Princeton Problems in Physics with Solutions

✍ Scribed by Nathan Newbury; Mark Newman

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2015
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 336
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Aimed at helping the physics student to develop a solid grasp of basic graduate-level material, this book presents worked solutions to a wide range of informative problems. These problems have been culled from the preliminary and general examinations created by the physics department at Princeton University for its graduate program. The authors, all students who have successfully completed the examinations, selected these problems on the basis of usefulness, interest, and originality, and have provided highly detailed solutions to each one. Their book will be a valuable resource not only to other students but to college physics teachers as well. The first four chapters pose problems in the areas of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, thereby serving as a review of material typically covered in undergraduate courses. Later chapters deal with material new to most first-year graduate students, challenging them on such topics as condensed matter, relativity and astrophysics, nuclear physics, elementary particles, and atomic and general physics.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
Preface
I Problems
1 Mechanics
1.1. Super-Ball tricks
1.2. Dusty spacecraft
1.3. Skyhook
1.4. Driven harmonic oscillators
1.5. Ball on a turntable
1.6. Damping
1.7. Dissolving spring
1.8. Shape of a soap film
1.9. Bead on a hoop
1.10. Solar system WIMPs
2 Electricity & Magnetism
2.1. Hemispherical bulge
2.2. Faraday rotation
2.3. Resistor with defect
2.4. Dipole antenna
2.5. Oscillating motor
2.6. Refrigerator magnet
2.7. Transmission line
2.8. Photographing electromagnetic waves
2.9. Cylindrical capacitor
2.10. Falling electron
3 Quantum Mechanics
3.1. Spherical δ function
3.2. Expanding square well
3.3. Crossed E and B fields
3.4. Harmonic oscillator perturbations
3.5. Resonance scattering
3.6. Spin flipping
3.7. Pion-nucleon scattering
3.8. Staircase potential
3.9. Neutron interferometry
3.10. Hyperfine splitting in hydrogen
4 Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics
4.1. Negative temperature
4.2. Heteronuclear diatomic molecule
4.3. One-dimensional diffusion
4.4. Phase coexistence
4.5. Otto cycle
4.6. Drag force on a disk
4.7. Fluctuating wire
4.8. Adsorption on a film
4.9. Normal-superconductor coexistence curve
4.10. Monatomic crystal
5 Condensed Matter Physics
5.1. Quasiparticle tunneling
5.2. Superconducting phase boundary
5.3. Two-level centers
5.4. Ferroelectric
5.5. Grab bag
5.6. Rotons
5.7. Nematic liquid
5.8. Polarons
5.9. Ferromagnetism and paramagnetism
5.10. Quantum Hall effect
6 Relativity & Astrophysics
6.1. Frequency shifts
6.2. Rocket leaving earth
6.3. Gravitational magnetism
6.4. Why inflate?
6.5. Standard Schwarzschild
6.6. Rocket at rest
6.7. Domain wall
6.8. Orbiting gyroscope
6.9. Poynting-Robertson effect
6.10. Kasner model
7 Nuclear Physics
7.1. Geologic solar neutrino detector
7.2. Magnetic moments
7.3. Superallowed Fermi transitions
7.4. Neutrino sources
7.5. Mirror nuclei
7.6. Semi-empirical mass formula
7.7. Angular correlation
7.8. Deformed nuclei
7.9. β decays
7.10. Neutron polarization
8 Elementary Particle Physics
8.1. K° decays
8.2. Muon-nucleon scattering
8.3. Scalar quarks
8.4. D decays
8.5. The Z°
8.6. Supernova neutrinos
8.7. The W+
8.8. Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing
8.9. The Higgs
8.10. Neutrino-quark scattering
9 Atomic & General Physics
9.1. Positronium
9.2. Phase contrast microscopy
9.3. Bad optics
9.4. Interstellar hydrogen
9.5. Quantum beats
9.6. Estimations
9.7. Atoms
9.8. Drag
9.9. Raman amplifier
9.10. Hurricane Gilbert
II Solutions
10 Mechanics
1.1. Super-Ball tricks
1.2. Dusty spacecraft
1.3. Skyhook
1.4. Driven harmonic oscillators
1.5. Ball on a turntable
1.6. Damping
1.7. Dissolving spring
1.8. Shape of a soap film
1.9. Bead on a hoop
1.10. Solar system WIMPs
11 Electricity & Magnetism
2.1. Hemispherical bulge
2.2. Faraday rotation
2.3. Resistor with defect
2.4. Dipole antenna
2.5. Oscillating motor
2.6. Refrigerator magnet
2.7. Transmission line
2.8. Photographing electromagnetic waves
2.9. Cylindrical capacitor
2.10. Falling electron
12 Quantum Mechanics
3.1. Spherical δ function
3.2. Expanding square well
3.3. Crossed E and B fields
3.4. Harmonic oscillator perturbations
3.5. Resonance scattering
3.6. Spin flipping
3.7. Pion-nucleon scattering
3.8. Staircase potential
3.9. Neutron interferometry
3.10. Hyperfine splitting in hydrogen
13 Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics
4.1. Negative temperature
4.2. Heteronuclear diatomic molecule
4.3. One-dimensional diffusion
4.4. Phase coexistence
4.5. Otto cycle
4.6. Drag force on a disk
4.7. Fluctuating wire
4.8. Adsorption on a film
4.9. Normal-superconductor coexistence curve
4.10. Monatomic crystal
14 Condensed Matter Physics
5.1. Quasiparticle tunneling
5.2. Superconducting phase boundary
5.3. Two-level centers
5.4. Ferroelectric
5.5. Grab bag
5.6. Rotons
5.7. Nematic liquid
5.8. Polarons
5.9. Ferromagnetism and paramagnetism
5.10. Quantum Hall effect
15 Relativity & Astrophysics
6.1. Frequency shifts
6.2. Rocket leaving earth
6.3. Gravitational magnetism
6.4. Why in flate?
6.5. Standard Schwarzschild
6.6. Rocket at rest
6.7. Domain wall
6.8. Orbiting gyroscope
6.9. Poynting-Robertson effect
6.10. Kasner model
16 Nuclear Physics
7.1. Geologic solar neutrino detector
7.2. Magnetic moments
7.3. Superallowed Fermi transitions
7.4. Neutrino sources
7.5. Mirror nuclei
7.6. Semi-empirical mass formula
7.7. Angular correlation
7.8. Deformed nuclei
7.9. β decays
7.10. Neutron polarization
17 Elementary Particle Physics
8.1. K° decays
8.2. Muon-nucleon scattering
8.3. Scalar quarks
8.4. D decays
8.5. The Z°
8.6. Supernova neutrinos
8.7. The W+
8.8. Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing
8.9. The Higgs
8.10. Neutrino-quark scattering
18 Atomic & General Physics
9.1. Positronium
9.2. Phase contrast microscopy
9.3. Bad optics
9.4. Interstellar hydrogen
9.5. Quantum beats
9.6. Estimations
9.7. Atoms
9.8. Drag
9.9. Raman amplifier
9.10. Hurricane Gilbert
Bibliography
Index