Ph 136: APPLICATIONS OF CLASSICAL PHYSICS

Academic Year 2002-2003

Instructors:

Roger Blandford. 132 Bridge Annex. X4200. Email: rdb@caltech.edu
Kip Thorne. 154 W. Bridge Annex X4598. Email: kip@tapir.caltech.edu
Office hours: Mondays 5:15 to 6:15PM in Theoretical Astrophysics Interaction Room, 128 Bridge Annex

Administrative Assistant to Blandford and Thorne:
Shirley Hampton. 151 Bridge annex. X4597. Email: shirley@tapir.caltech.edu

Teaching Assistants:

Xinkai Wu, Office Hours: Tuesdays 8PM to 9PM  in 441 Lauritsen,  Extension: 4503, Email: xinkaiwu@its.caltech.edu

Old Website for the Academic Year 2000-2001    click here

TEXT

IMPORTANT NOTE: These lectures notes are the current version of a text authored by Blandford and Thorne that is being heavily revised this academic year. They can be freely used by students taking the course and read by all. Duplication by others requires the express consent of the authors. The authors are eager for comments on the content and, in particular, notification of errors. For the most recent version of the complete book without this year's updates, see the website for year 2000-2001: click here
CONTENTS Course Description Questionaire
Chapter 1: Physics in Flat Spacetime: Geometric Viewpoint Important Concepts 01  Homework (due 9 Oct) Solution Set 01: [ps file] , [pdf file]
Chapter 2: Kinetic Theory [version 0202.1.pdf] Important Concepts 02 Homework (due 16 Oct) Solution Set 02: [ps file] , [pdf file]
 Chapter 3: Statistical Mechanics [version 0203.1.pdf]  Important Concepts 03  Homework (due 23 Oct) Solution Set 03: [ps file] ,  [pdf file]
 Chapter 4: Statistical Thermodynamics [version 0204.1.pdf]  Important Concepts 04  Homework (due 30 Oct) Solution Set 04: [ps file] ,  [pdf file]
 Chapter 5: Random Processes [pdf file] , [ps file] Important Concepts 05  Homework (due 6 Nov):[ps file] ,  [pdf file]   Solution Set 05: [ps file] ,  [pdf file]
 Chapter 6: Geometric Optics [version 0206.2.pdf] Important Concepts 06  Homework (due 13 Nov):[pdf file]   Solution Set 06: [ps file] ,  [pdf file]
 Chapter 7: Diffraction [version 0207.1.pdf] Important Concepts 07  Homework (due 20 Nov):[pdf file]   Solution Set 07: [ps file] ,  [pdf file]
 Chapter 8: Interference [version 0208.1.pdf] Important Concepts 08 Homework (due 27 Nov):[pdf file] Solution Set 08: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 9: Nonlinear Optics [version 0209.1.pdf] Important Concepts 09 Homework (due 3 Dec)[pdf file] Solution Set 09: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 10: Elastostatics [version 0210.1.pdf] Important Concepts 10 Homework (due 15 Jan)[pdf file] Solution Set 10: [pdf file]
Chapter 11: Elastodynamics [version 0211.1.pdf] Important Concepts 11 Homework (due 22 Jan)[pdf file] Solution Set 11: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 12: Foundations of Fluid Dynamics [version 0212.2.pdf] Important Concepts 12 Homework (due 29 Jan)[pdf file] Solution Set 12: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 13: Vorticity [version 0213.1.pdf] Important Concepts 13 Homework (due 5 Feb)[pdf file] Solution Set 13: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 14: Turbulence [version 0214.1.pdf][New version: 0214.2.pdf] Important Concepts 14 Homework (due 12 Feb)[pdf file][Version 2] Solution Set 14: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 15: Waves and Rotating Flows [version 0215.1.pdf][New version: 0215.2.pdf] Important Concepts 15 Homework 15A (due 19 Feb)[pdf file]Homework 15B (due 26 Feb)[pdf file] Solution Set 15A: [ps file],[pdf file]
Solution Set 15B: [ps file],
[pdf file]
Chapter 16: Supersonic Flow [version 0216.1.pdf] Important Concepts 16 Homework (due 5 Mar)[pdf file] Solution Set 16: [ps file],
[pdf file]
Chapter 17: Convection [version 0218.1.pdf]
Chapter 18: Magnetohydrodynamics [version 0218.1.pdf][New version: 0218.2.pdf] [Final version: 0218.3.pdf]  Important Concepts 18 Homework (due 12 Mar)[pdf file] Solution Set 18: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 19: The Particle Kinetics of Plasma [version 0219.1.pdf] Important Concepts 19 Homework (due 9 April)[pdf file] Solution Set 19: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 20: Waves in Cold Plasmas: Two-Fluid Formalism [version 0220.1.pdf]
Chapter 21: Kinetic Theory of Warm Plasmas [version 0221.1.pdf] Important Concepts 21 Homework (due 16 April)[pdf file] Solution Set 21: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 22: Nonlinear Dynamics of Plasmas [version 0222.1.pdf][version 0222.2.pdf] Important Concepts 22 Homework (due 23April)[pdf file] Solution Set 22: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 23:  From Special to General Relativity [version 0223.1.pdf][version 0223.2.pdf] Important Concepts 23 Homework (due 30April)[pdf file] Solution Set 23: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 24:  Fundamental Concepts of General Relativity [version 0224.1.pdf][version 0224.2.pdf] Important Concepts 24 Homework (due 07 May)[pdf file] Solution Set 24: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 25:  Stars and Black Holes [version 0225.1.pdf] Important Concepts 25 Homework (due 14 May)[pdf file] Solution Set 25: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 26:  Gravitational Waves and Experimental Tests of General Relativity [version 0226.1.pdf] Important Concepts 26 Homework (due 21 May)[pdf file] Corrected Homework [pdf file] Solution Set 26: [ps file],[pdf file]
Chapter 27:  Cosmology [version 0227.1.pdf] Important Concepts 27 Homework (due 28 May)[pdf file] Solution Set 27: [ps file],[pdf file]

Last update April 2, 2003