things I really gotta work on

Having taken GRE Physics practice test 8677, it is clear that there are some very specific holes in my knowledge… Three main things:

  • atomic physics (hydrogen atom: spectra? K series? Zeeman effect? Stark effect? selection rules? chemistry/orbitals?)
  • nuclear physics (decay, what with \(\beta\)s and \(\alpha\)s and antineutrinos; binding energies)
  • optics (diffraction, Rayleigh condition, indices of refraction, etc.)

And, with various degrees of relation to the above, some other things I should take a look at:

  • the particle zoo (muons, etc.)
  • solid-state (conductivity of metals, semiconductors)
  • J-lab experiments (Franck-Hertz, Compton)
  • E&M (dielectrics, induction, charges on conductors, Biot-Savart, impedance)

Fortunately, these topics are all fun & interesting, and I think I’ll gain a lot from reading about them. Woohoo studying.