Course Title: Photonics and Nuclear Physics
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Photonics and Nuclear Physics
Credit Points: 12.00
Terms
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
PHYS2074 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
135H Applied Sciences |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2008, Sem 2 2010, Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2016 |
PHYS2074 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
171H School of Science |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2017, Sem 2 2018, Sem 2 2019 |
PHYS2141 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
135H Applied Sciences |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2016 |
PHYS2141 |
City Campus |
Postgraduate |
171H School of Science |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2017, Sem 2 2018 |
Course Coordinator: Prof. Brant Gibson
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3649
Course Coordinator Email: brant.gibson@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 14.05.03
Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Prerequisites: Second-year university level courses in optics, radiation and quantum physics.
Assumed knowledge: Expertise in first year mathematics; successful completion of second-year level mathematics is desirable.
Course Description
This course is part of the final-year core theory component of courses leading to a Physics qualification in the School of Science. It covers theory and applications in the areas of:
- Photonics: advanced topics in the behaviour of light, the study of interactions between photons and atomic matter, and the use of these phenomena in modern devices and instrumentation;
- Nuclear physics: the quantum description of nuclear properties and behaviour, nuclear models (liquid drop, Fermi gas, shell models), radioactive (statistical) decay, the different modes of decay including electromagnetic transitions, and elements of particle physics. Applications of nuclear physics are also discussed and when possible one or more guest lectures from industry partners will help contextualise the content.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
The primary capabilities developed by this course are:
- Knowledge capability: knowledge of fundamental physics of photonics and nuclear physics is developed to a high level.
- Critical analysis and problem solving: students use conceptual models in conjunction with established theory to analyse problems and particular situations in photonics and nuclear physics. They analyse data and performance of devices using relevant mathematical and numerical tools.
A secondary capability is:
- Technical capability: with its emphasis on devices and applications, the course prepares students to be able to use sophisticated instrumentation intelligently, with a good understanding of its capabilities and limitations.
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- describe and explain the principles involved in the interactions between light and matter, including the effects of anisotropy and non-linearity (CLO-1);
- recall and recount the optical properties of semiconductor light sources and detectors (CLO-2);
- expand the theory and applications of the confinement of light in waveguides and fibres (CLO-3);
- apply the above principles in calculations and design issues relating to present-day devices in areas such as opto-electronics, fibre optics, and optical signal processing (CLO-4);
- undertake complex calculations involving processes in radioactive decay (CLO-5);
- describe and explain nuclear properties in terms of the behaviour and interaction of subnuclear components (CLO-6);
- describe nuclear structure and associated phenomena with use of various models, and appreciate the applicability and limitations of each (CLO-7);
- demonstrate an understanding of the particles (such as quarks) that comprise nucleons and are involved in exchange forces etc and use this knowledge to explain various properties of nucleons and their behaviour (CLO-8).
This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for MC215 Master of Medical Physics:
PLO-2 Advanced understanding of the origins of radiation and its interactions with matter pertaining to the production and use of ionising radiation, with particular regard to the protection of people and environments.
PLO-5 Skills to identify problems, generate novel solutions and evaluate their effectiveness.
PLO-6 Communication and research skills to interpret Medical Physics issues and justify decisions for specialist and non-specialist audiences.
PLO-9 Demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability.
Overview of Learning Activities
Students will learn in this course by:
- attendance at lectures where material will be presented and explained, and the subject will be illustrated with demonstrations and examples;
- private study, working through the theory as presented in lectures, texts and notes, and gaining practice at solving conceptual and numerical problems;
- completing tutorial questions designed to give further practice in application of theory, and to give feedback on student progress and understanding;
- completing written and online assignments consisting of numerical and other problems requiring an integrated understanding of the subject matter.
Overview of Learning Resources
The course will closely follow the material in a recommended textbook for quantum physics and extracts from a selection of textbooks for nuclear physics.
Text and reference books for the course are available through the RMIT Bookshop. The online Canvas system is used extensively for lecture notes, assignments and other resources.
Overview of Assessment
Note: This course has no hurdle requirements.
Quizzes 5%
Addresses CLOs: 5, 6, 7, 8
Assignments 45% total (Nuclear component 20%, Photonics component 25%)
Addresses CLOs: 1-8
Mid semester test 25%
Addresses CLOs: 5, 6, 7, 8
Exam 25%
Addresses CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4
Assessment Tasks
There will be ongoing assessment during semester to encourage students to engage with the material and to give feedback on progress. This is done with several short assignments, including both conceptual and numerical problems. Some of this may be done with web-based assessment. Problems will include some exercises which require integration of concepts across different topics in the course. The emphasis is on testing development of critical analysis and problem-solving capabilities.
A final examination will allow assessment of students’ overall achievement in the course. This will test mainly conceptual understanding of the material, (knowledge capability) with some shorter numerical and mathematical exercises. There is a written exam for the nuclear physics component of the course around the mid-semester break. The end-of-semester exam is for the photonics component of the course only.