Physics

This course is intended for students who wish to acquire a deep understanding of systems of many particles. The course considers the fundamentals of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics and is a prerequisite to advanced statistical mechanics. It covers topics including: the laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic functions, ideal gases, and heat engines; microcanonical ensemble, canonical ensemble, Boltzmann distribution, and partition function; and an introduction to quantum gases.

The course comprises basic parts from rigid body mechanics as well as deformable body mechanics and strength of materials. In rigid body mechanics, both static and dynamic problems are treated. In statics, the equations of equilibrium are formulated from free body diagrams, and problems with concentrated as well as distributed forces are handled. The distributed forces come from applications in hydrostatics and the computation of centroids. The dynamics part of the course is based on the laws of Newton. Particle motion is described in linear and curvilinear coordinates and the equations of motion of the particle are established. Equivalent formulations based on the principles of preservation of energy and momentum are also treated. Examples of applications are taken both from daily life experiences such as climbing ladders, moving furniture, riding a bike or a rollercoaster, and technical applications from robotics and ballistics. In deformable body mechanics, the tensorial concepts of stress and strain are first defined. The relations between stress and strain, i.e. constitutive laws, for different materials are established and applications from the dimensioning of different simple construction elements (lines, rods, beams, and trusses) are treated. Important phenomena such as fatigue and fracture are also discussed.

This course offers a study of the physics and psycho-acoustics of music. Topics include: the physics of sound; generation of sound-- instruments; rhythm; pitch and intervals; musical scales; chord progressions; audio illusions and effects; room acoustics; neuromusicology.

Topics in this Astronomy and Geodesy course include: figure and gravity field of the earth; geometric geodesy; spatial geodesy; positional astronomy; astronomical reference systems; diurnal motion and Earth's rotation; planetary motion; time scales; stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy; large-scale structure of the universe.

The course introduces some of the governing principles used to model, understand, and solve problems in optics. Students learn about light and how it interacts with different media. Topics cover wave motion, electromagnetic theory, the propagation of light, geometrical optics, superposition of waves, polarization, interference and diffraction, as well as nonlinear optics. Common applications, such as lasers, are discussed throughout.

This course gives an introduction to analytical mechanics and field theory, with an emphasis on Lagrange-Hamilton formalism and the action concept. Further, the course contains a thorough introduction to Einstein’s special relativity using four-vector formalism. This is used to give a covariant (independent of reference frame) description of mechanics and electromagnetism, including Maxwell’s equations.

This course provides individual research training for students in the Junior Year Engineering Program through the experience of belonging to a specific laboratory at Tohoku University. Students are assigned to a laboratory with the consent of the faculty member in charge. They participate in various group activities, including seminars, for the purposes of training in research methods and developing teamwork skills. The specific topic studied depends on the instructor in charge of the laboratory to which each student is assigned. The methods of assessment vary with the student's project and laboratory instructor. Students submit an abstract concerning the results of their individual research each semester and present the results near the end of this program.

This course examines advanced topics in equilibrium statistical physics. Topics include ensemble theory; theory of simple gases, ideal bose systems, ideal fermi systems; statistical mechanics of interacting systems; statistical field theory; and some topics in the theory of phase transition may be selected.

This course investigates the history of science since its birth, from the time of Galileo through the discovery of the special theory of relativity by Albert Einstein. The course focuses on how revolutionary transitions in human history always stem from scientific observations of natural phenomena followed by the leading escape from scientific absurdity by physicists like Galileo, Newton, and Einstein. 

No course prerequisites are required, and this course is open to non-science majors. 

The course consists of a research project in physics that involves the compilation of research findings, as well as processing information and data. Some projects involve independent practical research and/or numerical or theoretical calculations in a chosen topic. Individual supervision is provided by faculty member based upon an agreement with the student. The type of supervision and frequency of supervision depends on the project and its stage, and the supervisor supports the project and provides feedback during the final stage. Graded on a P/NP basis only.