Physics

This course examines modern astrophysics. It covers how stars shine, and follow their evolution from birth to violent death; the physics of our planetary system and strange new worlds around other stars; our own Galaxy across the electromagnetic spectrum revealing the evidence for dark matter and supermassive black holes; and other galaxy systems, and the origin and fate of the whole Universe.

The course gives an overview of the fundamentals of medical and tissue optics as well as in-depth knowledge of a specific field selected by the students themselves. 

This course provides a firm understanding of physical concepts and processes, and students apply concepts learnt to recent advances in our understanding of science in general. Under the headings of physiology, diagnosis and therapy, and on scales from the cell through macro-organisms to the environment, students learn ways in which biological and medical phenomena may be better understood from a physics viewpoint. 

After completing this course students are able to:
 

• judge different energy scenarios and their potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
• work with numbers, units, and diagrams to come to arguments for and against different energy systems.
• gain a basic understanding of the role of the natural sciences in society while focussing on the numerous applications in energy technology, climatology and sustainability.
• think critically about the positive and negative influences of chemistry and physics on society.

Content

After completing this course students are able to:
 

• judge different energy scenarios and their potential to contribute to a sustainable future.
• work with numbers, units, and diagrams to come to arguments for and against different energy systems.
• gain a basic understanding of the role of the natural sciences in society while focussing on the numerous applications in energy technology, climatology and sustainability.
• think critically about the positive and negative influences of chemistry and physics on society.

Content

The course deepens previous knowledge in quantum mechanics and teaches students to handle typical problems in different fields such as atomic, nuclear, solid-state, and elementary particle physics. Topics include formulation of quantum mechanics in terms of general state vectors and operators, algebraic treatment of harmonic oscillator, angular momentum and spin, perturbation theory, identical particles, and outlook on many-body quantum physics.