Teaching

Teaching activities

Currently, I am working as an Assistant Professor of Physics at the Nagaland University. I have joined this position on 18th March, 2024. Below, you will find the list of M.Sc. Physics Courses (along with the classnotes) which I am teaching currently. 

N.B. : These notes are freely available for anyone to download and read, whoever is interested in Basic Physics.

Mathematical Methods - II (Unit-III & IV): [Course Code - PHY452]

• Introduction to tensor basics in physics

• Notation and conventions in tensors & Kronecker delta symbol

• Contravariant and Covariant tensors & rank of a tensor

• Addition and subtraction of tensors

• Outer and inner product of tensors & Contraction of the rank of a tensor

• Symmetric and antisymmetric tensors

• Quotient law and concept of Invariant tensor (Tensor of rank zero)

• Metric tensor

• Stress tensor

• Strain tensor

• Christofell's symbols

• Introduction to Fourier transform and Dirac delta function

• Application of Fourier transform: Part-I

• Application of Fourier transform: Part-II

• Fourier transform of derivatives and its application

• Solution of 1D wave equation using Fourier transform

• Basic definition of Laplace transform and some examples 

• Some important problems on Laplace transform 

• Laplace transform of derivates of a function

Magnetism: [Course Code - PHY551(B)]

• Basic tools in magnetism

• Relation between B, H, and M & different classes of magnetism

• Pauli spin matrices and spinors & singlet and triplet states

• Exchange interaction and Heisenberg Hamiltonian

• Direct exchange, Superexchange and special cases of Heisenberg exchange Hamiltonian

• Derivation of total magnetization (M) for a system of N magnetic moments in a magnetic field H

• Some special cases of Brillouin function (Curie's law of paramagnetism)

• Weiss theory of molecular field: Part-1

• Weiss theory of molecular field: Part-2 (Curie-Weiss law)

• Concept of domains and different types of domain walls

• Domain formation and Demagnetizing energy

• Magnetization, Hysteresis loop, and Barkhausen effect

• Magnetocrystalline anisotropy and related things

• Spin algebra formalism for spin waves formulation

• Concept of spin waves

• Weiss theory of Antiferromagnetism

• Langevin theory of Paramagnetism

• Basic philosophical concept of Pauli paramagnetism

• The free electron model

• Pauli paramagnetic susceptibility

Classical Mechanics: [Course Code - PHY401]

• Revisiting the Newtonian mechanics

• Concept of reference frames and conservation laws for a system of particles

• Degrees of freedom and Newtonian mechanics vs. Lagrangian mechanics

• Lagrangian & Hamiltonian formulation and Concept of cyclic coordinate

• Example 1: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for a "simple harmonic oscillator"

• Example 2: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for a "simple pendulum"

• Example 3: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for a "particle moving in a central force field"

• Example 4: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for the "projectile motion"

• Example 5: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for a "charged particle moving in an electromagnetic field"

• Concept of extremum and Hamilton's principle

• Derivation of Lagrange's equation of motion from Hamilton's principle

• Concept of central force and its general features

• Conservation of energy for a motion under the action of a central force

• The differential equation of the orbit and the attractive inverse square force field

• The Kepler's laws of planetary motion and virial theorem

• The Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector for Kepler problem

• Scattering in a central force field

• Derivation of scattering cross section for Rutherford scattering

• Concept about the constraints

• Atwood's machine: Formulation of the Lagrangian and the equation of motion

• Poisson bracket, its properties and other related issues

• An example of Hamilton's equations of motion in Poisson bracket notation and some standard Poisson brackets

• Canonical transformation and related issues

• Some examples related to the canonical transformation

Spectroscopy (Unit-I): [Course Code - PHY503] 

• Schrödinger equation in 3D 

• Quantum states of one electron atoms (Hydrogen atom problem) 

• The spectrum of hydrogen atom

• Ground state of the hydrogen atom 

• Time-independent nondegenerate first-order perturbation theory

• The Zeeman effect

• Zeeman splitting

• Evaluation of the expectation values of <rn > for an electron in the ground state of hydrogen atom

• The relativistic correction to the energy levels of a hydrogen atom

• Spectroscopic notation

• Correction to the energy levels of a hydrogen atom due to spin-orbit coupling

• Linear Stark effect for the ground state (n = 1) of hydrogen atom

• Linear Stark effect for the first excited state (n = 2) of hydrogen atom

Previously, I worked as an Assistant Professor of Physics at Kaliachak College in Malda (affiliated to University of Gour Banga) from 26th February, 2020 to 15th March, 2024. Over this period, I taught the following topics in B.Sc. Physics General Course under the University of Gour Banga, Malda. 

N.B. : These notes are freely available for anyone to download and read, whoever is interested in Basic Physics.

