Outline

1. Outline • Introduction to the Department • Brief overview of required courses • Some necessary words on rights and resposibilities • Brief overview of the faculty

2. Getting Information • Use it! • Ask!

3. Required Courses • All five of the following formal introductory courses:G6037/8: Quantum Mechanics I and IIG6092/3: Electromagnetic Theory I and IIG6036 : Statistical Mechanics • Two courses from the following phenomenological subject courses:G6050: Elementary Particle PhysicsG6040: Nuclear PhysicsG6018: Physics of the Solid StateG6010: Advanced Astrophysics G6011: High Energy AstrophysicsG6060: Laser PhysicsG6081-2: Solid State Physics I or ii • One of the following advanced theoretical courses:G8047-8 : Advanced Quantum Mechanics I or IIG8069-70: Particle Physics I or IIG8040 : General RelativityG8066 : Theoretical Solid State PhysicsG8050 : Advanced Mathematical Methods in Physics • One of the following special techniques courses OR a second course from the advanced theoretical courses above:G6099: Physical PhenomenaG6042: Experimental Methods in Nuclear PhysicsG6080: Scientific Computing

4. Remarks • Your goal should be • to learn as much as possible from your graduate courses • while progressing as rapidly as possible to starting research • Determine an appropriate course load in consultation with your graduate adviser. • We are considering modifications to these requirements that would lead to • early introduction to field-specific courses • the earliest possible entry into research

5. Placement Exams • Quantum: • Offered on Thursday, 01-Sep-05, in 705 Pupin: • 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM: G6037-8 (Quantum Mechanics I and II) • E&M: • Offered on Friday, 02-Sep-05, in 705 Pupin: • 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon: G6092-3 (Electromagnetic Theory I and II) • You are strongly encouraged to take either (or both) of these exams • Pass: Credit for the course • Fail : No record is kept • Re-visiting material you know well is not a productive use of your time!

6. Qualifying Examination • Offered once per year (January) • Level: ~advanced undergraduate • Format: • Three (4 hr) written exams: • Classical Physics (Mechanics, E&M) • Modern Physics (formal Quantum Mechanics, applied Quantum Mechanics, and Relativity) • General Physics (Thermodynamics, Optics, HEP, Nuclear, Astrophysics, Atomic, Condensed Matter) • Oral Examination by 3-person faculty committee • Pass/Fail status determined in faculty meeting following detailed discussion of each student’s performance on written and oral qualifying exam, and in course work: • Pass  complete course requirements, begin research • Fail  repeat entire exam following year • Conditional  repeat specific section following year • Second failure  requested to leave program • Statistics: (Past 5 years): • 96 students • 22 repeats • 2 failed 2nd attempt • Most take in first year(postponement is allowed in cases of known gaps in undergraduate preparation)

7. Typical Program

8. Ethical Behavior (I) • Columbia University is an academic community committed to fostering intellectual inquiry in a climate of academic freedom and integrity. Its members are expected to uphold these principles and exhibit tolerance and respect for others. Thus, the Graduate School condemns all forms of misconduct and works strenuously to assure that its students are accorded tolerance, dignity and respect. Any graduate student who believes that he or she is a victim of misconduct has recourse to the mediation and grievance procedures developed by the Graduate School. Students are encouraged to discuss problems, questions, and grievances with anyone in a supervisory position, such as an advisor, director of graduate studies, department chair or appropriate dean or university administrator... • Full details available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/G_D_Policy2003.pdf

9. Ethical Behavior (II) • Columbia University is an academic community committed to fostering intellectual inquiry in a climate of academic freedom and integrity. Its members are expected to uphold these principles and abide by the regulations of the University. They are also expected to obey local, state and federal laws. Students continue at the University, receive academic credits, graduate, and obtain degrees subject to the disciplinary powers of the University. The Trustees of the University have delegated responsibility for student discipline to the deans of the individual schools or divisions. Students should be aware that academic dishonesty (for example, plagiarism, cheating on an examination, or dishonesty in dealing with a faculty member or other University official) or violence, threatening behavior, or harassment are particularly serious offenses that will be dealt with severely under Dean’s Discipline. • Full details available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/G_D_Policy2003.pdf

