The Major Topics papers, to be taken in the period Monday, 12 January to Wednesday, 14 January 2009, 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:
Paper 1. Advanced quantum condensed matter physics
Paper 2. Soft matter
Paper 3. Astrophysics and cosmology
Paper 4. Particle physics
Paper 5. Physics of the Earth as a planet
Paper 6. Quantum condensed matter field theory
Paper 7. Atomic and optical physics
Paper 8. Quantum field theory
The Minor Topics 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 Topics; this paper will be taken on Tuesday, 21 April 2009. Candidates who are not replacing these Minor Topics by other 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 information; General relativity; Phase transitions and collective phenomena; The frontiers of observational astrophysics; Medical physics; Biological physics; The physics of nanoelectronic systems.
Candidates may replace one, two or three Minor Topics as follows:
Candidates are advised that their examination entries will be viewed as a commitment. In particular, candidates who have chosen to replace one of the Minor Topics will be required to answer two sections in the Minor Topics paper, and to leave the examination after two hours. Candidates who have chosen to replace two of the Minor Topics will be required to answer one section in the Minor Topics paper, and to leave the examination after one hour. Those candidates who have replaced three Minor Topics will not sit any part of the Minor Topics paper. Candidates may not replace more than three Minor Topics.
The style of the physics questions in the Major Topics and Minor Topics 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.
The General Physics paper, to be taken on Monday, 1 June 2009, 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 candidates must answer six; Section B, which carries two-thirds of the total marks for the paper, will contain eight longer questions from which candidates must answer four.
The final part of the examination consists of assessment of a report on a Research Project carried out during the academical year. This report, of not more than 5,000 words excluding footnotes and appendices, is to be submitted for inspection by the Examiners not later than Monday, 11 May 2009.
Candidates are advised that the three Major Topics 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 Topics paper or its replacements. Approximately one-sixth of the total marks will be allocated to the General Physics paper.