Graduate Catalog: 2012-2013 - Alabama A&M University

wind, its dependence on solar cycle andheliographic latitude. The interplanetary magneticfield and its transport to the Earth. Solar events andspace weather.PHY 614 Physics of the Magnetosphere -Formation and structure of the magnetosphere. Coldand hot plasma in the magnetosphere. Electric andmagnetic fields and motion of charged particles inthe magnetosphere. Transverse and field-alignedcurrents in the magnetosphere. Magnetosphericconvection. Geomagnetic disturbances and storms.Waves and resonant oscillations in themagnetosphere. Geomagnetic pulsations. Particleacceleration and particle precipitation into theionosphere. Types of auroras and global distributionof auroral activity. Acceleration of particles to highenergies and generation of the radiation belts.Indices for geomagnetic activity, their meaning andimportance for space weather prediction.PHY 617 Physics of the Ionosphere andThermosphere - Survey of the upper atmosphereand ionosphere. Stratifications based oncomposition, temperature and ionization.Morphologies. Diurnal, seasonal, annual and solarcycle variations. Solar and geomagnetic control ofthe ionosphere and atmosphere. Effects of solarelectromagnetic and corpuscular radiation andcosmic rays. Neutral atmospheric and ionosphericmodeling. Active and passive remote sensing of theatmosphere and ionosphere.PHY 620 Radio Wave Propagation in theIonosphere - Historical perspective. Characteristicsof electromagnetic waves and plasmas. Propagationelectromagnetic of waves through homogeneous andinhomogeneous media, isotropic and anisotropicmedia, and dispersive media. Plasma properties.Motion of charged particles in electric and magneticfields. Magnetoionic theory and Appleton’s formula.Radio sounding of the ionosphere: ionosonde andincoherent scatter sounders. Topside sounding fromsatellites.PHY 625 Planetary Atmospheres andIonospheres - Atmospheres of inner planets(Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and outer planets(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune):Composition, pressure and temperature structures.Circulation and convection. Similarities anddifferences. Photochemistry in Jovian atmospheres.History and evolution. Atmospheric escape.Atmospheric clouds. Ionospheres andmagnetospheres of inner and outer planets.Similarities and differences. Planetary spacecraftmissions. Atmospheres of Pluto, Titan and Triton.PHY 632 Elements of Materials Science - Threesemester hours. Engineering requirements onmaterials, arrangement of atoms in materials,metallic phases and their properties, ceramic phasesand their properties, multi-phase materials. Theeffect of macrostructure upon properties ofmaterials, corrosion and thermal behavior ofmaterials in service. (Prerequisite PHY 451 orequivalent)PHY 633 Physical Metallurgical Principles -Three semester hours. Principles underlying thestructure and behavior of metals, equilibrium andnon-equilibrium phase relations in metal and alloys,kinematics of diffusion and nucleation. Phasetransformations, heat treatment and hardenability.(Prerequisite PHY 632)PHY 634 Crystal Physics and Crystal Growth -Three semester hours. Description anddetermination of atomic arrangement in perfect andimperfect crystals, binding forces elastic waves insolids, photons and lattice vibration, Brilliouinzones, thermal properties of solids, X-raydiffraction, Fourier analysis in diffraction. Basicprinciples and phenomena involved in the growthand perfection of crystalline solids from melt,solution, vapor, electrodeposition, etc. Discussionof the merits of various preparation methods.(Prerequisite PHY 632)PHY 635 Magnetic and Optical Properties ofMaterials - Three semester hours. Dia-, para- andferro-magnetism, magnetic relaxation and resonancephenomena. Electronic and thermal conductivity ofmetals, superconductivity. Relationship betweenelectronic structure and optical properties of solids,magneto-optics infrared photoconductivity,excitations, infrared and Raman spectra due tolattice vibrations, impurity-induced latticeabsorption, spectra of ions in crystals. (PrerequisitePHY 632)PHY 636 Semi-conductor Physics - Threesemester hours. Semiconductor principles, electronband theory of solids. Electronic properties ofinsulators and semiconductors, Hall effect. Defectstates and interaction in semiconductors, elementaland compound semiconductors. Recombination andtrapping, organic semiconductors. (PrerequisitePHY 632)PHY 637 Special Topics in Materials Science -Three semester hours. Topics will be selected inaccordance with the special interest of students.150