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1. Overview
2. Courses at a
glance 3. Faculty
Overview
Physics Honours is a rigourous three-year
programme designed to train students to become scientists. A
three-year sequence in mathematical physics supports courses in
classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, thermodynamics, optics,
quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and solid-state physics.
Theory courses are reinforced by labs. Physics is complemented by
pure mathematics, electronics, and chemistry.
What makes the physics experience at St
Stephen’s special, over and above the syllabus (the same in all of
Delhi University), are – the dedication of its teachers, the quality
of its students, and the unique atmosphere of the college. At their
best our teachers require their students to learn honestly, think
independently, recognize quality, and develop the confidence to
create rather than merely reproduce. At their best our
students keep their teachers and one another on their feet. The
quality of the students gives the teachers the freedom to go beyond
the confines of the syllabus, whether in practical matters like
computational physics and error analysis or recondite matters like
path integrals in quantum mechanics. Students do projects to explore
areas off the charted path. Teachers and students alike work hard
and think hard. And yet, there is an atmosphere of joyful
camaraderie in the department. Though the pressure of tests and
projects cannot be denied, it is not relentless – there is time
enough for discussion and dreaming, for participation in
extra-curricular activities, and for fun and fellowship. In keeping
with Stephanian tradition physics students get a lot of personal
attention from teachers, an important source of encouragement and
guidance.
Outside the classroom we have the Physics
Society. It organizes an annual lecture series by a distinguished
scientist. Students compete at paper presentation and problem
solving. It runs a forum called the Feynman Club at which students,
old students, and visitors present ideas and discoveries in physics.
It owns a couple of small telescopes, much used in some years. It
organizes trips to national labs and observatories (and hill
stations!).
The Stephanian physics experience reaches
beyond the College into the research institutes – IISc, IMSc, HRI,
SINP, JNCASR, and others – where many of our students get a taste of
real science through summer projects.
At the end of three years at St Stephen’s our
better students have a roundedness and solidity that most recent
graduates do not. A significant fraction of our students do PhDs at
places like TIFR, IISc, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Oxford and
Cambridge, and go on to become scientists. The analytical skills
learnt by our students prove useful also to those who move into
fields like computer science, engineering, geophysics, economics,
and finance.
A student wishing to join BSc (Hons) Physics
needs to have done physics, chemistry, and mathematics at the higher
secondary level. Familiarity with differentiation and integration is
required, as all first-year courses are calculus-based.
Courses at a
Glance (For the detailed syllabus ,
click here) BACK TO TOP
First year
Mathematical Physics I – Vector
analysis and vector calculus; curvilinear coordinates; multiple
integrals; ordinary differential equations; Fourier series; calculus
of variations; theory of errors.
Mechanics – Newtonian Mechanics:
extensive study of the laws of motion and the accompanying
conservation principles, with applications ranging from projectile
motion through the harmonic oscillator to planetary motion. Physics
is accelerated frames. The special theory of relativity in
mechanics. (Standard textbook: Kleppner & Kolenkow.)
Electricity & Magnetism –
Electrostatics, the study of the electric field for static charge
distributions. Magnetostatics, the study of the magnetic field for
static current distributions. Establishment of electric and magnetic
fields as fundamental quantities. The electric and magnetic fields
in matter. Electric circuits. (Standard text: first half of
Griffiths.)
Mathematics I – Rigorous real analysis,
from a purely mathematical point of view.
Chemistry – Molecular bonding, solids,
coordination chemistry, general organic and functional group
chemistry.
Linear and Digital Integrated Circuits and
Instruments – Integrated circuits,
operational amplifiers, Boolean algebra,
digital circuits, flip-flops and
sequential circuits, A/D and D/A converters, 555 timer and
electronic instruments.
Physics Lab I – Experiments in
mechanics, electric circuits, heat. Basic understanding of errors.
Chemistry Lab – Experiments in
inorganic, physical, and organic chemistry.
English – Qualifying paper
Second year
Mathematical Physics II – Complex
analysis upto contour integration, solution of ordinary differential
equations by series methods, special functions, solution of partial
differential equations by separation of variables.
Thermal Physics – Kinetic theory of
gases: the molecular point of view, Brownian motion, transport
phenomena. Classical thermodynamics: establishment of the laws and
application to a variety of situations including phase transitions.
