COURSES

Description :

Electrostatics: Description of charge densities in terms of the Dirac delta distribution. Coulomb’s law. Differential and integral form of the electrostatic equations in vacuum. Electrostatic potential and energy. Dirichlet and Neumann problems, uniqueness theorems. Green’s function for the Poisson equation and solution of the electrostatic problem. Method of images. Construction of Green’s distributions through the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of equation ΔΨ=λΨ. Green’s distributions in 2, and 3 dimensions. Harmonic functions and their properties, such as Spherical Harmonics and their addition theorem, multipole expansion, Bessel and Hankel functions. Macroscopic electric field, polarization and dielectric displacement, electrostatic equations in matter. Boundary value problems in the presence of dielectrics. Magnetostatics: Electric current distributions, continuity equation, magnetic field and vector potential. Differential and integral form of the magnetostatic equations in vacuum. Magnetic energy, Faraday’s law of induction, Magnetostatic energy. Multipole expansion of vector potential. Magnetic fields in matter, magnetization, B and H fields. Magnetostatic problem. Mutual inductance and self inductance. Quasi-static approximation of the magnetic field. Maxwell’s equations: Differential and integral form of the Maxwell’s equations. Non-homogeneous wave equations for the E/M field. Equations for the scalar and vector potential. Poynting vector. Green’s function for the wave equation. Integral solution of the wave equation using Green’s functions.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : M.Pissas

Description :

Principles of Quantum Mechanics. Dirac Formalism. Coordinate and Momentum representation. Time evolution. Schroedinger and Heisenberg pictures. Harmonic oscillator and coherent states. Semiclassical limit (WKB approximation). Three-dimensional systems. Particles in a magnetic field. Spin and magnetic moment of electron. Propagators and Feynman path integrals. Gauge transformations. Angular momentum theory. Euler rotation matrices. Spherical tensors and the Wigner-Eckart theorem. Schwinger formulation of angular momentum. Addition of angular momenta and Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Pure and mixed states. Density operator. Bell inequalities. Discrete symmetries in Quantum Mechanics.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : G. Koutsoumpas

Description :

Classical Statistical Mechanics: Fundamental principles, micro-canonical ensemble, phase space, ergodic hypothesis, equilibrium, entropy, classical ideal gas, mixture entropy and Gibbs paradox. Canonical and grand canonical ensemble. Canonical ensemble, partition function, energy fluctuations in the canonical ensemble, equipartition theorem, ideal gas. Grand canonical ensemble, Gibbs entropy, ideal gas, chemical reactions. Quantum Statistical Mechanics: Fundamental principles, density matrix, ensembles in quantum statistical mechanics, ideal Fermi gas, Landau diamagnetism, Pauli paramagnetism, ideal Bose gas, photons, phonons, Bose-Einstein condensation, Bose- Fermi-Boltzmann gas comparisons. Systems under external excitations. Linear response theory, generalized susceptibilities, non-equilibrium statistical physics, Boltzmann equation and transport properties. Special subjects on statistical physics.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : K. Paraskeuaidis

Description :

D’ Alembert’s principle and Lagrange equations. Variational methods, Hamilton principle. Holonomic and non-holonomic systems, conservation theorems and symmetries. Relativity in Analytical Dynamics. Hamilton equations, Legendre tranforms, cyclic coordinates, derivation from variational principles. Canonical tranformations, Poisson brackets, infinitesimal canonical tranformations, conservation theorems, Liouville’s theorem. Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Continuous systems. Noether’s theorem.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: E. Dris

Description :

Ionizing radiations. Sources of ionizing radiations. Radioactive decay. Principles of ionizing radiation interactions with matter. Interactions of heavy particles (alphas and protons), fission fragments and β-particles with matter. γ-rays, X-rays and their interactions with matter. Neutrons and their interactions with matter. Monte-Carlo simulation of the interaction of ionizing radiations with matter. Dosimetry, quantitiesandunits. Internal and external irradiation of human. Dosimetric calculations for photons and neutrons. Radiation effects to human and personal dosimetry. Radiation protection, doselimits, legislation. Shielding calculations for point sources and photon beams, buildup factor. Laboratory: (1) X-ray spectrum and XRF, (2) Determination of linear attenuation coefficient (3) β-particles back scattering.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors :  M. Anagnostakis

Description :

The course consists of the following six laboratory exercises: Application of x ray diffraction methods (XRD0)for the structural characterization of polycrystalline materials. Applications of electron microscopy methods for structural characterization of materials. Preparation and characterization of materials with the sputtering epitaxial method. Differential Scanning Thermidometry (DSC) method. Laser Technology- Nd-YAG Laser. Raman Spectroscopy.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : I. Zergioti , B. Psiharis

