Energy and environmental physics

Objectives: The course gives a broad overview of the fundamental principles of physics relevant for understanding and explaining phenomena and effects related to energy sources, energy carriers, distribution of energy, environmental physics, and ionizing radiation.

Content: The course is an introduction to energy and enviromental physics with a special emphasis on the physical processes involved. Topics covered in the course include:

Energy physics: Conservations of energy and the laws of thermodynamics, energy transformation, energy quality and efficiency, energy sources and energy carriers, production of energy including heat engines, hydropower, solar cells, wind power and nuclear power, distribution of electric power.

Climate physics - which factors affect the climate? The earth's energy balance, laws of radiation including absorption, scattering and emission, heat transport in the atmosphere and oceans, the composition of the atmosphere - which gases are effecting the climate and why - feedback mechanisms.

Medical physics: The physics in medical treatment and diagnostics. Ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, and proton therapy,and non-ionizing radiation such as ultrasound and MRI. Additionally, we cover radioactivity, biological effects of radiation, and radiation protection.

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has a broad overview of the basic concepts of energy and environmental physics
• has basic knowledge on selected natural laws applied in energy physics, environmental physics, and physics of radiation
• understands the key processes in energy production and energy conversion, the Earth's energy budget, climate models, and the physics of medical radiation therapy and diagnostics

Skills

The student

• can apply knowledge in physics and mathematics to solve simple problems in energy and environmental physics and to reason with scientific arguments
• can explain relevant scientific methods and expressions, and discuss important theories, problems and solutions with fellow students
• can find, evaluate and point to scientific information, carry out a literature study and write a report of a selected topic

General competence

The student

• has general knowledge of the scientific connection between basic physics and key elements in energy and environmental physics
• can explain selected problems for discussion in energy and environmental physics
• can put into practice norms for academic writing