16-Physical Sciences - Syllabus
16-Physical Sciences - Syllabus
PART –A
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V. Thermodynamic and Statistical Physics
Laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Thermodynamic potentials, Maxwell
relations, chemical potential, phase equilibria. Phase space, micro- and macro-states.
Micro-canonical, canonical and grand-canonical ensembles and partition functions. Free
energy and its connection with thermodynamic quantities. Classical and quantum
statistics. Ideal Bose and Fermi gases. Principle of detailed balance. Blackbody radiation
and Planck's distribution law.
PART –B
I. Mathematical Methods of Physics
Green’s function. Partial differential equations (Laplace, wave and heat equations in two and three
dimensions). Elements of computational techniques: root of functions, interpolation, extrapolation,
integration by trapezoid and Simpson’s rule, Solution of first order differential equation using Runge-
Kutta method. Finite difference methods. Tensors. Introductory group theory: SU(2), O(3).
Dynamical systems, Phase space dynamics, stability analysis. Poisson brackets and canonical
transformations. Symmetry, invariance and Noether’s theorem. Hamilton-Jacobi theory.
III. Electromagnetic Theory
Dispersion relations in plasma. Lorentz inv lines and wave guides. Radiation- from moving
charges and dipoles and retarded potentials.
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VI. Electronics and Experimental Methods
Linear and nonlinear curve fitting, chi-square test. Transducers (temperature,
pressure/vacuum, magnetic fields, vibration, optical, and particle detectors).
Measurement and control. Signal conditioning and recovery. Impedance matching,
amplification (Op-amp based, instrumentation amp, feedback), filtering and noise
reduction, shielding and grounding. Fourier transforms, lock-in detector, box-car
integrator, modulation techniques.