Cavendish Laboratory

Physics Course Handbook

2023/24

The Ray Dolby Centre, the 3rd Cavendish Laboratory, which we expect to
occupy from Spring 24.
Picture credit: Paul Raftery

[Document version Wednesday 4th October, 2023(15:11)]

 IoP Accredited Pathways
RoutesthroughPhysics Needs permission from Faculty
Engineering External to NST
Part IA
NST Part IA
Computer Science Physics Mathematics
Part IA + Mathematics Part IA
+2 other experimental sciences (with Physics)
(including CST paper 1)

NST Part IB Mathematics

NST Part IB
Physics A and B Part IB
Physics A (or B)
+ two other subjects + one other subject

Computer Science NST Part II Physical NST Part II NST Part II Mathematics
Management Studies Sciences Physics Astrophysics Part II
Engineering Tripos Half Subject Physics
plus another NST Part IB
subject & dissertation

Exit all after Part II

with B. A. (Hons) NST Part III NST Part III Mathematics
Computer Science Part
Physics Astrophysics Part III
III

B. A. (Hons); M. Eng. B. A. (Hons); M. Sci. B. A. (Hons); M. Sci. B. A. (Hons); M. Math.

 page 1

Table of Contents

1 Welcome to the Cavendish 3

2 Undergraduate Courses in Physics 4

2.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.2 Course Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.1 The First Year (Part IA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.2 The Second Year (Part IB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2.2.3 The Third Year (Part II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2.4 The Fourth Year (Part III) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2.5 Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 Mathematics Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3 Aims and Objectives of the Physics Teaching Programme 7

3.1 The University’s Aims And Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.2 Course Aims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.3 Course Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Course Accreditation, Quality and Student Feedback 9

4.1 Degree Accreditation and Examination Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.2 University Oversight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.3 National Oversight: Office for Students and the NSS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.4 National Oversight: The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
4.5 Student Feedback: the Physics Staff-Student Consultative Committee . . . . . . . . . 10

5 Working at the Cavendish Lab: access and safety 10

6 Late Submission of Coursework 10

7 Course Workload 11

8 Part IA Physics 12
8.1 Aims Of The Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.2 Induction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.3 The Lecture Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.4 Practical Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.5 The Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.6 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.7 Important Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

9 Part IB Physics 14
9.1 Double physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9.2 Single-subject physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9.3 Mathematical Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9.4 Introductory Talk and Practical Allocations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9.5 Practical Work in Part IB Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9.6 Physics Research Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
9.7 The Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
9.8 Important Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

10 Part IB Physics A 16
10.1 Introduction and Course Aims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Physics Courses 2023-24 ©University of Cambridge

page 2

10.2 Course Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

10.3 The Lecture Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

11 Part IB Physics B 17
11.1 Introduction and Course Aims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
11.2 Course Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
11.3 The Lecture Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

12 Part II Physics 18
12.1 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
12.2 The Three and Four Year Courses in Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
12.3 Induction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
12.4 Outline Of The Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
12.5 Further Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
12.5.1 Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
12.5.2 Experimental Investigations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12.5.3 Courses in Theoretical Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12.5.4 Research Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12.5.5 Physics Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
12.6 Course Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
12.7 Supervisions and Examples Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
12.8 Non-Examined Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
12.9 The Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.9.1 The Written Papers for Part II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.9.2 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.9.3 Examination Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.9.4 Submission of Further Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.10Half-subject Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
12.11Important Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

13 Part III Physics and the MASt in Physics 25

13.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
13.2 Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
13.3 Induction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
13.4 Outline of the Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
13.4.1 Project work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
13.4.2 Major Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
13.4.3 Minor Topics and Other Lent Term Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
13.4.4 Further Work: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Physicists . . . . . . . . . . 27
13.4.5 General Physics Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
13.5 Restrictions On Combination Of Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
13.6 Supervisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
13.7 Non-Examined Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
13.8 The Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
13.8.1 Examination Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
13.8.2 The Written Papers for Part III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
13.9 Course Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
13.10Important Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

14 Guide for Students 31

Physics Courses 2023-24 ©University of Cambridge

1 WELCOME TO THE CAVENDISH page 3

• For the latest version of this Course Handbook and up to date information about
lectures, practicals and exams, please consult the main Cavendish Laboratory un-
dergraduate web pages: http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/teaching. More teaching
information can be found on the webpages listed in section 2.1
• The Cavendish Laboratory’s Undergraduate Office is situated in the Bragg
Building, Room 179. Helen Marshall, Senior Teaching Administrator, and
Rachael Bishop, Teaching Administrator, can be reached at undergraduate-
[email protected]
• The Director of Undergraduate Education is Prof Ulrich Schneider,
[email protected]; please send any suggestions for improvements or cor-
rections to this handbook to him.
• This handbook aims to describe the course for the year 2023/24 as accurately as
possible but please note that information can evolve during the year. Further-
more, while the core of the course is very stable, the availability of some lectures,
in particular more specialist ones, can change from year to year.
• While we are currently not expecting any restrictions due to COVID and are
planning to offer almost all teaching in person, this might have to change
during the year.

1 Welcome to the Cavendish

Welcome to the Cavendish Laboratory, the home of the Department of Physics in the University, and
to this guide to our undergraduate courses. The laboratory comprises a large and diverse community
of research staff, teaching staff, students and support staff, and we want everyone to feel welcome
and able to thrive, whatever their role, in a supportive environment. Our Cavendish values underpin
this goal:

Consideration - treating others as we would like others to treat us

Respect for all - showing respect for each other

Helping others to excel - actively seeking ways to enable everyone to give their
best, regardless of their personal circumstances

Supporting career aspirations - encouraging and supporting everyone in pursu-

ing their career aspirations

Recognising contribution - recognising everyone’s contribution to the Depart-

ment’s success

We expect every member of our community to uphold these values, and contribute to making the
laboratory a great place for everyone to study and work.
The current physical home of the laboratory, the “Cavendish II” buildings, were built in the early
1970s to replace the original 1874 Cavendish Laboratory on Free School Lane in the city. The con-
struction of a new laboratory, the Ray Dolby Centre (part of Cavendish III), to replace the existing
buildings has recently begun on the old Vet School paddock site on JJ Thomson Avenue. This
building should be complete in 2024 and will eventually house all the educational and most of the
department’s research activities.

Physics Courses 2023-24 ©University of Cambridge

page 4

2 Undergraduate Courses in Physics

2.1 Introduction
The Department of Physics offers both three- and four-year courses in physics, which form the two
basic routes to a first degree with specialisation in physics.
• The four-year “integrated Masters” course is designed for students who wish to pursue a profes-
sional career in physics, for example, in academic or industrial research: it leads to an honours
degree of Master of Natural Sciences, M.Sci., together with an honours degree Bachelor of
Arts, B.A.
• The three-year course is designed for students with a deep interest in the subject but who may
not intend to become professional physicists: it leads to an honours degree of B.A.
The decision of whether to leave after three years or to continue into the fourth year will be taken at
the end of the third year - see later for details. Physics graduates from Cambridge go in a wide range
of directions. As many as a half of our graduates embark on research leading to a higher degree,
and about a quarter go straight into full-time employment in a wide variety of fields, such as teaching,
business and finance, and computing. The remainder are spread over other types of postgraduate
activities. Our graduates have an excellent record of finding employment promptly after graduation.
As regards research towards a Ph.D., at present the policy announced by the UK Research Coun-
cils is that an Upper Second or First Class in either the third or fourth years formally qualifies a
student for a Ph.D. award. However, the policy of this Department and many others is that Part III is
an essential preparation for a Ph.D.
In both the three and four year courses our aims are to provide a solid foundation in all aspects
of physics and to show something of the very broad spectrum of modern physics. Vital basic areas
such as Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Dynamics and Thermodynamics are covered in the
first three years, where we also aim to develop experimental, computational and mathematical skills.
Advanced work in the fourth year can include fundamental subjects such as Advanced Quantum
Theory, Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics
and Cosmology as well as applied topics such as Biological Physics and Physics of the Earth as a
Planet. A substantial piece of independent project work is required in the fourth year, and there are
also possibilities for experience of industrial research during the long vacations.
In the following sections, brief descriptions are given of the undergraduate courses currently offered
by the department. The flow chart inside the front cover shows routes through the three- and four-year
courses. The detailed synopses for all the courses to be delivered in the academic year 2023-2024,
as well as their aims and outcomes can be found on the course website in the TIS (see below).
Students are reminded that their Director of Studies in college is their first point of contact
for advice on academic aspects of their studies, in particular regarding their choice of courses;
nonetheless, the Director of Undergraduate Education will be happy to discuss such choices if needed.
The Undergraduate Office is situated on the ground floor of the Bragg building, Room 179, tel.
65798. The office is run by Helen Marshall and is open for general enquiries at regular times during
full term.
Routine administrative matters regarding the course should be addressed to the Undergraduate
Office via Teams, via [email protected], or in person, but please check first that
your question is not answered in this handbook or the on the course websites.
The Director of Undergraduate Education in Physics is Prof. Ulrich Schneider; he can be con-
tacted at [email protected]. If you still have unresolved issues, you can contact the Chair of the
Staff-Student Consultative Committee, Dr Melissa Uchida [email protected] and the Head of De-
partment, Prof. Mete Atature.
Several websites support our Physics courses:
1. The main public webpages for undergraduates are at https://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/
teaching and contain for instance up-to-date versions of this guide and links to useful materials
(e.g. TIS, examination timetable, exam format).

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2 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES IN PHYSICS page 5

2. The Teaching Information System (TIS or TiS) is a Cavendish-developed system that is used
to administer all of our courses. In particular it serves course synopses, handouts, and exam-
ples sheets for all the courses and beyond, plus past examination papers in Physics. Its web
address is http://www-teach.phy.cam.ac.uk/ and access requires your CRSid and Raven
authentication.

3. The University’s online timetable tool (http://timetable.cam.ac.uk) allows you to create your
own timetable of lectures and practicals, and add to your own electronic calendar.

4. The University’s Moodle Virtual Learning Environment (VLE: https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk) is

hosting all recorded lectures and in some cases additional material. You will be auto-enrolled
to your courses on Moodle after your registration on the TIS.

2.2 Course Overview

2.2.1 The First Year (Part IA)

Students in the first year of the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST) choose three experimental subjects,
plus a mathematics course; see http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/.
The Part IA Physics course assumes either A-level Physics (or equivalent), or A-level Further
Maths (including the Mechanics modules). Ideally students would have done both Physics and Fur-
ther Maths, but this is not essential.
The first-year course, Part IA Physics, covers fundamental principles in physics. The aim is to
bridge the gap between school and university physics by providing a more complete and logical
framework in key areas of classical physics, as well as introducing new areas such as relativity and
quantum physics. The Part IA Physics course is given in three lectures per week plus a four-hour
experiment once every two weeks. Subjects studied include Mechanics, Relativity, Oscillations and
Waves, Quantum Waves, and Fields.
It is also possible to read Part IA Physics as part of the Mathematical Tripos in the first-year course
‘Mathematics with Physics’. Both of these routes provide for possible specialisation in physics in later
years.
There is no limit on the number of students. In 2022/23, there were approx 320 students reading
Part IA Physics.

2.2.2 The Second Year (Part IB)

There are two physics courses in Part IB: Physics A and Physics B. Physics A provides a grounding
in optics, quantum mechanics and solid-state physics, while Physics B covers the core of classical
physics, including electromagnetism, dynamics and thermodynamics.
The majority of students choose to study both physics courses: the combination of Part IB Physics A
and Physics B offers a firm grounding in key areas of physics – theoretical and experimental – and
covers specialised topics that lead naturally to Part II/III Physics and other quantitative subjects. Stu-
dents taking both courses combine them with one other IB subject. This third subject is often NST
Part IB Mathematics, and this is important for students wishing to pursue theoretical options in Part II
Physics. However, choosing a different subject provides additional breadth and gives greater choice
of Part II and Part III courses. Common choices for the third subject are Materials Science, Chemistry
A, Earth Sciences A or History and Philosophy of Science.
Students taking either Physics A or Physics B without NST IB Mathematics will attend a course
in Mathematical Methods, which has associated supervisions: this course covers some essential
mathematical methods needed in the physics courses.
There is no limit on the number of students taking IB Physics A and Physics B. Typically, about
170-200 students take both and the majority of them proceed to take Part II Physics.
Students come into the combination of IB Physics A and B mostly having taken both Physics
and Mathematics in Part IA of the Natural Sciences Tripos. Of those who have taken the first-year

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page 6 2.2 Course Overview

Mathematics with Physics course in the Mathematics Tripos, a significant proportion subsequently
take IB Physics A and B.
A smaller number of students, usually ten to twenty, take IB Physics A as their only physics course.
Part IB Physics A provides a self-contained package of quantum, condensed matter and experimental
physics. It builds on Part IA Physics and offers a firm grounding in important areas of physics that
is very useful for scientists with a wide range of career destinations. The students will normally take
two other Part IB subjects, and then go into a wide range of third-year courses. Note that Part IB
Physics A alone is not an adequate preparation for Part II Physics.
It is also possible, though unusual and normally not recommended, for students to take IB
Physics B as their only physics course, and this may suit students with a particular interest in the
topics covered in that course. Note that Part IB Physics B alone is not an adequate preparation
for Part II Physics. Further, the practical work draws heavily on material presented in Physics A in
the Michaelmas Term: students taking just Physics B are advised to attend the Experimental Methods
lectures for Physics A for necessary background. We expect that almost every student wishing to
pursue a single physics course will find IB Physics A the more attractive option. Note that it is not
normally possible to take Part IB Physics B with Animal Biology or Pharmacology.

