Universidade Nova de Lisboa

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Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Quantum Mechanics A

Code

7369

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Department

Departamento de Física

Credits

6.0

Teacher in charge

José Paulo Moreira dos Santos

Weekly hours

4

Total hours

56

Teaching language

Português

Objectives

Quantum Mechanics is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful creations of the human mind in the XX century. Being part of the continuous search for the truth and the understanding of the real world, this construction, laboriously built along a few decades by some of the greatest physicists of the time, shoed itself as a consistent theory that allowed for the interpretation of existing experimental results and previewed other. Knowledge of contemporary physics, even at a not too high level, asks for acquisition of the basis of quantum mechanics.

In this course, the student will acquire the fundamental concepts where lies the quantum treatment of a large number of problems of modern physics.

After approval in this course, the student will be able to deal with both theoretical and applied problems that will ask for a quantum theory basis.

The mathematical methods that will be used, mostly in the algebra domain, should have been acquired beforehand, but will be reviewed.

 

Prerequisites

Previous approval in the following courses: Análise Matemática I, II e III, Física I, II e III, A.L.G.A. and Vibrations and Waves.

Subject matter

  1. Historical introduction
  2. Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
  3. The wave equation
  4. The mathematics of Quantum Mechanics
  5. The postulates of Quantum Mechanics
  6. Study of unidimensional simple systems
  7. Particle scattering and barrier penetration
  8. Systems of particles
  9. The Schrödinger equation in three dimensions
  10. Angular momentum
  11. Quantum states in three dimensions
  12. Methods of approximation - perturbation theory
  13. Corrections to the energy values of the hydrogen atom

Bibliography

  • Notes written by the instructor.
  • F. Duarte Santos, A. Amorim, J. Batista, Mecânica Quântica, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, 2008.
  • W. Greiner, Quantum mechanics: an introduction, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1994.
  • S. Gasiorowicz, Quantum Physics, 2nd Ed., John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1996.
  • C. Cohen Tannoudji, B. Diu et F. Laloë, Quantum mechanics, John Wiley & Sons, 1991.
  • J. P. Santos e M. F. Laranjeira, Métodos Matemáticos para Físicos e Engenheiros, Fundação da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Lisboa, 2004.

Teaching method

The course is organized in lectures where the theory is presented, and recitation sessions where problems are discussed with the instructor. 

Evaluation method

Evaluation

  • The attendance of 3/4 of the problem-solving sessions is mandatory.
  • The students may choose, at their will, between two tests on the two halves of the course syllabus or a final examination.
  • Students who get an average grade of 10 (out of 20) in the tests may waive the final examination.
  • To attend the tests is mandatory the inscription in the course webpage in CLIP!
  • The final grade (NF) is given by NF=0.2*NMT+0.4NT1+0.4*MT2.

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