Search result: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2021

Physics Bachelor Information
Selection of Higher Semester Courses
NumberTitleTypeECTSHoursLecturers
401-0674-00LNumerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations
Not meant for BSc/MSc students of mathematics.
W10 credits2G + 2U + 2P + 4AR. Hiptmair
AbstractDerivation, properties, and implementation of fundamental numerical methods for a few key partial differential equations: convection-diffusion, heat equation, wave equation, conservation laws. Implementation in C++ based on a finite element library.
ObjectiveMain skills to be acquired in this course:
* Ability to implement fundamental numerical methods for the solution of partial differential equations efficiently.
* Ability to modify and adapt numerical algorithms guided by awareness of their mathematical foundations.
* Ability to select and assess numerical methods in light of the predictions of theory
* Ability to identify features of a PDE (= partial differential equation) based model that are relevant for the selection and performance of a numerical algorithm.
* Ability to understand research publications on theoretical and practical aspects of numerical methods for partial differential equations.
* Skills in the efficient implementation of finite element methods on unstructured meshes.

This course is neither a course on the mathematical foundations and numerical analysis of methods nor an course that merely teaches recipes and how to apply software packages.
Content1 Second-Order Scalar Elliptic Boundary Value Problems
1.2 Equilibrium Models: Examples
1.3 Sobolev spaces
1.4 Linear Variational Problems
1.5 Equilibrium Models: Boundary Value Problems
1.6 Diffusion Models (Stationary Heat Conduction)
1.7 Boundary Conditions
1.8 Second-Order Elliptic Variational Problems
1.9 Essential and Natural Boundary Conditions
2 Finite Element Methods (FEM)
2.2 Principles of Galerkin Discretization
2.3 Case Study: Linear FEM for Two-Point Boundary Value Problems
2.4 Case Study: Triangular Linear FEM in Two Dimensions
2.5 Building Blocks of General Finite Element Methods
2.6 Lagrangian Finite Element Methods
2.7 Implementation of Finite Element Methods
2.7.1 Mesh Generation and Mesh File Format
2.7.2 Mesh Information and Mesh Data Structures
2.7.2.1 L EHR FEM++ Mesh: Container Layer
2.7.2.2 L EHR FEM++ Mesh: Topology Layer
2.7.2.3 L EHR FEM++ Mesh: Geometry Layer
2.7.3 Vectors and Matrices
2.7.4 Assembly Algorithms
2.7.4.1 Assembly: Localization
2.7.4.2 Assembly: Index Mappings
2.7.4.3 Distribute Assembly Schemes
2.7.4.4 Assembly: Linear Algebra Perspective
2.7.5 Local Computations
2.7.5.1 Analytic Formulas for Entries of Element Matrices
2.7.5.2 Local Quadrature
2.7.6 Treatment of Essential Boundary Conditions
2.8 Parametric Finite Element Methods
3 FEM: Convergence and Accuracy
3.1 Abstract Galerkin Error Estimates
3.2 Empirical (Asymptotic) Convergence of Lagrangian FEM
3.3 A Priori (Asymptotic) Finite Element Error Estimates
3.4 Elliptic Regularity Theory
3.5 Variational Crimes
3.6 FEM: Duality Techniques for Error Estimation
3.7 Discrete Maximum Principle
3.8 Validation and Debugging of Finite Element Codes
4 Beyond FEM: Alternative Discretizations [dropped]
5 Non-Linear Elliptic Boundary Value Problems [dropped]
6 Second-Order Linear Evolution Problems
6.1 Time-Dependent Boundary Value Problems
6.2 Parabolic Initial-Boundary Value Problems
6.3 Linear Wave Equations
7 Convection-Diffusion Problems [dropped]
8 Numerical Methods for Conservation Laws
8.1 Conservation Laws: Examples
8.2 Scalar Conservation Laws in 1D
8.3 Conservative Finite Volume (FV) Discretization
8.4 Timestepping for Finite-Volume Methods
8.5 Higher-Order Conservative Finite-Volume Schemes
Lecture notesThe lecture will be taught in flipped classroom format:
- Video tutorials for all thematic units will be published online.
- Tablet notes accompanying the videos will be made available to the audience as PDF.
- A comprehensive lecture document will cover all aspects of the course.
LiteratureChapters of the following books provide supplementary reading
(detailed references in course material):

