UGC NET Physics Syllabus 2023

For most students, covering UGC NET Physics syllabus 2023 can be moderately difficult since it’s all about the relation between physical actions and their effects on the physical world.

As far as the core subjects in UGC NET 2023 are concerned, Physics acts as one of the most crucial subjects to explore, largely due to it being a STEM subject.

UGC NET Reference Books 2023

UGC NET Previous Year Question Paper

UGC NET Physics Syllabus 2023 Topic-Wise

Most STEM-based subjects tend to have exhaustive syllabi, so we’ve broken it down for you in comprehensive tables so that you understand what you must focus on.

Core Topics

These are topics that are considered the most essential as far as the syllabus for UGC NET goes. The student must put almost all of their focus on deeply understanding the related information if they want to maximize their performance in the examination.

Mathematical Methods of Physics

• Dimensional analysis
• Vector algebra and vector calculus
• Linear algebra, matrices
• Cayley-Hamilton theorem
• Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors, functions (Hermite, Bessel, Laguerre, Legendre)
• Fourier series, Fourier and Laplace transform Taylor and Laurent series, elementary probability theories, distributions (binomial, Poisson, normal)
• Central limit theorem
• Differential equations of first and second orders, complex analysis, analytical functions, poles, residues, and evaluations of integrals.

Classical Mechanics

• Newton’s laws of motion
• Dynamical systems, phase-space dynamics
• Stability analysis 
• Theories of relativity (Lorentz transformations, relativistic kinematics, mass-energy equivalence)
• Conservation laws and cyclic coordinates, periodic motions (oscillations and normal modes)
• Generalized coordinates, rigid body dynamics (moment of inertia tensor, non-inertial frames, and pseudo-forces), variational principle
• Langrangian and Hamiltonian formalism and equations of motion.

Electromagnetic Theory

• Electrostatics and its applications
• Laplace and Poisson equations
• Boundary value problems
• Magnetostatics, electromagnetic induction, free space and linear isotropic media
• Scalar and vector potentials
• Fresnel’s law, interference, coherence, diffraction, gauge invariance, electromagnetic waves, dielectrics, and conductors
• Reflection and refraction
• Polarisation
• Dynamics of charged particles in static fields
• Uniform electromagnetic fields.

Quantum Mechanics

• Wave-particle duality
• Eigenvalue problems (particle in a box, harmonic oscillator, etc), wave-function in coordinate and momentum representations, commutators and Heisenberg uncertainty principle
• Motion in a central potential
• Orbital angular momentum, angular momentum algebra, spin, the addition of angular momenta, 
• Time-dependent/independent perturbation theory and applications, variational methods
• Fermi's golden rule
• Pauli exclusion principle
• Stern-Gerlach experiment
• Dirac notation for state vectors
• Schrödinger’s equation (time dependency and independency), selection rules, identical particles, spin-statistics connection.

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

• Laws of thermodynamics, their consequences, and potentials (Maxwell relations, potential equilibria, chemical potential)
• Canonical ensembles and its types, partitional functions, phase space and states, free energy, classical and quantum statistics
• Black body radiation
• Planck’s distribution law, the principle of detailed balance, ideal Bose and Fermi gasses.

Electronics and Experimental Methods

• Semiconductor devices, device structure, characteristics, frequency dependence and applications
• Optoelectronic devices, operational amplifiers and their applications
• Digital techniques and applications
• A/D and D/A converters, microprocessors, and microcontrollers
• Data interpretation and analysis
• Precision and accuracy
• Propagation and analysis of errors
• Least-square fittings.

Advanced Topics

These are units that the student will mostly be dealing with that cover more advanced topics not normally found in the core unit section.

Mathematical Methods of Physics

• Green’s function, partial differential equations, elements of computational techniques
• Simpson’s rule, solution of the first-order differential equation using the Runge-Kutta method. 
• Finite difference methods, tensors, introductory group theories.

Classical Mechanics

• Dynamical systems, phase space dynamics, stability analysis
• Poisson brackets, and canonical transformations, symmetry, invariance and Noether’s theorem
• Hamilton-Jacobi theory.

