The paper is due on Tuesday, May 29th (9th week). Suggested length is 3 to 4 pages but there are no strict limits on length. Submit both a hard copy and an electronic version (pdf file).
The topics that we cover in this course were developed in the first three decades of the 20th century. New applications of these discoveries are being developed ever since then. In this paper you should pick one of the topics we cover in the course and explore one of its current applications. For example: if you pick "Tunneling" (Chpt. 6-6), your paper could be on STM = Scanning Tunneling Microscope. If you pick "Blackbody radiation", your paper could be on recent studies of the cosmic microwave background.
Your paper should include equations, not just words (at least one equation that can be found in Tipler). It should be narrow in scope, not try to cover a lot of ground but focused. It should be understandable to your classmates and most importantly it should be understandable to you.
You should use at least one paper from the scientific literature published in the last 30 years or so. Make sure you give proper reference to it. E.g. Physical Review B1, 1 (1970). Find papers using google scholar.
Note: if googling of any 5-word string in your paper leads to a webpage that is not yours, you did something wrong. You should use our own words, not cut and paste.
Examples of topics on which to base your paper (feel free to use others):
Please decide as soon as possible which topic and application you will do, and enter it at this website (click on Edit this page ). No duplicates please. The password is 4epaper.
The paper will earn you anywhere between 0 and 20 points towards your course grade (out of 100).