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3rd year special degree courses

1st year | 2nd year | 3rd year general | 3rd year special | 4th year special
 

PH - Physics Special Degree
EP - Engineering Physics Special Degree
CP - Computational Physics Special Degree

  Compulsory courses
  Optional courses
  Available in the first semester
  Course is conducted throughout the academic year

 

Course Unit
Title
Credit Value
Type
PH
EP CP
PH3001 Quantum Mechanics I
3
45L
     
PH3007 Analogue and Digital Electronics II
3
45L
     
PH3008 Astronomy
3
45L
     
PH3030 Advanced Physics Laboratory I
6
180P
     
PH3032 Embedded Systems Laboratory
3
90P
     
PH3052 Electromagnetic Fields I
3
45L
     
PH3054 Classical Mechanics
3
45L
     
CS3001 Visual Programming
3
30L30P
     
CS3003 Computer Graphics and Image Processing
3
30L30P
     
CS3004 Computer Systems Architecture
2
30L
     
CS3005 Neural Computing
3
30L30P
     
CS3008 Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms
3
30L30P
     
CS3009 Database Management Systems
3
30L30P
     
PH3004 Nuclear Physics
3
45L
     
PH3002 Environmental Physics
3
45L
     
PH3058 Circuit Analysis and Simulation
3
30L30P
     
PH3033 Electronics Laboratory
3
90P
     
PH3020 Computational Physics Laboratory
2
60P
     
PH3021 Computational Physics Seminar
1
30P
     
PH3051 Instrumentation Physics
3
45L
     
PH3053 Statistical Physics
3
45L
     
PH3055 Data Acquisition and Signal Processing
3
45L
     
PH3057 Mathematical Physics I
3
45L
     
CS3007 Management Information Systems
3
45L
     

 

PH 3021: Computational Physics Seminar (30P, 1C)

Dependencies: CS 1001 and CS 1002 are strongly recommended

Syllabus: This course focuses on improving the self-learning and presentation skills of students. Students are supposed to study a specific topic in the area of Computational Physics and present their finding at a seminar.

Evaluation: One-hour seminar based on a summary report

Suggested Readings: Depends on the topic selected by the student

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PH 3030: Advanced Physics Laboratory I (180P, 6C)

Dependencies: PH 1020 and PH 2020 are strongly recommended.

Syllabus: Offered only to the Physics Special students. This course is focused on the methods of experimental Physics. Particular emphasis is placed on three aspects of experimentation: laboratory techniques, including both the execution and the documentation of an experiment; data analysis, including the treatment of statistical and systematic errors and computer-aided analysis of experimental data; and, written communication of experimental procedures and results. The concepts and skills of conducting experiments will be given gradually through a series of physics experiments. Statistical packages will be used for the analysis of the experimental data.

Assessment: Evaluation will be through continuous assessment

Suggested Readings: Refer the practical instruction sheets

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PH 3051: Instrumentation Physics (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: PH 1001, PH 1003, PH 2001, PH 2002, PH 2003 and PH 3004 are recommended

Syllabus: An introduction to instrumentation physics; Transducer as an electrical element; Modeling a transducer; Connecting transducer to circuit elements; Types of transducers/sensors: temperature transducers, optical transducers, displacement transducers, flow sensors, pressure sensors, strain gauges, electromagnetic induction transducers; Charged particle optics: charged particle/ion sources, ion/mass analyzers, magnetic ion deflector, quadrupole ion filter, time-of-flight technique, ion cyclotron resonance; Ion maneuvering techniques/devices: electrostatic lenses, electrostatic ion reflectors, time lag focusing technique, single ion selection techniques; Ionization detectors: ionization chamber, proportional counter, Geiger-Müller counter, multi-wire proportional chamber, drift chamber, time projection chamber; Scintillation detectors: types of scintillators and their properties, photo multipliers, light guides, practical aspects of scintillation detectors; Semi-conductor detectors: detector characteristics of a semi-conductor, Si-diode detector, position sensitive detector, Ge-detector, important parameters in the operation of semi-conductor detectors; Charged particle detectors: electron multiplier, channeltron, multi-channel plate; Charged coupled devices; Imaging techniques; Physical properties of vacuum: vacuum units, vacuum regions, flow regions, Knudsen number; Flow of gas through vacuum systems: conductance, coupling of conductance of tubes, effective pumping speed, general pump down equation; Sources of gas within a vacuum system; Mechanical pumps: rotary vane pump, rotary piston pump and lobe pump; High vacuum pumps: diffusion pump, turbo-molecular pump, cryogenic pump, ion pump; Vacuum gauges: thermal conductivity gauges, ionization gauges, hot cathode gauges, cold cathode gauges; Leak detection.

