Department

Department of Physics

Raymond Hall, Chair
McLane Hall, Room 173
559.278.2371
FAX: 559.278.7741
www.fresnostate.edu/physics

Degrees and Programs Offered

BS in Physics, B.S.
BS in Biomedical Physics, B.S.
CRED in Single Subject Credential - Physical Science
MN in Physical Science, Minor
MN in Physics, Minor
MN in Medical Physics, Minor
MN in Astronomy, Minor
MS in Physics, M.S.

The Department of Physics has an active theoretical physics program that focuses on gravitational physics and field theory. We have ongoing collaborations with several international research groups including the Institute of Applied Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, the Center for Gravitation and Fundamental Metrology (VNIIMS) at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, and the Universidad de Costa Rica. Our students in this area regularly attend national and international conferences to give talks, and they are active in publishing their research work in refereed journals. Several international researchers have visited our department and engaged in collaborative research, colloquia, and seminars.

Courses

Physics

EHD 154B. Final Student Teaching Seminar - Physical Science

Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in EHD 155B. Seminar to accompany final student teaching that provides opportunities for candidates to investigate and discuss variety of topics and strategies and to reflect on issues that surface during their student teaching experience.

Units: 1

EHD 155B. Studt Tchg P Sci

Prerequisites: admission to student teaching, EHD 155A, CI 161 (or concurrently, depending on major departmental policy); senior or post baccalaureate standing; approval of major department including subject matter competency approval; completion of the subject matter preparation program or passing the subject matter examination(s) designated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Supervised teaching in single subject classroom; assignment is for the full day; five days per week. CR/NC grading only.

Units: 5-10, Repeatable up to 999 units
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 2A. General Physics

Prerequisites: DS 71 or MATH 75 or MATH 70 (or permission to register from department office). Topics and concepts in Newtonian mechanics of point particles and rigid bodies, energy, properties of fluids, heat and thermodynamics, waves and sound. G.E. Breadth B1. (3 lecture, 3 lab hours) (CAN PHYS 2)

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
GE Area: B1

PHYS 2B. General Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 2A. Topics and concepts in light, electricity, magnetism, atomic structure, relativity, quantum nature of light and matter, nuclear structure and radiation. (3 lecture, 3 lab hours) (CAN PHYS 4)

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 4A. Mechanics and Wave Motion

Prerequisite: G.E. Breadth B4; MATH 76 (may be taken concurrently). Topics in classical Newtonian mechanics including linear and circular motion; energy; linear and angular momentum; systems of particles; rigid body motion; fluids; gravity; wave motion and sound. G.E. Breadth B1 when taken with PHYS 4AL.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
GE Area: B1

PHYS 4AL. Laboratory in Mechanics and Wave Motion

Corequisite: PHYS 4A. Introduction to laboratory methods. Experiments in mechanics, waves, and sound. G.E. Breadth B1. (3 lab hours)

Units: 1
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
GE Area: B1

PHYS 4B. Electricity, Magnetism, and Heat

Prerequisites: PHYS 4A; MATH 77 (may be taken concurrently). Topics in classical physics including heat and thermodynamics, electrostatics, electric fields and potential, currents and AC and DC electric circuits, magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 4BL. Laboratory in Electricity, Magnetism, and Heat

Corequisite: PHYS 4B. Experiments in electricity, magnetism, heat, and thermodynamics. (3 lab hours)

Units: 1
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 4C. Light and Modern Physics

Prerequisites: PHYS 4B, MATH 77. Maxwell's Equations, geometrical optics; electromagnetic radiation; physical optics; introduction to special relativity; quantum physics; and the physics of atoms, nuclei, and the solid state.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 10. Conceptual Physics

Prerequisite:G.E. Foundation B4 (except for those with declared majors in the College of Science and Mathematics.) Basic ideas of physics and their relationship to the everyday environment. Physical phenomena, misconceptions, terminology, scientific method, and metric system. Memorable demonstrations in lectures; household-related experiments in the lab. G.E. Breadth B1. (3 lecture, 2 lab hours)

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
GE Area: B1

PHYS 90. Directed Study

Prerequisite: any university-level physics or physical science course. Individually arranged course of study in some limited area of physics, either to remove a deficiency or to in vestigate in more depth. (1-2 hours to be arranged)

Units: 1-2, Repeatable up to 3 units
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 100. Concepts of Quantum Physics

Prerequisites: G.E. Foundation and Breadth Area B. Key discoveries in Quantum physics and conceptual development of quantum theory. Lecture demonstration of experiments, graphical visualization of theory, hi-tech applications. G.E. Integration IB (3 lecture hours)

