Recommended books for physics graduate students
I was a graduate student at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. The books mentioned here were recommended to us by the TIFR faculty during our coursework.
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Core and Elective Courses
Mathematical Methods
- Arfken and Weber: Mathematical Methods for Physicists
- Mary L. Boas: Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
- J. Matthews and R. L. Walker: Mathematical Methods of Physics
Classical Mechanics
- Herbert Goldstein: Classical Mechanics
- Rana and Joag: Classical Mechanics
- Landau and Lifshitz: Mechanics
Quantum Mechanics
- David J. Griffiths: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
- J.J. Sakurai: Modern Quantum Mechanics
- J.J. Sakurai: Advanced Quantum Mechanics
- R. Shankar: Principles of Quantum Mechanics
- Cohen-Tannoudji: Quantum Mechanics
- E. Merzbacher: Quantum Mechanics
Classical Electrodynamics
- David J. Griffiths: Introduction to Electrodynamics
- J. D. Jackson: Classical Electrodynamics
- Panofsky and Phillips: Classical Electricity and Magnetism
- Andrew Zangwill: Modern Electrodynamics
- W.Greiner: Classical Electrodynamics
Computational Physics
Statistical Physics
- Mehran Kardar: Statistical Physics of Particles
- R.K. Pathria: Statistical Mechanics
- F. Reif: Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics
- K. Huang: Statistical Mechanics
- Landau and Lifshitz: Statistical Physics
Nuclear Physics
- B.L. Cohen : Concepts of Nuclear Physics
- K. Heyde: Basic Ideas And Concepts In Nuclear Physics: An Introductory Approach
- M.A. Preston and R.K. Bhaduri: Structure of the Nucleus
- A. Bohr and B. R. Mottelson: Nuclear Structure
Particle Physics
- David J. Griffiths: Introduction to Elementary Particles
- Halzen and Martin: Quarks and Leptons: An Introductory Course in Modern Particle Physics
Atomic and Molecular Physics
Quantum Field Theory
- Peskin and Schroeder: An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory by
- Steven Weinberg: The Quantum Theory of Fields
- Mark Srednicki: Quantum Field Theory
- Supplementary book: J. Schwichtenberg: Student Friendly Quantum Field Theory
- Anthony Zee: Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell
Solid State Physics
- Neil W. Ashcroft and N. David Mermin: Solid State Physics
- Charles Kittel: Introduction to Solid State Physics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Marc L. Kutner: Astronomy: A Physical Perspective
- Dina Prialnik: An Introduction to the Theory of Stellar Structure and Evolution
- A. Unsold and B. Baschek: The New Cosmos
- J. Binney and M. Merrifield: Galactic Astronomy
General Realtivity
- S. Weinberg: Gravitation and Cosmology
- Misner, Thorne and Wheeler: Gravitation
- Bernard F. Schutz: A first course in general relativity
- Thanu Padmanabhan: Gravitation: Foundations and Frontiers
Cosmology
- Scott Dodelson: Modern Cosmology
- Michael Turner: The Early Universe
- S. Weinberg: Gravitation and Cosmology
- John A. Peacock: Cosmological Physics
Specialized Courses
Your university might or might not offer these courses. If it does, the name of the following courses might be different from what your university calls them. Names are not important. The content is. Click here to check the syllabus of these courses if the names sound alien to you.
How to do back of the envelope calculations (and improve them later)
- Polya: How to Solve It
- Barenblatt: Dimensional Analysis
- Migdal: Qualitative Methods in Quantum Theory
- Peierls: Surprises in Theoretical Physics
- de Gennes: Scaling Concepts in Polymer Physics
Atomic Collisions: Theory and Technique
- B.H. Bransden and C.J. Joachain: Physics of atoms and molecules
- Earl W. McDaniel: Atomic Collisions
- M. R. C. McDowell and J. P. Coleman: Introduction to the Theory of Ion–Atom Collisions
Condensed Matter Theory: Ideas and Methods
- Anderson: Basic Notions of Condensed Matter Physics
- Chaikin and Lubensky: Principles of Condensed Matter Physics
- Landau and Lifshitz: Statistical Physics: Part I
- Negele and Orland: Quantum Many-particle Systems
- Sachdev: Quantum Phase Transitions
- Auerbach: Interacting Electrons and Quantum Magnetism
- Goldenfeld: Lectures on phase transitions and critical phenomena
- Kogut: Reviews of Modern Physics article `Lattice-gauge Theories and Quantum Spin Systems
Neutrino Physics
- Mohapatra and Pal: Massive Neutrinos in Physics and Astrophysics
- Giunti and Kim: Fundamentals of Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics
Flavour Physics
- PDG: The Review of Particle Physics
- Bigi and Sanda: CP Violation
- Branco, Lavoura and Silva: CP violation
Quantum Optics
- Mark Fox: Introduction to Quantum Optics
- Gerry and Knight: Introductory Quantum Optics
- Rodney Loudon: The Quantum Theory of Light
- Marlan Scully: Quantum Optics
Plasma Physics
- Rai Choudhuri: The Physics of Fluids and Plasmas: An Introduction for Astrophysicists
- Chen: Introduction to Plasma Physics and controlled fusion
- Goldston: Introduction to Plasma Physics
- Nicholson: Introduction to Plasma Theory
- Krall and Trivelpiece: Principles of Plasma Physics
- Boyd and Sanderson: The Physics of Plasmas
- Kruer: Physics of Laser-Plasma interactions
Photonics: Basic Concepts, Design, Fabrication and Applications
- J. D. Joannopoulos, S. G. Johnson, J. N. Winn, R. D. Meade: Photonic Crystals: Molding the flow of light
- K. Sakoda: Optical Properties of Photonic Crystals
- P. Markoṧ, C. M. Soukoulis: Wave Propagation
- S. A. Maier: Plasmonics