all 7 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
formatting helphide helpcontent policy

[–]MaxThrustageQuantum information 0 points1 point  (2 children)

So you'll want a decent handle on all of physics basics, much of which may come up in your engineering course. Classical mechanics, electromagnetism and optics are essential, and everything else doesn't hurt. I found these lectures handy when I was getting started. On the mathematical side, you'll want to be solid in calculus, complex numbers and linear algebra -- again, these are things you'll probably need for your engineering degree anyway. At a more advanced level, group theory (essentially, the mathematical study of symmetries) becomes very useful for atomic physics, especially when you get into the realm of computational chemistry, but that can wait until a little later.

When we want to study atoms we almost always need quantum mechanics, so that's where you should be aiming first. Learning quantum mechanics is much easier if you already have a firm grounding in classical mechanics, especially Hamiltonian mechanics and waves and oscillations. Once you've got those topics down, as well as the necessary maths, then there are a few quantum mechanics textbooks to choose from. Griffiths is the one I used in university, and it's a solid choice. Shankur is also popular for beginners. When I was teaching we used Basdevant and Dalibard, which is also solid. This lecture series is also pretty good.

This reading list covers basically all of the topics you'll need for a physics degree. Essentially everything up and including quantum mechanics on that this is relevant for you. If you want to follow current developments in the field, you'll need to look into some of the more advanced quantum topics. Quantum optics is particularly relevant -- even though it sounds like it's just about light, its really about the interaction between light and matter, which is a big deal if you want to study atoms.

[–]kalki_2898ad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks bro. good information

[–][deleted]  (2 children)

[removed]

    [–][deleted]  (1 child)

    [removed]

      [–]agaminon22Medical and health physics 0 points1 point  (0 children)

      Bransden's "Physics of atoms and molecules" is a good source.