Physics

Fellows:
Professor Robin J Nicholas
Dr Patrick E G Baird
Dr John F Wheater

Lecturers:
Dr Ana Lopez
Dr Alfons Weber

Student Profile:
Howat Duncan (Graduated 2009)

Univ admits between eight and ten undergraduates each year to read either Physics or the Joint School of Physics & Philosophy; the College’s traditional strength in Philosophy makes candidates for this challenging Joint School particularly welcome.

Most candidates will have studied Mathematics, Physics, and either Chemistry or Further Mathematics at A-level, or a combination of these subjects within a different examination system. A wider range of subjects is also acceptable, in particular for those seeking to read Physics and Philosophy. Candidates will be invited for interview based on a university-wide grading of the common Mathematics and Physics tests, and they will normally have two interviews in Univ on technical subjects as well as a further interview in another college.

In the first year, undergraduates concentrate on a core of Mathematics and Physics, including practical work, and have to take one course chosen from a range of options. The second year covers a broad range of fundamental physics and the third year includes a broader range of modern physics topics including particle and astrophysics, modern optics, condensed matter and atmospheric physics. In addition to the compulsory part of the course, both the 2nd- and 3rd-year undergraduates also do at least one course chosen from a range of options and practical work. Common exams taken at the end of years 2 and 3 contribute marks for either the 3-year BA degree or 4-year MPhys course; the former is completed by an extended essay or a short project. For the MPhys degree, which is considered appropriate for those planning a career as a professional Physicist, specialised topics and project work take place in the fourth year and a further exam at the end of the fourth year contributes just under half of the total marks used for the final degree assessment.

Univ has a long tradition in Physics with a number of distinguished former undergraduates, including Stephen Hawking. The tutors cover almost the whole range of the undergraduate course so that all but the specialised options can be taught entirely within the College.

Professor Robin Nicholas is a semiconductor physicist working on new devices and nanoscience, including work on carbon nanotubes. Extensive information on his research and teaching is available on his website.

Dr Patrick Baird is an atomic physicist interested in tests of fundamental interactions and discrete symmetries using lasers. The research involves precision laser spectrocopy, as well as laser cooling and trapping of atoms.

Dr John Wheater is a theoretician working on the application of quantum field theory and statistical mechanics to a wide variety of physical problems.

Dr Ana Lopez is particularly interested in theoretical condensed matter physics, and climate research.

Dr Alfons Weber is a particle physicist developing detectors and analysing data from neutrino oscillation experiments at powerful accelerators in the US and Japan.

For more information, please consult the website of the Department of Physics.

For more information about the joint degree with Physics, see also the website of the Faculty of Philosophy.