Description :

Main types of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Main modules and assembly of NPPs. Problems relative to NPP obtainment. Criteria for NPP place selection. Thermodynamic and Thermal Hydraulic analysis of an NPP.Transient phenomena and Loss-of-coolant accidents. Pressurizers, pumps, steam generators and turbines for NPPs. NPP cooling systems. Emergency Core Cooling Systems. Safety of NPPs. Accidents in NPPs. Fourth generation NPPs. The future of Nuclear Energy.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : D. Mitrakos

Description :

Lorentz and Poincare transformations. Classical field theory. Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism. Symmetries and conservation laws. Free scalar fields. The field as a collection of harmonic oscillators. Quantization. Equal time commutators. Fock space. Complex scalar field. Interaction with a classical current. Feynman propagator. Free Dirac field. Dirac equation. Lorentz transformation of the Dirac field. Covariant bilinears. Weyl equation. The electron in a central potential. Dirac field quantization. Equal time anticommutators. Feynman propagator. Free vector field. Canonical formulation and quantization in the non zero mass case. The limit m–>0. Gauge symmetry. Maxwell field. Photons. Coupling with a conserved classical current. Feynman propagator. Interactions (i) Discrete symmetries: parity, time reversal and charge conjugation. CPT theorem. Internal symmetries. Local (gauge) symmetries. Interactions (ii) Scattering. Asymptotic states. Scattering matrix. LSZ theorem. Scattering amplitude and time ordered fields. Scattering cross sections and lifetimes of particles. Perturbation theory. Dirac picture. Perturbation series of time ordered fields. Wick’s theorem. Feynman diagrams. Tree level Feynman diagrams. Elementary processes in SU(4) theory and Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). Amplitudes and cross sections for   e+e- —>e+e-,  e+e-  —>μ+μ-  e+e-  —>γγ. One loop Feynman diagrams. Mass and coupling constants renormalization. Examples in SU(4) and QED. Regularization. Dimensional regularization. Vacuum polarization. Renormalization of the electric charge. Ward-Takahashi identity.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : G. Koutsoumpas

Description :

Approximation methods in Quantum Mechanics (time-independent perturbations, variational methods, Rayleigh-Ritz method). Time-dependent perturbations. Hydrogen atom. Atoms. Semiclassical treatment of the interaction of matter with the electromagnetic radiation. Many body systems, Identical Particles, Spin-Statistics theorem. Quantum Entanglement. Helium atom. Periodic table of Elements. Central potential approximation, Spin-orbit interactions, LS and jj coupling schemes. Atoms in magnetic fields. Selection rules. Structure of Molecules, Born-Oppenheimer approximation, molecular spectra, molecular bonds. Interaction of matter with the electromagnetic radiation: Quantized Electromagnetic Field, Photons, Radiation Theory and applications. Potential Scattering in three dimensions.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : G. Koutsoumpas

Description :

Plane electromagnetic waves and wave propagation (Plane waves in non-conducting media, Linear and circular polarization -Stokes parameters, Reflection and diffraction, Dispersion relations in dielectics, conductors and plasma, Wave propagation in the ionosphere, magnetosphere, Superposition of waves, Causality- Kramers-Kronig relations). Waveguides, cavities and optical fibers (Waves in conductors, Cavities and waveguides, Wave propagation in optical fibers). Radiating systems , multipole fields and radiation (Fields and radiation of oscillating source, Electric dipoles, Magnetic dipoles and electric quadrupoles, Multi-pole expansion of electromagnetic waves, Sources of multipole radiation – multipole moments, Multipole radiation in atoms and nuclei). Theory of special relativity (Lorentz transformations – Basic results, Velocity, momentum and energy four-vectors, Lorentz transformation representation – infinitesimal generators, Electrodynamics in covariant form, Transformation of electromagnetic fields). Dynamics of relativistic particles and electromagnetic fields (Lagrangian and Hamiltonian of relativistic particles, Motion in uniform, static magnetic field, Motion in non-uniform, static magnetic field, Lagrangian of electromagnetic fields, Solution of wave equation in covariant form, Green functions).

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: G. Fanourakis

Description :

General properties of solids, the chemical bond, hybridization, crystal structure, the quantum mechanical problem in a solid, Hartree-Fock theory, Density Functional Theory. Symmetries. Energy band calculations (tight binding). Applications of energy band calculations (total energy, forces, conductivity). Phonons. Magnetism. Doping in semiconductors. Elements of electronic devices theory. Superconductivity. Nanostructures. Many Body Physics (Green’s functions, Feynman diagrams).

