Scholar
Welcome to Scholar. This is an experiment in putting lecture notes online.
It's a work in progress and material is being added and improved all the time.
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I teach or have taught a variety of courses in physics including classical physics, advanced quantum theory, and advanced physics units on probability and symmetry in physics
News: posts on Scholar
Threads
Threads weave a path through the collection of articles. They correspond to a course or part of a course.
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A course on quantum measurement theory aimed at MRes and PhD level.
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The classical theory for oscillations and waves, and an introduction to quantum wave mechanics. Pitched at a second year university level.
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Exploration of the role of probability in various areas of physics
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A course on quantum theory, concentrating on the structure of quantum mechanics as a basis of physical theory rather than the quantum physics of particular systems. We take a Hilbert space approach.
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Exploration of the role of symmetry in physics. Covering topics from the principle of stationary action, Lagrangians, Hamiltonians and Noether’s theorem.
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The physics and mathematics of rotating systems.
Recently updated articles
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The continuum limit of the loaded string is derived, arriving at the one dimensional wave equation.
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Coupling together two or more oscillators introduces a whole new level of complexity. It turns out that there is a particular way of looking at the system that makes it simple to solve the motion.
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When an oscillator is driven at just the right frequency it hits resonance and absorbs energy from the driving. The details of resonance for a driven and damped harmonic oscillator are explored.
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Energy of the damped harmonic oscillator is described. The Q of an oscillator.
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The solution to a damped oscillator with a periodic driving force is derived.
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The solutions to the harmonic oscillator with a velocity dependant drag force are derived. The relaxation time for the oscillator is defined.
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The Lotka-Voltera equations are a very simple model of predator-prey dynamics. They lead to oscillatory behaviour in both populations.
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The equations of motion and solutions are derived for the simple pendulum and a general pendulum. Dynamical maps are introduced as a way of handling nonlinear oscillators.
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The motion for a harmonic oscillator is derived using Newton’s second law. Different parametrizations of the solution, the velocity, acceleration and energy are also determined.
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An extremely simplified model of a cat (just four masses!) is presented, following Putterman and Raz [Am. J. Phys. 76, 1040 (2008)]. This simple model is enough to show how a deformable body is able to rotate itself despite conserving angular momentum.