Physics

211 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building
(831) 459-2329
http://physics.ucsc.edu

Program Description

Physics seeks to discover the fundamental regularities or “laws” that govern our universe and to apply these laws to explain the behavior of fundamental and complex systems. The same underlying principles describe the behavior of atoms, lasers, living cells, and galaxies. Physics is, therefore, at the base of all modern science and technology, and, even at an elementary level, this fundamental nature can be appreciated.

The Physics Department offers majors in physics; physics (astrophysics), referred to subsequently as astrophysics; and applied physics. These programs prepare students for graduate work in physics, astrophysics, and astronomy; for engineering and other technical positions in industry; and for careers in education. With appropriate courses in other disciplines, these majors provide excellent preparation for advanced study in technical subjects such as biology, chemistry, engineering, geophysics, and the philosophy of science. The applied physics major is excellent preparation for positions in industry directly upon graduation.

Physics students and faculty often interact closely in both formal and informal settings. All undergraduate physics majors have the opportunity to work individually with a faculty member in completing the senior thesis requirement.

The main areas of physics research at UCSC are the study of fundamental particles and interactions (high-energy physics), the study of condensed matter physics, and astrophysics/cosmology.

Efforts in high-energy physics are aided by the presence of an organized research unit, the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP). The SCIPP experimentalists play significant roles in experiments at some of the major accelerator laboratories in the world, including SLAC at Stanford University and the European centers at CERN and DESY. The SCIPP theorists are active in the phenomenology of high-energy particle interactions; the theory of strong and electroweak interactions; electroweak symmetry breaking and Higgs bosons; and theories of supersymmetry, superstrings, and gravity. SCIPP also maintains a vigorous program in particle astrophysics. SCIPP theorists are involved in research in high-energy astrophysics, dark matter, formation of galaxies and large-scale structure in the universe, and theories of cosmology. SCIPP experimentalists are playing an important role in creating the next major satellite for gamma-ray astronomy, the Gamma Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). In addition, SCIPP experimentalists, working with colleagues at Los Alamos, conduct a thriving particle astrophysics program detecting TeV gamma rays.

The presence of the strong astrophysics group from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department in the same building provides a healthy symbiosis in this area. Note that the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department does not offer an undergraduate major. UCSC is the headquarters for the University of California Observatories, which include Lick Observatory near San Jose and the Keck Observatory in Hawaii; these provide additional opportunities for collaboration between researchers in physics and astronomy.

Condensed matter physics research at UCSC covers a range of topics including the behavior of exotic many-electron systems (for example, superconductors); the study of magnetic phase transitions; the organization of complex systems (proteins, DNA, and polymers); the development of new electronic devices using novel materials (e.g., polymer-based LEDs); and research in biophysics.

The experimental program uses X-ray and synchrotron radiation techniques at facilities such as the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL); neutron scattering techniques at various national laboratories; and microwave, optical, X-ray, and specific heat techniques at UCSC. Topics include phase transitions, crystal defects, correlated electron systems, negative thermal expansion materials, polymer LEDs, and thermoelectric materials. Research topics in theoretical condensed matter physics include the behavior of high-temperature superconductors, phase transitions, and the dynamics of polymers such as DNA. Undergraduate students are actively involved in several condensed matter physics laboratories.

Courses

An undergraduate physics education is broad and basic.

Undergraduate students, even in introductory classes, are exposed to new ideas associated with explorations at the boundaries of human knowledge. Course 10 is a 2-credit survey course that provides an overview of the research activities of the physics faculty. It is recommended for all beginning physics majors and those considering the major.

The lower-division introductory courses in the major programs (Physics 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D sequence) are well suited to students in the physical sciences and engineering. The6A, 6B, 6C sequence, which also provides a calculus-based introduction to the basic concepts in physics, is better suited to students in the life sciences. The Physics 6 sequence is also appropriate for nonscience students who have a calculus background. Students who take course 6A instead of course 5A, and do very well in it, may contact the department chair for permission to enter the major. The Physics 7A-7B sequence is an algebra- and trigonometry-based sequence covering the basic ideas and applications of physics. The laboratory courses, 5L-5M-5N, 6L-6M-6N, and 7L-7M, must be taken concurrently with the corresponding lecture courses. Finally, courses 1 and 2 are conceptual introductions to physics for nonscience majors.

