To build a comprehensive foundation in fundamental and advanced concepts in Physics.
To improve the analytical skills necessary for application of the Physics concepts in problem solving.
To impart adequate training in practical skills and provide hands-on laboratory experience.
To equip learners with skills to carry out computer-aided investigations in the Physical Sciences.
To enhance the understanding of interdisciplinary nature of modern day science through elective courses; and
To enable in-service personnel to upgrade their knowledge and skills for professional development.
Learner Target Group
Open to all graduates with B. Sc. (Hons.) in Physics as well as B. Sc. Degree, with Physics as one of the subjects regardless of gender, age, employment status, social status, area of residence, etc.
Eligibility & Medium
Eligibility for admission:
Graduates with Major/Honours in Physics.
Graduates with a B.Sc. Degree (including IGNOU B.Sc. Programme under CBCS) with Physics and Mathematics Graduates with a B.Sc. Degree of IGNOU or any recognized Open University with a minimum of 32 Credits of Physics, and Mathematics as one of the subjects.
Medium of Instruction:English
Duration & Fee Structure
Programme Duration:Minimum Duration: 24 Months and Maximum Duration48 Months
INR(Rs.): 28,000.00/- for Full ProgrammeRs.14,000/- per year plus additional charges as applicable.
This Programme not offered for International Students.
Note: Exam Fees is not included in Fee Structure it will be as decided by the University
Job/Future Prospects
Career in physics teaching, research in frontier areas and industry, career advancement and professional growth for in-service personnel like school teachers and laboratory technicians in College/ University/ Research Laboratories.
Programme Coordinator
Prof. Subhalakshmi Lamba Professor School of Sciences (SOS) slamba@ignou.ac.in
Dr. M. Boazbou Newmai Assistant Professor School of Sciences (SOS) mbnewmai@ignou.ac.in
In this course we acquaint you with the areas of mathematics required for higher studies in physics. Specifically, you will learn about partial differential equations and special functions, vector spaces,matrices and tensors, complex analysis, Laplace and Fourier transforms and group theory . These mathematical techniques will be used extensively in most of your theory courses and it will help if you are thorough with these methods before you start studying your other courses. In order to study this course effectively, it would also be better if you revise the standard courses in the mathematical methods in physics typically taught at the undergraduate level.
In your undergraduate physics courses you have solved problems using Newton’s Laws of motion. You will now study a new set of analytic techniques for solving dynamical problems. In this course you will study the Lagrangian formulation of mechanics and its applications. You will derive and solve the Euler-Lagrange equations of motion, which are derived from the Lagrangian of a physical system The Lagrangian is a scalar function which depends on the kinetic energy and potential energy of the system. You will also study the “Priciple of Least Action”, one of the most famous princles in physics which can not only be be used to derive Newtonian, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian equations of motion, but also has applications in modern physics like in relativity and quantum mechanics.
The word electromagnetism comes from a combination of electricity and magnetism. Electric and magnetic phenomena have been observed in nature since ancient times and they were considered as two entirely separate phenomena. The discoveries of Oersted and Faraday regarding the magnetic effects of current and electromagnetic induction changed things dramatically. These developments indicating some kind of relation between electric and magnetic phenomena culminated in the work of Maxwell, who clearly established that electricity and magnetism are the two aspects of the same phenomenon. In this course on Electromagnetic Theory, we will investigate the realm of electrostatics and magnetostatics. While electrostatics is the study of electric fields produced by stationary charges, magnetostatics deals with the stationary magnetic fields and their interactions. You will learn the basic concepts related to electrostatics and techniques to solve electrostatic problems. We also discuss the genesis of magnetic field in terms of current loop and investigate how various materials behave in a magnetic field. Throughout this course, we will adopt a rigorous mathematical approach to electromagnetic theory, emphasizing the importance of vector calculus and mathematical techniques in solving related problems.
Quantum mechanics, as you know, is a totally new way of interpreting data and predicting the behaviour of microscopic particles based on the idea of an essential discontinuity, the quantum, in the affairs of the world. In this course you will study the basic concepts of quantum mechanics like the uncertainty principle and the wave particle duality, as well as the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics which tells you how to predict the behavior of quantum mechanical systems. You will study about the wave function and its probabilistic interpretation in quantum mechanics and the Schrodinger equation which is the differential equation for the quantum mechanical wave function. You will learn about operators which describe dynamical variables in quantum mechanical systems. You will solve the Schrodinger equation to describe several simple potential systems like the barrier and step potentials, the simple harmonic oscillator potential as well as the hydrogen atom. Finally, you will study the abstract mathematical formalism for quantum mechanics which treats the states of a quantum system as vectors in Hilbert space. You will learn how to study physical systems using this formalism.
We often come across electronic equipment and systems in our everyday life. We use many electronic techniques in different scientific experiments for data collection and processing. It is useful to know about the working of various electronic systems and their components. In this course you will learn about different advanced devices used in the electronic circuits as well as get familiar with different electronic circuits you come across in various applications. The course is built upon the prior knowledge of electronics you have gained at the undergraduate level.
