Department
of Physics and Optical Science
100 Burson Building
704-687- 2537
http://www.physics.uncc.edu
Degrees
M.S. (Applied Physics)
Coordinator
Dr. Robert K. Tyson
135-E
704-687-3399
rtyson@email.uncc.edu
Faculty
Yildirim Aktas - Associate Professor
Vasily Astratov - Assistant Professor
Thomas M. Corwin - Professor
Angela Davies - Assistant Professor
Faramarz Farahi - Professor
Michael A. Fiddy - Professor
Greg Gbur - Assistant Professor
Tsing-Hua Her - Assistant Professor
Billy F. Melton - Associate Professor
Patrick Moyer - Associate Professor
Jeff Naeini - Assistant Professor
M. Yasin Akhtar Raja - Associate Professor
Robert Splinter - Adjunct Assistant Professor
Thomas J. Suleski - Assistant Professor
Susan R. Trammell - Assistant Professor
Robert K. Tyson - Associate Professor
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED PHYSICS
The Applied Physics degree program is excellent preparation for those planning to continue their education through the Ph.D., either in physics or an engineering field, or for a career as an instructor in a two-year college. Students electing the Thesis Option will be well qualified for employment in industry or in a research laboratory.
While students have opportunities for research in optics, astronomy, plasma physics, and nuclear magnetic resonance, the research emphasis in the Department is in the area of applied optics. The Department of Physics and Optical Science is a major participant, and the administrative coordinator, of M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Optical Science and Engineering. These degree programs are interdisciplinary involving six science and engineering departments [Physics & Optical Science, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Engineering Science, and Computer Science], the Center for Optoelectronics & Optical Communications, and the Center for Precision Metrology. The program emphasizes basic and applied interdisciplinary education and research in areas of optics that include:
A complete description of the programs and course offerings in Optical Science and Engineering can be accessed at the web address http://optics.uncc.edu and under the OPTI listing in the Graduate Catalog.
Degree
Requirements
The Department of Physics and Optical Science has three concentrations within the M.S. in Applied Physics program that include both thesis and non-thesis degree options.
1) Applied Physics Concentration (Thesis or non-thesis option)
2) Applied Optics Concentration (Thesis option only),
3) Medical Physics Concentration (Non-thesis option only).
All degree options require the completion of 30 credit hours
approved by the Physics and Optical Science Department. A minimum of 15 credit
hours presented for the degree must be in courses numbered 6000 and above.
Courses for which undergraduate credit has been awarded may not be repeated for
graduate credit. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required on all coursework
attempted for the degree. At the time of admission up to 6 semester hours of
graduate transfer credit may be accepted if approved by the Department of
Physics and Optical Science and the
A student selecting the thesis option must present credit for at least 6 semester hours of PHYS 6991. The thesis defense is the final examination for a student selecting the thesis option.
A student selecting the non-thesis option must pass a final examination administered by the student’s Advisory Committee. Example questions relating to subject matter for the examination will be prepared by the Advisory Committee and given to the student at least 30 days prior to the examination date. The student will prepare responses to these questions and make an oral presentation to members of the Committee that is based upon the prepared responses. Committee members may question the student on any and all aspects of the relevant test material.
A student selecting the Medical Physics concentration should do so prior to enrolling. The Medical Physics concentration is designed for students wishing to pursue careers in such medical fields as radiology or medical imaging or as a research scientist/technician with companies developing and manufacturing medical equipment.
The medical physics concentration is designed to accept students having undergraduate majors in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Applicants for admission to the Medical Physics concentration must, as a minimum, present earned credit for the equivalent of the UNC Charlotte courses listed below.
PHYS 2101 and
PHYS 2101L Physics for Science and Engineering I - 4 credit hours
PHYS 2102 and
PHYS 2102L Physics for Science and Engineering II - 4 credit hours
PHYS 3101 Topics and Methods of General Physics - 3 credit hours
PHYS 3141 Introduction to Modern Physics - 3 credit hours
MATH 1241, 1242, 2241, 2242, and 2171 - 15 credit hours
CHEM 1251, 1251L, 1252, 1252L - Principles of Chemistry - 8 credit hours
Students lacking courses in anatomy and physiology will be required to take BIOL 1273 and 1273 Laboratory - Human Anatomy and Physiology - 4 credit hours. Students lacking courses in basic circuit theory and electronics will be required to take ECGR 2161 - Basic Electrical Engineering I - 3 credit hours.
A candidate for the degree must present credit for the following courses.
PHYS 6210 Theoretical Physics
PHYS 5232 Electromagnetic Theory II
PHYS 5242 Modern Physics II
PHYS 6261 Nuclear and Particle Physics
PHYS 6301 Radiation Detection, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis
PHYS 6302 Radiation Protection and Dosimetry
PHYS 6303 Imaging in Medicine
PHYS 6304 Physics of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiotherapy
PHYS 6401 Clinical Medical Physics (6 credit hours)
Entering students not having the equivalent of PHYS 4222, PHYS 4232, or PHYS 4242 are required to take PHYS 5222, PHYS 5232, and/or PHYS 5242, as appropriate, before the end of their first year of residence. A student may, with departmental approval, apply up to 9 semester hours from such related areas as Optics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering toward the 30 credit hour degree requirement.