2.2.3 The Third Year (Part II)

The aim of the third-year Part II Physics course is to complete instruction in core physics and to
begin to introduce more advanced topics required for a professional career in research. The avail-
able courses cover a broad range of experimental, theoretical and computational subjects, with an
element of choice that allows students to explore topics they find particularly interesting and, if they
wish, to concentrate on more experimental or theoretical work. Professional skills are developed
through lectures, example classes, computing exercises and extended experiments, depending on
the courses taken.
In the Michaelmas term, there are four obligatory core courses in Advanced Quantum Physics,
Relativity, Optics and Electrodynamics, and Statistical Mechanics.
In the Lent and Easter term, students have some choice amongst lecture courses including As-
trophysical Fluid Dynamics, Particle and Nuclear Physics, Quantum Condensed Matter, and Soft
Condensed Matter. Additionally there is a short course on Computational Physics, with associated
assessed exercises.
Students are also required to submit three or more items of “Further Work”. You may choose
an experimentally-biased course or one with a stronger emphasis on theory, or some intermediate
combination of experiment and theory. For example, there is the option of carrying out up to two
experimental investigations (E1 & E2), each lasting two weeks. For those with an interest in theory,
there are two courses in Theoretical Physics, consisting of lectures plus examples classes, which
run through the Michaelmas and Lent terms. Other possible units of Further Work include: the Com-
putational Physics project, the Physics Education course, and a Research Review.
There is no limit on the number of students taking Part II Physics, provided they meet the entry
requirements (i.e. successful completion of Physics A and Physics B in Part IB). In recent years we
have had about 150 students, the largest class in any Part II Natural Science subject.
An alternative for the third year is Half Subject Physics in Part II Physical Sciences of the Natural
Sciences Tripos. This is offered to students who wish to retain an interest in physics but to keep
other options open at the same time. They select about half the workload from the third-year physics
course, combined with a Part IB subject which they have not previously taken, such as History and
Philosophy of Science, plus a Dissertation. We expect that students offering Half Subject Physics
will have read IB Physics A or Physics B in the second year. Advice on suitable combinations of
Part II Physics courses can be obtained from your Director of Studies. Half Subject Physics is not an
adequate preparation for Part III Physics.

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3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PHYSICS TEACHING PROGRAMME page 7

2.2.4 The Fourth Year (Part III)

The fourth-year course, Part III Physics, is designed to provide the necessary foundation for a pro-
fessional career in academic or industrial research. The course spans the spectrum from strongly
experimental to highly theoretical physics and offers the flexibility for students to select a wide range
of different combinations of subjects, according to their career aspirations. Many of the courses re-
flect major research interests of staff in the Cavendish. There is a substantial amount of independent
project work, which may be proposed by the students themselves.
Our aim in the fourth year is to present physics as a connected subject of enormous flexibility and
applicability. Lecture courses in the first and second terms provide more advanced treatments of
major areas of physics and are selected to reflect broad areas of current interest. Many of them have
an interdisciplinary character. All students undertake a substantial project which is worth one third of
the year’s marks. The overall course provides excellent preparation for a research career inside or
outside physics in either the academic or industrial sectors.
There is currently no limit on the number of places, but a upper second class result or better in
Part II Physics is required. Typically, 80-120 students graduate from Part III Physics per year.

2.2.5 Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Physics

This is a taught one-year postgraduate course, which consists of exactly the same content and as-
sessment process as Part III Physics. This course is designed for students who hold a 3-year under-
graduate degree and wish to pursue an additional taught Master’s degree. The entry requirement for
the MASt is a qualification comparable to an upper second class or better UK Bachelor’s degree in
Physics. Students from all over the world join us to take this course and the goal is that they integrate
effectively with the Part III class. In 2022/23, there were 12 students taking the MASt.

2.3 Mathematics Courses

The mathematical skills needed by students who follow the three- or four-year physics course are
quite varied. Students taking entirely experimental options may need much less sophisticated math-
ematics than those taking the more advanced theoretical options. The level of mathematics prepara-
tion at school is also variable. Some students entering Part IA Physics have studied both Mathematics
and Further Maths at A level or equivalent, while others have studied only one A level.
The aim of the Physics Department is to challenge the most gifted and best-prepared students,
while providing access to theoretical courses for those less well prepared. The Mathematics course
for Natural Scientists in Part IA assumes only single Mathematics A-level.
In the second year, both IB Physics courses assume only mathematical material from NST IA
mathematics. Other necessary mathematical techniques are taught alongside the physics or in NST
Part IB Mathematics: for those not taking this course, there is a non-examined (but supervised)
course in Mathematical Methods given in the Michaelmas Term. This covers all the mathematical
material needed for the Part II core and options courses.
The optional theoretical courses in Part II (TP1 and TP2) prepare students for the theoretical op-
tions in Part III. Students intending to take TP1 and/or TP2, and who have not taken Part IB NST
Mathematics, will find it helpful to do some extra preparation in the long vacation at the end of Part IB;
they should seek advice on this from their Director of Studies or the course lecturers.

3 Aims and Objectives of the Physics Teaching Programme

3.1 The University’s Aims And Objectives
The University’s stated aims are ‘to foster and develop academic excellence across a wide range
of subjects and at all levels of study’. Furthermore, the University aims ‘to provide an education of
the highest calibre at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level, and so produce graduates of
the calibre sought by industry, the professions, and the public service, as well as providing academic

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teachers and researchers for the future’. The broad aims of the Department of Physics are identical
with these.
In the context of the Departmental teaching programmes, the specific aims and objectives are
given below.

3.2 Course Aims

• To provide education in physics of the highest quality at both the undergraduate and graduate
levels and so produce graduates of the calibre sought by industry, the professions, and the
public service, as well as providing the academic teachers and researchers of the future;
• To continue to attract outstanding students from all backgrounds;
• To provide an intellectually stimulating environment in which all students have the opportunity
to develop their abilities to the best of their potential, regardless of their background;
• To maintain the highest academic standards in undergraduate and graduate teaching and to
develop new areas of teaching and research in response to the advance of scholarship and the
needs of the community;
• To encourage and pursue research of the highest quality in physics, and maintain Cambridge’s
position as one of the world’s leading centres in these fields.
• More detail can be found in the Physics core competencies statement of the department,
available at https://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/system/files/documents/copy_of_Physicscorecompetencies.
pdf.

3.3 Course Objectives

By the end of the first year (Part IA Physics), students, whether continuing with physics or not,
should have:
• attained a common level in basic mathematically-based physics, and so laid a secure foundation
in physics for their future courses within the Natural Sciences or other Triposes;
• acquired a broad introduction to a range of sciences at University level, generally through having
studied two other experimental subjects as well as mathematics;
• developed their experimental and data analysis skills through a wide range of experiments in
the practical laboratories and an introduction to scientific computing.
By the end of the second year, students taking Part IB Physics A and Part IB Physics B should
have:
• been introduced to powerful tools for tackling a wide range of topics, including formal methods
in classical and quantum physics;
• become familiar with additional relevant mathematical techniques;
• further developed their experimental skills through a series of whole-day experiments, some of
which also illustrate major themes of the lecture courses, and developed their communication
skills through group activities.
By the end of the second year, students taking Part IB Physics A should have:
• covered a wide range of topics in quantum and condensed matter physics with emphasis upon
their practical applications and utility;
• further developed their practical skills through a series of whole-day experiments, some of which
illustrate major themes of the lecture courses.
By the end of the second year, students taking Part IB Physics B should have:
• covered a range of topics in classical physics, including electromagnetism, dynamics and ther-
modynamics;
• further developed their practical skills through a series of whole-day experiments, some of which
illustrate major themes of the lecture courses.
• have learnt to solve sophisticated physics problems using modern computational methods;
By the end of the third year, students taking Part II Physics should have:
• completed their study of core physics;

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• substantially developed professional skills in experimental and/or theoretical and/or computa-

tional physics, or in Physics Education;
• had experience of independent work, including an introduction to aspects of research;
• had experience of the application of computers to physical problems;
• developed their communication skills
• had experience of independent work.
By the end of the third year, students taking Half Subject Physics in Part II Physical Sciences should
have:
• enhanced their understanding of core physics, in the context of a broader exposure to science
with the Natural Sciences Tripos;
• had some experience of independent work.
By the end of the fourth year (Part III Physics), students completing the four-year option should
have:
• had experience of a number of broad areas of physics from a choice of options, taken to an
advanced level, at which current research can be appreciated in some depth;
• carried out a substantial independent research project amounting to the equivalent of about six
weeks of full-time work;
• maintained their skills in core physics;
• enhanced their communications skills;
• become well prepared for a career in academic or industrial research.

4 Course Accreditation, Quality and Student Feedback

We aspire to offer an outstanding education in physics to all of our students, who go on to a wide
range of careers in science, technology and other areas. We are proud of our course and believe our
graduating students leave Cambridge with an excellent in-depth knowledge of a great deal of physics,
and with a very wide range of skills. There are numerous external and internal system in place to
monitor our courses. Cambridge is a leading University, usually appearing near the top of global
rankings, and our Physics course is highly regarded nationally and internationally. Although league
tables should be taken with a pinch of salt, our Physics course scores very well, as can be seen for
example in the Complete University Guide, which recognises our very able student intake, strong
educational programme, student feedback, high research standing, and excellent career prospects
for students after graduation.

4.1 Degree Accreditation and Examination Standards

Our degree course is formally accredited by the UK’s Institute of Physics, which requires that a certain
core curriculum of physics has been studied by our graduating class. Our course goes well beyond
this core in most areas of physics. In Parts II and III, our two External Examiners, drawn from other
leading UK Universities, help us ensure our courses and examinations are of suitable standard and
quality, and help establish classing boundaries for degrees; you can read their detailed reports on
the TIS.

4.2 University Oversight

Within Cambridge, the University’s General Board assesses each degree programme via in-depth
Learning & Teaching Reviews (LTR), every 5 years or so. An LTR in Physics took place in Lent 2018.

4.3 National Oversight: Office for Students and the NSS

The Office for Students (OfS) monitors degree-awarding bodies in various ways, but the one you
will encounter is the National Student Survey (NSS), taken by students in their third year (Part II).
Details can be found at http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/. This is an important survey for the

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Department and the University, allowing a synoptic view of the course and the student experience.
The NSS results are discussed in detail at the Staff-Student Consultative Committee and the Teach-
ing Committee; the Department uses the NSS to find areas where course quality and the learning
experience can be further improved, and reports on its findings and changes made to the University.

4.4 National Oversight: The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

The TEF is a new Government framework which monitors and promotes excellence in teaching in UK
Universities. It uses metrics from the NSS and written University submissions to develop a picture
of teaching and learning in each institution. The TEF has only just started operating, and will evolve
over the coming years; the University currently holds a Gold award.

4.5 Student Feedback: the Physics Staff-Student Consultative Committee

Within the Department, we run regular questionnaires to monitor courses and student feedback, and
have twice-termly meeting of the Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) where elected stu-
dent representatives meet with course leaders and the Head of Department or his Deputy to discuss
the courses and student feedback. These are particularly important meetings for the Department as
they allow us to monitor student experience regularly and make improvements quickly where neces-
sary and feasible. High-quality student feedback to the SSCC is highly welcomed by the department,
and changes are actioned at the SSCC for implementation by the course leaders.

5 Working at the Cavendish Lab: access and safety

Teaching Laboratory Hours are: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri - 09:00 to 17:45, Wed - 09:00 to 17:15, you
will be notified which day and at what time your practical labs will be held. If you are attending a
supervision in IA or IB in the department, please discuss access arrangements with your supervisor.
See section 12 of this Handbook for further information about lab safety.
To report EMERGENCIES call 37499 (see Emergency Notices located throughout the department)

6 Late Submission of Coursework

The Department of Physics expects students to meet the advertised deadlines for the submission
of all coursework, to ensure fairness to all students taking the course and allow prompt marking by
the Department. Furthermore, it is easy to fall behind, i.e. delaying the submission of one piece of
coursework will increase your workload afterwards.
In accordance with the University’s regulations, work submitted after the advertised deadline
will not count towards your final examination mark, unless an extension has been granted be-
fore the advertised deadline. Please see https://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/exams/late
for details.
For Part IA and Part IB, any application for an extension by up to seven days should be made using
the NST Part IA and IB Coursework Self-Certification form, available at the above web page. For
Part II and III, applications for an extension for up to seven days should be made using this form.
Applications for extensions longer than seven days need to be made to the Examination Access
and Mitigation Committee (EAMC) via the student’s College, see https://www.student-registry.
admin.cam.ac.uk/about-us/eamc/guidance-notes-and-application-forms.
Note that, particularly in Parts II&III, extensions might result in delays in marking as assessors
might be unavailable at later times, so that your results might not be available in time to graduate on
the normal timescale. If you cannot make an agreed oral examination, please immediately inform
your DoS, the Undergraduate Office, and the involved assessors/examiners via email. Please note
that, while we will attempt to reschedule where there are legitimate causes, it might not always be
possible.

