PHY 6645 QUANTUM MECHANICS I - Fall 2018

INSTRUCTOR

Pierre Sikivie
Office: NPB 2063
email: sikivie@phys.ufl.edu
tel: 352.392.1923

CLASS TIMES

MWF, 10:40am - 11:30pm, in NPB 1101

OFFICE HOURS, NPB 2063

MWF, 11:45am - 12:35pm, in NPB 2063

GRADER

Yifu Cao
Office: NPB 2113
email: yifucao@ufl.edu
Office hour: Tuesdays, 2 - 3pm.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

"Principles of Quantum Mechanics" by R. Shankar, 2d Edition, Springer 1994.
We will cover chapters 3-14.

There are many other useful textbooks on quantum mechanics. You are encouraged to explore alternatives. Here are four that are commonly used in graduate level courses:
  • L. Landau and E. Lifchitz, `Quantum Mechanics', Pergamon Press.
  • L.I. Schiff, `Quantum Mechanics', 3d Edition, McGraw-Hill 1968.
  • E. Merzbacher, `Quantum Mechanics', 2d Edition, Wiley 1970.
  • J.J. Sakurai and J. Napolitano, `Modern Quantum Mechanics', 2d Edition, Cambridge University Press 2017.

COURSE OUTLINE

  • Experimental foundations
  • Postulates
  • The Schrödinger equation
  • The classical limit
  • The harmonic oscillator
  • The path integral formulation
  • Uncertainty relations
  • Identical particles
  • Symmetries and conservation laws
  • The rotation group and angular momentum
  • The hydrogen atom
  • Spin


HOMEWORK

There will be one problem set per week, due on Wednesdays.
  • due August 29: homework #1
  • due September 5: homework #2
  • due September 12: homework #3
  • due September 19: problems 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.6
  • due September 26: homework #5
  • due October 3: homework #6
  • due Oct0ber 10: homework #7
  • due October 17: homework #8
  • due October 24: homework #9
  • due October 31: problems 7.4.5, 7.4.10, 7.5.4
  • due November 7: problems 8.6.1, 8.6.2, 8.6.3, 10.1.2, 10.3.2, 10.3.3
  • due November 14: homework #12
  • due November 28: problems 11.4.4, 12.3.3, 12.3.6, 12.3.7
  • due December 5: problems 12.3.8, 12.4.4, 12.5.1, 12.5.3, 12.5.5, 12.5.6

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    The final exam is in NPB 1101 on Tuesday December 11 from 12:30 to 2:30pm. It will cover Chapters 7 through 12. You may bring a formula sheet.

    GRADING

    Your final grade will be based on:
    the homework 25%
    a mid-term test (Oct. 8) 25%
    the final exam (Dec. 11) 50%
     
    The current UF policies for assigning grade points may be found at https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.

    CLASS ATTENDANCE

    Requirements for class attendance, make-up exams, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.

    ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

    Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, https://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodations letter which must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

    COURSE EVALUATIONS

    Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results.