Physics

This course studies and discusses different aspects of modern science using some of the magical short stories of the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. It uses Borges' work as a vehicle for discussing how our views of the world have been affected by the advances made by science in the last 100 years. In particular, the course focuses on the foundations of disciplines such as cosmology, quantum theory, statistical physics, neuroscience, and computing, as well as mathematical concepts such as combinatorics and the idea of infinity, and other notions such as the concept of time.

The course consists of two modules. Module 1, an introduction to gender science and its application to physics is worth 4.5 credits and reviews different theories within gender research. Fields like the learning of physics, the history of physics, knowledge production, and the culture of physics are analyzed from a gender perspective. Both statistical, quantitative, and qualitative analyses from socio-psychological, anthropological, and sociological studies are presented to describe sex segregation, balance of power, culture, and knowledge in physics. Module 2, a project on a gender perspective on physics is worth 3 credits. Projects include a gender analysis of one's activities in physics or an example from the department they study in or a literature study or similar in relevant fields for the course.

This course is intended for students without any or little background in physics and calculus. Important concepts in physics such as force, momentum, energy, angular momentum, and laws of conservation are introduced through Newtonian mechanics. In addition, these concepts are described in the language of mathematical equations, specifically through calculus. 

The course aims to teach Newton's laws of motion, momentum, and energy, and angular momentum as well as their conservation properties. In addition, students will be expected to be able to draw a free-body diagram, derive an equation of motion, and solve it using simple vector algebra and calculus. 

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.