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7 Course Workload
There is no denying that Natural Sciences is a challenging degree course. Our own course in Physics
leads, excitingly, in Parts II and III, to the frontiers of knowledge in physics, and to a degree of high
national and international standing. The great flexibility of the Natural Sciences Tripos (NST) in the
first two years, the short teaching terms in Cambridge, and the broad nature of a degree in physics
all contribute to the high workload for students especially during Full Term.
The Department, the University and the NST Management Committee are all mindful of the de-
mands made on students, and publish guideline termtime workloads for the different parts of the
course. In Parts IA and IB, NST guidelines suggest total workloads will be approximately 40 hours
per week; and in Parts II and Part III Physics, we expect that students will typically need to work for
40-45 hours per week during full term. Successful students will plan to spend time between full terms
to revise and consolidate the material taught during term, and, in later years, carry out project work.
If you are finding it difficult to manage your workload, you should in the first instance seek support
from your Director of Studies (and/or Tutor) in college, who should be able to provide support and
practical advice.

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8 Part IA Physics
8.1 Aims Of The Course
An important objective of the course is to develop an understanding of core physics at successively
deeper levels, each stage revealing new phenomena and greater insight into the behaviour of matter
and radiation.
The first year of the course has several distinct aims. First, it aims to provide a firm foundation by
bridging the gap between school- and university-level physics, and so bring students from different
backgrounds to a common point, ready to start 2nd year studies. Second, it aims to consolidate
school physics by providing a much more logical and analytical framework for classical physics, which
will be essential for all years of the course. Third, it includes new themes such as special relativity
and quantum physics, which foreshadow key topics to be developed in the subsequent years of the
course. Fourth, the individual lecture courses aim to broaden your perspective, so that you can
begin to appreciate the great flexibility and generality of the laws of physics and their application.
And fifth, the experimental work is designed to developed your practical skills and prepare you for
more advanced laboratory work in future years.

8.2 Induction
There is an introductory talk on the first Wednesday of Michaelmas full term (Wednesday 4th
October 2023). All students should attend this.

8.3 The Lecture Courses

The lecture courses are listed in the table below; detailed synopses are available online. Please
check the course website for latest developments and contacts.
All IA Physics lectures take place in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, Chemical Labora-
tory, Lensfield Road. Lectures take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10:00 during the
8 weeks of full term (that is Tu.Th.Sa.10 in Cambridge shorthand). Cambridge teaching weeks start
on Thursdays, so the first lecture will be on a Thursday. All lectures will also be available on Moodle.

Part IA Physics Lectures 2023/24

lectures Course Lecturer
Michaelmas Term
12 Dynamics Prof. Jeremy Baumberg
12 Rotational Mechanics and Special Relativity Dr Sarah Williams
Lent Term
12 Oscillating Systems Prof. Neil Greenham
12 Waves and Quantum Waves Prof. Mete Atature
Easter Term
12 Gravitational and Electromagnetic Fields Prof. Malte Grosche

8.4 Practical Work

Laboratory work takes place at the Cavendish Laboratory (West Cambridge). The experimental lab-
oratories are open on M.Tu.Th.F between 14:00-17:45. The laboratory may be approached by Mad-
ingley Road, or via the Coton cycle and footpath. For cyclists and pedestrians the latter is strongly
recommended.
Students attend a physics practical for one afternoon once every two weeks. The primary aim of
the class is the development of experimental skills, which are important to all scientists. A second

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aim of the practical session is to illustrate ideas and concepts in physics. Some of the experiments
are concerned with illustrating topics covered in the Part IA Physics lecture course, but this is not
their main purpose.
Registration and assignment of days for practicals are dealt with centrally. You are expected to do
your practical on the same day of the week in each term. The practicals are continuously assessed.
In addition, to prepare for each practical you are asked to carry out a brief exercise beforehand
which you will hand in to your demonstrator at the start of the practical class. To give you practice in
technical writing you are required to do two formal reports. The first, partial, report, to be written over
the Christmas vacation, will be based on one of the experiments carried out over the Michaelmas
term. The second, to be written over the Easter vacation, will be a full report on one of the Lent-term
experiments. Full details are given in your practical class manual, and tips and further advice is given
in the booklet entitled Keeping Laboratory Notes and Writing Formal Reports, which is handed out to
students at the start of the year. The overall practical mark counts 25% towards the Part IA Physics
examination.

8.5 The Examination

The Part IA Physics written examination consists of one three-hour paper. The exact content of the
paper is a matter for the relevant examiners, but the expected pattern will consist of short and long
questions on the material covered in the lecture courses.

8.6 Books
There is a huge range of modern and excellent text books that cover our courses in Physics, and you
are strongly encouraged to make textbooks a regular part of your learning habits. Lecture handouts
are often excellent and complete, but are not designed to replace a well-written textbook.
There are two books specifically recommended for the Part IA Physics course – these will be
available in College libraries. Some lecturers will give references both to relevant sections of these
books, and to worked examples in them, which help explain or expand on the material they present in
their lectures. This is to encourage you to develop your skills in utilising the more extensive resource
material provided in text-books to deepen your understanding of physics.
• Understanding Physics (Second Edition), Mansfield M & O’Sullivan C (Wiley 2011).
• Physics for Scientists and Engineers (Extended Version), Tipler P A & Mosca G (6th Edition,
Freeman 2008).

8.7 Important Dates

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and may be superseded by announcements on the TIS or
by email.

Part IA Physics: Important Dates

Tue 3rd Oct, 2023 Start of Michaelmas full term
Wed 4th Oct, 2023 Introductory talk
Thu 5th Oct, 2023 Start of Week 1: lectures begin
Fri 1st Dec, 2023 End of Michaelmas full term
Tue 16th Jan, 2024 Start of Lent full term
Wed 17th Jan, 2024 16:00 Formal report deadline
Fri 15th Mar, 2024 End of Lent full term
Tue 23rd Apr, 2024 Start of Easter full term
Wed 24th Apr, 2024 16:00 Formal report deadline
Fri 14th Jun, 2024 End of Easter full term

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9 Part IB Physics
The course builds on IA Physics and offers a firm grounding in important areas of physics that are
very useful for scientists with a wide range of career destinations.
Part IB Physics is split into two courses, Physics A and Physics B, and students wishing to
proceed to Part II Physics must take both Physics A and Physics B, this is referred to as double
physics, as opposed to single-subject students that take either Physics A or B.

9.1 Double physics

Students taking both courses combine them with one other IB subject. While NST IB Mathematics is
frequently taken, and is important for those wishing to pursue Theoretical Physics options within the
Part II Physics course, students should be advised that this is both a demanding and constraining
choice. For students taking subjects other than Mathematics, appropriate support is provided through
the Michaelmas Term course in Mathematical Methods. The selection of a different subject in place
of NST IB Mathematics provides greater breadth and gives greater choice of Part II/III subjects within
the Natural Sciences Tripos, should Part IB physics not prove to be rewarding.

9.2 Single-subject physics

It is possible to take either Physics A or Physics B without the other, but note that this is not adequate
preparation for Part II Physics.
For the majority of students wishing to take a single physics option in Part IB, Physics A
will be the more attractive option. If you consider taking Physics-B alone, please discuss this with
your DoS. The practical work draws heavily on material from Physics A in the Michaelmas Term, and
students taking just Physics B are advised to attend at least the Experimental Methods lectures from
Physics A for necessary background.
Single subject physics, in particular IB Physics A can, for able students, lead to Half Subject Physics
in Part II Physical Sciences but does not by itself lead to Part II Physics (for which both Physics A
and B are required).

9.3 Mathematical Requirements

Physics A and Physics B both require mathematics beyond that in the syllabus for Part IA Mathemat-
ics for Natural Sciences; students not taking the Part IB NST Mathematics course should attend the
lectures on Mathematical Methods Michaelmas Term. This course is supervised, and covers all the
additional mathematics required for both Part IB Physics courses, and for the Part II Physics core
and options courses. It does not provide full coverage of the mathematics assumed for the Part II
Theoretical Physics (TP) courses, but mathematically-able students would need to do some extra
work during the long vacation after Part IB in order to catch up.

9.4 Introductory Talk and Practical Allocations

All Students taking IB Physics, as single-subject or double physics, should attend an introductory
talk on the first Wednesday of Michaelmas full term (4th October 2023). This is when Practical
Lab slots are allocated so please arrive with a good knowledge of your timetable constraints. Most
Students will receive their practical allocation at the end of this talk.

9.5 Practical Work in Part IB Physics

Students studying either Physics A or Physics B, or both, are required to undertake laboratory work,
which is continuously assessed. The Practical Classes (for both Physics A and Physics B) take place
at the Cavendish Laboratory (West Cambridge). The IB experimental laboratories are open M. 1400-
1745, Tu. 1000-1745, Th. 1000-1745 and F. 14:00-17:45. Students will attend either the Tuesday,

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Wednesday or the combined Monday&Friday slots. These will be allocated at the induction session
at the start of term.
The details of the experiments to be completed and the assessment methods are contained in the
Laboratory Manual available from the TIS.

9.6 Physics Research Skills

All students studying IB Physics will undertake the Physics Research Skills Course, which is con-
tinuously assessed and forms part of the practical work mark. The Physics Research Skills course
incorporates taught and practical elements to allow students to develop essential skills in: reading,
writing and critically assessing scientific literature; team-working; and in presenting scientific material.
Students will work independently and in teams to: write a scientific paper-style article on one of their
IB practicals; present scientific material to their peers both through a group presentation explaining
their Extended Investigation from IB practicals and in a group poster on one of their IB practicals or
any other topic that has been covered in the lectures.
The course will run alongside and in the same time-slots as the IB practicals. The lectures will be
in person as part of the Experimental Methods Course and are available online. The details of the
coursework to be completed and the assessment methods are available from the TIS and Moodle.
Physics B only students will not do the group poster, but may do it optionally without assessment,
and all single subject students will not do the presentation but will have access to the lecture materials
and office hours.

9.7 The Examination

The final examinations for Physics A and B consist of two written three-hour papers each, i.e. frour
papers in total for stuents taking double physics. The practical elements of course (i.e. practicals,
research skills, and computing) are continuously assessed and overall count approximately 25%
towards the IB Physics A and B marks. Further details are given on the TIS.

9.8 Important Dates

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and may be superseded by announcements on the TIS or
by email.

Part IB Physics: Important Dates

Tue 3rd Oct, 2023 Start of Michaelmas full term.
ALL IB PHYSICS - Introductory talk at the Cavendish Lab-
Wed 4th Oct, 2023
oratory
Fri 1st Dec, 2023 End of Michaelmas full term
Scientific report deadline if chosen for submission (see syn-
Fri 8th Dec, 2023 16:00
opsis of Physics A practical class for details)
Tue 16th Jan, 2024 Start of Lent full term
Wed 28th Feb, 2024 Poster Session of Research Skills course
Thu 7th
Mar, 2024 - Presentation of results of the Extended Investigation during
th
Wed 13 Mar, 2024 normal Laboratory hours (students taking Physics A and B)
Fri 15th Mar, 2024 End of Lent full term
Scientific report deadline if chosen for submission (see lab-
Mon 18th Mar, 2024 16:00
oratory manual for details)
Tue 23rd Apr, 2024 Start of Easter full term
Fri 14th Jun, 2024 End of Easter full term

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10 Part IB Physics A
10.1 Introduction and Course Aims
The objective of the IB Physics A course is to provide a self-contained package of courses in quantum
physics, condensed matter physics, and waves and optics. The course builds on IA Physics and
offers a firm grounding in important areas of physics that are very useful for scientists with a wide
range of career destinations.

10.2 Course Content

The lecture course Oscillations, Waves and Optics covers central aspects of physical phenomena
that underpin much of physics. The Quantum Physics course builds on this and treats quantum
phenomena both from the Schrödinger equation and by means of operator methods. Condensed
Matter Physics shows how ideas from waves and quantum mechanics can be applied to understand
the properties of solids.

10.3 The Lecture Courses

Part IB Physics A Lecture Courses 2023/24
Lectures Course Lecturer A/B
Michaelmas Term
7 Experimental Methods Prof. Pietro Cicuta A
1 Physics Research Skills Dr Melissa Uchida A
16 Oscillations, Waves and Optics Dr Tijmen Euser A
Mathematical Methods (For those NOT taking NST
16 Dr Dave Green A&B
IB Mathematics)
Lent Term
24 Quantum Physics Prof. Claudio Castelnovo A
Easter Term
10 Condensed Matter Physics Prof. Sian Dutton A

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11 Part IB Physics B
11.1 Introduction and Course Aims
The IB Physics B covers a range of topics that are complementary to the IB Physics A course.

11.2 Course Content

The lectures on Electromagnetism cover key concepts in this important subject. Classical Dynamics
provides more advanced approaches to classical problems than were given in Part IA, and introduces
key concepts in fluid mechanics. Thermodynamics provides an introduction to classical thermody-
namics and kinetic theory. The Computing course provides an introduction to scientific programming
techniques and their application in physics-based problems.

11.3 The Lecture Courses

Part IB Physics B Lecture Courses 2023/24
Lectures Course Lecturer
Michaelmas Term
1 Introduction to Computing Prof. Hrvoje Jasak B
20 Electromagnetism Dr Oleg Brandt B
4 Classical Dynamics Prof. Mike Payne B
Mathematical Methods (for those NOT taking
16 Dr Dave Green A&B
NST IB Mathematics)
Lent Term
16 Classical Dynamics Prof. Mike Payne B
8 Thermodynamics Prof. John Ellis B
Easter Term
8 Thermodynamics Prof. John Ellis B

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12 Part II Physics
12.1 Requirements
Students wishing to be admitted to read Part II Physics are required to have successfully completed
both the Part IB Physics A and Part IB Physics B courses, or equivalent courses in the Mathe-
matics Tripos.

