PHYC 492/497  Intermediate Quantum Mechanics II   Spring 2014


General information          Course overview          Syllabus          Tentative schedule          Assignments          Exams


General information


Tuesday and Thursday, 12:30-13:45, P&A 5

The prerequisite is PHYC 491 (Intermediate Quantum Mechanics I).

Lectures (492):

Monday, 13:00-13:50, P&A 5

Problems (497):

Professor Akimasa Miyake

office: P&A 25,   email: amiyake_at_unm.edu,   office hours: Tuesday 14:00-16:00, otherwise you may arrange a meeting by appointment.

Instructor:

Adrian Chapman

office: P&A 30,   email: akchapman_at_unm.edu,   office hours: Thursday 10:00-12:00 by contacting him at his office. 

Teaching Assistant:

J. S. Townsend, "A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics," 2nd Edition (required)

Textbook:



Course overview


This is an upper-division course for quantum mechanics, and is a sequel to PHYC 491 "Intermediate Quantum Mechanics I" in Fall 2013. As seen in the syllabus, the basics of quantum mechanics are taught in a self-contained manner. The course is suitable for undergraduate or graduate students who like to obtain comprehensive understanding of quantum theory and to master its mathematical treatments from scratch. In case you do not satisfy the above prerequisites, you may still discuss a registration with the instructor. 

Its associated problems session PHYC 497 should be registered as well. It is quite important to do exercise, in order to digest notions and methods in quantum mechanics learned in the lectures. The session is used not only to help you to start assignments but also to have mid-term exams.

The final grade will be determined based on performance of mid-term exams and assignments (their weights are 65 % and 35 % respectively, for now). Their problems will be largely selected from the problems found at the end of chapters. Each mid-term exam is arranged after every chapter is completed. That is how you can study rather narrow, clearly-defined selections of materials for every exam, while they are still fresh in your mind. Overall it is expected that your learning is more effective and at the same time the load by the course is less stressful this way. 



Syllabus


We plan to finish the textbook over two semesters (Fall 2013 and Spring 2014), so it is expected that we cover the second half of materials in Spring. If time permits, I will explain briefly recent research activities related to quantum mechanics and quantum information.


  9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body problem   [Lecture note on the chapter 9]

10. Bound states of central potentials   [Lecture note on the chapter 10]

11. Time-independent perturbations   [Lecture note on the chapter 11]

12. Identical particles   [Lecture note on the chapter 12]

13. Scattering   [Lecture note on the chapter 13]

14. Photons and atoms   [Lecture note on the chapter 14]




Tentative schedule

Last updated on May 16, 2014

Dates
Subjects
Assignments/Exams
Jan. 20  Mon
 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
Jan. 21  Tue
overview

Jan. 23  Thu
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem: 9.1-9.3

Jan. 27  Mon

No problem session
Jan. 28  Tue
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem: 9.3-9.5

Jan. 30  Thu
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem:9.5-9.6

Feb. 3  Mon

No problem session
Feb. 4  Tue
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem:9.6-9.8

Feb. 6 Thu
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem:9.8-9.9
Assignment 1 is posted
Feb. 10  Mon

No problem session
Feb. 11  Tue
9. Translational and rotational symmetry in the two-body
              problem:9.9

Feb. 13  Thu
10. Bound states of central potentials: 10.1-10.2
Assignment 1 is due
Feb. 17  Mon

Mid-term exam 1, 12-14
Feb. 18  Tue
10. Bound states of central potentials: 10.2-10.3
Feb. 20  Thu
canceled by SQuInT workshop
Feb. 24  Mon
10. Bound states of central potentials:10.4  (Makeup class at 13)
Feb. 25  Tue
10. Bound states of central potentials:10.5
Feb. 27  Thu
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.1 Assignment 2 is posted
Mar. 3  Mon

No problem session
Mar. 4  Tue
canceled by APS March meeting
Mar. 6  Thu
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.1-11.3 Assignment 2 is due
Mar. 10  Mon

Mid-term exam 2, 12-14
Mar. 11  Tue
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.3-11.4
Mar. 13  Thu
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.4-11.5
Mar. 17  Mon
Spring break
Mar. 18  Tue
Spring break
Mar. 20  Thu
Spring break
Mar. 24  Mon

No problem session
Mar. 25  Tue
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.5-11.6
Mar. 27  Thu
11. Time-independent perturbations: 11.6-11.7 Assignment 3 is posted
Mar. 31  Mon

No problem session
Apr. 1  Tue
12. Identical particles: 12.1

Apr. 3  Thu
12. Identical particles: 12.2 Assignment 3 is due
Apr. 7  Mon

Mid-term exam 3, 12-14
Apr. 8  Tue
12. Identical particles: 12.2-12.3
Apr. 10  Thu
12. Identical particles:12.3 Assignment 4 is posted
Apr. 14  Mon

No problem session
Apr. 15  Tue
12. Identical particles:12.4
Apr. 17  Thu
13. Scattering: 13.1 Assignment 4 is due
Apr. 21  Mon

Mid-term exam 4, 12-14
Apr. 22  Tue
13. Scattering: 13.2
Apr. 24  Thu
13. Scattering: 13.3-13.4
Apr. 28  Mon

No problem session
Apr. 29  Tue
13. Scattering: 13.4-13.5
May 1  Thu
14. Photons and Atoms: 14.1
Assignment 5 is posted
May 5  Mon

No problem session
May 6  Tue
14. Photons and Atoms:14.2
May 8  Thu
14. Photons and Atoms:14.3 Assignment 5 is due
May 15 Thu  
final week
Mid-term exam 5, 10-12



Assignments


Students may study subjects of assignments together, but everyone is expected to prepare his/her original answer sheets.

1. Assignment due on February 13 (Thu)  [Problems: 9.7, 9.10, 9.17, 9.19, 9.20   Solutions posted on Feb. 14]

2. Assignment due on March 6 (Thu)  [Problems: 10.1, 10.3, 10.4, 10.12, 10.18   Solutions posted on Mar. 7]

3. Assignment due on April 3 (Thu)  [Problems: 11.3, 11.5, 11.9, 11.16, 11.18   Solutions posted on Apr. 4]

4. Assignment due on April 17 (Thu)  [Problems: 12.2, 12.3, 12.7, 12.8, 12.10   Solutions posted on Apr. 18]

5. Assignment due on May 8 (Thu)  [Problems: 13.2, 13.4, 13.8, 13.10, 14.5  Solutions posted on May 9]




Exams


Mid-term exams are held during the Monday problems session in a closed-book format. No communication with other students is allowed during the exams.

1. Mid-term exam, 12:00-14:00 on February 17 (Mon)  [Materials covered in the chapter 9   Solutions]

2. Mid-term exam, 12:00-14:00 on March 10 (Mon)  [Materials covered in the chapter 10   Solutions]

3. Mid-term exam, 12:00-14:00 on April 7 (Mon)  [Materials covered in the chapter 11   Solutions]

4. Mid-term exam, 12:00-14:00 on April 21 (Mon)  [Materials covered in the chapter 12   Solutions]

5. Mid-term exam, 10:00-12:00 on May 15 (Thu) at Room 5   [Materials taught in the class about the chapters 13 and 14   Solutions]