Major Program

The physics, astrophysics, and applied physics major programs provide a comprehensive coverage of the field and the background necessary for graduate school or industrial careers. Students earn a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. The UCSC physics, astrophysics, and applied physics programs begin with a four-quarter presentation of the introductory concepts of the subject, Introduction to Physics. (Note: the applied physics program also requires completion of a beginning programming course and a general chemistry course.) This is followed by courses which provide an introduction to relativity and quantum physics. The programs continue with a three-quarter sequence in mathematical methods of physics designed to provide the mathematics preparation necessary for most of the upper-division physics courses required for the majors. Included in the upper-division programs are two intensive laboratory courses designed to illustrate both historical experiments in the development of physics, astrophysics, and applied physics, and modern experimental methods. Advanced and especially motivated students may enroll in some graduate courses with the approval of the instructor.

The senior thesis, required of all physics, astrophysics, and applied physics majors at UCSC, provides the opportunity for students to apply their skills to problems of interest to them, either theoretical or experimental, usually with technical advice from a faculty member. The senior thesis may be based on work undertaken in a faculty research laboratory. Topics have included particle physics, condensed matter physics, astrophysics, biophysics, and various applied technologies. The senior thesis is a distinctive part of the UCSC physics major program and entails a substantial investment of both student and faculty time. The learning experience involved in the thesis, as well as the thesis itself, has proven extremely valuable to students in enhancing employment opportunities upon graduation or in gaining admission to graduate school.

Course Requirements

Physics

The requirements for the major include courses 5A/L, 5B/M, 5C/N, and 5D; Mathematics 19A or 20A, 19B or 20B, 23A, and 23B or Physics 14; plus the following upper-division courses: 101A, 101B, 105, 110A-B, 112, 116A-B-C, 133, 134, and 139A. In addition, students must pass at least two upper-division electives chosen from physics or the following astronomy and astrophysics courses: 112, 113, 117, or 118. At least one of the two electives must be from the following physics courses: 129, 139B, 155, or 171. In some cases, the second elective requirement may be satisfied by an approved upper-division science or engineering course.

Physics (Astrophysics)

The requirements for the major include courses 5A/L, 5B/M, 5C/N, and 5D; Mathematics 19A or 20A, 19B or 20B, 23A, and 23B or Physics 14; plus the following upper-division courses: 101A, 101B, 105, 110A-B, 112, 116A-B-C, 133, 135, and 139A. In addition, students must pass at least three upper-division electives selected from the following upper-division courses: Astronomy and Astrophysics 112, 113, 117, 118, or 171 (cross-listed with Physics 171).

Applied Physics

The requirements for the major include courses 5A/L, 5B/M, 5C/N, and 5D; Mathematics 19A or 20A, 19B or 20B, 23A, and 23B or Physics 14; Computer Science 60N; Chemistry 1B 1A; plus the following upper-division physics courses: 101A, 101B, 105, 110A-B, 112, 116A-B-C, 133, and 134. In addition, students must pass at least three upper-division applied physics electives selected from the following approved list of courses: Biology 21A, Electrical Engineering 103, 127, 128, 145, Physics 107, 109, 115, 152, 155, 156, and 160; or other courses with approval from a faculty adviser.

Comprehensive Requirement

Finally, to satisfy the comprehensive requirement (see below) via a thesis, courses 195A and 195B are required. Note that successful completion of 195A and 195B satisfies the “W” or Writing Intensive general education requirement.

In special cases, minor modifications of these requirements may be granted to suit the specific program of a particular student. Before embarking on a program needing such waivers, students should discuss their plans with a physics adviser and seek approval by petition from the Physics Department office.

Sample Physics Major Planner

The following is a recommended academic plan for students to complete during their four years to fulfill requirements for the physics major.

* Course 133 is offered winter and spring quarters. Course 134 is offered fall and winter quarters and may be taken junior or senior year after completing course 133.

Sample Physics (Astrophysics) Major Planner

The following is a recommended academic plan for students to complete during their four years to fulfill requirements for the astrophysics major.

* Course 133 is offered winter and spring quarters. Course 135 is offered some academic years as a multiple-term course: 135A in fall and 135B in winter or spring, depending on astronomical conditions.

Sample Applied Physics Major Planner

The following is a recommended academic plan for students to complete during their four years to fulfill requirements for the applied physics major.

*Course 133 is offered winter and spring quarters. Course 134 is offered fall and winter quarters and may be taken junior or senior year after completing course 133.