We will offer this course in the form of recorded lectures from renowned professors in the field of Electronics from different prestigious institutions in India. These lectures are available as Open Educational Resources (OERs) at NPTEL site. We will provide you with the links of these lectures and prescribe the sequence in which you should watch these lectures so that you will understand the different topics of the course well. Along with the links for the video lectures, we will also provide the links for the transcripts prepared by these experts wherever available so that you can read them through in case you have some difficulty in understanding the talk. It is advisable to follow the sequence that we will prescribe, as it will help you in a thematically coherent study.
In this course we develop further the analytical techniques of mechanics in the Hamiltonian formalism. The starting point is the Hamiltonian of the physical system which is once again a scalar function, which, for non-relativistic motion is, most often, though not always , the sum of the kinetic and potential energy of the system. Hamilton’s equations of motion, derived from the Hamiltonian, are first-order differential equations in contrast to the Euler Lagrange equations of motion which are second order differential equations. Hamiltonian mechanics also gives us a structured framework for transforming between coordinate systems through canonical transformations. You will also learn the concept of phase and Liouville’s theorem in which you will learn that areas of phase space elements are conserved for all Hamiltonian systems. Hamiltonian mechanics also serves as a link between classical and quantum mechanics.
This is the second course on electromagnetic theory in this programme. While the first course entitled Electromagnetic Theory (MPH 003) dealt with electric and magnetic fields generatedby static charge distribution and current distribution respectively, this course primarily deals with the time varying electric field and magnetic field and their interactions. It forms the foundation of our understanding of electricity, magnetism, and optics, and provides a framework for explaining a wide range of physical phenomena, from the behavior of light to the functioning of electronic devices. You will study the key concepts of classical electrodynamics including Maxwell's equations, which are a set of four fundamental equations that describe the behavior of electric and magnetic fields. We will examine how these equations can be used to understand various electromagnetic phenomena, such as the propagation of electromagnetic waves in free space as well as in different media, the generation of electric and magnetic fields by charges and currents, and the interactions between charged particles. We will also explore important topics such as electromagnetic radiation, the principles of electromagnetism in different reference frames, and the behavior of electromagnetic waves in different media.
In this second course in quantum mechanics we study the concepts related to symmetries in quantum mechanics and the ensuing conservation laws. These ideas are of fundamental importance because they serve as constraints while formulating physical theories and models. You have already solved the Schrodinger equation for several systems in your first course in quantum mechanics. However exactly solvable physical systems are rare in quantum mechanics, which is why one needs approximation methods. In this course you study perturbation theory and its application to several physical problems. You will also study the scattering theory for quantum systems. In this course we also introduce the basic concepts of relativistic quantum mechanics which will provide an exposure to how relativistic quantum mechanics leads naturally to the notion of spin angular momentum as well as anti-particles.
As you know, laboratory work is an integral component of physics curricula at all levels so as to bridge the gap between theory and practice by engaging in hands-on experimentation. Through this course, you will acquire crucial skills, deepen your understanding of fundamental physics concepts, and gain valuable experience in laboratory techniques that will be beneficial for future research or professional endeavors in the field of physics. This course aims at developing experimental skills, reinforce theoretical concepts, enhance problem-solving abilities and promote teamwork and communication.
The Experiments in this course are from two broad areas: measurement of physical constants and determination of the electrical, thermal, magnetic, dielectric and optical properties of materials. The list of experiments for the course is given below:
You have already performed several experiments in electronics in your college laboratory while doing the undergraduate Physics courses. In this laboratory course you will perform some advanced level experiments in electronics. It is imperative to know the electrical behaviour of various electronic devices before you start using them in the application circuits. In the initial few experiments you will study the characteristics of various devices and then perform some advanced experiments by using these devices in application circuits.
You will perform the experiments at the Study centre assigned to you and it is mandatory to attend the laboratory sessions. The laboratory training for this Course will be imparted for 120 hours (two weeks)
Statistical Mechanics provides a framework for understanding the behaviour of large collection of particles or systems. It aims to explain macroscopic properties based on the microscopic behaviour of equilibrium is equally likely to be found in any of its accessible microstates, and the probability of a particular microstate is proportional to its statistical weight.
In this course, you will study basics of statistical mechanics like ergodic theory where a system explores all of its accessible states. You will then study different ways of characterizing a system known as ensembles such as the microcanonical ensemble, the canonical ensemble, and the grand canonical ensemble. You will also study Quantum Mechanical ensemble theory which extends statistical mechanics to quantum systems. Cumulant expansion and cluster expansion techniques will be used to study classical gases with interactions. In the last block of the course, you will study Phase transitions, such as first-order and continuous phase transitions.
