M1 - Computational Physics (PhysNum)

Fluids are all around us at all times and on all scales. Understanding fluid mechanics means understanding the mechanics of our surroundings, particularly air and water. As such, hydrodynamics is part of a physicist's basic knowledge.

Hydrodynamics is an introduction to the mechanics of incompressible perfect fluids (Euler) and viscous Newtonian fluids (Navier-Stokes). Classical flows are presented, as well as the concepts of boundary layer, instability, and turbulence. The emphasis is placed more on physical ideas than on advanced mathematical or numerical solution methods.

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English tutorial course for students enrolled in the Master 1 Physics program who wish to become proficient in scientific English.

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This course is part of the foundation of modern physics. It provides a foundation of knowledge that is essential for all physics courses, as it lays the groundwork for the theoretical description of the interaction between the electromagnetic field and elementary quantum elements such as two-level systems, atoms, and molecules. It also provides the necessary knowledge for understanding LASERs, modern optical devices, and spectroscopic methods and analyses.

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Through two specific examples (X-ray diffraction and vibrations), this module shows in detail how the physical properties of a solid are modeled. The formalism will also be applied to finite systems, such as nanoparticles, and will remain valid for amorphous materials, but particular attention will be paid to periodic systems (from linear chains to protein crystals, graphene, and silicon). Associated with this periodicity, the notion of reciprocal lattices will naturally arise.

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Introduction to advanced statistical physics: grand canonical ensemble; quantum statistics; quantum fluids (Bose-Einstein condensation, thermal radiation; Sommerfeld theory); phase transitions; Ising model; mean field theory; dynamics of complex systems.

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A 10-ECTS supervised project during which groups of students work on developing software for research or teaching purposes.

This project is designed to give students their first semi-professional experience by working in groups of (>2) on a fairly large project, usually proposed by fellow researchers who want to develop and/or expand software for research purposes or for the general public.

Supervision is provided by fellow physicists and, where appropriate, computer scientists. Students submit a code with accompanying documentation. A report is written and an oral defense is held.    

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The EU "Condensed Matter Physics 2: Electronic Properties" is intended for students interested in solid-state physics.

Following on from the course unit "Condensed Matter Physics 1: Structural Properties," this course unit addresses the properties of electrons in crystalline solids, the band structure of electronic levels, and the basic concepts of semiconductor physics.

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Current experimental physics generally requires the implementation of a more or less complex acquisition chain involving different types of instruments: sources, sensors, actuators, etc., and a controller (such as a computer). The objective of this course unit is to familiarize students with this type of issue so that they can set up such a data acquisition system. At the controller level, the control part will be implemented in Python (in particular with the PyVisa library).  

- Presentation of the most common communication interfaces/ports: serial (RS-232, USB), parallel (GPIB), and network (Ethernet) (CM).

- Implementation of simple examples of communication, device configuration, and data acquisition (tutorial).

- Development of a more comprehensive acquisition chain through projects (practical work). 

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Knowing how to acquire and process data are essential skills in a scientific and/or technical professional context. The objective of this course is to address three types of standard skills in the professional environment:

· Advanced use of spreadsheets/graphing software (MS EXCEL, LO-CALC) for scientific and technical purposes

· Network interconnections: infrastructure, TCP/IP protocol suite, security

· Introduction to relational databases (MS ACCESS, LO-BASE) – concepts & vocabulary, creating queries, graphical reports, forms.

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