360 or PHYS 2500. PHYS 3200 Thermodynamics (3 credits) This is an intermediate course in thermodynamics. The course covers classical thermodynamics and introduces statistical mechanics. Prerequisites: PHYS 2500 and MATH 3200. PHYS 3300 Fundamentals of Optics (3 credits) This is an introductory optics course that covers the fundamental principles of geometrical and physical optics with some emphasis on the optics of vision. It also serves as an introduction for students of optometry and related sciences. This course has been exempted from the requirements of the Writing Across the Curriculum policy. Prerequisites: PHYS 2350 or higher and MATH 2100 or MATH 2100H. PHYS 3400 Astronomy and Astrophysics I (3 credits) This is the first of a two-part series covering the concepts of astrophysics including the analysis of electromagnetic radiation from space, telescope technology, celestial mechanics and stellar evolution. Students will study the importance of astrophysics in our society and the topics and methods of modern astronomical research in the field of stellar and galactic astrophysics and instrumentation. Prerequisite: PHYS 2360 or higher, and MATH 2200. PHYS 3450 Astronomy and Astrophysics II (3 credits) The second of a two-part series covering the concepts of astrophysics such as the structure and physics of galaxies, the distribution of objects in the expanding universe, the Big Bang theory, and the evolution of celestial bodies. Students will study and apply the topics and methods of modern astronomical research in the field of extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, and space science. Prerequisite: PHYS 3400.