Physics 711: Fall Semester, 2013

Physics 711: Fall Semester, 2013
Instructor: L. Bruch
Office: 5338 Chamberlin Phone: 2-8968
Office hours: MW 9:30-11:00 AM and by appointment
e-mail: “LWBRUCH@WISC.EDU”
Lecture notes at http://uw.physics.wisc.edu/˜bruch
Class meets: 11:00 AM MWF; 1313 Sterling
Texts: A. L. Fetter and J. D. Walecka, “Theoretical Mechanics;” “Nonlinear
Mechanics”
Problem assignments are due on Mondays and will be discussed the following
Wednesday. You are free to collaborate on solving the problems, but in such
cases each student should write up the solution separately.
Grades will be calculated on the basis of two exams [midterm take-home
(30%) and final 2-hour (30%)] and problem sets (40%).
Library materials: Problem solutions will be posted via the Physics Library
Reserves page (4220 Chamberlin) on Wednesdays. Other materials on reserve
include:
A. L. Fetter and J. D. Walecka, “Theoretical Mechanics”
A. L. Fetter and J. D. Walecka, “Nonlinear Mechanics”
V. D. Barger and M. G. Olsson, “Classical Mechanics” (2nd edn)
P. G. Bergmann, “Introduction to the theory of relativity”
H. Goldstein, C. Poole, and J. Safko, “Classical mechanics” (3rd edn)
J. V. José and E. J. Saletan, “Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary Approach”
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, “Mechanics”
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, “Fluid Mechanics”
H. Margenau and G. M. Murphy, “The Mathematics of Physics and Chemistry”
K. R. Symon, “Mechanics” (3rd edn)
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Assignments and Exams
September 9: Chap. I #5, 6, 7
September 16: Chap. I #12, 13, 14; Chap. II #1a
September 23: Chap. II #4 7; Chap. III #1, 7
September 30: Chap. III #5, 11, 14, 17
October 7: Chap. IV #1, 4, 7, 12
Midterm exam – take-home due 5PM October 14
October 28: Chap. V #1, 2, 7, 8
November 4: Chap. VI # 2, 4, 5
November 11: Chap. VII #3, 5a–d, 9, 18
November 25: Chap. VIII #2, 7; Chap. IX #1, 2
December 9: Relativity. (TBA)
FINAL EXAM Friday December 20, 10:05 AM
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Lecture topics: [FW denotes text Fetter & Walecka, LL= Landau &
Lifshitz, G = Goldstein, Poole & Safko, BO = Barger & Olsson, S = Symon,
MM = Margenau & Murphy]
Date topic text sections
1 W Sep 4 Conservation laws FW 1
2 F Sep 6 2-body, Central force FW 2, 3, LL 13
3 M Sep 9 Kepler I, Virial FW 3, G 3.1–3.4, LL 15
4 W Sep 11 Kepler II FW 3, LL 10, G 3.9
5 F Sep 13 Scattering FW 5, LL 17 – 19
6 M Sep 16 Rotations I FW 6 – 8, G 4.7
7 W Sep 18 Rotations II FW 8 – 11
8 F Sep 20 Lagrange I FW 13 – 15, G 1.3, 1.4
9 M Sep 23 Lagrange II FW 15, 16
10 W Sep 25 Calc. variations FW 17, 18, G 2.2
11 F Sep 27 Hamiltonian FW 18, 19, G 2.3
12 M Sep 30 Symm Princ, Action FW 20, LL 6 – 9, G 2.6
13 W Oct 2 Oscillations I FW 21, 22, LL 21
14 F Oct 4 Oscillations II FW 23, LL 23
15 M Oct 7 chains, Exs. FW 24
16 W Oct 9 Contin. limit I FW 25
17 F Oct 11 Contin. limit II FW 25
18 M Oct 14 open
19 W Oct 16 Nonlinear oscillator FW III.7, BO Ch.11
20 F Oct 18 Nonlinear oscillator G 6.6, BO 11.2
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Date topic text sections
21 M Oct 21 Rigid Body I FW 26, LL 33 – 35
22 W Oct 23 Rigid body II FW 26, 27
23 F Oct 25 Euler eqns FW 27, 28
24 M Oct 28 Euler angles FW 29–31, G 4.2, 4.3
25 W Oct 30 Differential geometry MM 4.20, 5.16
26 F Nov 1 Hamilton I FW [18, 20], 32, 33
27 M Nov 4 Hamilton II FW 34, LL 46, G 9.9
28 W Nov 6 Canonical trfs FW 35, 37, G 9.5, LL 42
29 F Nov 8 Strings I FW [25], 38, 39, G 13.1
30 M Nov 11 Strings II FW 40, 41, 45
31 W Nov 13 Membranes FW 45 – 47
32 F Nov 15 Hydrodynamics I FW 48
33 M Nov 18 Hydrodynamics II FW 48, 49, S 9.11
34 W Nov 20 Hydrodynamics III FW 52
35 F Nov 22 Relativity G Ch 7
36 M Nov 25 Lorentz G 7.2-7.3, BO 10.3
37 W Nov 27 4-vectors S 14.1
38 M Dec 2 Lorentz mechanics
39 W Dec 4 Lorentz waves
40 F Dec 6 Lorentz e-m S 14.6, 14.7
41 M Dec 9 Collisions
42 W Dec 11 Chaos I FW III.9, G 11.4-11.6
43 F Dec 13 Chaos II FW III.10, G 11.8
F Dec 20 FINAL EXAM 10:05 AM
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