Assessment: End of semester written examination

Suggested Readings: Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments (W.R. Leo), Sensors and Transducers (Ian R. Sinclair)

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PH 3032: Embedded System Laboratory (90P, 3C)

Dependencies: PH1021, PH2021 & PH2001 are strongly recommended

Syllabus: Introduction to PIC microcontrollers: development cycle , language tools, simulators emulators and debuggers, programmers (hardware / software), boot loaders; Handling built-in peripherals: IO ports, interrupts, UART and serial communication, MSSP, PWM/Capture/Compare, ADC, analogue comparator, timers/counters, EEPROM, Flash memory; External Peripheral Integration: LED, SSD, switch, keypad, LCD, stepper motors, etc…; PCD Designing and constructing: schematic capture (Capture SIS), PCB art work Designing(Layout plus), PCB construction;

Assessment: Continuous assessment

Suggested Readings: Embedded C Programming and the Microchip PIC (Richard H. Barnett, Larry O'Cull)

Porject website

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PH 3052: Electromagnetic Fields I (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: PH 2003 is strongly recommended

Syllabus: Maxwell’s equations, scalar potential, Poisson’s and Laplace’s equations, uniqueness theorem, electrostatic potential energy, Boundary – Value problems in electrostatics; method of images, method of inversion, boundary – value problems with azimuthal symmetry, boundary – value problems in cylindrical and spherical coordinates, mixed boundary conditions, Time varying fields; conservation laws, vector and scalar potentials, gauge transformations, Poynting’s vector, Electromagnetic Waves; wave equation, dispersion of em waves, em waves in unbounded isotropic medium and good conductors, characteristic impedance, pressure of em waves, em waves in plasma and plasma frequency, em waves in ionosphere, Reflection of em waves; boundary conditions, Fresnel’s relations; reflection at air/dielectric interface, reflection at air/good conductor interface, Electromagnetic Radiation; radiation fields, radiated energy, Hertz potential, electric and magnetic dipole radiation, radiation from an accelerated charge, antennas, Wave guides; cut – off frequency, modes of propagation, wave impedance, Transmission lines; equation of telegraphy, characteristic impedance, voltage standing ratio, impedance matching and stub lines.

Assessment: End of semester written examination

Suggested Readings: Classical Electrodynamics (John David Jackson), Classical Electricity and Magnetism (W.K.H. Panofsky and M Philips), Electromagnetic Waves and Radiating Systems (Edward C. Jordan, Keith G. Balmain)

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PH 3053: Statistical Physics (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: PH1004 is strongly recommended

Syllabus: Basic probability theory, binomial distribution, fluctuations. Laws of Thermodynamics; second law and third law; Kinetic Theory of Gases; Maxwellian distribution, phase space and Boltzman canonical distribution. Statistical Mechanics; Basic concept of statistical mechanics, Boltzman, Fermi-Dirac and Bose Einstein statistics, statistic of classical limit, statistical mechanical interpretation of equilibrium state. Thermodynamics; statistical mechanical interpretation of the zeroth law and first law, reversible change, application of first law to statistical mechanics, statistical mechanical interpretation of second law, Carnot's theorem, absolute thermodynamical temperature scale, Gibb's paradox, thermodynamic potentials, Maxwell's relations, application of thermodynamics to surface tension, Gibbs-Helmholtz equation, Claussius-Clapeyron equation, vapour pressure curve, statistical mechanical interpretation of third law of thermodynamics, Quantum Statistics; Quantum statistics of gas like assemblies, statistical mechanics of ideal gases, statistical mechanics of conduction electrons in a metal, Fermi energy, Fermi temperature, thermal capacity, energy, pressure, degenerated Fermi gas, white dwarf stars, statistical mechanics of equilibrium radiation, Planck's formula, Wein's law, Stephan's law, pressure exerted by equilibrium radiation, energy emitted by a black body, thermodynamics of black body radiation.

Assessment: End of semester written examination

Suggested Readings: Heat and Thermodynamics (Gupta & Roy), Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics (Zemansky), Statistical Thermodynamics (Gupta)

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PH 3054: Semiconductor Devices and Optoelectronics (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: PH 2002 and PH 3001 are strongly recommended

Syllabus: Crystal structure of solids, Basic quantum mechanical concepts in crystalline solids, Semiconductors: The extrinsic semiconductor, Statistics of donors and acceptors, Charge neutrality, Fermi level, Carrier transport phenomena: Carrier drift and diffusion, Graded Impurity Diffusion, Non equilibrium excess carriers in semiconductors: Carrier generation and recombination, Surface effects, The p-n Junction: Basic structure of the p-n junction in equilibrium, Charge carriers in semiconductors, Zero applied bias, Reverse applied bias, Non-uniformly doped junctions, The p-n junction diode: Ideal current-voltage relationship, Small-signal model of the p-n junction, Generation-recombination currents, Junction breakdown, Solar cells, The tunnel diode, Metal-semiconductor and semiconductor hetero-junctions: The Schottky barrier diode, Metal-semiconductor ohmic contacts, The bipolar transistor: The bipolar transistor action, Minority carrier distribution, Low-frequency common base current gain, Equivalent circuit model, Frequency limitations, Large-signal switching, Fundamentals of the MOSFET: The two terminal MOS structure, Capacitance-voltage characteristics, The basic MOSFET operation, Frequency limitations, MOS Technology, The junction field effect transistor: JFET concepts, The device characteristics, Equivalent circuit and frequency limitations, Optoelectronics: Semiconductor hetero-structures, Optical absorption, emission and refraction processes in semiconductors, Light-emitting diodes, Semiconductor optical detectors, Optical modulators, Semiconductor lasers

Assessment: End of semester written examination

Suggested Readings: Semiconductor Physics and Devices (Michael Shur), Optoelectronics - An Introduction (J. Wilson, J.F.B. Hawkes)

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PH 3055: Data Acquisition and Signal Processing (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: PH 2001 is strongly recommended.