* D. Braess: Finite Elemente,
Theorie, schnelle Löser und Anwendungen in der Elastizitätstheorie, Springer 2007 (available online).
* S. Brenner and R. Scott. Mathematical theory of finite element methods, Springer 2008 (available online).
* A. Ern and J.-L. Guermond. Theory and Practice of Finite Elements, volume 159 of Applied Mathematical Sciences. Springer, New York, 2004.
* Ch. Großmann and H.-G. Roos: Numerical Treatment of Partial Differential Equations, Springer 2007.
* W. Hackbusch. Elliptic Differential Equations. Theory and Numerical Treatment, volume 18 of Springer Series in Computational Mathematics. Springer, Berlin, 1992.
* P. Knabner and L. Angermann. Numerical Methods for Elliptic and Parabolic Partial Differential Equations, volume 44 of Texts in Applied Mathematics. Springer, Heidelberg, 2003.
* S. Larsson and V. Thomée. Partial Differential Equations with Numerical Methods, volume 45 of Texts in Applied Mathematics. Springer, Heidelberg, 2003.
* R. LeVeque. Finite Volume Methods for Hyperbolic Problems. Cambridge Texts in Applied Mathematics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2002.

However, study of supplementary literature is not important for for following the course.
Prerequisites / NoticeMastery of basic calculus and linear algebra is taken for granted.
Familiarity with fundamental numerical methods (solution methods for linear systems of equations, interpolation, approximation, numerical quadrature, numerical integration of ODEs) is essential.

Important: Coding skills and experience in C++ are essential.

Homework assignments involve substantial coding, partly based on a C++ finite element library. The written examination will be computer based and will comprise coding tasks.
402-0714-00LAstro-Particle Physics IIW6 credits2V + 1UA. Biland
AbstractThis lecture focuses on the neutral components of the cosmic rays as well as on several aspects of Dark Matter. Main topics will be very-high energy astronomy and neutrino astronomy.
ObjectiveStudents know experimental methods to measure neutrinos as well as high energy and very high energy photons from extraterrestrial sources. They are aware of the historical development and the current state of the field, including major theories. Additionally, they understand experimental evidences about the existence of Dark Matter and selected Dark Matter theories.
Contenta) short repetition about 'charged cosmic rays' (1st semester)
b) High Energy (HE) and Very-High Energy (VHE) Astronomy:
- ongoing and near-future detectors for (V)HE gamma-rays
- possible production mechanisms for (V)HE gamma-rays
- galactic sources: supernova remnants, pulsar-wind nebulae, micro-quasars, etc.
- extragalactic sources: active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts, galaxy clusters, etc.
- the gamma-ray horizon and it's cosmological relevance
c) Neutrino Astronomy:
- atmospheric, solar, extrasolar and cosmological neutrinos
- actual results and near-future experiments
d) Dark Matter:
- evidence for existence of non-barionic matter
- Dark Matter models (mainly Supersymmetry)
- actual and near-future experiments for direct and indirect Dark Matter searches
Lecture notesSee: Link
LiteratureSee: Link
Prerequisites / NoticeThis course can be attended independent of Astro-Particle Physics I.
402-0742-00LEnergy and Environment in the 21st Century (Part II)W6 credits2V + 1UP. Morf
AbstractThis second part of the lecture on Energy and Environment in the 21st century covers the state of human civilization and its impact on the environment. We find many unsustainable aspects and try to investigate the consequences. Can we find and maintain a sustainable way of life? Do we find scientific measures and ethical guidelines to stay within the planetary boundaries?
ObjectiveCan we find a scientifically useful definition of sustainability?
We try to understand the unsustainable aspects of our current lifestyle and our society.
Investigate the unsustainable use of ressources, environmental destruction, climate change and mass extinctions.
How long can humanity continue on its current unsustainable path,
what are the possible consequences? Historical examples of society collapse. What can we learn from them - can we?
What about existing models/experiments promise to transform the human society into the direction of sustainability?
Which guide lines and transformational designs can we follow into a sustainable world?
ContentIntroduction to "sustainability" (26.2.)
Population Dynamik (5.3.)
Finite (energy)-resources (12.3.)
Waste problems (19.3.)
Water, soil and industrial agriculture (26.3.)
Biodiversity (16.4.)
Limits to growth (23.4.)
Over the limits (30.4.)
Growth, de-growth and the doughnut economy (7.5)
Sustainability, how to achieve? (14.5.)
Interdisciplinary environmental science (21.5.)
Environmental ethics and policies (28.5.)
Possible ways into sustainability – how is your 2040 or 2050 (4.6)
LiteratureEnvironmental Physics (Boeker and Grandelle)
Humanökologie (Nentwig)
Limits to growth (Meadows, Meadows, Randers and Behrens)
A prosperous way down: Principles and Policies (Odum and Odum)
Come On! (Weizäcker and Wijkman)
Prerequisites / NoticeBasics on Physics applied to Energy and Environment.
Investigation on current problems (and possible solutions)
related to the human environment interaction and the needed transition from an unsustainable use of renewable and non renewable (energy) resources to sustainable systems. Training of scientific and multi-disciplinary methods, approaches and their limits in the exercises and discussions.
401-3532-08LDifferential Geometry IIW10 credits4V + 1UW. Merry
AbstractThis is a continuation course of Differential Geometry I.

