ChrisisC said:I am trying to figure out what winfield oh physics i should study for a career. I absolutely love learning about strange quantum phenomena but also love learning about extremely small particles and how they interact at the smallest of scales Would i be interested in a career in particle physics based on my previously stated interests?
ChrisisC said:I am trying to figure out what winfield oh physics i should study for a career. I absolutely love learning about strange quantum phenomena but also love learning about extremely small particles and how they interact at the smallest of scales Would i be interested in a career in particle physics based on my previously stated interests?
However, much of the analysis can and probably usually does take place at the home universities. This may vary from one experiment to another. The analysis usually takes much longer than the actual data-collecting.Dr. Courtney said:One thing they don't tell you early is that most experimental work in particle physics only occurs at a few big facilities. This means that where ever your home university is, you have to travel to those to do your experiments (unless you happen to live close to one, which is rare).
Dr. Courtney said:One thing they don't tell you early is that most experimental work in particle physics only occurs at a few big facilities. This means that where ever your home university is, you have to travel to those to do your experiments (unless you happen to live close to one, which is rare).
As soon as I figured that out, I focused on the areas of experimental physics that could be done in any university laboratory, eventually settling on atomic, molecular, and optical physics. I'm not a fan of lots of travel, and I want to be able to do my experimental work more often than the days I spend away from home.
Of course, you can do theory anywhere.
ChrisisC said:Can you give me some insight on what kind of experiments that you do? I'm quite interested!
ChrisisC said:Can you give me some insight on what kind of experiments that you do? I'm quite interested!
ZapperZ said:Unless there is a dire need for you to select an area of study, I strongly suggest you simply study to be a physicist. The undergraduate curriculum at most schools here in the US are geared towards providing a solid foundation for a physics graduate to pursue a specialization at the graduate level. So unless you are there already, you should hold back and "shop around" first.
You should have plenty of opportunity to do this shopping around. Attend your department's colloquium/seminars. Read Physics Today and talk to students who are already doing research. Figure out what areas of physics do the faculty at your university do research in. In other words, truly shop around. From what I can gather at this point, you appear to still not be fully aware of the scope of the subject areas in physics. So why not hold back on any kind of decision before you get a better picture of what's out there?
Zz.
ChrisisC said:Haha, i wish i could but i need to graduate from high school first! Thanks for the information though, i really appreciate it!
ChrisisC said:Haha, i wish i could but i need to graduate from high school first! Thanks for the information though, i really appreciate it!
ZapperZ said:Unless there is a dire need for you to select an area of study, I strongly suggest you simply study to be a physicist. The undergraduate curriculum at most schools here in the US are geared towards providing a solid foundation for a physics graduate to pursue a specialization at the graduate level. So unless you are there already, you should hold back and "shop around" first.
You should have plenty of opportunity to do this shopping around. Attend your department's colloquium/seminars. Read Physics Today and talk to students who are already doing research. Figure out what areas of physics do the faculty at your university do research in. In other words, truly shop around. From what I can gather at this point, you appear to still not be fully aware of the scope of the subject areas in physics. So why not hold back on any kind of decision before you get a better picture of what's out there?
Zz.
ChrisisC said:The problem is i am simply not as interested in general physics as i am in QM. I'm more than happy to learn general physics to set myself up for QM, but i can't make a career out of normal physics, it needs to be, well, strange. And QM offers strange phenomena i crave to learn about.
ZapperZ said:You can't pick and choose. CM, QM, and E&M are almost the 3 pillars of physics that you must know. Every physics major must know those.
Secondly, the area of study called "QM" is actually almost non-existent. Everyone one studies QM, and then branches off into various fields that may use QM extensively. Particle physics uses QM. Condensed matter physics uses QM. Atomic/Molecular physics uses QM, etc...etc. Go the APS website, and look at all the divisions under the APS and see if there is such a field just called "Quantum Mechanics".
You have a lot to learn still, grasshopper.
Zz.
Particle physics is the study of the fundamental particles and their interactions, while quantum physics is the study of the behavior of matter and energy on a very small scale. Particle physics is a subfield of quantum physics that focuses specifically on the properties and interactions of subatomic particles.
The Standard Model is a theory that explains the fundamental forces of nature and the particles that make up all matter. It describes three of the four fundamental forces (electromagnetic, weak, and strong), and the particles that interact through these forces (quarks, leptons, and bosons).
The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle that is responsible for giving other particles their mass. Its discovery in 2012 provided evidence for the Higgs mechanism, which is an important aspect of the Standard Model and helps explain the origin of mass in the universe.
Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in which two or more particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of the other, even when they are separated by large distances. This phenomenon is a key aspect of quantum mechanics and has potential applications in quantum computing and communication.
Some current challenges in particle physics and quantum physics include understanding the nature of dark matter and dark energy, unifying the theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity, and developing new technologies to study particles and their interactions at higher energies and smaller scales.