12.2 The Three and Four Year Courses in Physics

There are two paths to graduating in Physics, both leading to a wide range of career options. Both
groups of students take the same course in the third year. The paths are:
• 3-year course leading to B.A. honours degree: this path is designed for students with a deep
interest in the subject but who do not intend to become professional physicists. It is a challeng-
ing course and exposes students to core areas of physics at an advanced level. Students on
this path will graduate at the end of the Part II course with a B.A. Hons.
• 4-year course leading to an M.Sci. honours degree (master of Natural Sciences), together with a
B.A. honours degree: students who wish to pursue a professional career in physics (for example
in academic or industrial research) take the same third year Part II but do not graduate at the
end of the third year. They must apply in the Lent term to read Part III Physics in the following
year. Subject to requisite funding, college approval and achievement of a 2:1 result or better
in Part II Physics, students are admitted to take Part III Physics in their fourth year. Both B.A.
and M.Sci. degrees are conferred at the end of this fourth year.
The Part II Physics course is rather flexible, and can range from strongly experimental to highly theo-
retical physics, with a range of specialist options. There are possibilities for substantial independent
work and for experience of industrial research.
There is no limit on the number of students taking Part II Physics and in recent years we have had
about 140-150 students taking the course.

12.3 Induction
The course will begin with a meeting on the first Tuesday of Full Term, 3rd October 2023 at the
Cavendish Laboratory, which all students should attend.

12.4 Outline Of The Course

The elements of the course are contained in the table in section 12.6.
Students taking Part II Physics must take all four Core courses in the Michaelmas Term, three or
more of the Options courses in the Lent and Easter Terms, and Computational Physics. They must in
addition take three or more courses from Physics Education, Theoretical Options and Other Further
Work.
Students taking Half Subject Physics as part of Part II Physical Sciences will take any two of the
Core courses in the Michaelmas term and any one of the Options courses in the Lent and Easter
terms. Candidates also take two units of further work selected from Theoretical Options, Physics
Education and Experiments. A prior knowledge of Physics equivalent to the material covered in
Part IB Physics A and Part IB Physics B will be assumed.
Part II Physics contains work of two types: Core lectures in the Michaelmas term and Options
lectures in the Lent/Easter terms, which are examined at the end of the year in via written exams,
and units of ‘Further Work’, which are assessed during the year.
We do not expect any student to take more than the minimum number of units of work in any cat-
egory. The great majority of students will find the workload demanding even at this level. We recog-
nise, however, that some students may have good reasons for wishing to take additional courses
for credit. Marks for all examination papers taken will appear on the student’s University transcript.

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Within any part of the examination (options courses, Further Work) the best results meeting the min-
imum requirement will count towards the class for the year.
The aim of the Michaelmas Term lecture courses is to complete basic instruction in physics. In this
term, there are four core courses:
• Advanced Quantum Physics;
• Relativity;
• Optics and Electrodynamics;
• Statistical Mechanics.
In the Lent and Easter terms, four option courses are offered, introducing broad areas of physics:
• Astrophysical Fluids;
• Particle and Nuclear Physics;
• Quantum Condensed Matter;
• Soft Condensed Matter.
All students are also required to take the course on Computational Physics, which is assessed by a
series of short exercises. In addition, an extended Computational Physics project is available as one
of the optional units of Further Work.
The remainder of the Further Work offers a free choice. Students may select an experimentally-
biased course by carrying out up to two experimental investigations (E1 and E2), each lasting two
weeks. Alternatively, there are two possible courses in Theoretical Physics (TP1 and TP2), consisting
of lectures plus examples classes, which run respectively in the Michaelmas and Lent terms. We
expect that almost all students will offer at least one of E1 and TP1. Offering both TP1 and E1 is
possible, but students should be aware that it does make for a challenging workload in Michaelmas
term. Further optional elements of Further Work are a Computing Project, Research Review or
Physics Education. The Theoretical Options are assessed by written tests (under exam conditions)
of the material of TP1 and TP2 at the start of the term following the respective lecture.
There is also a non-examined course in Part II: “The Physics of Astrophysics” will appeal to those
with an interest in physics applied on the largest scales, and who may be contemplating research in
astrophysics in particular.
The full Part II course involves 10.2 units of credit: 7 of these are from examined courses, 3 from
the main units of Further Work (FW), and 0.2 from the Computing Exercises. See the table for details.
So, to a good approximation, each unit counts for one tenth of the total mark for the course (strictly
9.80%).

12.5 Further Work

Of the optional Further Work, note that not more than two Experiments may be offered. Other rules
for choosing Further Work are set out in the table.
Students will be contacted by e-mail and should register on-line using the TIS before the start
of Michaelmas Term and give an indication of which units of Further Work they intend to complete.
In particular, they will be asked to make a provisional choice of experiments for E1 and E2 if they
intend to take those options. These arrangements may be modified at the registration meeting at
the beginning of term. Students wishing to change their choice during the course of the year (for
example those wishing to take E2 instead of TP2 in light of their TP1 results) should contact the
Undergraduate Office.
The arrangements for submitting and assessing Further Work are described below and in the
online Course Synopses.

12.5.1 Computing

All students are expected to attend the Computational Physics lectures in Lent term, which build on
the Part IB computational physics course. Associated with the lectures are Computing exercises
which are equivalent to 0.2 units of work, and are compulsory for all Part II Physics students. In
addition, students may elect to offer an extended Computing Project, which will involve analysing a

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page 20 12.5 Further Work

physics problem, and writing a program to solve it. This project is optional, and counts as one unit of
Further Work.

12.5.2 Experimental Investigations

Each experiment will involve 30 to 40 hours work and will be equivalent to one unit of Further Work.
The E1 and E2 sessions are run in the Michaelmas and Lent terms respectively, with individual
experiments starting on the first, third and fifth Mondays in Term. The details of these sessions will
be announced during registration at the start of term. E1 is assessed during the Michaelmas Term so
that any appropriate advice and constructive criticism can be given before a decision has to be taken
on whether or not to offer E2. Students opting for E2 only after taking the TP1 examination are likely
to be allocated to E2b or E2c. No student is allowed to offer more than two units of experimental
investigation or to take two experiments in one term.
The experiments available in Part II will give you the chance to develop professional ability, both
in performing a substantial experiment and in relating experiment to theory. Most students find these
experiments more demanding and more satisfying than the short experiments of the Part I classes.
They are assessed by a Head of Class write up followed by an oral examination.

12.5.3 Courses in Theoretical Physics

The Theoretical Physics Courses are challenging courses aimed at students who are confident and
able mathematicians, and who have a strong interest in the mathematical description of physical
systems. The majority of students taking these courses will have taken Part IB Mathematics for
NST, but the Mathematical Methods course offered as part of Physics A and B in Part IB provides
nearly all of the necessary background. Usually the mark distributions for these courses have a tail
of low marks obtained by students who would probably have scored higher marks if they had done
experimental work.
Theoretical Physics Course TP1 is taken in the Michaelmas Term and students take a written test
paper at the start of the Lent Term. The results will be made available to guide your choice of further
work for the Lent term. A second Theoretical Course, TP2, is taken in the Lent Term and tested at the
start of the Easter Term. TP1 and TP2 each count for one unit of Further Work. As well as lectures,
four examples classes are given in each of TP1 and TP2.

12.5.4 Research Review

A Research Review is equivalent to one unit of Further Work, and consists of a review (of 3000 words
max.) on some area of physics, approved in advance. Such a review must have a Supervisor. In
about the sixth week of the Lent Term supervisors will organise a meeting at which students will have
the chance to present their interim work to other students working on reviews in similar areas and their
supervisors. As well as providing a chance to obtain feedback this should ultimately raise the standard
of the submitted work. You receive 5% of the available marks for the Research Review for giving the
presentation (irrespective of its quality). Research Reviews are assessed by two staff members. The
assessment includes a short oral examination early in the Easter Term. This examination will usually
begin with a short oral presentation.

12.5.5 Physics Education

The Physics Education course counts as one unit of further work. It offers the possibility of developing
and presenting teaching material in a secondary school. It develops a wide range of transferable skills
and provides a real opportunity to explore the possibility of a career in teaching. Details of the nature
and scope of this course are given in the course synopsis on the TiS. Numbers are restricted and
students wishing to take part must attend the introductory session.

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12 PART II PHYSICS page 21

12.6 Course Summary

Part II Physics Summary 2023/24

Half-
# Course Lecturer/Head of Class FW Physics
subject
Michaelmas Term – Core courses
18 Statistical Mechanics Prof. Eugene Terentjev ✓
24 Relativity Dr Anastasia Fialkov choose ✓
24 Advanced Quantum Physics Dr Paula Alvarez-Cartelle 2 ✓
16 Optics and Electrodynamics Prof. Chris Haniff ✓
Lent/Easter Terms – Option Courses
8 Computational Physics Prof. David Buscher 0.2 ✓ ✓
24 Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics Dr Avishai Gilkis
22 Particle and Nuclear Physics Prof. Tina Potter choose choose
22 Quantum Condensed Matter Physics Prof. Chris Ford 1 3 or 4
Prof. Ulrich Keyser and Dr
22 Soft Condensed Matter
Anton Souslov
Further Work (FW), (1 unit ≈ 1.5hrs examination)
Research Review Dr Dave Green 1 ✓(∗ )
Physics Education (limited numbers) Dr Michael Sutherland 1
Computational project Prof. David Buscher 1 choose choose
Experiment E1 Prof. Sian Dutton 1 2 3
Experiment E2 Prof. Sian Dutton 1 or more
Theory: TP1 Prof. Ben Gripaios 1
Theory: TP2 Prof. Robert-Jan Slager 1
Non-examinable Courses
24 Topics in Astrophysics Prof. Mark Wyatt ✓ ✓
FW
2 3+
units
Exam
3 7+
units

∗
Half Subject Physics students must choose a Research Review as the topic for their
dissertation in Part II Physical Sciences; this is an extended version of the standard
Research Review, see section 12.10.

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page 22 12.7 Supervisions and Examples Classes

12.7 Supervisions and Examples Classes

Supervisions for Part II are organised collectively by all Directors of Studies with assistance from the
Department. During the Michaelmas term Physics students are supervised in all four core lecture
courses, and Half-subject Physics students in two. Supervisions for these courses will be allocated
automatically according to the option for which you are registered on the TiS.
In the Lent term students are supervised in their chosen optional courses, again according to their
choices on the TiS. Please enter your choices before the last Friday of Michaelmas Full Term, so
that arrangements can be made during the Christmas vacation. Obviously this does not allow you to
sample the courses: if you subsequently decide that you wish to change options, then please contact
the Undergraduate Office to request a change.
There will be 4 one-hour supervisions in each of the courses taken. Thus a student reading Part II
Physics will receive 28 supervisions (7 courses), and those taking half subject physics will receive
12 supervisions (3 courses).
Supervision size in Part II is larger than in earlier years, with a minimal group size of three and
typical group sizes being larger depending on supervisors availability.
You are expected to work much more independently than at Part I and are expected to occasionally
present your work on the blackboard to your supervision group. Difficulties that arise in lectures are
often more conveniently discussed with the lecturers themselves, either at the end of lectures or by
contacting them vie email or Teams.
You must take responsibility for ensuring that the supervisions go as far as possible in meeting
your needs. Supervisors are usually willing within reasonable limits to be flexible about the detailed
arrangements. You should expect to be asked to hand in work for each supervision, in time for your
supervisor to look through the work and identify any potential problems. However, the quantity and
complexity of the work at this level means that supervisors may be unable to provide the detailed
personal marking that you experienced in Parts IA and IB.
Supervisors may range from established lecturers with long teaching experience to relatively in-
experienced graduate students. New supervisors are expected to seek advice on supervising, to
attend the courses provided by the University, and to commit to the necessary preparation for each
supervision. However, experience is the only real teacher, and inevitably some supervisors will be
more confident than others, particularly at answering subtle and unexpected questions.
Without an influx of new supervisors the system will rapidly decay, so please be understanding.
If you do have problems with your supervisor that cannot be solved by direct two-way discussion,
please contact your Director of Studies in the first instance. If your DoS feels that intervention is
warranted, they should contact the Undergraduate Office.
The further work modules TP1 and TP2 are accompanied by Examples Classes instead of super-
visions.

12.8 Non-Examined Work

There is often a non-examinable course of 8 lectures in the Lent term on Concepts in Physics,
intended to place in perspective some major themes of physics, to sketch connections between them
and to investigate unresolved questions. Attendance is strongly encouraged for all students.
There is also a non-examinable course of 24 lectures in the Lent term on the “Physics of As-
trophysics” given by staff of the Institute of Astronomy. These lectures should be of interest to all
students, and are intended to provide valuable background for those who are interested in pursuing
Astrophysical courses in Part III
Undergraduates are encouraged to attend the Cavendish Physical Society lectures, at 16:00 on
some Wednesdays. Part II students are also welcome at the many Research Seminars and other
lectures in the Department, including those organised by the Cambridge Physics Centre. These are
advertised on notice boards, and on the Cavendish groups’ web pages.