Electromagnetic Theory

• Dispersion relations in plasma
• Lorentz invariance of Maxwell’s equation
• Transmission lines and waveguides
• Radiation- from moving charges and dipoles and retarded potentials.

Quantum Mechanics

• Spin-orbit coupling, fine structure
• WKB approximation, elementary theory of scattering
• Relativistic quantum mechanics (Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations), the semi-classical theory of radiation.

Thermodynamic and Statistical Physics

• First/second-order phase transitions, types of magnetism, Ising model
• Bose-Einstein condensation, diffusion equation, random walk and Brownian motion
• Introduction to nonequilibrium processes.

Electronics and Experimental Methods

• Linear and nonlinear curve fitting
• Chi-square test, transducers, measurement and control, signal conditioning and recovery
• Impedance matching, amplification
• Filtering and noise reduction
• Shielding and grounding
• Fourier transforms, lock-in detector, box-car integrator, modulation techniques, high-frequency devices.

Atomic & Molecular Physics

• Quantum states of an electron, electron spin, electron spin resonance
• The spectrum of helium and alkali atom
• Optical pumping
• Population inversion, rate equation, modes of resonators, and coherence length
• Relativistic corrections for energy levels of hydrogen atoms
• Hyperfine structures, and isotopic shifts
• Width of spectral lines, LS & JJ couplings, nuclear magnetic resonance, chemical shift
• Zeeman, Paschen-Bach & Stark effects
• Frank-Condon principle
• Born-Oppenheimer approximation
• Raman spectra of diatomic molecules, selection rules, lasers
• Einstein A & B coefficients

Condensed Matter Physics

• Bravais and reciprocal lattices, lattice specific heat, diffraction, and the structure factor
• Bonding of solids, elasticity, phonons, free electron theory, and electronic specific heat
• Liquid crystalline order types and quasicrystals, response and relaxation phenomena
• Electron motion in a periodic potential, band theory of solids, superconductivity
• Josephson junctions, superfluidity, defects, and dislocations, ordered phases of matter
• Drude model
• Hall effect and thermoelectric power.

Nuclear and Particle Physics

• Nuclear properties, binding energy, semi-empirical mass formula, liquid drop model, nature of the nuclear force, forms of nucleon-nucleon potential
• Charge-independence and charge-symmetry of nuclear forces, deuteron problem, evidence of shell structure, validity and limitations of the single-particle shell model, rotational spectra, alpha, beta, and gamma decays and their selection rules
• Fission and fusion
• Nuclear reactions, reaction mechanism, compound nuclei, and direct reaction
• Classification of fundamental forces
• Elementary particles and their quantum numbers
• Gell-Mann-Nishijima formula
• Quark model, baryons and mesons
• C-P-T invariances, symmetry arguments to particle reactions, parity non-conservation in weak interactions, relativistic kinematics.

UGC NET Physics Best Books 2023

Here are some books that can bolster your chances of earning top marks in the UGC NET exam. These books are also applicable to those who are taking up the CSIR NET exam.

UGC NET Physics Best Books 2023

Books	Authors
Mathematical Physics	HK Dass
Classical Mathematics	Herbert Goldstein
Introduction to Electrodynamics	David J Griffiths
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics	David J Griffiths
Statistical Mathematics	RK Patharia
Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory	Boylestad & Nashelsky
Atomic and Molecular Physics	Raj Kumar
Solid State Physics	NWSO Pillai
Particle Physics	CL Arora

Preparation Tips for UGC NET Physics 2023

The student aspirants can check out the preparation tips for UGC NET Physics 2023 from the pointers given below. 

• Practice the previous year's physics question papers to anticipate the exam pattern, the number of questions coming from each important topic etc. 
• The candidates are suggested to finish the practice and studying part 15 days before the exam and start revising all the topics in chorological order to get a brush-up on all important topics. 
• The candidates are suggested to take notes on keywords and definitions to glance tem during last minute. 
• Before starting any preparation for the exam, the candidates are suggested to get acquainted with the UGC NET Physics 2023 syllabus.