Experimental Physics

    Physics deals with understanding the nature of concepts such as motion, forces, energy, matter, electricity, heat, sound, and light. Often a distinction is made between classical physics - which includes classical mechanics, acoustics, optics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism - and modern physics - which is the physics of matter on a very small scale or under extreme conditions, and includes quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics, solid state physics and elementary particle physics.

    Physics is relevant to many other sciences, such as astronomy, biology, and geology.  The combinations of these fields are called astrophysics, biophysics, and geophysics. As a science physics has always been regarded as a fundamental area of human knowledge, which is evidenced by its high profile in the media and general level of human interest.

    At Maynooth University research in physics is done in the Department of Experimental Physics in the areas fluid dynamics, molecular physics and atmospheric physics. In addition, members of staff are involved in various astronomy and astrophysics research projects, including the Herschel Space Observatory and the Planck Surveyer.
     

    MH201 Experimental Physics

    Experimental Physics can be taken as a Single Honours or Double Honours Bachelor of Science Degree. 

    Course requirements: Pass in a science subject, Mathematics, Irish and English.

    Students taking this degree option will receive a thorough grounding in all the main areas of physics in addition to courses in a variety of areas related to applications of physics. The course includes topics such as optics and lasers, electricity and magnetism, classical and relativistic mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum and particle physics, astrophysics, computational physics, instrumentation and interfacing, data analysis.

    Facilities at Maynooth University are first class and include state-of-the-art laboratories in fluid dynamics, atomic and molecular collision physics, upper atmospheric physics, and terahertz optics and medical imaging. The department also has dedicated undergraduate laboratories and a computer laboratory.

    The BSc in Experimental Physics and the BSc in Physics with Astrophysics are accredited by the Institute of Physics, the professional body in Ireland and the UK.