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12 PART II PHYSICS page 23

12.9 The Examination

12.9.1 The Written Papers for Part II

Each of the core and optional lecture courses is examined in a separate two hour paper.

12.9.2 Requirements

The written examinations consist of the core lecture course papers, plus three or four of the option
lecture course papers. In addition to the computing exercises, three or more other units of Further
Work must be offered and may be drawn from the various choices described in the table.

12.9.3 Examination Entries

You are required to make a preliminary indication of which papers you intend to offer when you fill
in your exam entry on CamSIS at the start of Michaelmas term. You will then be required to specify
which final combination of papers you intend to offer by modifying the exam entry during Lent term,
in liaison with your College Tutorial Office. Any questions on completing the exam entry should be
discussed with your Director of Studies.

12.9.4 Submission of Further Work

When any piece of Further Work is submitted it must be in a complete and final form.
Students are expected to meet the published deadlines for coursework. The departmental
policy on late submission of coursework is stated in section 6.
Students are permitted to submit more than the minimum number of units of Further Work. Once a
piece of Further Work has been submitted, it will be marked: the best marks for the required minimum
number of units will count towards the class, but all marks will appear in the markbook.
TP1 and TP2 are assessed by written tests during the year, and are counted as units of Further
Work. These tests are taken under normal exam conditions, but do not formally constitute Tripos
Examinations. Once you have entered the room for the TP1 or TP2 test, that unit of Further Work
will be included in the final marksheets and calculations.
The University Regulations require that assessed Records of Further Work be submitted to the
Examiners via the Head of the Department; this happens automatically after assessment.

12.10 Half-subject Physics

Half-subject Physics is part of Natural Sciences Part II Physical Sciences. It comprises about half
of the work load of Part II Physics, and may be combined with a subject from Part IB not previously
taken.
Candidates offer

1. Two of the core lecture course papers.

2. One of the option lecture course papers.

3. Computing exercises and two units of Further Work (not including a Research Review).

In addition, Physical Sciences students must offer a dissertation on a topic consistent with their Half
Subject. For Half Subject Physics this dissertation will be chosen on a topic from those offered for
Research Reviews, but with a word limit of 5000 (rather than 3000 for a Research Review).
You will be required to specify on CamSIS which combination of papers you intend to offer. The
final deadline will be communicated via your college, it typically lies in the third week of the Lent Term.
The arrangements for submitting Further Work are the same as those for Part II Physics candidates
(see section 12.9.4).

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page 24 12.11 Important Dates

12.11 Important Dates

This list is not exhaustive, and may be superseded by announcements on the TIS or by email.

Part II: Some Important Dates

th
Wed 4 Oct, 2023 Start of Michaelmas full term
rd
Tue 3 Oct, 2023 Introductory talk
th
Mon 9 Oct, 2023 Briefing for E1a, in relevant laboratory
th
Wed 11 Oct, 2023 14:00 First TP1 lecture
th
Fri 13 Oct, 2023 14:00 First TP1 examples class
th
Thu 19 Oct, 2023 Research review online form opens
th
Fri 20 Oct, 2023 17:00 E1a laboratories close
rd
Mon 23 Oct, 2023 Briefing for E1b, in the relevant laboratory
th
Mon 30 Oct, 2023 16:00 E1a report submission deadline
rd
Fri 3 Nov, 2023 17:00 E1b laboratories close
rd
Fri 3 Nov, 2023 23:59 Final Research Review selection deadline
th
Mon 6 Nov, 2023 Briefing for E1c, in the relevant laboratory
th
Mon 13 Nov, 2023 16:00 E1b report submission deadline
th
Fri 17 Nov, 2023 17:00 E1c laboratories close
th
Mon 27 Nov, 2023 16:00 E1c report submission deadline
st
Fri 1 Dec, 2023 End of Michaelmas full term
th
Tue 16 Jan, 2024 Start of Lent full term
th
Fri 19 Jan, 2024 TP1 written test
nd
Mon 22 Jan, 2024 12:00 First TP2 lecture
nd
Mon 22 Jan, 2024 Briefing for E2a, in relevant laboratory
th
Tue 30 Jan, 2024 14:00 First TP2 examples class
nd
Fri 2 Feb, 2024 17:00 E2a laboratories close
th
Mon 5 Feb, 2024 Briefing for E2b, in the relevant laboratory
th
Mon 12 Feb, 2024 16:00 E2a report submission deadline
th
Fri 16 Feb, 2024 17:00 E2b laboratories close
th
Mon 19 Feb, 2024 Briefing for E2c, in the relevant laboratory
th
Mon 26 Feb, 2024 16:00 E2b report submission deadline
nd
Thu 22 Feb, 2024 -
Presentations of Research Reviews (will be organised by your supervisor)
Wed 28th Feb, 2024
Fri 1st Mar, 2024 17:00 E2c laboratories close
th
Mon 11 Mar, 2024 16:00 E2c report submission deadline
th
Fri 15 Mar, 2024 End of Lent full term
rd
Tue 23 Apr, 2024 Start of Easter full term
10:30-
Wed 24th Apr, 2024 TP2 written test
12:30
Mon 29th Apr, 2024 16:00 Computing Report submission deadline
th
Mon 29 Apr, 2024 16:00 Research Review submission deadline
th
Mon 29 Apr, 2024 16:00 Physics Education submission deadline
th
Tue 30 Apr, 2024 - Oral examination (viva) on Research Reviews (will be organised by your
Fri 10th May, 2024 supervisor)
Fri 14th Jun, 2024 End of Easter full term

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13 PART III PHYSICS AND THE MAST IN PHYSICS page 25

13 Part III Physics and the MASt in Physics

13.1 Introduction
The four-year course, of which Part III is the final component, is designed for students who wish to
pursue a professional career in physics, in academic or industrial research. It leads to an honours
degree of Master of Natural Sciences, M.Sci., together with a B.A., though the latter can in this case
not be conferred until the end of the fourth year.
Part III Physics is a demanding course, and courses assume an upper second class level of under-
standing of the core and relevant optional material in Part II Physics. Students wishing to progress
into Part III physics must achieve at least a 2:1 in Part II Physics, or have received a dispen-
sation from this condition from the Faculty Board. The requirements for admission to Part III
Physics for those who have not taken Part II Physics are published in the Reporter.
You must have made financial provision by securing a four-year grant from your LEA or equivalent
funding body during your second year. If you have any doubt about this, you should see your college
Tutor or Director of Studies without delay.

13.2 Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Physics

This is a taught postgraduate course, which consists of the same content as Part III Physics. The
course is designed for students who hold a 3-year undergraduate degree and wish to pursue a taught
Master’s degree. The minimum entry requirement for the MASt is a qualification comparable to an
upper second class or better Bachelor’s degree in Physics. In addition, entry into the MASt in Physics
is rather competitive and successful candidates typically hold or expect a first class Bachelor’s degree
or equivalent when applying.

13.3 Induction
Students will be e-mailed to register online before the start of Michaelmas Term. The course will
begin with a meeting on the first Tuesday of Full Term (3rd October 2023) in the Pippard Lecture
Theatre at the Cavendish Laboratory.

13.4 Outline of the Course

The course aims to bring you close to the boundaries of current research, and is therefore somewhat
linked to the expertise of the specific research groups within the Cavendish. You make a series of
choices as the year proceeds which allow you, for instance, to begin to specialize towards particular
broad areas of physics such as condensed matter physics, particle physics, astrophysics, quantum
physics or biological physics. These choices can also span over the spectrum from strongly experi-
mental to highly theoretical physics, and you can choose from a range of specialist options.

There are four assessed elements to the Part III course:

1. Research Project: one third of total marks

2. Major Topics: one third of total marks

3. Minor Topics: one sixth of total marks

4. General Paper: one sixth of total marks

All students undertake a substantial research project, which counts for one third of the total marks
for the course. The Michaelmas Term lectures are the Major Topics, which cover substantial areas
of physics. You are examined in three or more of them at the start of the Lent Term. The Lent Term
lectures are the Minor Topics, which cover more specialised areas, mostly of active research interest
in Cambridge. You are examined in three or more of them at the start of the Easter Term.

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page 26 13.4 Outline of the Course

We do not expect any student to take more than the minimum number of units of work in any
category. The great majority of students will find the workload demanding even at this level. We
recognise, however, that students may have good reasons for wishing to take additional courses for
credit. Marks for all examination papers entered will appear on the student’s University transcript.
Within any part of the examination (Major Topics, Minor Topics) the best results meeting the minimum
requirement will count towards the class for the year. You are of course free to attend as many lecture
courses as you wish, without necessarily offering them for examination.
Some of the Major and Minor Topics are given by staff from other Departments such as the Institute
of Astronomy, the Department of Earth Sciences and the Department of Engineering. You can also
take as Major or Minor Topics certain courses given in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos, but you
should note that the style of the Part III Mathematical Tripos Options and Examination is different
from that experienced in the Part III Physics Options, reflecting the difference in approaches of the
two Departments.
There is an optional course called Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Physicists during the Lent
Term for credit in the Tripos replacing a Minor Topic.
Ability in general physics is examined in the General Paper at the end of the Easter Term.

13.4.1 Project work

All students must undertake a project which is worth a third of the year’s total available marks. A
list of projects will be provided by the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. Many of these will be
supervised by members of the Physics Department, but members of other Departments will also
be involved. The projects can be experimental, theoretical, computational, observational, or some
suitable combination of these. There will be scope for initiative and originality in carrying out a project,
and it should form a valuable preparation for a research career.
Project work should begin in Michaelmas term as soon as projects are allocated. The work contin-
ues throughout the Lent and first part of Easter terms. A written project report (5000 words maximum)
will be submitted and assessed in the Easter term.
Communication skills are essential if you are to have a successful career in science. Toward the
end of Lent term a meeting will be arranged in which you will have the chance to give a fifteen minute
oral presentation on your project to other students working in similar areas and their supervisors and
research groups. This presentation counts for 5% of the available marks for the project (irrespective
of the quality of your presentation). You should note that about one-third of the total marks for the
project will be based on an assessment of the quality of your written report and your ability to explain
and defend your work in the viva.
Bench work on experimental projects should be substantially complete by the end of the Lent Term.
You must submit your project report by the third Monday of the Easter Term, and it will be assessed
by two staff members after an oral examination.

13.4.2 Major Topics

The lecture courses given during the Michaelmas Term cover major areas, and in each, physics is
presented as a connected discipline drawing upon the material of the first three years to take the
topic close to the frontiers of current research. Candidates choose three or more Major Topics for
examination. The courses are listed in the table in section 13.9, and are examined at the start of the
Lent Term (i.e. in January) by separate 2-hour written papers.
Students who are especially strong in mathematics may wish to replace one of the Topics above
with Quantum Field Theory (QFT) course, also of 24 lectures, taken from Part III of the Mathemat-
ics Tripos. Students taking this course or one of the other courses borrowed from the Mathematical
Tripos sit the same examination as the Part III Mathematics students in June (3 hour paper). These
courses and examinations are entirely the responsibility of the Department of Applied Mathe-
matics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), and their traditions in examinations differ somewhat
from those in Physics. Students wishing to take one or several of these courses should dis-
cuss this choice carefully with their Director of Studies to ensure it will suit their skills and

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13 PART III PHYSICS AND THE MAST IN PHYSICS page 27

interests.

13.4.3 Minor Topics and Other Lent Term Courses

You must choose for examination three or more of the large number of Lent Term courses listed in
the table in section 13.9. The choices include:

Minor Topics These courses are given by the Department of Physics. They are more specialised
than the Major Topics and typically build upon the material presented in the Michaelmas Term.
Some of them assume specific knowledge of particular Major Topics — the syllabuses make
clear which. They are examined by 1.5 hour written papers at the start of Easter term (i.e.
April).

IDPs There are three Interdisciplinary Papers (IDPs) which are examined in separate papers/coursework
at the end of the Easter Term.

Courses from Part IIB Engineering These are examined with the Part IIB Engineers at the start of
Easter Term.

Course from Part III Mathematics The Advanced Quantum Field Theory (AQFT), Quantum Com-
putation (QC) and Topological Quantum Matter (TQC) courses are taught and examined by
Mathematics and may be substituted for one of the Minor Topics. The advice given in sec-
tion 13.4.2 regarding the QFT course applies also in these cases, and should be heeded by
students considering this course. Note that these courses, even though some of them are 24
lectures long, only substitutes one Minor Topic.

13.4.4 Further Work: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Physicists

The course is given in conjunction with the NanoDTC, and will be assessed by the completion of
assignments as described in the synopsis. You may offer this course in substitution for a Minor Topic
course.

13.4.5 General Physics Paper

The Part III course is designed to build upon the physics covered in the first three years and will take
many subjects to the frontiers of current understanding. However, it is important to retain core physics
at the same time. For the purposes of this examination, core physics means the physics taught in
Part IA Physics, Part IB Physics A, Part IB Physics B, and the Michaelmas term core courses of
Part II Physics. The 2003 – 2023 General Papers available on the TiS indicate the type of question
that will be set. They will be designed to emphasise the straightforward application of core physics
to reasonable problems.

13.5 Restrictions On Combination Of Courses

While every effort is made to arrange the timetable, it is inevitable that some combinations of courses
will be ruled out by their schedule.