In this course on Condensed Matter Physics you study the fundamental macroscopic properties of matter, and also learn about the interactions between large numbers of atoms and electrons that give rise to these properties. This course draws heavily from both quantum mechanics and statistical physics. In the first part of the course you learn the basic ideas of crystal structure and symmetry and in brief about the newer materials like quasicrystals, liquid crystals, graphene etc. You will study about the characteristic vibrations of the crystal lattice in solids and about the quantized vibrational modes called phonon, which explain the thermal and electrical conductivity of materials. You will also study the thermal and electrical properties of electrons in a solid and learn about energy bands are formed. You will study the properties of semiconductor materials. This course also covers the characteristics of the dielectric and magnetic properties of materials and superconductivity.
Optics, as a branch of physics, explores the nature of light, its propagation, and its various manifestations in the form of electromagnetic waves. By delving into the electromagnetic theory, we gain a deeper understanding of how light behaves, enabling us to comprehend the intricate phenomena observed in optical systems. We will cover a wide range of topics, including interference, diffraction, lasers, waveguides and optical systems on the basis of Maxwell's equations which form the bedrock of our understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, encompassing everything from radio waves to X-rays and beyond. This course will give you a basic foundation in applied optics, enabling you to pursue further studies or careers in fields such as optical engineering, photonics, telecommunications, and more.
In this course you will study the important numerical methods that are commonly used to find solutions to physical problems. You will learn the methods of numerically determining the roots of polynomials, intrapolation and extrapolation of data, solving differential equations and numerical integration. Numerical methods are of utmost importance when exact solutions are either not available or too intractable. We also introduce Monte Carlo methods which find applications in almost all branches in physics, in the modelling of measurable properties in a variety of complex systems.
In this laboratory you will implement the computational techniques learnt in MPH-014 by writing the numerical algorithms and implementing these algorithms through a computer programme. The objective of the course is to teach you to apply these methods to solve problems in physics. You will also learn how to present your results graphically by using plotting softwares. The course material for this course includes an introduction to a programming language.
This course will provide you an opportunity to explore the fundamental principles and theories that govern the behavior of atoms and molecules and thereby equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to understand the inner workings of matter at the atomic and molecular level. The course covers basic concepts of atomic structure, including electron configurations, quantum numbers, and energy levels. We will also explore atomic models, such as the Bohr model and quantum mechanical model. These will enable you to grasp the principles of quantum mechanics as applied to atomic and molecular systems. You will also study atomic and molecular spectroscopy and interaction of atoms with electromagnetic radiation.
Indian sage Kannada imagined atoms about 2500 years back as the basic constituent of matter. The discovery of radioactivity by Becquerel and Curies and study of radiations and their properties by Rutherford who hypothesized existence of nucleus led to the development of “nucleus physics”. Recent studies have led to vast developments in nuclear and elementary particle physics. To begin with, we have discussed basic properties of nucleus and models like shell model, collective model, etc. The discussion of radioactivity, radioactive decay and the nucleon-nucleon problem are discussed. Nuclear reactions and their mechanisms, nuclear fission and fusion, reactors etc. are also discussed in this course. At the end of the course, we have introduced the elementary particles. You will study the relativistic conservation laws and apply them to particle reactions and decays. You will learn about the classification of elementary particles and their quantum numbers, the fundamental interactions and the quark model.
Indian sage Kannada imagined atoms about 2500 years back as the basic constituent of matter. The discovery of radioactivity by Becquerel and Curies and study of radiations and their properties by Rutherford who hypothesized existence of nucleus led to the development of “nucleus physics”. Recent studies have led to vast developments in nuclear and elementary particle physics. To begin with, we have discussed basic properties of nucleus and models like shell model, collective model, etc. The discussion of radioactivity, radioactive decay and the nucleon-nucleon problem are discussed. Nuclear reactions and their mechanisms, nuclear fission and fusion, reactors etc. are also discussed in this course. At the end of the course, we have introduced the elementary particles. You will study the relativistic conservation laws and apply them to particle reactions and decays. You will learn about the classification of elementary particles and their quantum numbers, the fundamental interactions and the quark model.
This elective course is designed to give a comprehensive knowledge about the materials observed around us. Apart from their nature, and various properties, we will discuss the synthesis methods adopted in preparation of various materials. It is important to study the properties of materials, since that is the main determining factor governing their applications.
This course will be offered in the form of recorded lectures from renowned professors from different prestigious institutions in India in the field of materials science available as Open Educational Resources (OERs) at NPTEL site. We will provide you with the links of these lectures and prescribe the sequence in which you should listen to these lectures so that you will understand the different topics of the course well. It is advisable to follow the sequence that we will prescribe, as it will help you in a thematically coherent study.
Human need of nuclear energy is rapidly growing in the world. This is a challenge to be met, preferably through construction of more nuclear reactors. Towards this initiative, the world is looking for fission as well as fusion reactors. Scientists are trying to create the sun on the Earth. The fission reactors are at advanced stages of construction in India.
In the course “Elements of Reactor Physics”, we have covered basics of reactor physics. You will also learn about interactions of neutrons with matter. We have discussed in detail the basic mechanism by which neutrons lose or gain energy in a reactor. Transport equation and its solutions in approximate form-the diffusion equation-are also discussed for some simple physical systems.
