ECTS credits ECTS credits: 4.5
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 74.2 Hours of tutorials: 2.25 Expository Class: 18 Interactive Classroom: 18 Total: 112.45
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Particle Physics
Areas: Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
Center Faculty of Physics
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
(Note: this section applies, without further changes, to any of the three teaching scenarios that might be in place due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease).
The main goal of this course is to provide an understanding of the quantum laws that govern the processes giving rise to atomic and molecular structures. Since these differ very substantially from the principles of classical physics that the student has studied so far, it is necessary to review in depth fundamental concepts in both Mechanics and Electromagnetism.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The student shall demonstrate:
- That he/she understands the quantum laws governing the processes that give place to the atomic and molecular structures.
- That he/she knows the differences that arise in the study of quantum systems versus classical approaches.
- That he/she knows how to apply the relationships of quantum mechanics to solve the problems associated with calculations in atomic and molecular systems.
- That he/she understands and assimilates the orders of magnitude of the energies, lengths and characteristic units of the processes and forces that act between nucleons, nuclei and atoms.
(Note: this section applies, without further changes, to any of the three teaching scenarios that might be in place due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease).
ATOMIC STRUCTURE: Relativistic corrections to the atomic energies. Lamb displacement. Alkaline atoms. Helium atom. Multi-electronic atoms. Properties of the elements. The optical spectra and the X ray spectra in atoms. Hyperfine structure. Spin magnetic resonance. Nuclear magnetic resonances.
MOLECULAR BONDING AND CRISTAL STRUCTURE: Diatomic molecules. Particle in a double potential well. The molecule H2+. The hydrogen molecule: covalent binding. The model of molecular orbitals. Quantification of vibrational and rotational energies. Molecular spectra. Cristal structure binding. Schrödinger equation for periodic potentials. Band theory. Solid properties. Insulators, semiconductors and conductors.
SCATTERING: Basic concepts. Scattering by a potential well: partial waves and Born approximation. Resonances. Elastic scattering. Discrete level excitation. Ionization and charge exchange.
(Note: The USC library staff is in the process of purchasing new electronic material, like e-books, that could be especially useful in case of a scenario change imposed by health authorities. The instructors will post all relevant information in the Campus Virtual web page).
TEXTBOOKS:
- Weissbluth, M. Atoms and Molecules. Academic Press, Inc. (1978).
- Griffiths, D.J. and Schroeter, D.F. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. Cambridge University Press (2018).
- Bransden, B.H. and Joachain, C.J. Physics of atoms and molecules. Longman Scientific & Technical (1990).
- Foot, C.J. Atomic Physics. Oxford University Press (2005).
- Sakurai, J.J. and Napolitano, J. Modern Quantum Mechanics (second edition). Cambridge University Press (2017).
- Eisberg e Resnik, Quantum Physics. Wiley.
- Sánchez del Río, C. Física Cuántica. Pirámide.
- Alonso e Finn, Fundamentos Cuánticos y Estadísticos. Fondo Educativo Interamericano.
- Alasdair I.M. Rae, Quantum Mechanics. Adam Hilger.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS:
- Weinberg, S. Lectures on Quantum Mechanics (second edition). Cambridge University Press (2015).
- Haken, H. e Wolf, H.C. Physics of Atoms and Quanta, Ed. Springer Verlag (1987).
- Bernstein, J. Modern Physics, Ed. Prentice Hall, 2000.
- Feynmann, R. Física Vol III, Mecánica Cuántica. Fondo Educativo Interamericano (1965).
(Note: this section applies, without further changes, to any of the three teaching scenarios that might be in place due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease).
BASIC:
CB1 – Starting from a High School education level, the student will steadily progress towards a broad coverage and understanding of physics. The level of understanding, usually supported by advanced textbooks, will include some introductory topics from current forefront scientific research in at least a specific field.
CB2 - The students will be able to apply this knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and master the competencies that are usually demonstrated through the elaboration and defence of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of study.
CB3 - The students will be able to collect and interpret relevant data (usually within a specific area of study) to make judgments that include deep thinking on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.
GENERAL:
CG1 - Understand the most important concepts, methods and results of the different branches of physics, with a historical perspective of their development.
CG2 – Be able to gather and interpret relevant data, information and results, to reach conclusions and to issue well-reasoned reports in scientific, technological or other areas that require knowledge of physics.
CG3 - Apply both the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired, together with excellent analysis and abstraction abilities, to a clear statement of relevant problems and to design good strategies for finding the solutions, both in academic and professional contexts.
SPECIFIC
CE1 - Have a good understanding of the most important physical theories paying special attention to their logical and mathematical structure, without forgetting their experimental support and the physical phenomenon that can be described through them.
CE2 - Be able to clearly handle very different orders of magnitude and make appropriate estimates to develop a clear perception of situations that, although physically different, show some analogy, allowing the use of known solutions to new problems.
CE5 - Understand the essentials of a process or situation and establish a work model for further study. Be able to carry out the required approximations in order to reduce the problem to a manageable level. Possess critical thinking to build physical models.