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: B. Giannopapas

Description :

Natural radiation in the air, water and ground. Radioactive series and radioactive equilibrium. Cosmogenic radionuclides. Radon, radon indoors, and protection from radon. Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Radioactivity of by-products of industrial processes (coal burning, oil extraction, phosphate industry, minerals exploitation). Radioactive contamination from other sources. Nuclear accidents, nuclear tests, radiological accidents. Mapping of radioactive contamination. Radioenvironmental surveys. Radioactive aerosols. Determination of radionuclides in environmental samples. Case studies: (1) Survey around coal burning power plants, (2) Radiological characteristics of ashes, (3) Contamination due to radioactive lightning rod failure, (4) Contamination from Depleted Uranium. Laboratory: (1) Sampling and in situ measurements for radioactivity determination, (2) Determination of radioactivity in NORM, (3) Determination of radioactivity in aerosols.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : M. Anagnostakis , P. Rouni

Description :

Antiparticles. Dirac equation. Electrodynamics of spinless and spin 1/2 particles. Weak interactions. Introduction to Quantum Chromodynamics. More families of particles, mixing and Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. Phenomenology of the Standard Model, partons, deep inelastic scattering, hadronic jets. Symmetries: continuous and discrete, global and local. Symmetry violation and electroweak interactions, Weinberg-Salam model. Supersymmetric and Grand Unified Theories: principles and experimental predictions. Elementary particles and cosmology.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : T. Geralis

Description :

Synopsis of undergraduate material and historical perspective – Conservation laws – Rutherford scattering – Reaction kinematics, reference frames, cross section – Εlements of scattering theory, optical model for elastic scattering – Resonant reactions and the Breit-Wigner formula – Compound nucleus reactions – Direct reactions – Weisskopf model and Hauser-Feshbach statistical approach – Nuclear astrophysics – Modern topics and applications of nuclear reactions.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors :  M. Kokkoris

Description :

The course consists of the following six laboratory exercises: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy. Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) Spectroscopy. Experimental techniques for measuring magnetic properties of materials. Dielectric Spectroscopy. Optical Fiber ring lasers. Electrical Measurements in Semiconductor circuits.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : A. Kyritsis , I. Sanakis

Description :

Differential Geometry: Tensor analysis, metric Christoffel symbols, geodesics. Covariant derivative, Riemann, Ricci, Einstein and Weyl curvature tensors. Einstein’s equations. Curvature functionals and topological characteristics of differential manifolds. Vielbeins, spin connection and Dirac equation on differential manifolds. Sub-manifolds and exterior differential geometry. Fundamental forms and Gauss-Codazzi equations. Selected applications of external curvature. Lie groups and Lie algebras: Groups of global rotations and unitary tranformations. Lorentz group. Canonical parameters and generators. Lie algebras, description and classification of simple Lie algebras, Dynkin diagrams. Roots, weights and representations of simple Lie algebras. SU(3) and the quark model. Tensor products of representations and Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Infinite-dimensional Lie Algebras. Topological methods : Homotopies, homologies and cohomologies. Lie algebra cohomologies and applications to Quantum Physics. Dirac index and the Atiyah-Singerttheorem.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: A. Kehayias

Description :

Introduction to laser Physics: Spontaneous and stimulated emission. Transition rates and Einstein coefficients. Laser beam properties. Laser operation conditions: Optical pumping, electrical pumping, chemical pumping, etc. Optical resonator stability condition. Unstable resonating cavities. Laser modes of vibration. Behavior of continuous wave lasers. Behavior of pulsed lasers. Q switching. Mode locking. Types of lasers: solid state lasers, gas lasers, dye lasers, chemical lasers, semiconductor lasers, color center lasers, free-electron lasers, optical fiber lasers. Continuous wave lasers (c.w.) Pulsed lasers ((ms – μs – ns). Ultrafast pulsed lasers (ps – fs). Laser amplification: Laser oscillators – amplifiers, second harmonic generation, parametric oscillation. Selected laser applications. Laser safety: Exposure limits to laser radiation, Laser dosimetry.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : M. Makropoulos

Description :