Additional Admission Requirements
In addition to fulfilling the university's general requirements for graduate admission at the Master's level, applicants seeking admission into the M.S. in Applied Physics program must also:
1) Possess a Bachelor's degree in Physics, or a closely allied field, usually from an accredited college or university. Applicants from fields other than Physics may expect to be required to remove deficiencies in their physics background.
2) Present satisfactory scores on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination.
3) Possess an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all of the applicant's previous work beyond high school. The average in the major should be 3.0 or better.
4) Present satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, if the applicant is from a non- English speaking country.
5) Demonstrate evidence of sufficient interest, ability, and preparation in physics to adequately profit from graduate study, as determined by the Physics Department's Graduate Committee.
Admission
to Candidacy
In addition to the general requirements for admission to candidacy, students enrolled in the Master of Science program in Applied Physics program should have:
1) Removed all identified entrance deficiencies by the time of application for admission to candidacy,
2) Completed at least 18 approved credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or better, and
3) Selected a major advisor and formed an advisory committee.
Assistantships
Support for beginning graduate students is usually a teaching assistantship. Continuing students are often supported by research assistantships.
Comprehensive
Examination
All candidates for the degree must pass a final examination. The thesis defense is the final examination for those students who select the thesis option.
A student selecting the non-thesis option must pass a final examination administered by the student’s Advisory Committee. Subject matter for the examination will be prepared by the student’s Advisory Committee and given to the student at least 30 days prior to the examination date. The student will make an oral presentation to members of the Committee that is based upon the prepared response. Committee members may question the student on any and all aspects of the relevant test material.
Advisory
Committee
Each student in the M.S. in Applied Physics Program must have a major advisor and an advisory committee. The student should select a major advisor before the end of the first year of residency. The student and the major advisor jointly determine the advisory committee. The advisory committee must have at least 3 members, the majority of which must be from the Department of Physics and Optical Science. The major advisor and the advisory committee must be in place prior to applying for degree candidacy.
Courses in Physics
Any physics course at
the 5000 or 6000 level can be applied to the 30-hour requirement. Any other
courses to be applied toward the 30-hour-course requirement must be approved,
in advance, by the Physics Department. Courses approved by the Physics
Department as appropriate for meeting the 30-hour-degree requirement are listed
below. A minimum of 15 credit hours must be in courses with a 6000 number.
PHYS 5000. Selected Topics in Physics. (0-4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Selected advanced topics in physics. May be repeated with approval of the Department. (On demand)
PHYS 5210. Theoretical Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Topics include: Matrices, power series, solutions to ordinary and partial differential equations, Hilbert space, Fourier integrals, boundary value problems, Green's functions, and complex analysis. (Fall)
PHYS 5220. Computational Methods in Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Use of computers in solving physics problems including computational and mathematical methods to solve problems in classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, nuclear physics, optics, and solid state physics. Computer solutions include numerical methods of integration, solving differential equations, curve fitting, and statistical analysis in physics. (On demand)
PHYS 5222. Classical Mechanics II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 3121 and MATH 2241. Continuation of PHYS 3121. The second course of a two-semester sequence treating particle dynamics, the motion of systems of particles, rigid body motion, moving coordinate systems, Lagrange’s equations, Hamilton’s equations, and small oscillations. Three lecture hours a week. (Spring)
PHYS 5231.
PHYS 5232. Electromagnetic Theory II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4231. Continuation of PHYS 4231. The second course in a two-semester sequence. Topics include magnetostatics in free space and in matter, electromagnetic induction, vector and scalar potentials, magnetic properties of materials, Maxwell’s equations in free space and in matter, propagating electromagnetic waves, and boundary value problems. Three lecture hours a week. (Fall)
PHYS 5242. Modern Physics II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4241. An extension of PHYS 4241 to include more advanced topics such as generalized eigenvalue problems, angular momentum, spin, the hydrogen atom, and perturbation theory, with selected applications from atomic, solid state, and nuclear physics. Three lecture hours a week. (Spring)
PHYS 5271. Principles of Geometrical and Physical Optics. (3) Prerequisites: PHYS 2102 with a grade of C or better, senior standing, and MATH 2171. Exceptions by consent of the instructor. Topics include the mathematics of wave motion, light as an example of an electromagnetic wave, the superposition of periodic and non-periodic waves, and selected topics from geometrical and physical optics. (Fall)
PHYS 6101. Biophysics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Will include principles of physics relevant to biological media; electrical activity, optical microscopy, and spectrophotometry. Photosynthesis and light absorption. Models of blood flow and the cardiovascular system. Dynamics of membrane lipids and ionic flow. Visual and audio systems. Radiation biophysics, ultrasonic interaction in biological media. Credit cannot be awarded for both PHYS 6101 and 8101. (Fall)
PHYS 6121. Classical Dynamics. (3)
Prerequisite: PHYS 4222. Variational principles and Lagrange's equations.