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring
GE Area: IB

PHYS 102. Modern Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 4C; MATH 81 (may be taken concurrently). Fundamental concepts of atomic and nuclear structure, transitions and radiation. Includes discussions of relativistic mechanics, quantum mechanics, solid state physics. Special topics as they pertain to modern developments in physic, engineering, and chemistry.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 104. Experimental Techniques in Condensed Matter Physics

Prerequisites: PHYS 4C. Shop techniques and safety instructions. Basic concepts in condensed matter physics. Measurements of conductivity, energy gap in semiconductors, drift mobility, Hall coefficients, photoconductivity, magnetic susceptibilities, excition spectra, dieletric loss. Experience in X-ray diffraction, vacuum technology, thin-film deposition, and low temperature techniques. (1 lecture, 9 lab hours)

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 105A. Analytical Mechanics

Prerequisite: PHYS 4C: MATH 81 (may be taken concurrently). (A) Analytical and vector treatment of the fundamental principles of statics, kinematics, and dynamics. Prerequisite: PHYS 105A. (B) Advanced dynamics; harmonic motion, central force fields, and Lagrange's equations.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 105B. Analytical Mechanics

Prerequisite: PHYS 105A. (B) Advanced dynamics; harmonic motion, central force fields, and Lagrange's equations.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 107A. Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism

Prerequisites: PHYS 105A, MATH 81. (A) Mathematical analysis of electrostatics and magnetostatics, Gauss'law, solutions of Laplace's equation, images, theory of conduction, magnetic potentials. (B) Prerequisites: PHYS 107A. Motion of ions in electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations and wave propagation, electron theory, and magnetic properties.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 107B. Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism

Prerequisites: PHYS 107A. Motion of ions in electric and magnetic fields, electgromagnetic induction, Maxwell's equations and wave propagation, electron theory, and magnetic properties.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 110. Physical Optics

Prerequisites: PHYS 4C, MATH 81. Theory of optical phenomena; wave theory of light with applications to optical instruments; interference and diffraction phenomena, dispersion, polarization, coherence, and laser phenomena. Practical experience in using lasers and optical instruments. (2 lecture, 3 lab hours)

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 115. Quantum Mechanics

Prerequisites: PHYS 102, PHYS 105A, MATH 81. PHYS 170A strongly recommended. Historical background, postulates, meaning, and methods of quantum mechanics; applications to atomic phenomena.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 135. Introduction to Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy

Prequisites: PHYS 4A, PHYS 4AL, PHYS 4B, PHYS 4BL and PHYS 4C. Introduction to fundamentals of nuclear magnetic resonance and application in imaging and spectroscopy in-vivo. T1, T2, PD-weighted images, spin echo sequence, artifacts in images, and clinical applications of cerebral metabolites in 1D neurospectroscopy. Lab at VACCHCS. (3 lecture hours, 3 lab hours).

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 136. Radiation Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 102. The interaction of radiation with matter: photoelectric, Compton and pair production processes, neutron and charged particle interactions, linear energy transfer, quality factor, attenuation coefficients, shielding. Biological effects, RBE, internal dose, permissible exposures, beneficial application. Instrumentation.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 137. Radiation Measurements Laboratory

Prerequisite: PHYS 136. Advanced experiments in atomic and nuclear physics. Radiation safety. Gamma ray, X-ray, and particle detection and spectroscopy. Application of Gas-filled detectors, Scintillators and High Purity Germanium Detectors. Statistics and error analysis. (1 lecture, 4 lab hours). Formerly PHYS 130.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 140. Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory

Prerequisite: PHYS 102, MATH 81. Fundamental concepts and laws of classical thermodynamics. Rudiments of kinetic theory and statistical thermodynamics with application to physical and chemical systems.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 150. Astrophysics

Prerequisites: PHYS 4C. Introduction to celestial mechanics, spectral classification, stellar atmospheres and interiors, star formation and evolution, variable stars, neutron stars, pulsars, black holes, the nature of galaxies, and the expansion of the universe.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 151. Observational Astronomy

Prerequisites: PHYS 4C. Celestial coordinates, time, stellar motions, constellations, star charts, catalogs, astronomical sources, observational limits, telescopes, detectors, atmospheric effects, digital image processing, photometry, and spectroscopy. (3 lecture, 3 lab hours). (Formerly PHYS 175T)

Units: 4
Course Typically Offered: Fall

PHYS 155. Seminar in Biomedical Physics/Neurosciences

Prerequisite: Biomedical Physics Major or permission of the Department Chair. One-to-one interaction with invited speakers giving talks onthe state-of-the-art in medical imaging including MR, CT, PET, SPECT, etc, new radiation oncology systems such as CYBERKNIFE, IMRT, etc, neurobiology, radiobiology, and molecular imaging.

