Symmetry in Physics

Uitgebreide vaknaam	Symmetry in Physics
Leerdoelen	Students learn to identify group theoretical aspects of symmetry in physics. Students learn to demonstrate properties of groups and of mappings between groups. Students learn to characterize and classify representations of groups with relevance for physics.
Omschrijving	Symmetry plays an important role in the description of physical systems. Group theory is a way to treat symmetry systematically. The course starts with the theory of abstract groups, after which the topic of representations will be treated. The lectures will focus on groups of relevance for physics, such as symmetry groups of molecules and crystals (point and space groups), permutation groups, orthogonal and unitary groups, Euclidean, Lorentz and Poincaré groups. Applications of group theory in physics, especially in quantum mechanics, will be given throughout the course. Specific subjects to be covered include: groups, subgroups, conjugacy classes, isometries, homomorphisms, isomorphisms, irreducible representations, Schur's lemmas, characters, character tables, invariant vectors and tensors, symmetry breaking and lifting of degeneracy, tensor product representations, Clebsch-Gordan decompositions, transformations of wave functions and operators, and some aspects of Lie groups and Lie algebras.
Uren per week
Onderwijsvorm	Hoorcollege (LC), Werkcollege (T) (4 hours lectures, 2 hours tutorials)
Toetsvorm	Schriftelijk tentamen (WE)
Vaksoort	bachelor
Coördinator	prof. dr. D. Boer
Docent(en)	prof. dr. D. Boer
Verplichte literatuur	Titel Auteur ISBN Prijs Groups, representations and physics, 2nd ed. H.F. Jones 0-7503-0504-5
Entreevoorwaarden	Quantum Physics 1 & 2
Opmerkingen	This course was registered last year with course code NASYPH-12
Opgenomen in	Opleiding Jaar Periode Type BSc Courses for Exchange Students: Astronomy - Physics - Energy & Environment - semester II a BSc Mathematics and Physics (double degree) 3 semester II a verplicht BSc Mathematics: General Mathematics  (Electives and Minor General Mathematics) 3 semester II a keuze BSc Physics  (Track: Particle Physics) 3 semester II a verplicht