What is Physics?

Physics is the study of the laws of the universe, how these function at our everyday classical scales, at smaller quantum scales of atoms, nuclei and fundamental particles, of electrons and photons in vacuum, in materials, in devices and nanostructures, of complex collective behaviours, and how these laws act over the immense scales of stars and vast distances of the universe. Physics encompasses all of this and more.

 

Physics: The course for you?

Physicists view the behaviours within the world in terms of all observable interactions. The known law of physics are a distillation resulting from this viewpoint, governing every aspect of the world around us. In this course you study the fundamentals of classical and quantum physics, the physics of motion, of energy, of light, of individual particles to ensembles of particles, whether on cosmic scales, the nanoscale, or the quark scale. Your study includes materials, semiconductors and nanostructures, atomic, nuclear and fundamental particle physics, collective behaviours of electrons in magnetism, photons in modern photonics, and thermodynamic principles applied to gases, stars or quantum systems and computer simulation. This degree encompasses all of physics inclusive of nanoscience and cosmology and the underpinnings of our world and its behaviours.

 

Physics at Trinity

The School of Physics has strong teaching and research links with other departments in Trinity and beyond. All lecturers run research groups with major strengths of the department being in photonics, magnetism, nanomaterials, nanoscience, energy materials and energy processes, microscopy, spectroscopy, quantum systems, computational physics, foams as well as astrophysics. Every student is encouraged to consider themselves as a physicist from day one and trained to observe and interpret. Physics research training culminates in the individual Capstone research project each student carries out in the final year. All students gain both a practical, handson experiences, in addition to deep physicsbased understanding in how to approach problem solving.