Electrostatics:

• Maxwell's equations 

• Introduction to Electrostatics and Coulomb's law 

• Electrostatic field and its curl and divergence 

• Gauss's law, Poisson equation, and Laplace equation 

• Application of Gauss's law with examples: Part-1 

• Application of Gauss's law with examples: Part-2 

• Concept of electric dipole and electric field due to a dipole 

• Force and torque on an electric dipole placed in an electric field 

• Electric field inside and on the surface of a conductor, and electrostatic pressure 

• Concept of capacitance and calculation of capacitance for two different geometries 

• Capacitance for spherical and cylindrical capacitors 

• Dielectrics, concept of bound charges, and Gauss's law in dielectric medium

Waves and Acoustics:

• Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) and Principle of linear superposition of SHMs 

• Superposition of two SHMs and the phenomenon of Beats 

• Superposition of two perpendicular SHMs and analysis of Lissajous figures

• Introduction to wave motion and concept of different kinds of waves

• Waveform and wave equation for plane progressive (travelling) wave

• Group velocity and phase velocity, and their relation

• Basic concept of damped vibration

Elementary Quantum Mechanics: 

• Introduction to Quantum Mechanics and Plank's law of blackbody radiation 

• Photoelectric effect: Einstein's explanation 

• Compton effect 

• Wave-Particle duality and de Broglie's hypothesis 

• Heisenberg's uncertainty principle 

• Operator and wavefunction basic formalism 

• Schrödinger equation 

• Particle in a 1D infinite well 

Special Theory of Relativity: 

• Reference frame 

• Galilean transformation 

• Galilean invariance and velocity transformation relations 

• Michelson-Morley experiment 

• Einstein's postulates of STR, Lorentz transformation and velocity addition 

• Length contraction and time dilation 

• Relativity of mass and mass-energy equivalence 

Mechanics:

• Central force and its properties

• Newton's law of gravitation and Kepler's laws of planetary motion (statements only) 

• Equation of motion for Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) and its solution 

• Expression of time-period, displacement, acceleration, and energies for SHM 

• Rigid body and momenta of inertia 

• Angular momentum and kinetic energy for a rigid body 

• Basic concepts of scalars and vectors

• Scalar and vector triple products & types of vectors

• Various coordinate systems and the concept of gradient, divergence and curl of a vector

• Reference frames and laws of motion

• Work-Energy theorem

• Conservative force

Thermal Physics and Elementary Statistical Mechanics:

• Thermodynamic description of a system and Zeroth law of thermodynamics

• First law of thermodynamics and concept of internal energy

• Various thermodynamics processes

• Relation between CP and CV and workdone by an ideal gas in adiabatic and isothermal processes 

• Heat engine, its efficiency, and description of a Carnot's engine

• Entropy and second law of thermodynamics

• Electromagnetic spectrum and Blackbody radiation

• Energy density and Planck's law of blackbody radiation

• Blackbody energy spectrum and Wien's displacement law

• Wien's distribution law and Rayleigh-Jeans law of blackbody radiation

• Kirchhoff's law and  Stefan-Boltzmann law 

• Macrostate and microstate of a system 

• Phase space and Boltzmann relation between entropy and thermodynamic probability 

• Different ensembles and statistics in statistical mechanics 

Thermodynamic Machines and Energy Sources:

• Heat engines 

• Otto engine 

• Diesel engine 

• Basics of pressure and low pressure measurement 

• Vacuum pumps: Rotary pump 

• Conventional energy sources and basic principle of hydroelectric power plant

• Non-conventional energy sources and its difference with the conventional energy sources

Elementary Particle Physics:

• Fundamental Particles

• Leptons and Lepton numbers

• Beta decay, Muon decay and Tauon decay

• Families of Hadrons and Baryon number

• Strange particles and Strangeness quantum number

• Isospin and Gell-Mann-Nishijima formula

• Quark model

• Fundamental interactions in nature and conservation laws

Classical Dynamics:

• Degrees of freedom and the comparison between Newtonian mechanics & Lagrangian mechanics

• Basics of Lagrangian formulation 

• Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulation - basic ideas; Lagrange's equation of motion

• Example -1: Simple Harmonic Oscillator - Lagrangian, Hamiltonian and Lagrange's eqn. of motion

• Example -2: Charge particle moving in an electromagnetic field - Lagrangian and Hamiltonian

• Example -3: Particle moving in a central force field - Lagrangian, Eqn. of motion and Hamiltonian

• Hamilton's principle

• Derivation of Lagrange's equation of motion from the Hamilton's principle

Kinetic theory of gases and transport phenomena:

• Basic assumptions of kinetic theory of gases and RMS velocity

• Equipartition of energy theorem and its application 

• Derivation of Maxwell's distribution of velocities 

• Discussion on Maxwell's distribution of velocities and related things

• Mean free path and Survival equation

General properties of matter:

• Basic ideas of elasticity and Hooke's law

• Poisson's ratio and its relation with other elastic constants

• Basic concepts of surface tension

• Change of surface energy and excess pressure for liquid drops

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● Practical:

• Experiment Name: The Schuster’s method of focusing of the spectrometer for parallel rays and the measurement of the angle of a prism.

• Experiment Name: To determine the refractive index of the material of a prism  using a spectrometer and sodium vapour lamp.

• Experiment Name: To determine the refractive index of a liquid (e.g., water) by using travelling microscope.

• Experiment Name: To determine the value of a low resistance by Carey Foster’s Bridge.

• Experiment Name: To determine the Young's modulus of elasticity of the material of a beam (or bar) using the method of flexure.