FYSA2004 Modern physics, part B (5 cr)

• Basic principles of special relativity and applications, e.g. Lorentz transformations, time dilatation, length contractions, relativistic kinematics.

• Basics of nuclear physics, e.g. structure of the nucleus, stability of nuclei, radioactivity, applications of the decay law.

• Basics of elementary particle physics, e.g. leptons, quarks, mediators of interactions and their properties, examples of electromagnetic and weak interaction processes and their representation using Feynman diagrams, asymptotic freedom of the strong interaction.

• Basics of cosmology, e.g. constituents of the universe, dark matter, dark energy, Friedman equations and their applications.  

After the course the student should be able to:

• Compute Lorentz transformations in special relativity, analyse relativistic time dilatation and length contraction, add relativistic velocities and investigate relativistic Doppler effects.

• Manipulate four-vectors, determine the relativistic energy and momentum of moving bodies, study kinematics of elastic collisions.

• Explain the basics of nuclear structure and its connection to the strong interaction, and name simplest models for the nucleus. Explain the concept of binding energy and compute energies released in nuclear reactions, explain basics of fusion and fission, and name applications of nuclear physics.

• Explain the different types of radioactivity (alfa, beta and gamma radiation) and apply the decay law.

• List the elementary particles in the Standard Model of particle physics, describe their interactions, charges and masses.

• Present elementary processes in the Standard Model using Feynman diagrams and study basic reaction kinematics. Explain why a massless particle cannot decay into massive particles.

• Explain basics of the cosmological concordance model and history of the early universe. Solve the Friedman equations in simple cases.  

• MATP211-213 Calculus
  - especially: derivates and integrals of elementary functions, chain rule, series expansions

• MATA114 Differential equations
  - especially: the concept of differential equation, general principles of solving differential equations

• FYSA2003 Modern physics, part A
  - especially useful: energy of a photon

Verkkomateriaali, oppikirja.