This week: two state qunatum mechanical systems. Spin 1/2 and rotations, time independent perturbations, time dependent perturbations leading to emission and absorption, NMR and MASERS. Music: “Summer Wind” by Lyle Lovett, “Frank’s Wild Years” by Tom Waits and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Two State Systems

This week, we think about different time scales: atomic, cosmological, sub-atomic, geological and human. We also think about how to make your computer go faster. Music: Theme from James Bond, “Only You” and “Kawika” from The Sunday Manoa.
Time Scales

The first of a mini series which focuses on specific topics in physics. This week, the Simple Harmonic Oscillator, classical and quantum mechanical.
SHO

Making outlines, useful textbooks and more. To start: sit down with your notes or the text from your undergraduate class and make an outline.

Outlines

Things you may not know about the exam and how to overcome the most common pitfall in approaching it. THE KEY: start now, eighteen weeks before the exam and study 1/2 hour each day until further notice.
Religiously

Classical mechanics: Lagrangians (with and without constraints), Hamiltonians, generalized coordinates, Newton’s laws, momentum and energy conservation.

Mechanics

Quantum mehanical hydorgen atom: Bohr model, unperturbed Schrodinger model, Stark, relativistic, fine and Zeeman perturbations, interaction with radiation field and hyperfine transitions. Music: “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger and “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen.
Hydrogen

Not nearly enough about E&M, based on Prucell. Electrostatics, relation of E, B and relativity, waves and circuits. Music: “Now’s the Time” by Charlie Parker, “Ashokan Farewell” by Fiddle Fever.
E&M

Kinematics, impact parameter, differential and total cross section, scattering of electromagnetic waves, 1 dimensional quantum mechanical scattering, Born approximation and optical theorem. Music: “Alphabet Street” by Prince, “American Pie” by Don McLean.
Scattering

Finis! Closing thoughts and some exam strategies from Georg Polya. Music: “Operator” by the Grateful Dead and “Lobachevsky (Plagerize!)” by Tom Lehrer.
Strategy