Fundamentals of Wave Optics and Cosmology

📋 Course Outline

1. Travelling waves and wave speed relations
2. Reflection and refraction of plane waves
3. Lenses, ray diagrams and image formation
4. Electromagnetic spectrum and cosmology basics
5. Solar system, stars and stellar evolution
6. Total internal reflection and optical instruments
7. Forces, motion, momentum and impulse
8. Magnetism and electromagnetism
9. Electric circuits, transformers and rectification

📖 1. Travelling waves and wave speed relations

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Travelling wave : A travelling wave is a disturbance that propagates through space, carrying energy and momentum without transporting matter overall.
• Transverse wave : A transverse wave is a wave where particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
• Longitudinal wave : A longitudinal wave is a wave where particle displacement is parallel to the direction of propagation.
• Wavelength : Wavelength is the spatial period, measured as the distance between two successive points in phase.
• Frequency : Frequency is the number of oscillations per second, measured in hertz (Hz).

📝 Essential Points