North Dakota State University

Courses numbered 700 and above are offered when needed, and when meeting the even- or odd-year criteria. Contact your adviser.

For a complete listing of courses offered at NDSU for Fall 2008 or Spring 2009, take a look at Registration and Record's Class Schedule.

3 credits, given in the fall of even-numbered years

Lecture and laboratory introduction to modern optics. Geometric optics, electromagnetic nature of light, polarization, interference, diffraction, fiber optics. Major-related optics project

Prereq: Phys 252. Coreq: PHYS 411L/611L. Cross-listed with ECE.

3 credits, given in the spring of even-numbered years

Analysis of optical systems using the matrix formulation, wave propogation in anisotropic media, electro-optic effect and laser modulation, physical orgin of optical non-linearities, phase matching, optical second harmonic and parametric generation. 

3 credits, given in the fall of odd-numbered years

Classical principles and laws of thermodynamics. Cyclic processes and entropy functions. Legendre differential transformations. Clausius equations, and principles of Maxwell's equations.

Prereq. Phys 252

2 credits, given in the spring of even-numbered years

The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function and its applications to thermodynamics problems. Introduction to Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics.

Prereq. Phys 462

3 credits

Variational principles, Lagrange's equations, two body central force problem, rigid body motion, Hamilton's equations, canonical transformation, Hamilton-Jacobi theory.

Prereq: Phys 352

3 credits, given in the fall of even-numbered years

Operators, one-dimensional wells and barriers, Schrodinger equation, uncertainty, duality, Born interpretation, unstable states, bosons and fermions, central force problems, angular momentum, spin.

Prereq. Phys 252, Math 266

3 credits, given in the spring of odd-numbered years

Continuation of Physics 685. Perturbation theory, angular momentum addition, variational schemes, WKB method, scattering theory, time-dependent problems.

Prereq. Phys 685

3 credits, given on-demand

Methods of analysis of second order differential equations and vector space concepts developed as tools for physical problems related to diffusion and wavetype equations.

Cross-listed with Math 782, 783 Mathematical Methods.

3 credits

Tensor analysis, matrices and group theory, special relativity, integral equations and transforms, and selected advanced topics.

Prereq: Phys 752

3 credits

Review of the laws of thermodynamics, Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics, and applications.

Prereq. Phys 463

3 credits

Review of Maxwell's equations, radiation, collisions between charged particles, dynamics of relativistic particles and fields.

Prereq. Phys 361

3 credits

Schrodinger equation, wave packets, uncertainty, angular momentum, spin, second quantization, harmonic oscillator.

Prereq. Phys 486

3 credits

Continuation of Physics 771.

Prereq. Phys 771

3 credits

Crystal structure and binding, reciprocal lattices and x-ray diffraction, lattice vibrations, thermal properties, free electron model, band theory, magnetism, superconductivity.

Prereq. Phys 486

3 credits

An introduction to the field of soft condensed matter, focusing on colloids, polymers, liquid crystals, surfactants, membranes, and other biological systems.  Topics will include characterization of soft materials, interparticle interactions, structure, equilibrium phase behavior, nonequilibrium properties, and practical applications.

Prereq. Phys 781

1-4  credits, given every semester