Units: 1, Repeatable up to 2 units

PHYS 156. Diagnostic X-Ray Imaging Physics

Pre-requisite: PHYS 136. The fundamentals of x-ray production, image quality, digital radiography, fluoroscopy, and computed tomography. Image artifacts. Quality assurance or equipment and radiation dose. Lab at the VACCHCS. (3 lecture hours, 3 lab hours)

Units: 4

PHYS 157. Nuclear Medicine Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 136. Fundamentals of nuclear imaging. Gamma camera, basic principles and performance characteristics. Emission tomography: SPECT and PET, basic principles and performance characteristics. Clinical applications. Lab at the VACCHCS. (3 lecture hours, 3 lab hours).

Units: 4

PHYS 158. Radiation Oncology Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 136. Introduction to linear accelerators, geometry of photon beams, photon beam and electron beam dosimetry, treatment planning, brachytherapy, clinical applications, and new techniques. (3 lecture hours).

Units: 3

PHYS 162. Condensed Matter Physics

Prerequisites: PHYS 102, or CHEM 110B and permission of instructor. Classification of solids; crystalline state and lattice vibrations; properties of metallic lattices and dielectrics; magnetic properties of solids; free electron theory and band theory of metals; semiconductors; imperfections.

Units: 3

PHYS 168S. Physics Outreach

Prerequisite: Any one of the following courses: NSCI 1A, PHYS 10, PHYS 2A, PHYS 4A. Provides science majors and future teachers hands-on experience demonstrating physics in K-12 schools. Best practices based on education research, theories of science instruction, and core concepts in physics in a service-learning environment. (2 lecture, 3 lab hours) FS

Units: 3

PHYS 170A. Mathematical Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 4A and MATH 81. Application of mathematical methods to the solution of problems in physics.

Units: 3
Course Typically Offered: Spring

PHYS 175T. Topics in Contemporary Physics

Designed to provide students with special work in such areas of physics as biophysics, modern optics, plasmas, high energy physics, solid state, chaos theory, nuclear structure, astrophysics, low temperature phenomena. Some topics may have labs.

Units: 1-4, Repeatable up to 12 units

PHYS 175T. PlanetariumOpportunities

This course will provide students with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in planetarium and museum operations while working with students from area schools and the general public. Material covered inlcudes the constellations, star names, star lore, current events, and commonly asked questions. Students will interact with planetarium visitors in the star theater and in the museum. As a term project, each student will prepare a short presentation for viewing in the planetarium. This 3 unit course consists of two hours of lecture and three hours of lab.

Units: 3

PHYS 175T. Research Methods in Nuclear/Particle Physics

This is a 3-unit course aimed at students who have completed their lower-division prep work, but have not yet started their upper-division work. About half of the class is an introduction to statistics and computer analysis (up to and including ROOT). It will be made available to all interested students in the CSU through video conferencing/distance learning and will be especially useful to those students anticipating doing summer research at the LHC as part of the CSU's NUPAC consortium effort.

Units: 3

PHYS 175T. Introduction to Particle Physics and ATLAS Experiment at LHC of CERN

This course will serve as an introduction to the ideas and methods of particle physics. It will cover realistic kinematic, undeas underlying the standard model, and basic experimental methods in particle physics, especially the ATLAS experiment of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). This course is intended for advanced undergraduate students, especially those who are interested in working on ATLAS research projects at CERN during summer.

Units: 3

PHYS 175T. Introduction to Medical Imaging

Introduction to Medical Imaging for Nurses, Physical Therapists and other Professionals in the Healt This course will cover an overview of multiple modalities in medical imaging such as x-rays, nuclear medecine. fluoroscopy, CT, MRI, etc.

Units: 3

PHYS 180. Seminar in Physics

Prerequisite: senior or graduate physics major or permission of department chair.

Units: 1, Repeatable up to 3 units
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 190. Independent Study

See Academic Placement -- [-LINK-]. Approved for RP grading.

Units: 1-3, Repeatable up to 6 units
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

PHYS 203. Classical Mechanics

Prerequisites: PHYS 105B, PHYS 170A. Advanced treatment of classical analytical mechanics including Lagrange's and Hamilton's formulation of the laws of motion, special relativity, small oscillation theory, hydrodynamics.