Topics covered include:

- Connections and curvature,
- Riemannian geometry,
- Gauge theory and Chern-Weil theory.
Objective
Lecture notesI will produce full lecture notes, available on my website:

Link
LiteratureThere are many excellent textbooks on differential geometry.

A friendly and readable book that contains everything covered in Differential Geometry I is:

John M. Lee "Introduction to Smooth Manifolds" 2nd ed. (2012) Springer-Verlag.

For Differential Geometry II, the textbooks:

- S. Kobayashi, K. Nomizu "Foundations of Differential Geometry" Volume I (1963) Wiley,
- I. Chavel, "Riemannian Geometry: A Modern Introduction" 2nd ed. (2006), CUP,

are both excellent. The monograph

- A. L. Besse "Einstein Manifolds", (1987), Springer,

gives a comprehensive overview of the entire field, although it is extremely advanced. (By the end of the course you should be able to read this book.)
Prerequisites / NoticeFamiliarity with all the material from Differential Geometry I will be assumed (smooth manifolds, Lie groups, vector bundles, differential forms, integration on manifolds, principal bundles and so on). Lecture notes for Differential Geometry I can be found on my website.
402-0343-00LPhysics Against Cancer: The Physics of Imaging and Treating Cancer
Special Students UZH must book the module PHY361 directly at UZH.
W6 credits2V + 1UA. J. Lomax, U. Schneider
AbstractRadiotherapy is a rapidly developing and technology driven medical discipline that is heavily dependent on physics and engineering. In this lecture series, we will review and describe some of the current developments in radiotherapy, particularly from the physics and technological view point, and will indicate in which direction future research in radiotherapy will lie.
ObjectiveRadiotherapy is a rapidly developing and technology driven medical discipline that is heavily dependent on physics and engineering. In the last few years, a multitude of new techniques, equipment and technology have been introduced, all with the primary aim of more accurately targeting and treating cancerous tissues, leading to a precise, predictable and effective therapy technique. In this lecture series, we will review and describe some of the current developments in radiotherapy, particularly from the physics and technological view point, and will indicate in which direction future research in radiotherapy will lie. Our ultimate aim is to provide the student with a taste for the critical role that physics plays in this rapidly evolving discipline and to show that there is much interesting physics still to be done.
ContentThe lecture series will begin with a short introduction to radiotherapy and an overview of the lecture series (lecture 1). Lecture 2 will cover the medical imaging as applied to radiotherapy, without which it would be impossible to identify or accurately calculate the deposition of radiation in the patient. This will be followed by a detailed description of the treatment planning process, whereby the distribution of deposited energy within the tumour and patient can be accurately calculated, and the optimal treatment defined (lecture 3). Lecture 4 will follow on with this theme, but concentrating on the more theoretical and mathematical techniques that can be used to evaluate different treatments, using mathematically based biological models for predicting the outcome of treatments. The role of physics modeling, in order to accurately calculate the dose deposited from radiation in the patient, will be examined in lecture 5, together with a review of mathematical tools that can be used to optimize patient treatments. Lecture 6 will investigate a rather different issue, that is the standardization of data sets for radiotherapy and