Welcome to the Department of Physics, the home of advanced study in physics and nuclear engineering at the United States Military Academy. Click to begin

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Advanced study in physics provides skill in critical thinking valued by all branches of the Army and an academic foundation well-suited for later specialization in virtually any technical field of value to the Army. Cadets who major in physics can serve the Army as acquisition project managers, astronauts, battalion commanders, doctors, engineers, intelligence specialists, nuclear weapons experts, physicists, and in other positions.

Physics majors can serve the Army in any Branch... just ask the officers now assigned to the Department.

Physics majors can serve the Army in any Branch... just ask the officers now assigned to the Department. COL Naessens COL Nelson LTC Sones MAJ Schock MAJ Campbell CPT Brady MAJ Cho MAJ Zinn MAJ Gerving MAJ Schools MAJ Schwarz MAJ Palazzo MAJ Giacomozzi MAJ Haufler MAJ Wehmeyer MAJ Rothenbush COL Winkel COL Bedey LTC Hartke MAJ Kalainoff LTC Musk MAJ Viar MAJ Phillips LTC Jaye MAJ Schlicht MAJ Page MAJ Spear LTC Visosky MAJ Bull

Transformation during a time of sustained campaigning will not be easy; but it is a practice that appears many times in the history of our great Army. We must examine, design, and develop new solutions for a new and dangerous world, as we have done so successfully in our past. This will require the deep and personal commitment of every member of the Army team - every leader, every Soldier, every civilian, and every family member. COL Naessens in Afghanistan

Advanced Physics Program Goals Cadets who successfully complete a major in physics graduate with the following: knowledge of physical principles necessary to lead Army science and technology efforts and adequate for graduate schooling knowledge of experimental techniques necessary to lead Army science and technology efforts and adequate for graduate schooling capability to apply advanced mathematics to solve complex problems possession of enhanced scientific literacy, i.e., the ability to study and understand developments in science and technology and to communicate scientific ideas

To accomplish these goals we have designed a program with three distinct threads PH363 Mathematical Physics Mathematics Physics Theory Experimental/Applied Physics PH365 Modern Physics PH381 Intermediate Classical Mechanics PH382 Intermediate Electrodynamics PH482 Advanced Classical Mechanics PH481 Statistical Physics PH484 Quantum Mechanics PH361 Experimental Physics PH366 Applied Quantum Physics PH477 Lasers and Optics These courses include significant Mathematical content PH381 Intermediate Classical Mechanics PH382 Intermediate Electrodynamics PH482 Advanced Classical Mechanics These courses all have laboratory components

Fall –We lay the foundations for all three threads simultaneously with carefully designed courses in Mathematical Physics, Modern Physics, and Experimental Physics. Spring –Applied Quantum Physics uses the theory learned in Modern Physics, but is a lab course that continues the experimental thread. –Intermediate Classical Mechanics continues the theory thread but limits the topical coverage so that necessary math topics can be studied as they are needed. Content of Cadet Experiences Cow Year

Fall –The experimental thread concludes with Lasers and Optics. –Theory courses include Advanced Classical Mechanics and Intermediate Electrodynamics—more math included as it is needed to understand the theoretical topics. Spring –Statistical Physics and Quantum Mechanics conclude the theory thread and provide a solid foundation for future graduate study. –PH456, Science and Policy, integrates the physics major and core curriculum and completes the accomplishment of our scientific literacy goal. Content of Cadet Experiences Firstie Year

Physics Major for Class of 2009 Choose any three-course engineering sequence that interests you.

Research in the Department of Physics The Department has senior faculty working on research in eight different areas. The investigators will make every effort to include interested and qualified cadets in their research efforts through Advanced Individual Study in Physics, PH489. Department of Physics Nuclear Engineering COL Naessens LTC Sones Dr. Moretti LTC Musk Low Temperature Physics COL Nelson Physics Education COL Nelson LTC Sones Solid State Physics Dr. Harrell Space Physics COL Bedey Photonics LTC Hartke MAJ Schwartz Dr. Magnes Spectroscopy COL Winkel Dr. Magnes Cosmology Dr. Pfenning

Honors in Physics You can enhance your educational experience by pursuing honors in physics. Honors will be awarded to cadets who meet minimum GPA requirements and who take two additional courses from this list (PH489 is required unless an approved AIAD is completed): PH 374Medical Radiation Physics PH 472Space and Astrophysics PH 489Advanced Individual Study MA 376Applied Statistics MA 385Chaos and Fractals MA 386Introduction to Numerical Analysis MA 396Numerical Methods for Solution of Differential Equations MA 476Mathematical Statistics MA 484 Partial Differential Equations MA 485Applied Complex Variables

Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France You can be teamed with officers or scientists located at Army and other national and international research laboratories. Previous AIAD work has been conducted at: Lawrence Livermore Lab, California Los Alamos Lab, New Mexico NASA-Langley, Virginia White Sands, New Mexico Army Research Lab, Maryland CERN Accelerator Lab, Switzerland Laboratoire de Spectrometrie Ionique et Moleculaire, France

Contact: COL Ray Nelson Dr. Lee Harrell QUESTIONS?