Units: 4

PHYS 220A. Advanced Electricity and Magnetism

Prerequisites: PHYS 107B, PHYS 170A. Electromagnetic theory and its applications; electrostatics, boundary-value problems in electrostatics, dielectrics, multipoles, magnetostatics, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic radiation, optical properties of materials, wave guides and resonant cavities.

Units: 3

PHYS 220B. Advanced Electricity and Magnetism

Prerequisites: PHYS 107B, PHYS 170A. Electromagnetic theory and its applications; electrostatics, boundary-value problems in electrostatics, dielectrics, multipoles, magnetostatics, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic radiation, optical properties of materials, wave guides and resonant cavities.

Units: 3

PHYS 222A. Quantum Mechanics I

Prerequisite: PHYS 115, PHYS 170A. Quantum Dynamics: representations and pictures, path integrals, evolution operator, propagators. Angular Momentum: orbital and spin, addition. Perturbation Theory: time-independent and time-dependent problems, sudden and adiabatic approximations. Scattering: Lippman-Schwinger equations, scattering matrix, Born approximation, partial waves.

Units: 3

PHYS 222B. Quantum Mechanics II

Prerequisite: PHYS 222A. Identical Particles: fermions and bosons, second quantization. Electromagnetic Fields: radiation field, photons, coherent states, vacuum state and Casimir effect, interactions with charged particles. Relativistic Quantum Mechanics: Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations, relativistic hydrogen atom, perturbation theory adn Feynman diagrams.

Units: 3

PHYS 262. Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

Prerequisites: PHYS 115, PHYS 162, PHYS 170A. Binding and crystal structure, crystal electron theories, elementary excitations, transport theories, crystal defects, superconductivity.

Units: 3

PHYS 270. Advanced Mathematical Physics

Prerequisite: PHYS 170A. Group theory, including continuous (Lie) groups, Lie algebras, and an introduction to the theory of representations, Green's functions and their applications to physical problems, and integral equations including diagrammatic methods of solution.

Units: 3

PHYS 272. General Relativity

Prerequisite: PHYS 203. The principle of equivalence, tensor calculus in curved space-times, the Einstein-Hilbert equations, the Schwarzschild solution, tests of general relativity, gravitational radiation, introduction to cosmology.

Units: 3

PHYS 275T. Topics in Contemporary Physics

Advanced topics in such areas as modern optics, plasma physics, high energy physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics, biophysics. Some topics may have labs.

Units: 1-3, Repeatable up to 6 units

PHYS 290. Independent Study

See Academic Placement -- [-LINK-]. Approved for RP grading.

Units: 1-3, Repeatable up to 6 units

PHYS 298. Project

Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Scholarly investigation by the advanced graduate student as a culminating experience for the master's degree, including a written project report and an oral defense, and followed by a competency exam. Approved for RP grading.

Units: 2-6

PHYS 298C. Project Continuation

Pre-requisite: Project PHYS 298. For continuous enrollment while completing the project. May enroll twice with department approval. Additional enrollments must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Units: 0

PHYS 299. Thesis

Prerequisite: See [-LINK-]. Preparation, completion, and submission of an acceptable thesis for the master's degree. Approved for RP grading.

Units: 2-6

PHYS 299C. Thesis Continuation

Pre-requisite: Thesis PHYS 299. For continuous enrollment while completing the thesis. May enroll twice with department approval. Additional enrollments must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Units: 0

PSCI 21. Elementary Astronomy

Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation B4 (except for those with declared majors in the College of Science and Mathematics.)Recommended: second-year high school algebra. Concepts, theories, important physical principles, and history of astronomy. Stellar properties, distances, and evolution. Three field trips for observing with telescopes. G.E. Breadth B1. ( 3 lecture, 2 lab hours) (Course fee, $34)

Units: 4
GE Area: B1

PSCI 131. Concepts of Classical Physics from Babylon to Maxwell

Prerequisites: General Education Quantitative Reasoning and Area B Breadth requirements. Concepts, theories, and laws of classical physics. Mathematics, astronomy, mechanics, light, electricity, magnetism, thermodynamics, chemistry, and the atom. G.E. Integration 1B.