the importance of medical data bases in modern therapy. In lecture 7 we will look in some detail at one of the most advanced radiotherapy delivery techniques, namely Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). In lecture 8, the two topics of imaging and therapy will be somewhat combined, when we will describe the role of imaging in the daily set-up and assessment of patients. Lecture 9 follows up on this theme, in which a major problem of radiotherapy, namely organ motion and changes in patient and tumour geometry during therapy, will be addressed, together with methods for dealing with such problems. Finally, in lectures 10-11, we will describe in some of the multitude of different delivery techniques that are now available, including particle based therapy, rotational (tomo) therapy approaches and robot assisted radiotherapy. In the final lecture, we will provide an overview of the likely avenues of research in the next 5-10 years in radiotherapy. The course will be rounded-off with an opportunity to visit a modern radiotherapy unit, in order to see some of the techniques and delivery methods described in the course in action.
Prerequisites / NoticeAlthough this course is seen as being complimentary to the Medical Physics I and II course of Dr Manser, no previous knowledge of radiotherapy is necessarily expected or required for interested students who have not attended the other two courses.
402-0787-00LTherapeutic Applications of Particle Physics: Principles and Practice of Particle TherapyW6 credits2V + 1UA. J. Lomax
AbstractPhysics and medical physics aspects of particle physics
Subjects: Physics interactions and beam characteristics; medical accelerators; beam delivery; pencil beam scanning; dosimetry and QA; treatment planning; precision and uncertainties; in-vivo dose verification; proton therapy biology.
ObjectiveThe lecture series is focused on the physics and medical physics aspects of particle therapy. The radiotherapy of tumours using particles (particularly protons) is a rapidly expanding discipline, with many new proton and particle therapy facilities currently being planned and built throughout Europe. In this lecture series, we study in detail the physics background to particle therapy, starting from the fundamental physics interactions of particles with tissue, through to treatment delivery, treatment planning and in-vivo dose verification. The course is aimed at students with a good physics background and an interest in the application of physics to medicine.
Prerequisites / NoticeThe former title of this course was "Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Applications of Particle Physics".
402-0673-00LPhysics in Medical Research: From Humans to CellsW6 credits2V + 1UB. K. R. Müller
AbstractThe aim of this lecture series is to introduce the role of physics in state-of-the-art medical research and clinical practice. Topics to be covered range from applications of physics in medical implant technology and tissue engineering, through imaging technology, to its role in interventional and non-interventional therapies.
ObjectiveThe lecture series is focused on applying knowledge from physics in diagnosis, planning, and therapy close to clinical practice and fundamental medical research. Beside a general overview, the lectures give a deep insight into a very few selected techniques, which will help the students to apply the knowledge to a broad range of related techniques.

In particular, the lectures will elucidate the physics behind the X-ray imaging currently used in clinical environment and contemporary high-resolution developments. It is the goal to visualize and quantify (sub-)microstructures of human tissues and implants as well as their interface.