CE6 - Understand and master the mathematical and numerical methods most commonly used in physics.
CE8 - Be able to manage, search and use bibliography, as well as any source of relevant information, and apply it to research and technical development projects.
CROSS:
CT1 - Acquire excellent analysis and synthesis abilities.
CT2 - Have organizational capacity and planning.
CT5 - Develop critical reasoning
The teaching material will be presented in detail, in the blackboard and projections, with the necessary calculations, opening the possibility to make questions to the students.
Experimental data and relevant simulations will be projected and discussed. Several problem lists will be discussed along the academic semester and solved in the class time, after the student have solved them individually.
An online Moodle course will be available on the USC Campus Virtual web page for the Quantum Physics III course. All relevant teaching material will be uploaded there.
The teaching methodology adapted to the three possible teaching scenarios is the following:
Scenario 1:
This is thought to be close to a normal situation scenario, where the teaching methodology described in the official Physics Grade Memorandum is expected to be followed. All the teaching, whether masterclasses or interactive seminars, will physically take place in the corresponding classroom. In the masterclasses all teaching material with the relevant calculations will be presented in detail, using projections and the blackboard. The students will be encouraged to ask questions. In the seminar-type classes, the problems will be solved and discussed preferentially by the students, who should have received the appropriate assignments well in advance.
Scenario 2: see the Contingence Plan in the Observations section at the end of this document.
Scenario 3: see the Contingence Plan in the Observations section at the end of this document.
Scenario 1:
The assessment or grading will be performed on a continuous basis during the course and will have a 100% weight in the final grade. Individual or group tasks will be regularly assigned to the students using the Campus Virtual tools. Active participation during the lectures and seminars will also be assessed. One or several specially designed collections of tasks will be assigned to be carried out individually in the classroom. The final grade will be computed as follows. Let P be the numerical evaluation (from 0 to 10) of the individual tasks done in the classroom and T the numerical evaluation (also from 0 to 10) of the remaining tasks. The final grade is then MAX( P, 0.7*P + 0.3*T ), where MAX delivers the maximum of the two numerical values within the parentheses.
Scenario 2: see the Contingence Plan in the Observations section at the end of this document.
Scenario 3: see the Contingence Plan in the Observations section at the end of this document.
(Note: this section applies, without further changes, to any of the three teaching scenarios that might be in place due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease).
The working time in presence of the teacher is 42 hours, classified as follows: 21 hours of master lectures in a large group; 18 hours of interactive sessions in small groups; 3 hours of tutoring for every student. The autonomous-individual worktime each student should devote to the course is estimated to be about 70 hours.
(Note: this section applies, without further changes, to any of the three teaching scenarios that might be in place due to the spread of the Covid-19 disease).
It is highly recommended to fully work out the assigned problems, especially as a method of self-evaluation system. As a general rule, the student will be required to provide numerical answers expressed in the appropriate system of units.
Some of the basic formulas should be memorized to improve the understanding of the theoretical part and to solve the problems in a reasonable time.
In the event of a change to the teaching scenario 2 due to the evolution of the Covid-19 disease the following changes are foreseen.
Methodology: The masterclasses will be telematic using the Microsoft Teams platform, and synchronous, according to the official teaching schedule. If synchronicity cannot be kept on some unexpected occasions the students will be warned beforehand, and alternative asynchronous teaching procedures will be put in place. If allowed by the official regulations, seminar-type interactive classes will continue to take place in person, in the classroom. A shift system will be implemented to regulate attendance if the classroom capacity does not allow a safe simultaneous presence of all students. Assessment tasks will have higher priority for the classroom usage. Tutorial activities may take place in the instructors’ offices or by telematic means, but a previous appointment will be required.
All other sections of this teaching guide remain unaffected for scenario 2.
In the event of a change to the scenario 3 the following changes are foreseen:
Methodology: all teaching activities will be telematic using the Microsoft Teams platform, and synchronous, according to the official teaching schedule. If synchronicity cannot be kept on some unexpected occasions the students will be warned beforehand, and alternative asynchronous teaching procedures will be put in place. Tutorial activities will also be telematic and will require a previous appointment.
Assessment system: it will take place 100% on a continuous basis and all activities will be done using telematic means, both through the Microsoft Teams system and the Moodle Campus Virtual platform.
Juan Jose Saborido Silva
Coordinador/a- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- Phone
- 881814109
- juan.saborido [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Cibran Santamarina Rios
- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- Phone
- 881814012
- cibran.santamarina [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Lecturer
Oscar Boente Garcia
- Department
- Particle Physics
- Area
- Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics
- oscar.boente [at] rai.usc.es
- Category
- Ministry Pre-doctoral Contract
| Monday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIS_02 | Galician | Classroom 130 |
| Tuesday | |||
| 19:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Galician, Spanish | Classroom 130 |
| Wednesday | |||
| 19:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIS_02 | Galician | Classroom 130 |
| Thursday | |||
| 19:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLIS_01 | Galician, Spanish | Classroom 130 |
| 01.22.2021 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 0 |
| 07.07.2021 09:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom C |