Admission requirements
Computational Physics a.
Description
An important aspect of physics research is modeling: complex physical systems are simplified through a sequence of controlled approximations to a model that lends itself for computations, either analytic or by computer. In this course, the origin of a number of widely used models will be discussed. For instance, the liquid-gas transition of Argon can be studied by a Lennard-Jones system of particles. Insight into these models can be obtained through a number of ways, one of which is computer simulations. During this course, simulation methods of various models will be discussed in the lectures as well as in computer lab sessions.
The course contains two projects:
Project 1: Monte Carlo simulation of the two-dimensional XY model
Project 2: Choice from a large number of possible projects (march of the penguins, computational astrophysics, lattice Boltzmann model, simulation of piano strings, self-organized criticality, pandemics, cosmological simulations, and more)
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
write efficient and well-documented computer code and validate it,
assess the pros and cons of various computational methods,
investigate particular topics in computational physics and present the findings in scientifc reports and an oral presentation
Schedule
The timetables are available through My Timetable (see the button in the upper right corner).
Teaching method
See Brightspace
Assesment method
The students (working in pairs) produce a report on project 1 including the code and an analysis of the results.
Project 2 is chosen from a large set of possible problems and is presented as a talk.
The final grade is the average of the grades for these two projects:
Project 1 (50%)
Project 2 (50%)
Resit, review & feedback
Examinations are held twice during the academic year for each component offered in that academic year. Midterm tests cannot be retaken. The Board of Examiners determines the manner of resit for practical assignments.
For review and feedback, see Brightspace.
Reading list
See Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap (button in upper right corner) is mandatory. General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer(s) (listed in the right information bar).
Remarks
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.