PhD Physics
Accelerator physics, photocathodes, field-enhancement. tunneling spectroscopy, superconductivity
Introduction One of the common questions or comments we get on PF is the claim that classical physics or classical mechanics (i.e. Newton’s laws, etc.) is wrong because it has been superseded by Special Relativity (SR) and General Relativity (GR), and/or Quantum Mechanics (QM). Such claims are typically made by either a student who barely…
Common Questions We Receive We frequently get questions such as these: “What is energy?” “What are Cooper Pairs?” “What is conservation of momentum?” etc…etc. Why Context Matters And the persons who asked such questions didn’t bother to explain the context of the question, what exactly did he/she wanted to know, and didn’t reveal the level…
Introduction This is a compilation of my blog entry on this singular “project” to change the way we conduct the introductory physics laboratory in most US universities. I think we are missing a tremendous opportunity to educate a general audience on how we acquire and learn something in physics, and how we analyze something that…
Context: The Question I Get Asked I mentioned in an earlier Insight what I think are the most important things you can learn by being on Physics Forums. This time, I tackled the question of what I think is the most important thing I learned in becoming a physicist. I get asked that question frequently….
Fake News, Data, and the Need to Check Sources During and even after the recent US election campaign, numerous reports of fake or misleading news were circulated: outright fabrications, inaccurate summaries, and incomplete reporting designed to push one point of view or another. Outright fabricated stories are often exposed eventually, but subtler misreports — especially…
[CONTENT] QM’s formalism Overview of the formalism Strangely enough, quantum mechanics (QM)’s formalism isn’t any more difficult than other areas of physics. The mathematics of the “standard” QM isn’t any worse than, for example, electromagnetism. Yet to many people—especially non-physicists—QM presents a daunting effort to understand. Why QM often feels difficult I strongly believe this…
I posted this elsewhere (on my blog), and someone mentioned that maybe it might also be useful here on PF. So I’m reproducing the entire entry here in case it might make a difference. This is essentially a “sequel” to my earlier essay on “So I am Your Academic Advisor“. My aim in writing this…
Energy gain of an electron in a potential V I have seen this question being asked frequently on here. A lot of students have a bit of an issue in understanding why, if an electron is placed in a field with potential V, the energy gain after going through the field is always eV, no…
Have Scientists Seen an Electron? Why Seeing Isn’t Enough This article is not about literally seeing a single electron with your eye; it addresses the broader—and common—belief that direct visual perception is the only valid form of evidence. I will show that the human eye, as a light detector, is NOT a reliable detector in…
Scope and context This question appears often because it has been shown that in a normal, dispersive solid such as glass, the speed of light is slower than it is in a vacuum. This FAQ will strictly deal with that scenario only and will not address light transport in anomalous medium, atomic vapor, metals, etc.,…
This question has popped up many times. So here is an attempt to address it. To answer this question at the elementary level, several assumptions will be made, which will become obvious later on. Still, at this point, we will simply deal with objects with spherical symmetry and no complicated mass distribution. In other words,…
Introduction My feelings on people who think that imagination is more important than knowledge are well-known. These people simply are parroting Einstein’s phrase without understanding the context and implications. To prove that, I will cite two specific examples that I’ve encountered personally. These either came to me via direct contact with the person who made…
Einstein’s Photoelectric Insight One of the most spectacular theoretical descriptions that Einstein had ever produced is the corpuscular nature of light that he used in his 1905 photoelectric effect paper. In fact, there have been arguments put forth that of all of his 1905 papers, the one proposing this model for light is what is…
Do photons have mass? The quick answer: NO Common source of confusion However, this is where it gets a bit confusing for most people. This is because, in physics, there are several ways to define and measure a quantity that we call “mass”. Now, it doesn’t create any confusion among physicists because we tend to…
It is no secret to anyone who has read my posts in this forum for a while that I do not like Wikipedia. I think that there is a fundamental flaw with the whole concept and philosophy of it. While I think that it may be useful to many who need a quick lookup for…
One of the common misconceptions about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP) is that it is the fault of our measurement accuracy. A description that is often used is the fact that to observe the position of an electron, for example, one needs a probe, such as a photon, with a very short wavelength to get…
Can You Quantum Tunnel Through a Wall? Short answer The short and sweet answer if a tennis ball, a bowling ball, or any other kind of ordinary macroscopic object can tunnel through a wall is NO. You can’t quantum tunnel through a wall. Why people ask We periodically get questions on PF about people wanting…
Introduction It is a bit pompous of me to think that I can tell you the most important thing you can learn from Physics Forums (PF). After all, each one of us here has different reasons for being on this forum, and so, we will have different things that we consider to be important to…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Overview: The Thesis Defense At this point you have completed writing your thesis, your adviser has approved it, and you have distributed it to all members of your thesis committee. It is now time for your thesis defense — the final formal hurdle between you and the Ph.D. degree. Adequate preparation is essential. What is…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Overview of the APS March and April Meetings I’ll try not to make a habit out of this, but I believe there’s something to add to this chapter of the series. In Part XIV I mentioned the APS Meetings — March and April — which are typically the largest yearly gatherings of physicists. They cover…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Part I: Early Physics Education in High Schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before You Get There Part VII: The US Graduate School System Part VIII:…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Starting Your Research and Keeping Good Records Now, where were we? Oh yes — you have started your actual research work. You and your adviser have agreed on at least the general area you will be working in, and you have begun substantial literature searches: what is known, what is unknown, and what are the…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Can you enter physics graduate school without a physics degree? I decided to write about this because it is a very common question on many physics forums: can someone without a physics degree be accepted into and succeed in a physics Ph.D. program? The short answer is: it depends. Two main factors matter: (i) your…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate School Part VI: What to Expect from Graduate School Before…
Part II: Surviving the First Year of College This part covers survival tips for the first two undergraduate years. You’re now in college and intend to be a physics major — though much of the advice here applies to anyone taking physics classes, not just physics majors. Advising and the calculus sequence In most U.S….
So You Want to Be a Physicist: A 22-Part Guide Full Chapter List – So You Want To Be A Physicist… Series Part I: Early Physics Education in High schools Part II: Surviving the First Year of College Part III: Mathematical Preparations Part IV: The Life of a Physics Major Part V: Applying for Graduate…