Ultrasound is not only used for diagnostic purposes but includes therapeutic approaches such as the control of the blood-brain barrier under MR-guidance.

Physicists in medicine are working on modeling and simulation. Based on the vascular structure in cancerous and healthy tissues, the characteristic approaches in computational physics to develop strategies against cancer are presented. In order to deliberately destroy cancerous tissue, heat can be supplied or extracted in different manner: cryotherapy (heat conductivity in anisotropic, viscoelastic environment), radiofrequency treatment (single and multi-probe), laser application, and proton therapy.

Medical implants play an important role to take over well-defined tasks within the human body. Although biocompatibility is here of crucial importance, the term is insufficiently understood. The aim of the lectures is the understanding of biocompatibility performing well-defined experiments in vitro and in vivo. Dealing with different classes of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers) the influence of surface modifications (morphology and surface coatings) are key issues for implant developments, which might be bio-inspired.

Mechanical stimuli can drastically influence soft and hard tissue behavior. The students should realize that a physiological window exists, where a positive tissue response is expected and how the related parameter including strain, frequency, and resting periods can be selected and optimized for selected tissues such as bone.

For the treatment of severe incontinence, we are developing artificial smart muscles. The students should have a critical look at promising solutions and the selection procedure as well as realize the time-consuming and complex way to clinical practice.

The course will be completed by relating the numerous examples and a common round of questions.
ContentThis lecture series will cover the following topics:
Introduction: Imaging the human body down to individual cells and beyond
Development of artificial muscles for incontinence treatment
X-ray-based computed tomography in clinics and related medical research
High-resolution micro computed tomography
Phase tomography using hard X-rays in biomedical research
Metal-based implants and scaffolds
Natural and synthetic ceramics for implants and regenerative medicine
Biomedical simulations
Polymers for medical implants
From open surgery to non-invasive interventions - Physical approaches in medical imaging
Dental research
Focused Ultrasound and its clinical use
Applying physics in medicine: Benefitting patients
Lecture notesLink

login and password to be provided during the lecture
Prerequisites / NoticeStudents from other departments are very welcome to join and gain insight into a variety of sophisticated techniques for the benefit of patients.
No special knowledge is required. Nevertheless, gaps in basic physical knowledge will require additional efforts.
» Electives (Physics Master)
402-0248-00LElectronics for Physicists II (Digital) Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 30.
W4 credits4GY. M. Acremann
AbstractThe course will start with logic and finite state machines. These concepts will be applied in practical exercises using FPGAs. Based on this knowledge we will cover the working principles of microprocessors. We will cover combined systems where a micro processor is used for the complex parts and specialized logic on the FPGA is in charge of processing time-critical signals.
ObjectiveThe goal of this lecture is to give an overview over digital electronic design needed for timing and data acquisition systems used in physics. After this lecture you will have the knowledge to design digital systems based on FPGAs and microcontrollers.
ContentThe goal of this lecture is to give an overview over digital electronic design needed for timing and data acquisition systems used in physics. After this lecture you will have the knowledge to design digital systems based on FPGAs and micro controllers.

Contents:
Combinational logic
Flip-Flops
Binary representations of numbers, binary arithmetic
Counters, shift registers

Hardware description languages (mostly VHDL)
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)
From algorithm to architecture
Finite state machines

Buses (parallel, serial)
The SPI bus

Digital signal processing
The sampling theorem
Z-transform,
Digital filters
Frequency conversion

The microprocessor (illustrated on an open-source implementation of the RISC-V microprocessor)
SPI bus with a micro controller
Combined systems: FPGA for the time critical part, processor for the user interface
System-on-chip (FPGA based)
Prerequisites / NoticeWe recommend the students to have taken Analog Electronics for Physicists or to have knowledge of basic analog electronics.

Students (or at least each group of 2 / 3 students) need a laptop computer, preferably running Linux or Windows. For other operating systems we recommend running Linux or Windows on a virtual machine.
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