Physics 3200B

Quantum Mechanics I

2012-2013

Prof. Richard A. Holt Room 232, P&AB E-mail (preferred): rholt at uwo dot ca Phone: 519-661-2187 (from campus: 82187) Office hours: Feel free to drop in anytime. Usually we can talk then, but if I’m busy we’ll make an appointment. Alternatively, e-mail or phone ahead to set a time.

COURSE INFORMATION

· Course Description (from UWO Calendar):

Physics 3200A/B Quantum Mechanics I

The Schrödinger equation in one dimension, wave packets, stationary states, the harmonic oscillator, the postulates of Quantum Mechanics, operators and eigenvalue equations, angular momentum, the hydrogen atom.
Antirequisite(s): Chemistry 3374A/B.  

Prerequisite(s): Physics 2101A/B and 2102A/B, or Physics 2128A/B and 2129A/B; Physics 2110A/B.

Corequisite(s):

Pre-or Corequisite(s):

Extra Information: 3 lecture hours, 0.5 course.

Note: Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

· Lectures: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 1:30 – 2:20 pm, Physics & Astronomy Building (P&AB) Room 34

· Textbook: There will be no specific textbook. I will post my lecture notes on OWL (Sakai).

· Teaching Assistants: Fereshte Rajabi frajabi2 (at) uwo (dot) ca

· Course Content (tentative):

· The Schrödinger Equation in One Dimension

· Stationary States and the Time-Independent Schrödinger Equation

· Hermitian Operators, Eigenstates, Eigenfunction Expansions, Measurements

· Matrix Representations, Dirac Notation

· Angular Momentum

· The Measurement Problem, Entanglement, Quantum Information Science

· The Three-Dimensional Schrödinger Equation, the Hydrogen Atom

· Assignments: These will consist of problems to be worked out and handed in for marking. Late assignments will be docked 10% for each working day late. There will be approximately five assignments.

· Mid-Term Test: There will be one 2.5-hour test near the middle of the term. It may consist of both short-answer conceptual questions and longer problems to be worked out. It is very important to explain your reasoning! A formula sheet will be supplied.

· Final Exam: There will be a 3-hour cumulative final exam during the April exam period. The format will be similar to that of the Mid-Term Test.

· Grading:

· Assignments 17.5%

· Mid-Term Test 37.5%

· Final Exam 45.0%

The Department of Physics and Astronomy may, in exceptional cases, adjust the final course marks in order to conform to Departmental policy.

Accessibility: Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 661-2111 x 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

Religious holidays: When scheduling unavoidably conflicts with religious holidays which (a) require an absence from the University or (b) prohibit or require certain activities (i.e., activities that would make it impossible for the student to satisfy the academic requirements scheduled on the day(s) involved), no student will be penalized for absence because of religious reasons, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirements involved. If a suitable arrangement cannot be worked out between the student and instructor involved, they should consult the appropriate Department Chair and, if necessary, the student's Dean.

It is the responsibility of such students to inform themselves concerning the work done in classes from which they are absent and to take appropriate action.

A student who, for either of the situations outlined in paragraph one above, (a) or (b), is unable to write examinations and term tests on a Sabbath or Holy Day in a particular term shall give notice of this fact in writing to his or her Dean as early as possible, but not later than November 15 for mid-year examinations and March 1 for final examinations, i.e., approximately two weeks after the posting of the mid-year and final examination schedule respectively. In the case of mid-term tests, such notification is to be given in writing to the instructor within 48 hours of the announcement of the date of the mid-term test. If a Special Examination is offered as an alternative means to satisfy the academic requirements, the instructor(s) in the case of mid-term tests and the Dean in the case of mid-year and Spring final examinations will arrange for special examination(s) to be written at another time. In the case of mid-year and Spring final examinations, the accommodation must occur no later than one month after the end of the examination period involved. It is mandatory that students seeking accommodations under this policy give notification before the deadlines and that the Faculty accommodate these requests.

For purposes of this policy the University has approved a list of dates which are recognized religious holidays which require members of those religions to be absent from the University; this list is updated annually and is available at Departmental, Deans' and Faculty advising offices.

Make-up Policy: If you are unable to meet a course requirement due to illness or other serious circumstances, you must provide valid medical or other supporting documentation to the Dean's office as soon as possible and contact your instructor immediately. It is the student's responsibility to make alternative arrangements with their instructor once the accommodation has been approved and the instructor has been informed. In the event of a missed final exam, a "Recommendation of Special Examination" form must be obtained from the Academic Counselling office of their home faculty.

For UWO Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness, see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf.

A student requiring academic accommodation due to illness should use the Student Medical Certificate [see: https://studentservices.uwo.ca/ under the Medical Documentation heading for a downloadable SMC] when visiting an off-campus medical facility, or request a Records Release Form (available in the Academic Counselling office) for visits to Student Health Services.

Students seeking academic accommodation on medical grounds for any missed tests, exams, participation components and/or assignments worth 10% or more of their final grade must apply to the Academic Counselling office of their home Faculty and provide documentation. Academic accommodation cannot be granted by the instructor or department.

For any component worth less than 10%, you must apply to the Instructor for accommodation, and provide documentation.

Final Examination: In accordance with Senate Policy, a Special Examination will be held within thirty days of the regular final examination for students who are unable to write the regular examination for medical or other documented reasons. Requests for such a Special Examination must be made to the Associate Dean, Faculty of Science.

Note that if you fail to write a scheduled Special Examination, permission to write another Special Examination will be granted only with the permission of the Academic Counselling Office in exceptional circumstances and with appropriate supporting documents. In such a case, the date of this Special Examination normally will be the scheduled date for the final exam the next time the course is offered.

Academic misconduct:

Cheating:  Scholastic offenses are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offense, at the following Web site:

http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

Plagiarism:  Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea, or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or citations. Plagiarism is a major academic offence (see Scholastic Offence Policy in the Western Academic Calendar).

Complaints and Suggestions: If you have a concern about something, please let us know. We rely on your feedback. Please contact initially the person most directly concerned; this will usually be your instructor. If that is not satisfactory, or if there is something more general bothering you, talk it over with the Physics & Astronomy Department Chair or the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies (for contact information see http://www.physics.uwo.ca ).