Cambridge University Reporter


FORM AND CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS, 2006-07

Notices by Faculty Boards, or other bodies concerned, of changes to the form and conduct of certain examinations to be held in 2006-07, by comparison with those examinations in 2006, are published below. Complete details of the form and conduct of all examinations are available from the Faculties or Departments concerned.

Natural Sciences Tripos, Part III, Experimental and Theoretical Physics, 2007

The Committee of Management for the Natural Sciences Tripos and the Faculty Board of Physics and Chemistry give notice that the examination in Experimental and Theoretical Physics for Part III of the Natural Sciences Tripos in 2007 will have the following form:

PART III: Examination in Experimental and Theoretical Physics

The Major Options papers, to be taken in the period Monday, 15 to Wednesday, 17 January 2007, will provide in each paper three questions of which candidates are required to answer two. Each paper lasts 90 minutes; all questions carry equal weight. Candidates are required to take three papers. The titles of the papers are as follows:

As an alternative, candidates who are especially strong in Mathematics may replace one of the papers above by the following 90-minute paper which is based on a course taught within Part III of the Mathematical Tripos. This paper is specially set for Physics candidates, and will be taken during the same period as the papers listed above.

The Minor Options papers, each of which lasts 60 minutes, will be set as a single three-hour paper which will contain sections corresponding to each of the Minor Options; this paper will be taken on Tuesday, 24 April 2007. Candidates who are not submitting either the Advanced quantum field theory paper or units of Further Work, as specified below, must attempt three sections. Each section will contain three questions, of which candidates will be required to answer two; all questions carry equal weight. The topics are as follows:

Gauge field theory; Information theory, pattern recognition, and neural networks; The frontiers of particle physics; The frontiers of experimental condensed matter physics; Superconductivity and quantum coherence; Quantum electronics in semiconductors; From quantum optics to quantum matter; Phase transitions and collective phenomena; The frontiers of observational astrophysics; Medical physics; Biological physics; Materials, electronics, and renewable energy.

As an alternative, candidates may replace one or two Minor Options by, respectively, one or two units of Further Work: a Long Vacation Project (based on pre-approved project work undertaken during the previous Long Vacation; one unit) and the Entrepreneurship option (one unit). Candidates may also replace two Minor Options by a three-hour Advanced quantum field theory paper (taken in June) and based on the course taught within Part III of the Mathematical Tripos in the Lent Term. Candidates are advised that their examination entries will be viewed as a commitment. In particular, candidates who have chosen to submit one unit of Further Work will be required to leave the examination of the Minor Options Paper after two hours; those who have chosen to submit two units of Further Work must leave the examination after one hour; and those who have chosen to be examined in the Advanced quantum field theory paper must also leave the examination after one hour. Those who sit the Advanced quantum field theory paper and submit one unit of Further Work will not be required to sit any part of the Minor Options paper. Note that the Advanced quantum field theory paper can not be taken in conjunction with two units of Further Work.

The style of the physics questions in the Major Options and Minor Options papers will be such as to test breadth of exposure rather than knowledge in great depth, and there will be no emphasis simply on highly focused calculations. Some questions may be of essay type or may ask for notes on several diverse subjects. Examples may be found in previous years' papers from Part III Experimental and Theoretical Physics Tripos.

The General Physics paper, to be taken on Monday, 4 June 2007, will examine a range of core topics in Physics. The three-hour paper will consist of two sections: Section A, which carries one third of the total marks for the paper, will contain ten short questions from which students must answer six; Section B, which carries two thirds of the total marks for the paper, will contain eight longer questions from which students must answer four.

The final part of the examination is the report on a Research Project carried out during the academical year. This report, of not more than 5,000 words excluding footnotes, is to be submitted for inspection by the Examiners not later than Monday, 14 May 2007.

Candidates are advised that the three Major Options papers taken together will account for approximately one third of the total marks, and the Research Project will also account for approximately one third of the total marks. Approximately one sixth of the total marks will be allocated, in appropriate proportion, to the Minor Options Paper, Further Work, and the Advanced quantum field theory paper. Approximately one sixth of the total marks will be allocated to the General physics paper.