Syllabus for Freshman Seminar on Extra Dimensions
Location: Physics Rm. 432.
Time: Tue. Thu. 10:30-11:30 pmLecturer: John Terning
Office: 435
Office Hours: TR 11:30-12:30
Web Page: http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/teaching/FRS/
Course Description:
This course will examine traditional and current thoughts about extra dimensions and how to test for their existence. Popular discussions of extra spatial dimensions date back over 100 years, but have recently attracted renewed attention. What we mean by an extra dimension will be examined; as well as why we regard time as the fourth dimension. Ideas about how extra dimensions of space (the fifth and higher dimensions) can be hidden from our view will be covered, including the latest suggestions inspired by string theory. The role of experiment in probing extra dimensions will also be surveyed. No mathematics will be used. High school physics will be helpful, but not required.
Format:
In addition to the 2 weekly meetings, students will be expected to do weekly reading, mostly from the book "Warped Passages", by Prof. Lisa Randall.
Textbook:
"Warped Passages"
Discussion Schedule:
April 3: Intro. - Chap. 1
April 8: Chap. 2 - Chap. 3
April 10: Chap. 4
April 15: Chap. 5
April 17: Chap. 6:
April 22: Chap. 7:
April 24: Chap. 8 - Chap. 9:
April 29: Chap. 10:
May 2: Chap. 11 - Chap. 12:
May 6: Chap. 13:
May 8: Chap. 14:
May 13: Chap. 15 - Chap. 16:
May 15: Chap. 17 - Chap. 18
May 20: *
May 22: *
May 27: Chap. 19
May 29: Chap. 20 - Chap. 21
June 3: Chap. 22 - Chap. 23
June 5: Chap. 24 - Chap. 25
Assignment Schedule:
April 17: summary of chapter 2
April 29: first essay
May 2: choice of final essay topic
May 15: draft of final essay
June 5: final essay
Grading:
Students will be graded on:
the quality of their participation in class discussion (20%),
in-class assignments (10%),
a 400-500 word summary (5%),
a short midterm paper , 750-1000 words (15%),
draft of final paper , 750 words minimum, (10%),
and on a final paper , 1200-1500 words (40%).
Additional Materials
Flatland A romance of many dimensions
Perspective in Renaissance Art
Large Hadron Collider on NPR Part 1 (with an interview of Alvaro De Rujula)
Large Hadron Collider on NPR Part 2 (talking about the experiment and the CMS detector in particular)
NY Times: Large Hadron Collider and Black Holes
(NY Times)LA Times: Large Hadron Collider and Black Holes
NY Times: Cosmic-Ray Detector May Be Shelved
NY Times: Light Speeds Up an Asteroid as it Spins
NY Times: Stephen Hawking Plans Prelude to the Ride of His Life
Slides
Other Information
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