Vibrations & Wave Optics – Coupled
oscillators, vibrating string, wave equations, pulses and wave
packets. Coherence, interference and diffraction, both intuitive and
rigorous approaches.
Quantum Mechanics & Nuclear Physics –
Establishing the need for QM, its postulates, Schrodinger’s equation
with applications to one-dimensional problems, including the
harmonic oscillator, and to the hydrogen atom. Introduction to
angular momentum in QM. The nucleus: liquid-drop model, shell model,
radioactivity.
Mathematics II – More rigorous real
analysis. Probability & statistics.
Computer Fundamentals & Programming –
Basics of computer architecture. Microprocessor architecture and
operations. Programming in Pascal. Numerical methods in differential
and integral calculus, including methods for solving ordinary
differential equations. Understanding errors in computational
methods.
Physics Lab II – Experiments in optics
using the spectrometer and other instruments, in electricity using
the ballistic galvanometer, and in heat. Thorough understanding or
errors.
Microprocessor & Computer Lab – Logic
gates, electronics, microprocessor assembly and programming, Pascal
programming.
Third year
Mathematical Physics III – Vector spaces
and matrices, tensor analysis, Fourier and Laplace transforms.
Electromagnetic Theory – Maxwell’s
equations, gauge transformations, energy, momentum and angular
momentum of the field. Electric and magnetic fields at boundaries
between dielectrics and at conductors. Wave guides and optical wave
guides. Polarization.
Statistical Physics – Fundamentals of
classical statistical physics, black-body radiation, lasers. Quantum
statistical physics, with applications of ideal Bose and Fermi
gases.
Physics of Materials – Crystallography.
Elementary lattices dynamics. Magnetic and dielectric properties of
matter. Introduction to band theory, Hall effect, and
superconductivity.
Electronic Devices: Physics and Applications
– DC and AC
circuit analysis, semiconductor physics, amplifiers,
oscillators, modulation and demodulation.
Modern Chemistry – Quantum chemistry and
molecular spectra (rotational, vibrational, Raman and electronic).
OR
Economics – Introduction to
microeconomics and macroeconomics.
Physics Labs III & IV – Experiments on
the magnetic field, polarization, fundamental constants, properties
of matter. Experiments on powers supplies, transistor applications,
op-ams, modulation, multivibrators and sweep circuits, transducers,
and networks.
FACULTY BACK TO TOP
Dr. R.K.
Garg (Head of the Department)
Dr. D. L. Katyal
Dr.Bikram Phookun
PhD - 1993 - Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland - A
Study of One-Armed Spiral Galaxies
MSc - 1987 - Department of Physics, University of Delhi (St
Stephen's College)
BSc (H) - 1985 - Department of Physics, St Stephen's College
(University of Delhi)
Currently:
Editorial board of Resonance
Associated with the Physics Olympiad for the purpose of question
setting.
Other Interests: trekking
Joined College as a teacher in 1996
bphookun@yahoo.com
Dr. Sanjay Kumar
B.Sc. (Honors) Physics 1984 (St. Stephen’s College)
M.Sc. Physics 1986 (Delhi University)
PhD Physics 1997 (Purdue University)
Research Interests: Gravitational Physics
Other Interests: Hiking, Biking, Philosophy of Science
Dr. Vikram Vyas
B.Sc (Physics) Delhi University
M. Sc (Physics) I. I. T. Bombay
Ph. D. (Boston University) 1990
Thesis: Renormalization Group Approach to
Mult-Grid Algorithms in Lattice QCD
Research Interests:
My current research interest is in understanding the theory of
strong interaction, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), using string
theory.
Associate of the Abdus Salam International
Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy (1999-2005)
Dr. Abhinav Gupta
Dr. Jacob Cherian
PhD Physics Experimental High Energy Physics (Jadavpur University)
Life Member, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS)
Interests: Electronics
Other Interests: Social Work
jacob1.cherian@gmail.com
Dr. Sangeeta Sachdeva
M.Sc. Delhi University (DU)
M.Tech. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi
PhD Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi (“Mechanical
Properties of Thin Films”)
Interests: Electronics
sangeeta.s21@gmail.com
Dr. Geetanjali Sethi
M.Sc. Delhi University (DU)
PhD Delhi University (DU) (Thesis: “Early
Universe Cosmology”)
Interests: Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) studies
getsethi@gmail.com
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