Eric L. Michelsen, UCSD Physics Rev 5/12/2012
Teaching: Physics 1B Electricity and Magnetism, Spring 2012
Past: Physics 130B Quantum Mechanics, Fall 2011: http://physics.ucsd.edu/students/courses/fall2011/physics130b/
Physics 2C, Spring 2011: http://physics.ucsd.edu/students/courses/spring2011/physics2c/
Personal web page: http://physics.ucsd.edu/~emichels/personal.html
“To exchange one orthodoxy for another is not necessarily an advance. The enemy is the gramophone mind, whether or not one agrees with the record that is being played at the moment.” --George Orwell
“But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” --Hermann Goering
Light curve processing: Windows: lightcurve.exe Manual: lightcurve.pdf
Python plotting scripts: barc.py pgmf.py
Presentation: What’s not wrong with Super_Luminal_Neutrinos.pdf (PDF)
Presentation: Introduction to Gravitomagnetism (powerpoint)
Unofficial Word template for APS: APS.dot
Unofficial Word template for AmJP: AmJP.dot
Instructor Tools: Tips for UCSD Physics Instructors (includes full documentation for ‘testmake’ and ‘scangrade’)
New version 1.0: testmake creates multiple forms of a test
testmake takes a text input file of multiple choice questions and answers, and produces multiple versions (“forms”) of the test.
- Each test version has the questions and answer choices in random order.
- Produces answer keys, which can be automatically used by scangrade.exe for grading the Scantron response files.
- Output is text, which can be LaTex if you want, or can be copied and pasted into any word processing program, such as Word.
- V1.0 omits answers from the randomized output, eliminating chance of transcription error. Answers go in separate keys file.
New version 1.2: scangrade simplifies Scantron grading
- Easy to use. Works with existing Physics Department practices.
- Your grading spreadsheet can use the scores, with no hand editing: student IDs start with ‘A’.
- The author is willing to make upgrades, as needed.
- The scores spreadsheet includes all answer keys, to document exactly how everything was graded.
- Supports multiple Test Forms and their keys simultaneously. No need to sort Scantrons.
- All the Scantron information is retained; nothing is discarded arbitrarily. Every response sheet produces an output line, either with a score or an error message. Nothing is left out.
- Includes full per-question statistics, in easy-post layout for simple, secure posting of grades to the web.
Windows versions: scangrade.exe testmake.exe
Linux and Mac versions available on request. Please let me know.
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Cool research project: Lunar Laser Ranging
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Fun Physics web
pages:
Slow motion at a trillion frames per second, literally. You
can see a light pulse travel across the table, and through a bottle. The video at the bottom is the best, including
both slo-mo scenes, and describing how it works. There are also FAQs. http://web.media.mit.edu/~raskar/trillionfps/
Faces
of the Moon The Elements Song, by Tom
Lehrer Physics Songs
Cornstarch,
The Movie
Cool slo-mo Slinky fall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMmmEEyOO0
Free source code: Keyword parameter
library, header file, sample program
Free Powerpoints: Signaling and Modulation
Baseband signaling and carrier modulation
We
Deliver Repeating, Bridging, Switching, and Routing
IP (Internet Protocol) Operation Technical
details of how IP operates
Layer 2 Framing Technical details
of some bit stream formatting methods: HDLC, Ethernet, DS1 & 3
Trigonometry
Simplified (2 diagrams) Interactive
trigonometry: http://www.touchtrigonometry.org/
The purpose of the “Funky” series of documents is to help develop
an accurate physical, conceptual, geometric, and pictorial understanding of
important physics topics. We focus on areas that don’t seem to be
covered well in most texts we’ve seen. The documents are intended
for serious students of physics. They are not
“popularizations” or oversimplifications, though they try to start
simply, and build to more advanced topics. Physics includes math,
and we’re not shy about it, but we also don’t hide behind
it. Without a conceptual understanding, math is gibberish.
These are all works in progress. Please send me your comments. Now with PDF hyperlinks and physical constants!
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Funky Quantum Concepts.pdf |
Wave mechanics, 1D scattering, matrix mechanics, angular momentum, spin-1/2, updated quantum electromagnetic interactions. "This is really well written, and the concepts are explained confidently and clearly. Great idea. Great start." -- physics research associate |
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Funky Mathematical Physics Concepts.pdf |
Latest: clarified and corrected Discrete Fourier Transforms. Numerical analysis, statistics, Laplacian operator, tensors, much more. “... most excellent tensor paper.... I feel I have come to a deep and abiding understanding of relativistic tensors.... The best explanation of tensors seen anywhere!” -- physics graduate student |
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Funky ElectromagneticConcepts.pdf |
Relativistic E&M, circuits, waves, polarization vectors, ... "Finally, a systematic approach to boundary value problems." -- physics graduate student |
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The Carnot conspiracy, Boltzmann distribution, entropy, free energy, meet Mr. Mole, chemical potential, ... |
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Early version of mechanics concepts, from basic principles through Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, including rotation, constraints, oscillations, and more. |
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A simple introduction to microcontrollers for those who’ve never seen one. |
Other stuff: Skeleton Calculus.pdf