Basic theory of electrical circuits, methods of analysis and synthesis, equivalent circuits, Thevenin, Norton and Tellegen theorems, simulations. Integral transformations and systems theory. Models, state equations. Basic theory of transmission lines. Operational amplifiers, differential amplifiers and oscillators. Logical functions, expansion of logical functions based on Shannon’s theorem and systems of logical equations. Applications of logical circuits. Detector’s electronics, CAMAC and NIM standardization, Gas detectors, signal formation, electron’s drift and avalanche, gain. Plastic scintillators, triggering, coincidence method, muon telescopes, gathering power and geometrical factor of coincidence, theoretical calculations. Photomultipliers, photoelectron’s distribution, dark current, signal-to-noise ratio. Silicon detectors. Threshold and imaging Cherenkov detectors, Noise and reduction techniques. Multichannel, analyzer. Single and double phase Lock-in Amplifier technique and applications.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: T. Alexopoulos , E. Gazis , M. Kokkoris , S. Maltezos , G. Tsipolitis

Description :

Introduction to the basics of magnetism. Short range interaction and magnetic order. Short range interaction, magnetic domains and domain walls. Magnetic topology and energy equations. Magnetization process, magnetic hysteresis, Barkhausen noise, magnetization loop, magnetostriction, magneto-impedance and magnetoresistance, magneto-caloric effect. Soft and hard magnetic materials. Materials and properties. Applications in sensors and transducers, read and write process, energy and environment, medicine. Lab: Fluxgate magnetometers, linear variable differential transformers, magnetostrictive delay lines

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : E. Christoforou

Description :

– Introduction to the controlled thermonuclear fusion. Basic nuclear reactions. Effective cross-sections and power output. Energy balance and Lawson’s criterion.

– Plasma definition. Ionization and macroscopic neutrality. Debye shielding and Debye length. Plasma oscillations and frequencies. Properties of ideal plasmas. Methodological approaches for the study of plasmas.

– Charged particle motion in electromagnetic fields. Homogeneous magnetic field, cyclotron frequency, Larmor radius and magnetic moment. Homogeneous static electric field and magnetic field, ExB drift. Weakly inhomogeneous magnetic field, gradient and curvature drifts. Magnetic mirrors. Time-varying fields and polarization drift. Magnetic confinement in toroidal configurations.

– Coulomb collisions. Rutherford scattering. Energy and momentum transfer through collisions. Collision frequencies.

– Plasmas as multi-fluids. Material derivative, Lagrange derivative. Mass and momentum conservation. Reynolds transport theorem. Kinetic pressure and conservation of energy. Equations of an ideal fluid. Plasma resistivity.

– Plasmas as unified fluids – Magnetohydrodynamics. Equations of a unified fluid. Ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamics. Magnetic flux, magnetic viscosity and Reynolds number. Magnetic pressure. The Virial theorem.

– Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium. Equilibrium equations. Theta pinch. Straight screw pinch. Axisymmetric toroidal equilibria.

– Stability analysis. Linear stability and normal modes. Energy methods. Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Magnetohydrodynamic waves.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : I. Kominis

Description :

The first part of the course contains a summary of the most important results and concepts of classical field theory
of the Standard Model, which constitute essential background knowledge for understanding the second part of the Notes. Specifically, we discuss symmetries that correspond to Lie groups, both global and local (gauge), which characterize the Standard Model, and their spontaneous breaking. This second part, discusses the most important aspects of quantization (through path integrals) of field theories (of various spins), applications to the scattering theory,  and presents elements of the so-called Renormalization Group, which address ultraviolet divergences in quantum field theory, characterising loop Feynman diagrams in perturbation theory, where we restrict our attention for the purposes of this course. We also discuss the concept of effective field theories, and how they can be used for studying new physics beyond the Standard Model.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : N. Mavromatos

Description :

Lorentz transformations, Principle of equivalence, manifolds, tensors, covariant differentiation, geodesics, Riemann and Ricci tensors, Einstein equation sand Lagrangian formulation. Classical solutions, Black Holes and Cosmology

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors : E. Papantonopoulos

Description :

Radiation Physics, interaction or ionizing radiations with matter, X-ray production. Radiobiology, dosimetry and radiation protection, portable instruments. Diagnostic radiology, image formation, X-ray machines, diagnostic techniques based on X-rays. Computed Tomography, image reconstruction, image quality. Radiopharmaceuticals production and management. Single Photon Emitted Tomography and Positron Emitted Tomography, SPECT and PET scanners. Radiation therapy with photon and particle beams. Medical applications of accelerators. Brachytherapy. Medical applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: M. Anagnostakis

Description :

Probability theory. Discrete and continuous distributions. Parameter estimate. Confidence intervals. Errors. Hypothesis testing. Fit and regression. Decision theory. Random numbers and Monte Carlo methods. Unfolding.

ECTS : 7.5

Course Hours per week : 4

Instructors: K. Kousouris