PHYS 6131. Classical
PHYS 6132. Classical Electromagnetism II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 6131. Special theory of relativity. Dynamics of relativistic particles and electromagnetic fields. Charged particle collisions and scattering. Radiation by moving charges. Bremsstrahlung, virtual quanta, and beta decay theory. Multipole expansions and fields. Radiation damping. Self-fields of particles. Scattering and absorption of radiation by a bound system. (On demand)
PHYS 6141.
PHYS 6142. Quantum Theory II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 6141. Scattering theory, linear vector spaces, spin, two level systems. Quantum dynamics, symmetry operations, bound state and time-dependent perturbation theory. Theory of scattering, angular momentum, and identical particles. (On demand)
PHYS 6201. Fourier Optics. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4271 or consent of instructor. Principles of scalar, Fresnel, and Fraunhofer diffraction theory. Coherent optical imaging systems, optical filtering, optical data processing, and holography. Application of Fourier optics and holography. (Fall, Even Years)
PHYS 6210. Theoretical Physics. (3)
Prerequisite: Consent of Department. Topics include: Matrices, power series,
solutions to ordinary and partial differential equations, Hilbert space,
Fourier integrals, boundary value problems, Green's functions, and complex
analysis. (Fall)
PHYS 6211. Introduction to Modern Optics. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4271 or consent of department. Theory of laser oscillation, optical resonators, interaction of radiation and atomic systems, giant pulsed lasers, laser systems. Wave propogation in non-linear media, modulation of optical radiation, noise in optical detection and generation. Interaction of light and sound. Laser types and applications including the free-electron laser. (Spring)
PHYS 6220. Computational Methods in Physics. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 5210. Use of computers in solving physics problems including computational and mathematical methods to solve problems in classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, nuclear physics, optics, and solid state physics. Computer solutions include numerical methods of integration, solving differential equations, curve fitting, and statistical analysis in physics. (On demand)
PHYS 6221 Optical
PHYS 6241. Light Sources and Detectors. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS
4241 or consent of department. Wave nature of light, basic semiconductor
properties, light sources, light detectors and modulators, optical waveguides,
optical systems with applications, and selected topics in non-linear optics. (Fall, Odd Years)
PHYS 6251. Statistical Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Classical and quantum statistical mechanics. Statistical thermodynamics. Ensembles, partition functions, fluctuations, ideal Fermi and Bose gas systems. (On demand)
PHYS 6261. Nuclear and Particle Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Properties of nuclei, nuclear models, and interactions. Nuclear reactions, fission, and fusion. Alpha, beta, and gamma decay. One and two particle states. Relativistic kinematics, principle of invariance, quantum numbers, elementary particles and models. (On demand)
PHYS 6271. Advanced
PHYS 6281. Modern Optics Laboratory. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 3281 or consent of instructor. Selected experiments in such modern optics areas as fiber optics, holography, spectroscopy, and Fourier optics. Six laboratory hours each week. (Spring, Even Years)
PHYS 6301. Radiation Detection, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis. (3) Corequisites: PHYS 6261. Charged particle, neutron, and photon detection. Signal processing and data recording methods including techniques of data analysis and error propagation. The course will consist of two lectures and one two-hour laboratory each week. The course will emphasize application of radiation detectors used in radiotherapy and diagnostic radiology. Two lecture hours and one two-hour laboratory each week. (Fall)
PHYS 6302. Radiation Protection and Dosimetry. (3) Corequisites: PHYS 6261. Radiation dosimetry fundamentals including photon, electron, and neutron dosimetry. Radiation transport. Fundamentals of radiation protection and shielding. Assessment of effective dose. Three lecture hours per week. (Fall)
PHYS 6303. Imaging in Medicine. (3) Prerequisites: PHYS 6210 and PHYS 6301. The fundamental conceptual, mathematical, and statistical aspects of imaging science, and a survey from this formal viewpoint of various medical imaging modalities, including film‑screen radiography, positron and x‑ray computed tomography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. (Spring)
PHYS 6304. Physics of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiotherapy. (3) Prerequisites: PHYS 5210 and PHYS 6302. Physics of x‑ray diagnostic procedures and equipment Physics of the interaction of the various radiation modalities with body‑equivalent materials. Physical aspects of clinical applications including radiation therapy to cause controlled biological effects in patients. Three lecture hours per week. (Spring)
PHYS 6401. Clinical Medical Physics. (1-3) Prerequisite: Consent of Program Director. Eighty to one hundred supervised contact hours of clinical internship at a regional health care system. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours. Graded Pass/No-credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
PHYS 6991. Physics
PHYS 6992. Physics Thesis Research II. (1-4) Prerequisite: PHYS 6991 and consent of instructor. Research for the thesis. Graded pass/no-credit. May be repeated to accumulate a maximum of 4 hours credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
PHYS 7999. Graduate Residence (1) Required of all masters students who are working on or defending thesis projects, and/or are scheduled for comprehensive examinations, but who are not enrolled in other graduate courses. (Fall, Spring, Summer)
PHYS 8101. Biophysics. (3) See PHYS 6101 for Course Description.