A physicist's perspective on the building blocks of the living world. Topics may vary but will include: levels of structural complexity in biomolecules, molecular thermodynamics, molecular forces, the stability of biological structures, and the interaction of radiation with molecules. A rigorous treatment of commonly used biophysical techniques, such as calorimetry, optical spectroscopy, light/X-ray/neutron scattering, and single-molecule methods, will be accompanied by research applications.
A biophysical description of the structural properties and biological processes of the cell. The course will focus on: membrane biophysics, osmosis and transport through membranes, cell division, differentiation and growth, cell motility and muscular movement, cellular communication, cellular signal transduction and control, nerve impulses, action potential, synaptic signal transmission, free energy transduction in biological systems and bioenergetics of the cell, photosynthesis and respiration, photobiophysics, photoreception, and bioluminescence.
A mathematical treatment of Newtonian mechanics. Topics include: variational principles, Lagrangian mechanics, Noether’s theorem, symmetry and conservation laws, applications (orbits, oscillators, scattering), introduction to Hamiltonian mechanics.
The course will focus on wave optics and introduce students to modern optics and the quantum nature of light. Topics may vary but will include: electromagnetic waves and the propagation of light, basic coherence concepts and the interference of light, Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, Fresnel equations, polarization of light, birefringence, blackbody radiation and principles of laser operation.
This course presents the physics of Earth’s climate. Emphasis will be placed on the basic principles and processes involved in physical and dynamic climatology and the physical interactions between the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface. Topics may include components of the climate system and global energy balance, atmospheric radiative transfer, surface energy balance, the hydrological cycle, general circulation of the atmosphere, ocean circulation and climate, climate modeling, and climate change. In the lab practicals, students will gain hands-on experience in analyzing climate data and simple climate modeling.
This course provides third-year undergraduate students (after completion of at least 8 to 10 credits) who have developed some knowledge of Physics and its research methods, an opportunity to work in the research project of a professor in return for course credit. Students enrolled have the opportunity to become involved in original research, enhance their research skills and share in the excitement of acquiring new knowledge and in the discovery process of science. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.
The course offers an in-depth examination of the fundamental principles of quantum theory and a guide to its applications. Topics may vary but will include: time-independent Schrodinger equation, quantum dynamics in Heisenberg and Schrodinger pictures, time-independent perturbation theory, WKB approximation, variational method, spin, addition of angular momentum, time-dependent perturbation theory, scattering.
In this advanced course in computational modeling and physical simulation, students will apply numerical techniques to study a range of physical phenomena. Topics may include: chaotic and nonlinear systems, mean-field and Monte Carlo methods, variational and spectral methods, stochastic processes, molecular dynamics simulations, protein folding, self-organized criticality, neural networks, clustering and percolation, and so on.
An introduction to key physical principles applied to medical diagnostics, imaging and radiation therapy. Topics include: electrophysiology, electrocardiogram and encephalogram; biomagnetism, magnetocardiogram and magnetoencephalogram; atomic and nuclear physics, ionizing radiation, radioactivity, nuclear medicine; theory of image formation and analysis, X- and gamma-ray imaging, positron emission tomography; lasers, optical light-matter interactions, optical imaging and therapy; physics of ultrasound, Doppler scanning and imaging with ultrasound; principles of nuclear magnetic resonance, contrast in magnetic resonance imaging.
An overview of electromagnetism leading to the study of radiation. A review of electrostatics, magnetostatics, and Maxwell's equations is followed by a discussion of propagating, non-propagating and guided waves; interactions with dielectric boundaries; multipole radiation fields, and simple models of optical dispersion.
A program of individual study chosen by the student with the advice of, and carried out under the direction of, a Physics professor. This course requires the student to submit a completed application to the CPS Undergraduate Assistant. Registration in the course is required. The application form can be downloaded from http://uoft.me/cpsforms.
Examines major facets of Canadian government and politics within a broad comparative context asking what is different or unique about Canada and what resembles political systems elsewhere in the world, primarily western industrialized countries. Comparative analysis is used to foster a deeper understanding of Canada and its politics.
Examines current ideas about what constitutes 'democracy' and how real-world political systems measure up to democratic ideals. Through examination of formal government institutions and informal political practices, assessments will be made of the strengths and weaknesses in modern democracies. Case studies may be drawn from Canada or from other countries which claim to be democratic.
In this course students are introduced to basic concepts in politics such as authority, sovereignty, legitimacy, citizenship, jurisdiction, civil rights and civil liberties. These concepts are then used to examine the fundamental differences between major political ideologies, such as democracy, liberalism, socialism, fascism, conservatism, anarchism and communism.
Examines the politics of globalization in its various forms (economics, cultures, environmental and military) as well as the consequences of, management of and resistance to, globalization. Address topics such as whether globalization challenges the capacity of national societies and their governments to deal with global issues such as the environment, redistribution of wealth, security and human rights, both within countries and across borders.
To understand politics in our information-abundant world, we need ways to make sense of the political information that surrounds us. In this course, we ask what makes for good evidence and what makes for convincing argument. We do so by raising a series of weekly topics on which there is a mass of available information - topics like climate change, political correctness, populism, and democracy promotion, among others - and discussing fundamentally different perspectives on each topic. In the end, students will develop a fuller sense of what constitutes a well-argued and evidence-supported analysis of the political.
Studies the themes of power and justice in the history of political thought, from the ancient world until the 1700s. Readings may include work from Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, and Locke.
A comparative study of the development of American government and the main elements of the American political tradition; the structure and functioning of executives, legislatures, courts, bureaucracies, parties and pressure groups in federal and state government; characteristic processes of American politics such as voting, bargaining and regulation; and resultant patterns of public policy.
This course provides a general overview of the study of international relations. It builds a theoretical, conceptual, and empirical foundation for understanding the actors, processes, and structures that shape and constrain global politics.
This course explores contemporary challenges in the study of international relations. Building off of theoretical foundations, it provides an analytic exploration of key puzzles and topical issues that currently confront international relations scholarship.
This course will focus on Canadian Institutions, the Constitution, Federalism, the Courts, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, etc. This course will contribute to the students' understanding of their immediate political surroundings. This course will enhance the students' ability to engage and participate in the democratic system by teaching them about the foundations of the Canadian system of government.
This course will focus on political parties, elections, gender, cleavages, etc. This course will enhance the knowledge of the Canadian system of politics to give students better skills and objectives.
Comparative politics compares the ways people and institutions interact, in different countries and regions of the world (including both developing and developed), to produce what we call "politics." This course focuses on political processes and identities. Topics include: the ideas and interests shaping political behaviour; the causes of and dynamics of political mobilization, social mobilization, and revolution; the relationship between identity categories such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class and political processes.
In this course, students learn to conduct political analysis using methods common in the social sciences. This includes data such as surveys, international or social media datasets, and methods such as crosstabs and regression. Rather than stressing mathematical concepts, the emphasis of the course is on application, interpretation, and data visualization.