Futa Lower Atmospheric Physics Masters Syllabus

The M.Tech. programme shall be for a period of 18 months. The first two semesters shall be by course work and examinations. The third semester shall be by thesis based on a research proposal submitted and approved at the end of the second semester.

M.Tech in Lower Atmospheric Physics

FIRST SEMESTER

1 PHY 801 Methods of Mathematical Physics 2 1 0 3

2 PHY 803 Electrodynamics 2 1 0 3

3 PHY 817 Digital Electronics 2 0 3 3

4 PHY 821 Quantum Mechanics 2 1 0 3

5 PHY 823 Computation Physics 2 0 3 3

SECOND SEMESTER

1 PHY 804 Advanced Laboratory and Experimental Techniques 0 0 9 3

2 PHY 840 Physics of the Lower Atmospheric 3 0 0 3

3 PHY 842 Fluid Dynamics 3 0 0 3

4 PHY 844 Atmospheric Radiation 3 0 0 3

ELECTIVE

1 PHY 850 Planetary Atmospheres 3 0 0 3

2 PHY 852 Ionospheric Physics 3 0 0 3

3 PHY 858 Satellite Imagery 3 0 0 333

PROJECT

1 PHY 899 Master’s Thesis Research Project 0 0 18 12

PHY 801 Methods of Mathematical Physics 3 Units

Techniques for the solution of Boundary value problems, use of Green’s functions, integral Equations, Vector Spaces, Tensor Transformations, Materials, Complex Variable theory, Group, Representations and symmetry.

PHY 803 Electrodynamics (3 Units)

Concept of potential and its applications, Single and multiple boundary value problems, The electromagnetic field’s energy, forces and momentum relations, Maxwell’s equations’ solutions of the wave equation. Applications to radiating systems, Elements of relativistic electrodynamics, Moving charges, classical electron theory.

PHY 817 Digital Electronics (3 Units)

Switching circuits, Gates: AND, OR, NOR, NAND, NOT, EX-OR and EX-NOR gates, logic circuit designs. Sum of products and Products-of-sums expression, Karnaugh maps. Flip-flops. Arithmetic circuits: Adder and Subtractors. Binary multipliers. Counters and counter applications. Memory devices. Introduction to microprocessors and microcomputers.

PHY 821 Quantum Mechanics 3 Units

Quantum Mechanics of one particle system, Quantum Mechanics of Heisenberg, Matrix mechanics and

transformation theory of Quantum Mechanics, Theory of angular momentum and spin, Zeeman effect, Time

dependent and time independent approximation methods and application, scattering theory, Dirac equation, low order radiation processes, relativistic Quantum Mechanics.

PHY 823 Computational Physics (3 Units)

Numerical linear algebra, root finding, approximation theory, integration, ordinary differential equations, optimization techniques, initial and boundary value problems, finite element methods, direct and indirect methods in matrix theory, optimization with constraints, analysis of numerical stability, computer programming.

PHY 804 Advanced Laboratory and Experimental Techniques (3 Units)

Three projects in electronics and in basic physical techniques, e.g. vacuum techniques, optical

instrumentation.

PHY 840 Physics of the Lower Atmosphere (3 Units)

Weather/meteorological parameters and their measurements, Atmospheric thermodynamics, geotropic wind and atmospheric oscillation, atmospheric radiation, cloud Physics and atmospheric electricity, satellite meteorology and remote sensing, Applications to West Africa.

PHY 842 Fluid Dynamics (3 Units)

Kinematics of fluid motion, Euler’s equations, Bernoulli equation, steady flow of a compressible fluid, Irrotational motion for incompressible flow, gravity waves, waves in incompressible fluid, vortices, energy and momentum relationships, Flow in pipes and open channels, viscous flow, experimental methods in fluid

dynamics.

PHY 844 Atmospheric Radiation (3 Units)

Fundamentals of radiation, absorption spectra of water vapour, carbon dioxide, ozone, and oxygen, solar ray path in the atmosphere, Rayleigh and Mie scattering phenomena, direct, diffuse and global irradiance, energy distribution in the solar spectrum outside the atmosphere and at the surface, solar time equation, temporal and spatial variability of solar radiation, theory of thermal radiation in the atmosphere, radiation charts, effects of infrared cooling, radiation balance and climate, Experimental techniques.

PHY 850 Planetary Atmospheres (3 Units)

Basic concepts of the Earth’s atmosphere; Atmospheric nomenclature, hydrostatic equations, scale height, geo-potential height, chemical concepts of the atmosphere; thermodynamic considerations, elementary chemical kinetics, composition and chemistry of middle atmosphere and thermosphere, thermal balance in the thermosphere, modeling of neutral atmosphere. Dynamics of the Earth’s atmosphere, Equation of motion of neutral atmosphere, thermal wind equation, elements of planetary waves, internal gravity waves and atmospheric tides, fundamental description of atmospheric dynamics and effects of dynamics on chemical species. Solar radiation and its effect on atmosphere: Solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere, attenuation of solar radiation in the atmosphere, radiative transfer, thermal effects of radiation, photochemical effects of radiation. Atmosphere of planets and satellites: Inner and outer planets; atmospheric structure and composition of the Moon, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Saturn and their important satellites.

PHY 852 Ionospheric Physics (3 Units)

Introduction to ionosphere. Photochemical processes, Chapman’s theory of photoionization. Production of ionospheric layers, Loss reactions and chemistry of ionospheric regions, morphology of the ionosphere. Ionospheric propagation and measurement techniques, Effect of ionosphere on radio wave propagation;

refraction, dispersion and polarization, magneto-iossnic theory, critical frequency and virtual height, oblique propagation and maximum usable frequency, ground-based techniques, ionosonde, radars scintillations and Total Electron Content (TEC), photometers, imagers and interferometers, Ionospheric absorption, rocket- and satellite-borne techniques, Langmuir probe, electric field probe, retarding potential analyzers, mass spectrometers, magnetometers, vapour release, satellite drag for neutral density. Ionospheric plasma dynamics: Basic fluid equations, steady state ionospheric plasma motions owing to applied forces, generation of electric fields, electric field mapping, collision frequencies, electrical conductivity, plasma diffusion, ionospheric dynamo, equatorial electro-jet, ionospheric modeling. Ionospheres of other planets and satellites. Ionospheres of Mars, Venus and Jupiter.

PHY 858 Satellite Imagery (3 Units)

Overview of remote sensing technology; history and evolution. Electromagnetic radiation and its interaction with matter. Spectral characteristics of crop/vegetation, soils, water etc. Remote sensing platforms, sensors and ground systems. Satellite remote sensing: classification by orbit, application, advantage and

disadvantages, type of observation, orbital dynamics. Types of satellites. Overview of Earth observation satellites. Overview of optical infrared (IR) remote sensing sun-synchronous satellites. Overview of polar platforms and meteorological satellites; high-resolution satellites, radar satellites, other missions. Imaging

technology. Photogrammetry. GPS: concepts, techniques, systems and applications. GIS: concepts, principles and applications, GIS models, GIS components, inputs to GIS; GIS database design and organization, integration in GIS, querying in GIS, GIS outputs and visualization, accuracy of data in GIS, GIS integration errors.

PHY 899 Master’s Thesis Research Project (12 Units)

Theoretical/Experimental project supervised by qualified lecturer(s) in the relevant field of interest leading to a certified thesis to be defended at the end of the programme.