Syllabus: Elements of a computer controlled Data Acquisition system; Signals and Systems; continuous and discrete-time signals and their properties, Noise sources; spectral density and circuit calculations, pile-up effects, signal to noise ratio, Interference control and selectivity; passive and active filters, filter circuit design, ideal and non-ideal frequency selective filters, Sampling; reconstruction of signals, aliasing, discrete-time processing of continuous-time signals, Signal processing electronics; energy measurements, equivalent circuits of detectors, signal termination, charge amplification, voltage and current amplification, Timing methods and systems; leading edge trigger, zero crossing trigger, constant fraction trigger, Signal conversion electronics; Digital to Analogue Converters, Voltage to Frequency Converters, Analogue to Digital Converters, Time to Amplitude Converters, Time to Digital Converters, Multichannel Analyzers, Basic computer system organization, Microprocessor architecture; machine language and assembly language representation, computer arithmetic, Memory devices; semiconductor ROMs and RAMs, ROM applications, Static and Dynamic RAMs and their operations, input/output, Interfacing devices to the IBM PC; essentials of serial and parallel interfacing, interfacing sensors, signal conditioning, Microcontrollers; microcontroller applications in the laboratory, Computer controlled electronics; examples of data acquisition systems.

Assessment: End of semester written examination


Suggested Readings: Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments (W.R. Leo), Digital Systems (R.J. Tocci), Microprocessor Architecture, Programming and Applications (R.S. Gaonkar), Interfacing Sensors to the IBM PC (W.J. Tompkins and J.G. Webster)

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PH 3057 : Mathematical Physics I (45L, 3C)

Dependencies: AM 1001, AM 1002, AM 1003, AM 1004, AM 2001, AM 2002, AM 2005

Syllabus: Scalar and vector fields; potential theory, curvilinear co-ordinates. Partial differential equations and boundary conditions; method of separation of variables. Gamma and Beta functions. Analytical mechanics; generalized coordinates, forces and momentum, D’Alembarts principle, Lagrange and Hamiltonian equation of motion. Vector spaces: bases and co-ordinates, linear operators, change of bases, eigenvectors, diagonalization, principle axis transformation, Dirac notations, completeness relation, simultaneous eigenstates, unitary transformation, Schrödinger and Heisenberg equation of motion. Generalized eigenvalue problem; simultaneous reduction of two quadratic forms. Vibrating systems; oscillations with 2 or 3 degrees of freedom and many degrees of freedom, normal co-ordinates, harmonic oscillator, Hermite polynomials. Problems involving spherical and cylindrical systems; solution of Laplaces’ equation in spherical and cylindrical polar coordinates, potential problems. Sturm-Liouville theory on orthogonality functions. Dirac delta functions; properties, representations of delta functions, delta sequences and their properties. Variational method: Euler-Lagrange equation, applications, Hamiltonian principle, problems with constraints, Rayleigh-Ritz method.

Assessment: End of semester written examination

Suggested Readings: Mathematical Physics (E Butkov), Mathematical Methods for Physicists (G Arfken), Applied Mathematics (FB Hiderbrand).

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CS3052 Neural Computing (30L /30P,3C)

Dependencies: CS1001, CS1002, CS2001, CS2002

Syllabus: Comparison of conventional and neural computation, Overview of network architectures and learning paradigms, The McCullough-Pitts model, The Hebb rule, Perceptrons and their limitations, The sigmoid output function, Hidden units and feature detectors, Training by error backpropagation, The error surface and local minima, Generalisation and cross-validation, Hopfield energy function, Hopfield nets for optimization, Topographic maps in the brain, The Kohonen self-organising feature map.

Assessment: Assignments and written examination

Suggested Readings: Neural Networks: A Comprehensive Foundation, 2nd Edition, Simon Haykin, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0132733501, 1998, Neurocomputing, R. Hecht-Nielsen, Addison-Wesley Press , Neural Computing Architectures, I. Aleksander, North Oxford Academic Press , Neural Networks for Pattern Recognition, Christopher M. Bishop, Chris Bishop, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-853864-2,2000.

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Address: Department of Physics, University of Colombo, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka.
Telephone: +94-112-584-777
FAX: +94-112-584-777
E-mail: office@phys.cmb.ac.lk

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