Details of PH3101 (Autumn 2016)

Level: 3 Type: Theory Credits: 3.0

Course CodeCourse NameInstructor(s)
PH3101 Intermediate Classical Mechanics Arindam Kundagrami

Preamble
This is an intermediate course on Classical Mechanics. This is a core course for 3rd year BS-MS and 1st year IPhD students.

Syllabus
Free and constrained systems. Classification of constraints. Actual
and virtual displacements. Ideal constraints. Principle of virtual work and
DAlemberts principle.

Generalized coordinates. Generalized forces. Lagranges equation for
Potential forces. Applications to simple systems. Conservation laws.

The Jacobi function and the Hamiltonian. Legendre transformations.
Hamiltons canonical equations. Poisson brackets. The cotangent bundle.
Canonical transformations. Liouvilles theorem.

The variational principle and Lagranges equations.

Rigid body dynamics. Euler angles. The Euler equations of motion.
Torque free rigid body motion. The heavy symmetric top.

Small oscillations. Normal modes and coordinates.

Scattering by central forces. The differential cross section for
Rutherford scattering.

Dynamics of simple non-linear systems. Stability of autonomous and
non-autonomous systems. Equilibrium, limit cycle, quasi-periodicity
and chaos.


Prerequisite
Basics of physics.

References
1. L.. D. Landau and E. M. Lifschitz, Course on theoretical physics
Vol. 1 : Mechanics, Butterworth-Heinemann, London (1998).

2. F. Gantmacher, Lectures in Analytical Mechanics, translated by G.
Yankovsky, Mir Publishers, Moscow (1975).

3. H. Goldstein, C. Poole and J. Safko, Classical Mechanics, Pearson (2002).

4. J. V. Jose and E.J. Saletan, Classical dynamics - a contemporary
approach, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1998).

5. V.I. Arnold, Mathematical methods of classical mechanics,
translated by K. Vogtmann and A. Weinstein, Springer, Berlin (1981).

6. Steven H. Strogatz, Nonlinear Dynamics And Chaos, Perseus
Books Group, (1994)

Course Credit Options

Sl. No.ProgrammeSemester NoCourse Choice
1 IP 1 Core
2 IP 3 Not Allowed
3 IP 5 Not Allowed
4 MR 1 Not Allowed
5 MR 3 Not Allowed
6 MS 5 Core
7 RS 1 Elective
8 RS 2 Elective