MSE 510 , Autumn 2003
Bonding, symmetry, crystallography and properties of materials

Syllabus

Course description

This is the first required graduate course for MSE students. It will lay the foundation in MSE and give the students a "bag of tricks" to describe and understand the structure /properties of materials.
Bonding (1-8): a rigorous introduction based on elementary quantum-mechanics leading to an understanding of the cohesion and properties of solids. van der Waals, ionic, metallic and covalent solids will be discussed.
Symmetry (9-10): An introductory, geometric approach to understand the fundamental symmetry elements in 2D and 3D structures. 2D point and space groups will be rigorously derived. A logical extension to 3D will be presented.
Crystallography(12-17): Students will develop a working knowledge of three dimensional crystallography including point groups, stereographic projections, Bravais lattices, space groups and representative crystal structures.
Crystal Physics (18-20): Description of the physical properties of crystals with emphasis on their relationship to the crystallography and symmetry.
*
Two lectures a week; 1.5 hrs each. The lectures will be presented using power-point slides.
A copy of the overheads in pdf format will be posted on the course website before noon on the Monday of the week. A password will be required to access this site. Students are expected to print a copy of the overheads and bring them to the class - this will eliminate the need to draw complicated figures during the lectures.

Text Books

(all the books are placed in the reserve section of the engineering library)

Required:
GR- Structure and bonding in crystalline materials, G.S. Rohrer, Cambridge

Optional:
SAET- The structure of materials, S.Allen & E.L. Thomas, Wiley/MIT
DP- Bonding and structure of molecules and solids, D. Pettifor, Oxford

Suggested:
MB- Elementary Crystallography, M. Buerger, MIT press
JFN- Physical properties of crystals, J. F. Nye, Oxford
JE- The elements, J. Emsley, Oxford
CK- Introduction to Solid State Physics, C. Kittel
HH- Symmetry: A unifying concept. I. Hargittai and M. Hargittai, Shelter
BD- The physical chemistry of solids, R. J. Borg and G. J. Dienes

Reference:
LP- The nature of the chemical bond, Linus Pauling, Cornell
WAH-Electronic structure & the properties of solids: The Physics of the chemical bond, W. A. Harrison, Dover
DES- Introduction to crystallography, D. E. Sands , Dover
WBO- Crystallography, Walter Borchard-Ott, Springer
MW- Introduction to x-ray crystallography, M. Woolfson, Cambridge
ITXC- International Tables for X-ray Crystallography

Prerequisite

Graduate standing in MSE, Engineering or the Sciences.
Senior UG students may enroll in the class with the permission of the instructor.
Basic background in materials science and introductory knowledge of quantum mechanics or solid state physics will be helpful.
Students should refresh their basic mathematical skills, including elementary concepts of differential equations, trignometry and matrices.
Regular work throughout the quarter will pay off, not only in terms of good grades, but also in terms of a working knowledge of critical concepts in materials science

Requirements

Regular reading of the required / recommended texts.
3-4 homework assignments (each one will take about 4-6 hours) that will help understand and assimilate the material.
A term project - this will be discussed in detail on the first day of class. Please work on this throughout the quarter as it will be impossible to do it just in the end !
Term project:
Each student will pick a material/compound of their choice on the second day of class. They will then provide a comprehensive description of its bonding (5th week) , symmetry/crystallography (8th week) and properties (last day of class )
Students will spend time looking for real data on their material of choice.
The final report, not more than two pages in length, in a well-defined format to be discussed in class, will be graded on its information content and will be due on the final day of class.

Other Items

A copy of the weekly lectures in pdf format will be posted on the course website before 8 pm on the preceding Sunday of the week.
Students are expected to print a copy of the lectures and bring them to the class - this will eliminate the need to draw complicated figures in the class.

Grading

Home Work - 25%
Mid Term – 20 %
Final –30%
Project –25 %