Students who take course 6A instead of course 5A, and do very well in it, may contact the department chair for permission to enter the major.

Depending on the student’s interests, further preparation for graduate school in physics, astrophysics, applied physics, or for other careers is obtained by electing more specialized or applied courses (see the descriptions of courses below). In addition, again depending on the student’s academic focus, elective courses may be selected in mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics, and/or other areas of physical science.

For further information about the physics program, please request the undergraduate handbook, A Physics Major’s Guide, from the Physics Department office, or look for it online at http://physics.ucsc.edu .

Comprehensive Requirement

The comprehensive exit requirement is normally satisfied by the submission and approval of a thesis (in conjunction with course 195). For physics majors completing either a major or a minor in another field within the Physical and Biological Sciences Division or the Baskin School of Engineering, the comprehensive requirement may be satisfied by scoring at or above the 50th percentile on the Graduate Record Examination Physics Subject Test.

Minor Requirements

Requirements for the minor in physics include Physics 5A/L, 5B/M, 5C/N, 5D (or Physics 6A/L, 6B/M, 6C/N with minimum GPA of 3.5); Mathematics 19A or 20A, 19B or 20B, 23A, 23B or Physics 14; Physics 101A, 101B, 133, and one upper division elective (and any prerequisites) from physics or from a list of courses from other departments approved by the Physics Undergraduate Committee. See the Physics Department for the listing.

Advising and Preparation for the Major

Because the courses for the physics major are sequential, it is strongly advised that students declare their major in physics, astrophysics, or applied physics as early as possible (either at initial registration or by the end of the first year). Advising can be arranged through the Physics Department office.

High school students coming directly to UCSC should emphasize their mathematics preparation with the expectation that they will take calculus in their first quarter at UCSC in order to concurrently take the Physics 5 series, calculus-based physics for physics majors.

Students transferring to UCSC as junior physics, astrophysics, or applied physics majors should have completed three quarters of introductory calculus-based physics with laboratory and three quarters of calculus. It is also desirable to have an introductory course in modern physics as well as mathematics courses in linear algebra, vector calculus, and differential equations. The Physics Department advises each junior transfer student individually upon their arrival.

Graduate Programs

The Physics Department offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. and/or the Ph.D. degrees. In the first year of study, Ph.D. students are expected to take two core graduate-level courses per quarter, including the courses required for the Ph.D. degree (210, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 219) and other courses specific to the student’s field of interest. All first-year students also take 205, Introduction to Research. All graduate students also attend a weekly colloquium, 292. Each student has a faculty adviser who helps to determine which courses are most appropriate, taking into account the student’s background and interests. The student-faculty ratio is low so that M.S. and Ph.D. students can work closely with faculty and pursue programs that fit their individual needs. Research is currently conducted in theoretical and experimental particle physics, theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics, materials physics, biophysics, synchrotron radiation, cosmic rays, particle astrophysics, and cosmology. After passing a written qualifying examination, Ph.D. students pursue independent research leading to an oral examination and completion of a doctoral dissertation.

Students may obtain a master’s degree through course work (eight physics graduate courses) and submission of an approved thesis. The thesis may be waived by passing four sections of the written Ph.D. qualifying examination. Master’s candidates are encouraged to write a research thesis and may do so in any of the research fields in the program, thereby developing laboratory and computational skills in areas such as electronics design, computer simulation and visualization, cryogenics, X-ray scattering, complex novel materials and devices, or materials science. Each M.S. student is assigned a faculty adviser who helps to design a course work plan suited to the interests of the student.

Physics students and faculty use a number of UCSC research facilities (described at the beginning of this section and elsewhere in this catalog): the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP), Lick Observatory (headquartered at UCSC), the Institute of Marine Sciences, and the Institute of Tectonics. There is strong interaction with other disciplines, especially astronomy and astrophysics, biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, electrical engineering, and mathematics. Proximity to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory provides additional local research opportunities. UCSC faculty and graduate students also participate in research programs at CERN in Geneva, DESY in Hamburg, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NASA, Ames, NREL, Lucent, Xerox, IBM, Bell Labs, and other national and international laboratories.

Application materials and brochures describing the physics M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs in more detail may be obtained by visiting our web site at http://physics.ucsc.edu/ or by contacting the Division of Graduate Studies at http://graddiv.ucsc.edu .