Units: 3
GE Area: IB

PSCI 168. Energy and the Environment

Prerequisite: G.E. Foundation an Breath Area B. Analysis of energy crisis; introduction to various forms of energy, energy conversion processes and environmental effects; present energy supply and energy projections; future energy demands and ways of evaluating alternatives. G.E. Integration IB

Units: 3
GE Area: IB

PSCI 180T. Topics in Physical Science

Detailed discussion of special topics within the realm of physical science.

Units: 1-3, Repeatable up to 9 units

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Requirements

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements Physics Major

Physics requirements (47 units)
(see note 1)
Physics core (33 units)
PHYS 4A, 4AL, 4B, 4BL, 4C, 102, 104, 105A, 105B, 107A, 110, 115

Upper-division electives (14 units)
Includes courses in physics and, with approval, in related fields. Students planning to pursue graduate study in physics are strongly encouraged to take courses from the following list: PHYS 107B, 135, 136, 137, 140, 162, and 170A (see note 2)

Additional requirements (27-29 units)*
(see notes 1 and 3)
MATH 75, 76, 77, 81; CHEM 1A, 1B (25 units)

Plus one of the following
IT 52 or CSCI 40 (2-4 units)

General Education requirements (45 units)**

Electives (0-1 units)

Total (120 units)*

* The 120 unit total assumes students will select IT 52 for this area.

** There are 51 units required for General Education. Of these 51 required units, 6 units will be satisfied by the following two courses in additional requirements: 3 units of CHEM 1A in G.E. Breadth B1 and 3 units of MATH 75 in G.E. Foundation B4.

Advising Notes

1. CR/NC grading is not permitted in the physics major. Additional requirements, however, may be taken CR/NC (see Credit/No Credit Grading).
2. Courses outside the Department of Physics may be substituted for physics upper-division electives with prior approval of the department chair.
3. Students should be sure to take sufficient upper-division units in their General Education courses and electives to satisfy the university requirement of 40 upper-division units. It is important to fulfill the upper-division writing skills requirement by exam or W class after completing 60 units which a student may request 1 unit of credit.

Suggested Sequence of Courses for the B.S. in Physics

The list below is a suggested schedule of courses for the major for students planning to complete the suggested pregraduate study sequence in four years.

In addition to the specific courses listed below, General Education requirements and electives should be included to bring the average total of units to 15 per semester. A minimum total of 120 units must be completed for the Bachelor of Science degree. (See Degree Requirements.)

1st Year: PHYS 4A, 4AL; CHEM 1A, 1B; MATH 75, 76; Computer Programming
2nd Year: PHYS 4B, 4BL, 4C; MATH 77, 81
3rd Year: PHYS 102, 104, 105A, 105B, 110, 150, 151, 170A
4th Year: PHYS 107A, 107B, 115, 140, 162; plus upper-division electives

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Faculty

Our faculty members are here to teach and to do research. Several faculty members have research projects involving students. Two of our faculty members do theoretical work in particle physics and field theory while others are involved with numerous different experimental research fields; some of our faculty are involved in physics pedagogy.

Careers

The B.S. in Physics offers preparation appropriate to employment in government and industry involving a range of activities from laboratory work to technical sales. It also offers appropriate background preparation for graduate study in physics and a large number of other fields. With an appropriate choice of electives, it provides a very strong premedical, predental, or preoptometry program.

Beyond professional goals, the study of physics provides a deep understanding of fundamental processes which underlie our physical world and fosters methods of inquiry which promotes intelligent analysis.

What You Can Earn

Radiation Physicist $164,036

Physicist I $59,260

Source: salary.com HR Reported data as of December 2012

HS Physics Teacher $63,640 (Average) $38,875 (beginning)

Sources: American Federation of Teachers

Interesting Classes You Might Take

• Nuclear Medicine
• General Relativity (learn about black holes)
• Astrophysics/Observational Astronomy (find black holes)
  
  

What You Can Learn

• The nature of space and time
• Why at the smallest scales nature is random
• Do research at the Large Hadron Collider to discover new particles
• Learn how physics can be used in medicine
• What’s on the other side of a black holes’ event horizon
  
  

About the College

TheCollege of Science and Mathematics provides professional training at the undergraduate and graduate levels to serve as a foundation for a career in science or mathematics, to provide preprofessional training in preparation for careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and other professions or for continued study at the graduate level.

College Contact Info

The office of the Dean is located in Science II, Room 301.
Telephone: (559) 278-3936

Department Contact Information

Department of Physics
California State University, Fresno 
2345 E. San Ramon Ave., M/S MH37
Fresno, CA 93740-8031

Phone: (559) 278-2371 
Fax: (559) 278-7741 
Email