PHYS551: FALL 2011

Syllabus contents:

Instructor: Bira van Kolck
Office: PAS 386B
Office Hours: T 3:00-4:00pm
E-mail: vankolck@physics.arizona.edu
Phone: 520-621-4230

Lectures: T/Th 11:00am-12:15pm in PAS 416, 08/22/11 - 12/07/11

Course Website: www.physics.arizona.edu/~vankolck/phys551-fall11.html

Course Content

The theory of strong interactions is quantum chromodynamics (QCD), a gauge theory involving quarks and gluons based on the group SU(3). A recent Nobel Prize in Physics recognized one of the main developments in the early understanding of QCD, the discovery of asymptotic freedom ---the property that strong interactions become weak at high energies. QCD has, moreover, a complementary feature: strong interactions among quarks and gluons get stronger at lower energies. Although no proof exists, it is accepted that this leads to the confinement of quarks and gluons into hadrons, such as the nucleons that form nuclei.

Nuclei have intrinsic energies that are small in the sense of being in the regime of confinement, so there is no obvious small coupling constant in which to describe observables. Nuclear forces are therefore much more interesting than the forces among atoms. Despite their complexity, nuclei exhibit a number of qualitative trends in their physical properties. Models, such as the shell model, have been successfully developed to correlate nuclear properties, and they suggest that a systematic treatment of strong interactions is possible. The main challenges in modern nuclear physics are to understand the foundations and limitations of these phenomenological approaches from QCD, and to discover new phenomena involving the role of nuclei in the evolution and structure of the universe.

In this course we will study the main ideas in the theory of strong interactions and their implications to the properties of nuclei. A rough outline is as follows:

1. Introduction: history, nuclear physics scales;
2. QCD: perturbative and non-perturbative effects;
3. Hadrons: light- and heavy-quark systems;
4. Nuclear forces: dominant features, two-nucleon scattering, three-body forces;
5. Light nuclei: properties;
6. Heavier nuclei: independent-particle, cluster, and shell models;
7. Nuclear matter: saturation, mean-field models;
8. Open problems.

Requisites

This is an advanced graduate-level course. Minimal requisites include mastery of quantum mechanics at the PHYS 570A/B level and electromagnetism at the classical (PHYS 515A/B) level. Knowledge of quantum field theory (PHYS 579A/B) is beneficial.

Reading

Unfortunately there is no single textbook that covers all the topics listed above. Reading of various texts will be suggested as the course progresses. Class notes will be distributed.

Homework

Exercises will be suggested continuously, since a subject cannot be mastered from lectures alone. More formal homework, which might include some of the exercises, will be assigned every couple of weeks, and due a week later. The write-up should be done individually by each student; it will be graded.

Grading Policy

The final score will be an average of the homework scores, with the lowest homework score dropped. The final letter grade will also reflect class participation. Regular attendance is a necessary condition for passing the course.

Other Items

As members of an institution of higher education, we are expected to follow a certain code of conduct. A comprehensive index of important UA policies and procedures can be found at http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/policiesandcodes. You are expected to maintain collegial and respectful behavior in class and in other course activities. Disruptive behavior (such as the use of cell phones in class) will not be accepted. UA policies against threatening behavior by students is described at http://policy.web.arizona.edu/~policy/threaten.shtml. While some degree of intellectual collaboration is expected in homeworks, use of someone else's work is a violation of the UA Code of Academic Integrity. This code will be strictly enforced in this course.

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with me. I would like us to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (520-621-3268; http://drc.arizona.edu) and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. We can then plan how best to coordinate your accommodations.

My role is to help you learn the material and grow as a physicist, and I value your feedback. Compliments and criticism are important, and will not affect your grade. You are encouraged to drop by to discuss any aspect of the course, or even of your broader experience as a grad student.

All information in this syllabus is subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor. The class website will be updated regularly with new and/or revised information. Please visit often, particularly if you miss a lecture.

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Updated: Aug 22, 2011