Examination

Exam for the course Introduction to theoretical surface physics will be in the form of a seminar. The students will present their scientific essays on how the theory can (or cannot) contribute to their PhD projects.

What should be in your essay

First, you should shortly summarize the state of art of the topic of your PhD project. Following you should relate some of the lectures presented in this course to your topic. This will include an overview of what is known about the phenomena or processes you are investigating from the theory and theoretical simulations. The core of your essay will be an analysis how theoretical results could be used for interpreting your experiments. In this you should consider whether current calculations are accurate enough, whether you could make use of calculations done for different setups, in which respect your project might mostly benefit from calculations and so on. If you come to the conclusion that in your case the theory cannot help, it is also fine. Just present qualified arguments for this. The essay will contain at least five pages of A4 size and will be submitted in the PDF format. The title of the essay and your name will be on the first page (which will, however, contain other text as well). You should also prepare a presentation of your essay that will be given at the seminar.

When will your essay be unsatisfactory

Please have in mind that you are writing a scientific essay on how the theory may or may not help in advancing your PhD project and not a report on the methods you are using or on the phenomena you are examining. This certainly should be mentioned and concisely explained in the introduction but the emphasis must be elsewhere. You are supposed to (i) analyze a scientific issue, (ii) try to suggest a solution based on factual information and (iii) provide some of your opinions on the matter as well. If your essay will be a mere description of the topic of your PhD project with few sentences added at the end that it would be great if someone calculated what you need, you will not pass. You are not required to claim that theoretical simulations are extremely important for your research. You can safely state the opposite. However, you should present factual arguments in favour of your statements.

Deadline

The essays must be delivered by e-mail to Ondřej Šipr at the address no later than on Tuesday 16. January 2024.

Tentatively, there will be two examinations seminars, at 26.1.2024 and 2.2.2024. Who will defend his/her essay at which of these days will be decided later.