13.6 Supervisions
Supervisions in Part III will be diverse in style, in recognition of students’ advanced independent
learning abilities and the complexity and variety of the material in the courses. Lecturers are expected
to provide some form of learning support, but the form it takes is up to the individual lecturer. It
is likely to take the form either of examples classes, with or without demonstrators (depending on
the number of students), or of large-group supervisions or seminars. The lecturer may choose to
announce arrangements during the first lecture, or may announce them through the class email list.

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page 28 13.7 Non-Examined Work

The class email list depends on each student signing up for the particular course on the
TIS. You will be reminded about the sign-up before the start of each of Michaelmas and Lent
Terms. If you decide to change options during the Term, you should make the necessary
change on the TIS, and also notify the relevant lecturers directly.

13.7 Non-Examined Work

Part III students are welcome at the large number of Research Seminars and other lectures in the
Department, particularly those organised by the Cavendish Physical Society lectures at 16:00 on
some Wednesdays. These are advertised on notice boards, on talks.cam.ac.uk, and are summarised
on the Cavendish web page.

13.8 The Examination

The course is assessed by project work and examinations. Major Topics and the Project each con-
tribute approximately one-third of the total marks. The Minor Topics and General Physics Paper each
contribute approximately one-sixth of the total marks.
The marks for all courses will appear on the University transcript, with the best marks for the
minimum requirement being used to establish the final class for the Examination.

13.8.1 Examination Entries

Examination entries are made through the CamSIS on-line system, and should be completed in
consultation with your Director of Studies. The deadline is usually about the middle of November,
but you will be able to modify your entry for the Minor Topics papers in Lent term. Your College or
Director of Studies will notify you about the relevant deadlines.

13.8.2 The Written Papers for Part III

Major Topics These examinations are taken at the beginning of the Lent Term (in January), and are
2 hour papers.

Minor Topics These are taken at the beginning of the Easter Term (usually April), and last 1.5 hours
each.

General Physics Paper This is taken towards the end of the Easter Term, usually early June, and
lasts 3 hours.

QFT/AQFT/QC/TQC Those students who have substituted these Part III Mathematics courses for
Major or Minor Topics will take the same examination as the Mathematics students, towards
the end of the Easter Term (usually in June).

Interdisciplinary courses (IDP) Each of the interdisciplinary courses is treated as a Minor Topic.
The interdisciplinary courses will all be examined in separate papers during the main Examina-
tions Period at the end of Easter Term.

Nuclear Power Engineering Students taking these Topics will be examined with the Part IIB Engi-
neers in one and a half-hour papers at the start of the Easter Term.

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13 PART III PHYSICS AND THE MAST IN PHYSICS page 29

13.9 Course Summary

Please check the course website for latest developments, lecture timetable and location.

Part III/MASt Physics 2023-24

# Course Lecturer
Michaelmas Term – Major Topics: choose at least 3
24 Advanced Quantum Condensed Matter Physics Prof. Crispin Barnes
24 Atomic and Optical Physics Prof. Zoran Hadzibabic
24 Particle Physics Dr Chris Lester
Dr David Al-Attar/Prof. Jerome
24 Physics of the Earth as a Planet
Neufeld/Prof. John Rudge
24 Quantum Condensed Matter Field Theory Dr Carolin Wille
24 Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology Dr Sandro Tacchella
24 Biological Physics Dr Diana Fusco
∗
24 Quantum Field Theory Dr Alejandra Castro-Anich
Lent Term – Minor Topics and Other Courses: choose at least 3
12 Exoplanets and Planetary Systems Prof. Didier Queloz
12 Gauge Field Theory Dr Alex Mitov
16 Medical Physics Dr Andrew Robinson
12 Advanced Statistical Mechanics Prof. Eugene Terentjev
12 Quantum Simulation Prof. Ulrich Schneider
12 The Physics of Nanoelectronic Systems Prof. Charles Smith
12 Phase Transitions Dr Anson Cheung
12 Quantum Information Prof. Crispin Barnes
12 Superconductivity and Quantum Coherence Prof. Malte Grosche
†
16 Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change (IDP1) Run by Chemistry (Prof. Pyle et al)
Climate Change and the Carbon Cycle: An Earth History Per- Run by Earth Sciences (Dr S
16
spective (IDP2)† Turchyn)
Run by Physics (Prof. S Dutton &
12 Materials, Electronics & Renewable Energy (IDP3)†
Dr A Rao)
24 Advanced Quantum Field Theory∗ Dr Ronald Reid-Edwards
∗
16 Topological Quantum Matter Prof. B Beri
‡
12 Nuclear Power Engineering Dr Geoff Parks
Further Work (may substitute a Minor Topic)
Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Physicists Dr Karishma Jain
Other requirements
Research Project Dr Louise Hirst
General Paper
∗
From Part III Mathematics † Interdisciplinary Paper ‡ From Part IIB Engineering
§
Note that QIT, despite being in Michaelmas term, can only substitute a minor option.

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page 30 13.10 Important Dates

Students must offer three or more courses from Major Topics, together with three or more courses
from Minor Topics. Quantum Field Theory may be substituted for one Major Topic. Courses from
Interdisciplinary Topics, Quantum Computation, Advanced Quantum Field Theory, Nuclear Power
Engineering, may each be substituted for one Minor Topic.
The courses from the Major Topics and Minor Topics and Nuclear Power Engineering, are exam-
ined at the start of the term following that in which they are given. Quantum Field Theory, Quantum
Computation and Advanced Quantum Field Theory and courses from the Interdisciplinary Topics will
be examined in June. The Entrepreneurship course from Further Work is continually assessed.
All students are recommended to attend the Non-examinable courses.

13.10 Important Dates

This list is not exhaustive, and may be superseded by announcements on the TIS or by email.

Part III/MASt Physics: Some Important Dates

rd
Tue 3 Oct, 2023 Start of Michaelmas full term
rd
Tue 3 Oct, 2023 General Registration and Project Fair.
th
Fri 13 Oct, 2023 Supervisors can allocate projects
th
Wed 25 Oct, 2023 Deadline for choosing a project (but don’t leave it this late!)
rd
Fri 3 Nov, 2023 16:00 Deadline for submission of Project Risk Assessments
Fri 1st Dec, 2023 16:00 Deadline for submission of initial project progress report.
Fri 1st Dec, 2023 End of Michaelmas Full Term
Tue 16th Jan, 2024 Start of Lent Full Term
Mon 15th Jan, 2024 -
Major Topic Examinations
Fri 19th Jan, 2024
Deadline for submission of brief project progress form (outlining
Thu 8th Feb, 2024 16:00 progress and confirming that you have adequate material to complete
the project).
Tue 5th Mar, 2024 - Presentations of projects (will be organised by your supervisor; some
Fri 15th Mar, 2024 supervisors prefer to do these early in Easter Term).
Fri 15th Mar, 2024 End of Lent Full Term
rd
Tue 23 Apr, 2024 Start of Easter Full Term
nd
Mon 22 Apr, 2024 -
Minor Topic Examinations
Fri 26th Apr, 2024
Mon 13th May, 2024 16:00 Project Report submission deadline
th
Tue 14 May, 2024 -
Oral examination (viva) on Projects
Fri 24th May, 2024
Fri 14th Jun, 2024 End of Easter Full Term

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14 GUIDE FOR STUDENTS page 31

14 Guide for Students

Administration The Department’s central administration is located in the Bragg Building. Enquiries
are usually dealt with via Room 206.

Aims and Objectives The Quality Assurance Agency, through its institutional audit of the University,
is concerned with the assurance of the quality of teaching and learning within the University. The
University in turn requires every Department to have clear aims and objectives and to monitor
their teaching and learning activities and consider changes where necessary, and meet various
criteria concerning management of the quality of its teaching provision. Students play a vital role
in assisting with this quality assurance, and the Department welcomes constructive comment
via the Staff-student Consultative Committee.

Appeals Information about the procedure for examination warnings, allowances and appeals is avail-
able at https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/your-course/examinations/mitigation.
For information about instigating a review of an examination result see ’Examinations Review
Procedure’ below.

Astronomical Society (CUAS) Astronomy and astrophysics are popular branches of physics, and
the Astronomical Society provides an interesting and accessible series of lectures held on Tues-
day evenings during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms in the Wolfson Lecture theatre, Chemistry
department, as well as the opportunity to observe using the historic refractors owned by the In-
stitute of Astronomy. Details can be found on the society’s web page http://www.cam.ac.
uk/societies/cuas. Members of the research groups of the Cavendish Laboratory concerned
with astronomy and astrophysics are often lecturers in this series.

Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics The Cavendish has a large and active astrophysics
research group. Their research base is at the Battcock Centre, a new building located on the
north side of Madingley Road opposite the Cavendish, and next to the Institute for Astronomy:
Battcock Centre map.

Bicycles The Cavendish Laboratory provides several cycle sheds and racks in which you may leave
your bike, but it should be locked with a sturdy security device when not in use. Several serious
accidents occur every year involving students cycling in Cambridge: please cycle with care, use
proper lights when required and wear a safety helmet.

Books Reading and working through relevant books are indispensable exercises. All books recom-
mended for Part I should be available in College libraries or the Rayleigh Library. If you notice
any omissions, please fill in a request slip to ensure that the book is ordered.

Bookshops Cambridge is well equipped with bookshops. There is a discount available at the CUP
bookshop with a University Card.

Buildings The present Cavendish Laboratory comprises the extensive buildings south of Madingley
Road, the first of which opened in 1973. A map of the Cavendish Laboratory site is shown on
the inside back cover. The original buildings on this site were the Rutherford, Bragg and Mott
Buildings, named after former Cavendish Professors, and the workshop building between the
Rutherford and Bragg buildings. These have in the past few years been supplemented by a
building for the Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC) in Superconductivity (now the Kapitza
Building), and a further building for the Microelectronics Research Group and Hitachi Cam-
bridge Laboratory. Further recent additions to the site are the Magnetic Resonance Research
Centre of the Chemical Engineering Department, the Physics of Medicine (POM) building, which
houses the laboratories for the Biological and Soft Systems sector (BSS), the Nanoscience
Centre and the Terrapin Building. The most recent additions are the Battcock Centre for Astro-
physics, which houses the Astrophysics Group and is located on the north side of Madingley
Road close to the Institute of Astronomy, and the Maxwell centre next to the POM building.

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Calculators When considering which calculator to buy, you may wish to bear in mind that only cer-
tain types are permitted for use in Tripos examinations. Among these are the Casio models
available from the West Hub Post Office shop. Calculators will also need the ‘official’ Board
of Examination yellow sticker which can be obtained from the Undergraduate Office at the
Cavendish.

CamCORS The supervision reporting system. See Databases (below)

CamSIS The student information system. See Databases (below)

Canteen See ’Common Room’ and ’West Hub’ (below).

Careers The University Careers Service is located in Stuart House, Mill Lane (telephone number
338288), and is financed by the University to provide students with information about careers
and assistance with application processes. The Service maintains an information room which
can be used during normal office hours, and additionally provides expert staff to advise students
about career-related issues. Ask at the reception desk.

Cavendish Laboratory The Cavendish Laboratory is the name of the building which houses (most
of) the University’s Department of Physics; the name has become synonymous with the de-
partment itself. The laboratory was established through the generosity of William Cavendish,
Seventh Duke of Devonshire, who endowed the laboratory in the nineteenth century, together
with the Cavendish Chair of Experimental Physics. The original Cavendish Laboratory building
is located in Free School Lane in the centre of the city, and opened in 1874. The Department
moved to the current buildings on the West Cambridge in 1973-74. The history of the Cavendish
is well illustrated in the Cavendish Museum, located in the Bragg Building.
The two newest physics buildings in West Cambridge are the Physics of Medicine building
(“PoM”), and the Maxwell Centre, which have a physical connection. The Maxwell Centre
houses some Cavendish research groups and brings together industry and forefront research
work in various areas: see Maxwell Centre for more details.
The University map shows the current site, but is not always completely up to date with new
buildings: University Map of the Cavendish

Cavendish Stores Next to the Common Room in the Bragg Building is the central stores of the
whole laboratory, the opening hours of which are 08:00-16:45.

Cheating The Department and the University consider any act of cheating as a serious matter, and
any incident will be reported to the Head of Department, who will normally refer the case to the
University Proctors. It is unacceptable to:
• cheat during oral or written tests;
• copy the work of others and submit as your own;
• falsify and/or invent experimental data.
In the practical classes, some experiments are designed to be carried out individually and some
in collaboration with other students. Discussion among students and with demonstrators and
Heads of Class is encouraged and you may use any help or insights gained in these discus-
sions to improve your experiment, your understanding of the physics and your written report.
However, your report should be written by you, following the guidelines on writing reports, and
only data collected in your experiment should be presented as your own.
The Department has access to the latest anti-plagiarism software tools and will use them from
time to time to monitor coursework submissions for plagiarism, and so ensure fairness for all
students.

Classing Criteria The Department of Physics has a policy that examiners will mark to agreed criteria
for written examinations. Due to the way in which marks from different subjects are combined to
create the final list in Parts IA and IB, the criteria used in Physics are not reflected directly in the

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class list. For Parts II and III, the examinations are under the direct control of the Department,
in conjunction with scrutiny by External Examiners. The criteria for classing in Physics are
available at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/teaching/current-courses/classing

College Your College ordinarily admits you to the University, provides you with accommodation and
academic and tutorial support, for instance through your Director of Studies and Tutor. Usually,
but not always, your Director of Studies in Physics will be a member of staff of the Cavendish,
and will be directly in touch with the Department. Most Colleges aim to provide supervision at
a rate of about one hour per week for each of Part IA Physics, Part IB Physics A and Part IB
Physics B, and they are typically directly arranged by your Director of Studies. In Part II and
Part III, supervisions are arranged collectively by the Directors of Studies with assistance from
the Department.

