Physics

This course in astronomy is designed for students with no physics background. Key topics include introduction to our Universe; observation in astronomy; origin of modern astronomy. Newton's law of motions; gravity; light, atoms and telescope. The Sun; stellar formation and evolution; white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. The Milky Way Galaxy; Normal galaxies, active galaxies and supermassive black holes. Foundation of modern cosmology; dark matter, dark energy and the fate of the Universe; and the beginning of time.

This course explores how physicists developed quantitative reasoning to deepen the understanding of natural phenomena and to escape from scientific absurdity. It focuses on Newtonian Mechanics in three dimensional Euclidean space. The course also covers quantitative approaches begining with elementary algebraic methods to reach differential Calculus invented by physicists, Newton, and Leibniz independently. Finally, the course investigates the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian versions of classical mechanics that are equivalent to the Newtonian version.

This course introduces a variety of central algorithms and methods essential for studies of statistical data analysis and machine learning. It is project-based and through the various projects it exposes fundamental research problems in these fields to reproduce state-of-the-art scientific results. The course provides an opportunity to develop and structure large codes for studying these systems, get acquainted with computing facilities, and learn how to handle large scientific projects. Throughout the course, good scientific and ethical conduct is emphasized.

This course offers a study of the fundamentals of Python3 programming language for scientific computation (computational fluid dynamics). Topics include: basic commands for running python routines in a jupyter environment-- manipulation of files, directories, and processes, parameters of a command in POSIX format, interactive environments, and git; numerical methods for wave field models-- finite differences, finite volume method, and finite element method.

The course focuses on basic knowledge of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics and simple integrable models. Students are trained to write the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian function for mechanical systems, to analyze the phase space and the stability of fixed points, to integrate the equation of a central field and a rigid body with rotational symmetry, and to use variational principles and canonical transformations. Course topics including dynamical systems; the definition of Equilibrium and study of its linear and non-linear stability; Lagrangian mechanics; symmetries; Noether's theorem; mechanical models; rotation group and rigid body; dynamics in a rotating frame; and Hamiltonian mechanics.

The course gives an introduction to the modern ground- and space-based telescopes; astronomical coordinate systems; observational methods including direct imaging, photometry, spectroscopy, and interferometry; different telescope/instrumentation/detector configurations; and observational experiments, calibrations and data reductions, both on a theoretical level and experimentally with the Westerlund Telescope at the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden.

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 the program.

This special lab course nurtures international students' creative competency by offering them opportunities for learning in communities of research practice. The student's supervisor arranges the research topic. Students give three oral presentations during the study period. In the presentations, students integrate ideas and analyses on laboratory results into creative and academically coherent work. FrontierLab program coordinators and supervisors attend and evaluate the final oral presentation.

This course offers a study of concepts, definitions, and applications of nonlinear dynamics. Topics include: dimensional systems and bifurcations; systems in two-dimensions-- analysis in phase space, limited cycles, and their bifurcations; Lorenz equations and chaos; 1-D maps and route to chaos by period doubling, renormalization; fractals and strange attractors.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale program. The course is intended for advanced level students only. Enrollment is by consent of the instructor. The aim of this course is to obtain a general understanding of physical properties of stars and galaxies. At the end of the lectures the student is familiar with the equations that regulate the internal structure of the stars, the sources of energy production, the structure of stellar atmosphere, and the formation theory of the spectral lines. Students acquire a general knowledge of morphological, structural, and dynamical properties of stellar systems (stellar clusters, galaxies). Hence, students acquire the necessary bases to understand the structural and evolutionary properties of stars and galaxies. The course discusses topics including :astronomical data and tools; celestial mechanics and the solar system; radiative processes; classification of stars and stellar atmospheres; stellar interiors; stellar evolution; fate of massive stars and stellar remnants; the interstellar medium; star formation; origin of the solar system and extra-solar planets; galaxies and galaxy clusters; and cosmology and large scale structure.