Physics of Energy and Environment
When and where:Wednesdays 4-6 pm, 156 Dwinelle Hall
Format: One 2-hr lecture/seminar session per week (student participation strongly encouraged), bi-weekly homework assignments
Instructor: Professor Dmitry Budker
- Office: 273 Birge, Labs: 203/207, 217, 219, 221, 230, 241, 245, 249 Birge
- e-mail: budker AT Berkeley.edu
- research group web page
Professor's Office hour: by appointment (send e-mail to setup), 273 Birge
Synopsis and goals of the course:
The course will dwell on the rich and complex physics (which we will attempt to make as simple as meaningfully possible) related to the thermal balance (or as some may say, lack thereof) of our planet, including the physics of radiative energy transfer, the greenhouse effect, the physics of clouds, ocean circulation, etc. We will also discuss the topics of energy production (OK, energy is conserved, but not all energy forms are equally useful), consumption, and distribution; whether human activity is a significant factor affecting the Earth's climate, and various other things of this sort. In the course, the students will learn many useful research skills, including how to make "back-of-the-envelope" estimates, how to effectively search for relevant information, how to judge technical validity of information, what to do when different experts are saying the opposite, and how to present science to a critical audience.
Required text: none
Recommended texts:
- Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines by Richard A. Muller
- Environmental Physics. Sustainable Energy and Climate Change (Third Edition) by Egbert Boeker and Rienk van Grondelle
- Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air by David J. C. MacKay; see also http://www.withouthotair.com/
- Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Climate Change and Energy in the 21st Century by Burton Richter
- Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices, and Prospects by David Bodansky
- Many more sources will be recommended in due time. Please note that if I recommend a text, it does not necessarily mean I agree with the author(s) on everything they say! (For example, I diverge from Prof. Richter on several issues discussed in his book above.)
Grading policy: the grade will be based on the homework, participation, and oral presentation in class
Invaluable resource: questions on organizational aspects of the course may be directed to Ms. Claudia Trujillo of Physics Student Services
Newsflash!
Find out about the most recent Nobel Prizes in Physics!
Lecture Notes, Electronic Tutorials
- Physics H190 Spring 2012 Selected Lecture Notes will be available on bspace
Assorted Physics-Related Links, Web Resources
- Budker group web tutorials
- Physics124: Introductory Nuclear Physics
- Web Elements Periodic Table
- Nuclear Science Division, LBNL
- Particle Data Group (PDG)
- Radioactivity and radiation protection (from PDG) (pdf)
- Some links that may help you with mathematics
Homework
- Assignment #1; due Feb. 1, 2012
- Assignment #2; due Feb. 15, 2012
- Assignment #3; due Feb. 29, 2012
- Assignment #4; due March 14, 2012
- Assignment #5; due before the last day of classes
Oral-presentation topics
- Paleontological Perspectives on Climate Change by Alec Tewsley-Booth (Feb. 8)
- "The Light-Bulb Wars:" the physics and economics behind the new-generation fluorescent vs. incandescent light bulbs by Geoffrey Iwata (Feb. 22)
- Anomalously high per capita electricity consumption in Iceland by Gina Quan (March 21)
- The physics behind sustainable fashion and environmental art by Rui Zhou (March 21)
- Missing matter in a uranium mine by Josh Brown (April 4); see also Natural nuclear reactor at Oklo
- Biological effects of radiation at small doses: the Linear No-Threshhold (LNT) model and its critique by Michela Paganini (April 11)
- Energy and Environmental Considerations in Recycling by Griffin Hosseinzadeh (April 11)
- Sustainable energies and their environmental impacts by Minyu Feng (April 25)
- A summary and update on the 2008 lecture by Dr. Steve Koonin on "Energy Trends & Technologies" by Matthew Nichols (April 25)
- Thermohaline circulation in the oceans
- Biogenic ocean mixing and its role in the climate
- How is the concentration of the atmospheric CO2 measured?
- Dr. Nathan Myhrvold on nuclear energy (see, e.g., this video)
- Nuclear power plants in France (or chose another county)
- Irradiation of food (see, for instance, a recent note in Physics Today)
- The role of forrest fires in carbon emissions
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Suggest your own
Acknowledgment and Disclaimer: This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).