Course Syllabus

My goal for you is to come away from this course with

(1) understanding of experimental techniques for investigating properties of nuclei and particles;

(2) the ability to describe several significant discoveries throughout the history of nuclear and particle physics;

(3) a basic understanding of the theoretical concepts in nuclear and particle physics;

(4) a desire to learn more about the field!

We will be using the following materials in our course, in addition to Canvas:

• Electronic textbook: The Basics of Nuclear and Particle Physics by A. Belyaev and D. Ross, (Springer, 2021). ISBN 978-3-030- 80115-1, e-ISBN 978-3-030-80116-8. You can access the ebook via Canvas through the Bookshelf.

Please review the communication methods and requirements for this course:

Preferred Contact Methods

You can easily contact me via Canvas or using my email: dennis.soldin@utah.edu

Office Hours

The instructor will hold office hours according to the following schedule:

Day: Thursdays

Time: 12:05pm-13:30pm (after class)

Location:  JFB 334

I am happy to meet with you by appointment as well!

The Teaching Assistant will hold office hours according to the following schedule:

Name of TA: Anna Christopherson

Day: Tuesdays

Time: 12:15pm-1:30pm (after class)

Location:  JFB 209 (physics help lab)

Your performance in this course will be evaluated by:

Reading Quizzes (10% of the final grade):

You are expected to read the textbook material before meeting with the class. This will make our class time together more beneficial to your learning, as you will have already been exposed to the material and we will be able to spend time in class to address questions that you have. Reading quizzes will be taken through Canvas and will contribute 10% to your final grade. These will quiz you on the reading material for the day’s discussion in class, as well as tell me what you would like to cover in more detail during our discussion. Reading quizzes will be due by 10:00 am on most Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be 22 reading quizzes throughout the semester. Your two lowest reading quiz grades will be dropped from your overall score.

Homework (30% of the final grade):

There will be 12 homework assignments, due on most Sundays by 11:59 pm, which will contribute 30% to your final grade. Please upload your solutions to the corresponding assignment on Canvas as a picture or scanned file. I will be giving you more information about these homework assignments during the first week of class. Your lowest two homework assignment grades will be dropped from your overall score.

Midterm Exam (30% of the final grade):

There will be one midterm exam, contributing 30% to your final grade. It will cover the course material of the first half of the semester, i.e., nuclear physics, and the questions on the exam will be similar in style to the quiz and homework questions. The exam will be given during our regular meeting time on October 3 at 10:45am-12:05pm in JFB 102. You may need to show a picture ID at the exam.

Final Exam (30% of the final grade):

There will be a final exam, also contributing 30% to your final grade. It will cover the course material of the second half of the semester, i.e., particle physics, and the questions on the exam will be similar in style to the quiz and homework questions. The final exam will be on December 11 at 10:30am-12:30pm in JFB 102. You may need to show a picture ID to the exam.

Extra Credit Opportunities:

You may complete some extra credit projects, for example for the participation of special events, which will be announced during class. I will make these available on the course Canvas website. These extra credit projects will not be accepted after the due dates.

All assignments, unless otherwise announced, must be submitted to the designated area of Canvas. Do not submit assignments via email.

There will be no make-up opportunities for work in the course (in-class quizzes, group assignments, homework, pre-lectures, and checkpoint quizzes). There are many assignments in each of these categories and it is too difficult to arrange for make-up work. Consider that several assignments are dropped, the final can be used to replace a midterm score, and there is a buffer of bonus points available; no one assignment is worth very much. 

Grading for this course

I will be using the Canvas grade book to record your scores. Please check this grade book as the semester progresses and alert me of any discrepancies. You have until December 20 to notify me of any changes that need to be made.  Your final grade will be based on the University of Utah grading scale (see below).

University of Utah grading scale

Disclaimer

Accommodations will be considered on an individual basis and may require documentation.

Please contact your instructor and/or teaching assistant as soon as possible (preferably shortly before the semester begins) to request accommodations of any kind.

Extreme personal circumstances

Please contact your instructor as soon as possible if an extreme personal circumstance (hospitalization, death of a close relative, natural disaster, etc.) is interfering with your ability to complete your work.

Religious Practice

To request an accommodation for religious practices, contact your instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Active Duty Military

If you are a student on active duty with the military and experience issues that prevent you from participating in the course because of deployment or service responsibilities, contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.

Disability Access

All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services (CDS). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.

If you will need accommodations in this class, contact:

Center for Disability Services
  801-581-5020
  disability.utah.edu
  162 Union Building
200 S. Central Campus Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

This syllabus is not a contract! It is meant to serve as an outline and guide for your course. Please note that your instructor may modify it to accommodate the needs of your class.

You will be notified of any changes to the Syllabus!