Common Room The Cavendish contains a large Common Room which is open to all students of
Physics. It does not serve food but contains seating space and a microwave if you wish to bring
your own lunch. There is no provision of hot food in the department, but see ’West Hub’. In
addition there is an area for relaxation outside the lecture theatres, where there are vending
machines for food and drink.

Complaints We very much hope you enjoy your course, receive a great education and have positive
interactions with the department’s staff. However, if you are unhappy with the experience you
have received from the department, or a member of staff, the University has a well-defined
Student Complaint Procedure for you to use. The Department takes such issues extremely
seriously, and details of process to follow can be found on the website of OSCCA, the Office of
Student Conduct, Complaints, and Appeals: OSCCA website.
Note that, if your complaint concerns a college, you should normally follow that college’s com-
plaint own procedure.
In many cases, the best first point of call is contact the Undergraduate Office who are often able
to help and to efficiently resolve difficulties.
The OSCCA process has three-stages. It begins, in Step 1, with an attempt at local resolution
of the issue, that is, within the Department. You should raise your complaint either directly with
the relevant staff member (if you feel able to do so), or else via one of the Responsible Offi-
cers in the department; this should normally be done within 28 days of the event triggering the
complaint. The Responsible Officers in the Department for undergraduate student complaints
are the Director of Undergraduate Education, the chair of the Staff-Student Consultative Com-
mittee, and the Departmental Administrator. If you need advice on whether or how to make or
proceed with a complaint, you could also ask your College Tutor or Director of Studies, or your
CUSU representative, or any member of the physics teaching staff.
If the local resolution fails to deal satisfactorily with the complaint, Step 2 requires a formal
complaint to be made and investigated, and the details for this can be found on the OSCCA
website.
The full statement of the University process can be found here: OSCCA’s Student Complaint
Procedure.
If you have experienced Harassment or Sexual Misconduct, there is a separate University sup-
port and reporting process; please see the section on Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.

Computing The Department relies on the University Information Services http://www.uis.cam.

ac.uk/ for provision of computing facilities for undergraduates. The eduroam wifi service is
available throughout the laboratory. There are some PCs with access to printers in the library.
Most colleges also provide some facilities. The Department makes increasing use of computers
in practical work, and aims to develop specific skills in the use of computers for solving problems
in physics.

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Copyright While you are a registered student, you will have access in printed and electronic form
to a large range of learning materials prepared by the department. These are usually the intel-
lectual property of the lecturer who created them, and/or the University as a whole. Copyright
law is somewhat complex, but allows lecturers some limited ’fair use’ of existing copyright ma-
terials when used for students on specific courses. However, you are not legally allowed to
distribute these handouts further by electronic or other means. If you have any doubts
about this, please contact the department.

Counselling The University Counselling Service http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/ exists to

help members of the University who have problems of a personal or emotional nature which
they wish to discuss in confidence. The Service is widely used, so it can be busy. In times of
particular stress a special effort will be made to see you quickly.
Advice on personal matters is always available in your college through your Tutor.
Special assistance is provided by Linkline (internal telephone 44444) and the Samaritans (tele-
phone 364455).

Databases Students taking courses in Physics will come across a number of different on-line databases.
Because these all use the same login method (“Raven” authentication: see below), it is not al-
ways obvious that these are different systems, which for the most part do not (yet) talk to each
other. The main databases are:
• CamCORS – the Cambridge Colleges Online Reporting System. Supervisors use this
to report to Directors of Studies and Tutors on the progress of their supervisees, and to
claim from the colleges for the supervisions provided. If colleges choose to release the
information, students can view their supervision reports here directly. See http://www.
camcors.cam.ac.uk/
• CamSIS – the student information system. Students use this university-wide system to
enter for exams, and (when the results are uploaded) to check their Tripos results. subject
choice through this system. See http://www.camsis.cam.ac.uk/
• The Teaching Information System (TIS) – a web database system run by the Department of
Physics. All course resources are provided here and the system is used to e.g. assign Part
II and III students to supervisors, to assign part II research revoiews and part III projects,
and to submit your research review or project reports. It is therefore important that all
students are registered with the TIS in addition to entering for examinations on CamSIS.
(see Registration: below). See http://www-teach.phy.cam.ac.uk
• The University’s timetable tool (http://timetable.cam.ac.uk) allows you to create your
own timetable of lectures and practicals, and add to your own electronic calendar.
• Moodle: Moodle is the virtual learning environment for the University (https://www.vle.
cam.ac.uk). It is used for instance to provide access to lecture capture videos. While
heavily used in IA courses, physics courses in later years then to rely mostly on the TIS,
as it permits better integration with other Departmental systems.

Department of Physics The Department of Physics is the administrative unit in the Faculty of Physics
and Chemistry which provides teaching in physics leading to the Part II and Part III examina-
tions in Physics. The Head of Department is Professor Mete Atature. Your direct contact with
the Department can be through your College (your Director of Studies in the first instance) or
through the staff you encounter in lectures and practicals. The needs of students in Part I are
usually met fully through College contacts; in later years direct contact with the Department
increases. The Department provides various facilities specifically to help you in your study of
physics, many of which are described in this document.

Director of Studies You will have been assigned a Director of Studies in your College - possibly one
for Physics and another for Natural Sciences overall. This person will assign you to supervisors
during your first two years, will monitor your progress and try to assist you if you have problems.
If you get into difficulties with the course you should discuss this with your Director of Studies,

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or with your Tutor. If for any reason you feel unable to do this any member of staff of the
Department will willingly try to assist you.

Disability The Department works closely with the University’s Disability Resource Centre (DRC) to
ensure that the needs of students with disabilities are accommodated. Students with disabil-
ities should seek support from their College and the DRC, and the DRC will then inform the
Department regarding the any special arrangements that need to be made. It is also helpful to
inform the Undergraduate Office in good time to allow arrangements to be made; you can also
disclose relevant information on the TIS, so that your teachers will be made aware.

Email Email is the key communication channel between students and the department. Please en-
sure you read and monitor your University inbox regularly.

Examinations The marks upon which your degree classification is based are derived from a combi-
nation of continuously-assessed work, set pieces (such as projects and research reviews) and
written examination papers.
You may find these two links which describe the classing criteria used helpful. For part IA
and IB, the NST guide is at http://www.cam.ac.uk/about/natscitripos/exams/. For Parts
II and III, the departmental criteria are described at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/
teaching/current-courses/classing.
The Physics Department has produced some guidance on exam preparation which you might
find helpful and is available on the teaching pages on the web at http://www.phy.cam.ac.
uk/students/teaching/exam_skills. If you have problems it is worth discussing them with
your supervisor, Director of Studies or your Tutor, who may be able to assist by suggesting
alternative approaches.
Information on the various styles of questions is available at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/
students/teaching/exam_questions, and you will find a brief description of how examiners
work at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/teaching/exam_workings. Internal examin-
ers are appointed each year for each Tripos examination; two external examiners are also
appointed for Parts II and III. The names of examining committee members are available in the
Reporter and on the Physics teaching webpages. For each subject there is a Senior Examiner
drawn from the staff of the Department, and they take the responsibility for the setting and mark-
ing of the examination papers, assisted by the other examiners. You may also find interesting
the reports on exams made by the Senior and External Examiners which are available on the
TIS.
You should note that, by tradition – in order to ensure that the examination process is beyond
reproach – direct contact with the examiners is not encouraged. If you have a problem that you
believe should be brought before a particular body of examiners, the proper channel is through
your Tutor or Director of Studies.
There are useful University guides to the Tripos Examinations system. This webpage Policy &
Guides is run by the Student Registry and contains several useful links.
And this guide is focused on student perspectives on examinations.
In addition, this guide written in 2017 may be of interest: University Examination Guide

Examinations Review Procedure The University’s has a detailed review procedure for examina-
tions, and this can be accessed at:
http://www.studentcomplaints.admin.cam.ac.uk/examination-reviews.

Examples Classes In several lecture courses from the third year onwards, Examples Classes are
provided as an important aid to your learning. They explore in greater depth some particular
issues related to parts of the lecture course, and with a number of demonstrators on hand they
should be used to strengthen your grasp of the course material.

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Examples Sheets Examples sheets are provided to accompany every lecture course, and are usu-
ally distributed outside the lecture theatre and via the TIS. It is the policy of the Department to
provide examples which cover a wide range of difficulty, so don’t expect to be able to do all
of them without some assistance from your supervisor. You should try to produce satisfactory
solutions to all of the designated ‘core’ examples for your subsequent use in revision, after
discussion of the material in a supervision. Many of the questions are taken from past Tripos
papers, so they provide good practice in handling material in the lecture courses, chosen to
reflect the present content of the course.

Faculty of Physics and Chemistry The Department of Physics is part of the Faculty of Physics and
Chemistry.

Feedback The Department makes a great effort to provide excellent courses and facilities. We
greatly appreciate feedback from students which helps us improve our courses. Your input is
most helpfully directed through your representative on the Staff-Student Consultative Commit-
tee (see below). You will be emailed links to feedback questionnaires. Please fill these in with
constructive comments – these responses are the key input to the Consultative Committee,
and the information is then passed on to the lecturers, Heads of Class and supervisors.
You can also send suggestions or comments to the Director of Undergraduate Education or the
teaching office ([email protected]).
Students often believe their comments are not taken seriously or acted upon. This is absolutely
not the case! Lecturers and other staff read feedback carefully and attempt, where possible and
sensible, to respond. Almost every course we give has been positively improved by constructive
student feedback. It really makes a difference.

Fire Alarms All buildings are equipped with fire alarms, and you should take note of the instructions,
which are posted around the buildings, for the procedure to follow in case of fire. There is a fire
drill at some time each year. If you hear a fire alarm leave the building quickly and quietly by the
nearest fire exit. Do not stop to collect your possessions. Do not use lifts. Fire doors in corridors
close automatically when the alarm system is activated; they must never be obstructed. The
system is tested between 07:30 and 08:30 each Monday.
If you discover a fire, raise the alarm by breaking the glass at the nearest Fire Alarm Point, and
evacuate the building by the nearest safe route. If it is possible to do so without taking personal
risks call the Fire Brigade (telephone 1999 from a University network telephone).

Formulae A booklet of standard mathematical formulae, identical to the one that is made available
in certain examinations, is available for purchase from staff in the Undergraduate Labs, or for
downloading from here. You are urged to use and become familiar with the contents of this
booklet, because it has become clear in recent Tripos examinations that many students are not
aware of the time it can save them in an examination.

Handbook This Physics Course Handbook is updated each year and is the defintive source of infor-
mation about the courses. It is to be found online at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/
teaching. The individual course synopses are available on the TIS. Students may be informed
by email of corrections and updates. Please send any comments on errors or omissions by
e-mail to [email protected].

Harassment and Sexual Misconduct The University is committed to creating and maintaining an
environment for work and learning which is free from all forms of discrimination. The Depart-
ment and the central authorities of the University regard racial, sexual and disability harassment
and bullying as wholly unacceptable behaviour. Information about harassment is available at
http://www.studentcomplaints.admin.cam.ac.uk/harassment-sexual-misconduct, and in-
cludes links to webforms for anonymous reporting of harassment and sexual misconduct. For
other complaints, please refer to the complaints section of this guide.

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Institute of Physics The Institute of Physics is a national body that exists to promote physics. Fol-
lowing graduation you may obtain (according to experience) various grades of professional
membership, Chartered Physicist status, and several other benefits which may have some
bearing on obtaining a job.

Late Submission of Work The departmental policy on submission of course work after published
deadlines is described in section 6.

Lecture handouts Handouts, containing material to supplement lectures, are usually distributed at
the time of the relevant lecture outside the lecture theatre and on the TIS. The amount of ma-
terial prepared is at the discretion of the lecturer. Diverse opinions have been (vociferously)
expressed by students each year about handouts - some want very little material, others wish
to have copies of lecture overheads, others want a substitute for a book. When lecture over-
heads are supplied there are often criticisms that the lecturer is reading from the handout! It
is impossible for the Department to provide courses and handouts which satisfy every different
preference. Lecture handouts should be regarded as assistance beyond the lecture material,
optionally provided by the lecturer, but they cannot substitute for your own reading through the
wide range of textbooks available throughout the University, and you cannot reasonably expect
them to. Lecture handouts are available from the TIS.

Lectures Most Part IA lectures are usually held in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Lecture Theatre, The
Chemical Laboratory.
The Part IB Physics A and Physics B lectures will be held in the Cockcroft Lecture Theatre on
the New Museums Site during Michaelmas and Lent terms. During Easter term these move to
the Zoology and Physiology Lecture Theatres.
Part II and Part III lectures are usually held in the lecture theatres and seminar rooms at the
Cavendish Laboratory, or in the Sackler Lecture Theatre at the Institute of Astronomy.