10. Policy on Academic and Personal Misconduct The Graduate School prohibits academic dishonesty or misconduct. Without trying to list every example, the following illustrate the different forms that academic fraud or misconduct can take: 1. Cheating on examinations or tests; also fabrication of data and/or fabrication of results. 2. Plagiarism, the failure to acknowledge adequately ideas, language or research of others, in papers, essays, dissertations or other work. 3. Knowingly assisting others in plagiarism, by making one’s papers, essays, or written work available for such use. 4. Misstatement or misrepresentation in connection with any academic matter, such as in an application for admission or financial aid, or during a formal inquiry by University officials. 5. Misuse, alteration, or fabrication of University documents, records and credentials, including transcripts and I.D. cards. 6. Improper use of the library and its resources: theft or purposely hoarding or hiding books or materials. 7. Misconduct in carrying out teaching or research responsibilities. See appendix C for faculty guidelines. These guidelines apply to anyone teaching or conducting research at Columbia.

11. Your Role • Why this emphasis? • Because • You are joining a community of scholars • Whose medium of exchange is individual ideas and research results • The community: • Your fellow students • The Columbia physics faculty • The associated research scientists, post-docs, and technicians • Similar groups at other institutions

12. The Columbia Faculty • A broad department covering • Condensed matter • Astrophysics • “Particle” theory • Experimental particle physics • “Nuclear” physics • A department with • An illustrious past • A bright future (you)

13. Theory Igor Aleiner electron transport Boris Altshulercondensed matter theory Allan Blaer Low T phase transitions Tim Halpin-Healey phase transitions and critical phenomena Andy Millis interacting e’s in metals Experiment Tony Heinz Surface physics w. lasers Philip Kim low-dimensional nanostructures Aron Pinczuk low-dim e systems Horst Stormer low-dim e systems Tomo Uemura mSR, high Tc Condensed Matter

14. Theory Andrei Beloborodov X-ray binaries, AGN, bursts Lam Hui cosmology Janna Levin theoretical astrophysics Mal Ruderman Compact objects Experiment Elena Aprile Gamma ray sources, LXe-TPC Charles Hailey Gamma ray astronomy Szabolcs Marka Gravitational Waves Amber Miller CMB probes Reshmi Mukherjee gamma rays, AGN Stefan Westerhoff HiRes, AGN Astrophysics

15. Theory Norman Christ LQCD Brian Greene strings, cosmology Daniel Kabat strings, quantum gravity T.D. Lee Everything Robert Mawhinney LQCD Alfred Mueller QCD, heavy ions Eduardo Ponton “Beyond the SM” phenomenology Erick Weinberg strings, black holes Experiment Gustaaf Brooijmans D0, ATLAS Janet Conrad miniBoone, nuTeV (FNAL) John Parsons D0, ATLAS Michael Shaevitz NuTeV, miniBoone Michael Tuts D0, ATLAS William Willis ATLAS “Particle” Physics

16. Theory Miklos Gyulassy QCD, heavy ion theory Experiment Brian Cole PHENIX, LHC William Zajc PHENIX at RHIC “Nuclear” Physics

17. To Learn More • Required: Attend the Graduate Seminar!(G6905, F 10:30-11:30, 831 Pupin) • Colloquium: (Mondays at 4pm) • Various regularly scheduled seminars • Read pre-prints! (http://xxx.arxiv.cornell.edu/ ) • Ask!

18. The Graduate Experience • It’s the same: • Continue to take classes • Grades continue to matter • It’s different: • You will make a transition from • a student to • a researcher to • an independent researcher • The experience will have a profound affect on your entire career, in or out of academia