Libraries Library provision in Cambridge is outstanding. Your College will probably provide a core
of physics books to supplement those you buy. Usually the College Librarian will welcome
suggestions for additional purchases if you find omissions of important books from the College
Library.
The Department provides the Rayleigh Library, located on the first floor of the Bragg building.
An area is set aside for use by Part II and Part III students, and there is an extensive collection of
textbooks on all aspects of physics. These, and books from the main section of the Library, may
be borrowed overnight after completing the borrowing procedure at the desk next to the main
door to the Library . There are several MCS computers available as well as printing facilities.
The University Library has an extensive physics collection.
Physics journals are held in the Rayleigh Library and in the Moore Library in Wilberforce Road
(see below). Online access to many physics journals is available within the cam domain.

MASt This is a taught postgraduate course, which consists of the same content and assessment as
Part III Physics. The course is designed for students who hold a 3-year undergraduate degree
who wish to pursue a research degree. The entry requirement for the MASt is a qualification
comparable to an upper second class or better UK Bachelor’s degree in Physics. In recent
years we have had a MASt class of 10-20 students who join us from degree programmes in the
UK and worldwide. The intention is that they become fully integrated with the Part III class.

Moore Library The University’s main collection of physical sciences, technology and mathematics
journals is kept in the Moore Library in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Wilberforce
Road (close to the Cavendish, just turn left at the end of the footpath leading from the Cavendish
into town, instead of continuing down Adams Road; the large building on the right near the far
end of the road is the CMS). To use the collection you need to have a University Card. It is
unlikely to be useful to you until the Third and Fourth years.

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Natural Sciences Tripos The Natural Sciences Tripos (NST) is the official title of the degree exami-
nations covering the Natural Sciences, including Physics. The participating Departments of the
University work together to provide a wide choice of subjects which can be combined in a great
variety of ways to cater for the interests of each student.
Many students seem unclear about how the Part II and Part III examinations are Classed. The
following is an extract from notes prepared in order to clarify the Department’s position on this:
Part III of the Tripos is classed in the usual way - 1st, 2.I, 2.II, 3rd. Parts II and III of the Tripos
are independent and marks are not carried forward from one to the other.
Degrees as such were traditionally not classed. However, this is changing - please see the NST
website for more information. Students graduate from the University as a B.A. ‘with Honours’
and, if they are classed in Part III, as an M.Sci. The classes are attached to a particular Tripos.
Thus if, for example, a student obtains a First in Part II, they will be entitled to say that they
obtained ‘First Class Honours in Part II of the NST’ whatever their results in Part III. If they
also obtain a good result in Part III then they can add that to their curriculum vitae. If future
employers, postgraduate grant funding agencies, etc. require more detailed information than
just the degree certificate, they will normally receive from a College or the University the full
profile of the student’s achievements during their years here, not just their result in the final
year. This should enable them to give proper weight to the Part II results.
It is worth noting that many of the key decisions about job offers and places in research groups
will be made before the Part III results are known, so the Part II classes are likely to be an
important factor in those choices. The Research Councils normally require a specific standard
to be met if students are to be eligible for postgraduate support. At present a student is eligible
for a Research Council grant if at least an Upper Second has been attained in either Part II
or Part III. It is unlikely that a poor result in Part III would lead to an offer of a place from any
university, even if the formal requirement had been attained at Part II.
See also Classing Criteria, above.

Past Tripos papers Recent papers are available on the web at http://www-teach.phy.cam.ac.
uk/dms/dmsSearch.php?type=examPapers. Remember that the course content changes, so
past papers may contain questions on material with which you are not now expected to be
familiar!

Philosophical Society The Philosophical Society is a long-established society in the University

which, among its various functions, puts on evening lectures in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Lec-
ture Theatre, Department of Chemistry. Some of these are by eminent physicists and all are
intended for a broad audience - you are therefore most welcome to attend. More details are
available at http://www.cambridgephilosophicalsociety.org/

Photocopying and Printing May be carried out in the copy room of the Rayleigh Library for a small
charge.

Physics Society (CUPS) The Physics Society organises a range of functions, including evening
lectures. Joining is easy at the first evening lecture or at the Societies’ Fair. More details are
available at http://physics.soc.srcf.net/.

Plagiarism See Cheating (above).

Practical Laboratory Work Your work in the Teaching Laboratoratories is an important part of your
course and will help you develop the experimental skills and knowledge which are important
to all physicists. These sessions are run in the Cavendish Laboratory and are continuously
assessed. Registration procedures are outlined in the relevant section of this handbook. The
manager of the Teaching Laboratories is Richard King [email protected]

Rayleigh Library The Rayleigh Library is primarily a resource for research, but it includes a great
many useful reference works as well as original research journals. Here you can also find

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New Scientist, Scientific American, Physics World (for those who don’t have their own copy!)
and Physics Today. All of these are excellent sources of information about the fast-advancing
frontiers of physics. Next to the section with these and other current journals is the Part II & III
Library. There is limited space for private working.

Raven Raven is the University of Cambridge web authentication server, see here for more informa-
tion. You will need your Raven password to log in to the Teaching Information System (q.v.),
and to access ”cam-only” material (such as past examination papers) on the teaching website
from outside the cam.ac.uk domain. If your login is rejected by the teaching system, please let
the Undergraduate Office know your CRSID so that we can enable your account.

Ray Dolby Centre The Ray Dolby Centre, a completely new laboratory for research and teaching,
is currently being built on the paddock site in front of the vet school, opposite the Computer
Laboratory, on J J Thomson Avenue. Construction is planned to be completed in 2024.

Recording of Lectures Most lectures will be recorded using the University’s Lecture Capture sys-
tem called Panopto and will be available shortly after the lecture on the Moodle page of the
course. They will remain accessible until the end of the academic year.
Audio or video recording of lectures by the students is not allowed, unless special permission
has been granted. If recording is required to accommodate a disability, then the Disability
Resource Centre should be approached. If there are other specific reasons for needing to
record a lecture then a request should be made to the Undergraduate Office, who will consult
the relevant lecturer.

Registration There are two main IT systems (see Databases) important for the organisation of your
studies. The Department runs the Teaching Information System (TIS), an extensive set of
teaching databases, and uses these, for example, to contact all students in any particular cat-
egory.
Note that the TIS does NOT enter you for examinations, or have any official function outside
the Physics Department, but it does get you into the system so that we know you are here, and
what you are doing. We are then able to allocate departmental supervisions where appropriate,
and to give you access to all relevant information.

Reporter The University Reporter is the official publication of the University in which announcements
are made. The paper version of the Reporter is no longer be produced. For all official notices
concerning examination procedures see http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/.

Research The Cavendish is a large and thriving research laboratory, with a wide range of present-
day interests in physics. Check the Cavendish website for details of the various research areas
currently active in the department.

Safety Safe conduct is legally the individual responsibility of everyone in the workplace, whether
they be student or staff member. Additionally the Department has specific legal obligations
regarding health and safety, which are monitored by the Departmental Health and Safety Com-
mittee. You will be given information about health and safety in the Practical Laboratories in
particular; please take in this information, and accord it the importance it deserves. Particular
rules apply to Part III Project work; they are detailed in the section describing the arrangements
for projects. The Departmental Safety Officers are Saba Alai and Tricia Cocker (01223 336397,
[email protected]).

Central Science Library The University’s main collection of scientific journals has been split into
two. Journals related to the physical sciences, technology and mathematics are kept in the
new Moore Library in the Centre for Mathematical Sciences in Wilberforce Road (close to the
Cavendish, just turn left at the end of the footpath leading from the Cavendish into town, instead
of continuing down Adams Road; the large building on the right near the far end of the road
is the CMS). The other journals are kept in the SPL in Bene’t Street, which was originally the

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Philosophical Society’s Library and still houses the offices of the Society. To use the collection
you need to have a University Library card. It is unlikely to be useful to you until the third and
fourth years.

Smoking The entire Department of Physics has been designated a NO SMOKING AREA.

Staff-Student Consultative Committee (SSCC) The SSCC is the official channel for the communi-
cation of students’ concerns to the Department. There are one or two student representatives
for each of the courses provided by the Department. Elections to the SSCC take place early
in the Michaelmas term during lectures. The Consultative Committee is chaired by Dr Melissa
Uchida, and the other members are the Head of Department, the Director of Undergraduate
Education, and further representatives of the Teaching Committee. The Committee meets in
the middle and at the end of each term, just after lectures finish, and a major part of its business
is to discuss in detail the feedback on each course, particularly as reflected by questionnaires.
The Committee also provides feedback to the Teaching Committee on general teaching issues.
The Committee’s minutes are considered in detail by the Teaching Committee and by the
Head of Department, and are made available on the TiS (https://www-teach.phy.cam.ac.
uk/teaching/sscc.php where the current membership may also be found).

Supervisions Supervisions are the responsibility of the colleges and are organised through your
college for Parts IA and IB. Supervisions for Part II are organised collectively by all Directors of
Studies with assistance from the Department. Supervisions for Part III are typically organised
directly by the lecturer on behalf of the Colleges. You are normally expected to attend every
supervision which you have arranged, as a courtesy to your supervisor as well as in order to
benefit your own studies. You should expect to be asked to hand in work for each supervision, in
sufficient time for your supervisor to look through the work and identify any potential problems.
If for some reason you have problems, please contact your Director of Studies in the first in-
stance.

Synopses Moderately detailed synopses for every course offered by the Department can be found
on the TiS; the synopses have been arrived at after long deliberation, consultation, and debate
within the Department. The relationship between courses is handled by the Teaching Com-
mittee, and every effort is made to refine the sequence in which material is presented. Some
problems remain; these should just be the ones for which no clear-cut solution was available,
but in case there are difficulties for you which have not been identified in advance, the Staff-
Student Consultative Committee always welcomes direct feedback via your representative.

Teaching Committee The committee concerns itself with all aspects of teaching and learning in the
Department of Physics. It oversees the structure of lecture courses and practicals, and weighs
up information about the success of the courses regularly during the academic year. The best
route for communicating information to the committee is through your representative on the
Staff-Student Consultative Committee, which itself reports to the Teaching Committee. The
Teaching Committee is chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Education.

Teaching Information System (TIS) The TIS is a web interface to the various teaching databases
maintained by the Department: it is available at http://www-teach.phy.cam.ac.uk/. Part IA
students can view their practical marks on the web; Part II and III students can select Research
Reviews and Projects here, and can view their further work marks in the same way if they have
been released. All supervisions arranged by the department are listed, and you can use the
system as an easy way to email your supervisors and supervision partners (for Parts II and III).
All handouts, for all years, are available via the TIS.
Note that you must first be registered (see ”Registration”) for the current year in order to gain
access to these facilities, and that many of them require you first to log in, using your Raven
password (see under ”Raven”).

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14 GUIDE FOR STUDENTS page 41

Telephones The internal telephone network of the university provides ‘free’ calls between exten-
sions, most of which have a five-digit number.
To reach an extension from another exchange line outside the network, the number is prefixed
with a 3. (Some recent lines have 5-digit number beginning with a 6, for which the prefix when
dialling from outside is a 7).

Undergraduate Office The Undergraduate Office (sometimes referred to as the Teaching Office) is
situated in the Bragg building, Room 179, tel. 65798. The office is staffed by Helen Marshall and
Rachael Bishop, and is open for general enquiries at regular times during full term. Enquiries
can also be made to its e-mail address: [email protected].

University Library The University Library is an amazing resource for the University (and in many
disciplines, for the international academic community). You may be surprised at how useful it
can be for you. However, since it is so large it can be a little complicated.
Your University Card is required to gain access to the University Library.
You cannot take bags etc. into the library for security reasons, but you can leave them in the
metal lockers to be found down a few steps on the right hand side of the entrance hallway. The
keys are released by the insertion of a £1 coin, which is returned to you when you open the
locker.
Most of the relevant physics books are to be found on the shelves in ‘South Front, Floor 4’ -
easily located on the maps displayed throughout the building. You need to know that in order
to maximise storage, books are shelved in catalogue sequence, but split into different size
categories. This means that you might find four different sets of books on, say, atomic physics
- the size is indicated by a letter a,b,c in the catalogue number. They are easy to find once you
know this! Periodicals (‘serials’) have numbers prefixed with P.
An increasing proportion of the 7,500,000 items in the inventory of the library are appearing on
the computer catalogue, which can be accessed from any computer terminal which can connect
to the network. The catalogue will tell you where the book should be found (eg SF4 i.e. South
Front Floor 4) and whether or not it is out on loan (and if so, when it is due back). The same
catalogue system allows you to check your College library catalogue (for most of the colleges)
and that of the Rayleigh Library. The UL catalogue is available at http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/.

Website The Cavendish Laboratory’s home page http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/ has notices about
events in the Cavendish, lists of staff and details of the activities of the various research groups,
as well as teaching material and information. This Physics Course Handbook and teaching ma-
terial for various courses can be found at http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/students/teaching/.
The Teaching web pages also provide links to the Teaching Information system and to certain
material that is not generally available to addresses outside the cam.ac.uk domain.

West Cambridge This is the name of the campus on which the Cavendish buildings sit, extend-
ing from the current Cavendish buildings to the M11 motorway in the west. The whole of the
University’s West Cambridge site is currently under active development, with many new build-
ings being constructed, and many more planned. It will become the principal physical sciences
campus of the University.

West Hub The new West Hub on JJ Thomson Avenue is only two minutes away from the Depart-
ment and contains a canteen, coffee shop, bar and shop as well as many study spaces. See
www.westcambridgehub.uk/ for details.

Physics Courses 2023-24 ©University of Cambridge