Every year, the Department of Physics and Astronomy is allocated funds to purchase materials for the library. This is a list of our recent orders and a blurb about each. Occasionally, a faculty member or student who reads one of these books has some interesting things to say about it. If so, click on the review link next to the title to read more about the book or video. This list is of orders and the library might not have received and processed the item yet. To check to see if the item is available, you can use the McIntyre Library's Voyager Catalog. If you have any ideas for materials that the library does not have, contact Lyle Ford.
Applications
of Physics to Other Fields
Astronomy, Astrophysics, & Planetary Science
Atomic Physics
Condensed Matter Physics
Data Analysis
Electromagnetism
Electronics
Engineering
General Physics
History of Science
Mechanics
Numerical Methods
Optics
Particle Physics & Quantum
Mechanics
Philosophy & Science
Relativity
Statistical Mechanics
Theoretical Physics
See orders from 2002-3.
Elements of Synchrotron Light for Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Research, Giorgio Margaritondo
Book Description: This book is structured by two-level presentation including a simple descriptive treatment and slightly more in-depth discussions of specific topics. The first-level treatment covers the notions, terminology and techniques that are required to use a synchrotron facility. The book is therefore an ideal first step for all those beginning to use synchrotron light for their work or are considering it. The treated topics include the basic functioning mechanisms of synchrotrons and free electron lasers a description of sychrotron-based techniques in x-ray imaging and radiology, spectroscopy, microscopy and spectromicroscopy, EXAFS, crystallography and scattering, and microfabrication.
Book Description: Financial markets are a fascinating example of 'complexity in action': a real-world complex system whose evolution is dictated by the decisions of crowds of traders who are continually trying to win in a vast global 'game'. This book draws on recent ideas from the highly- topical science of complexity and complex systems, to address the following questions: how do financial markets behave? Why do financial markets behave in the way that they do? What can we do to minimize risk, given this behavior? Standard finance theory is built around several seemingly innocuous assumptions about market dynamics. This book shows how these assumptions can give misleading answers to crucially important practical problems such as minimizing financial risk, coping with extreme events such as crashes or drawdowns, and pricing derivatives. After discussing the background to the concept of complexity and the structure of financial markets in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 examines the assumptions upon which standard finance theory is built. Reality sets in which Chapter 3, where data from two seemingly different markets are analyzed and certain universal features uncovered which cannot be explained within standard finance theory. Chapters 4 and 5 mark a significant departure from the philosophy of standard finance theory, being concerned with exploring microscopic models of markets which are faithful to real market microstructure yet, which also reproduce real-world features. Chapter 6 moves to the practical problem of how to quantify and hedge risk in real world markets. Chapter 7 discusses deterministic descriptions of market dynamics, incorporating the topics of chaos and the all-important phenomenon of market crashes.
Book Description: During the last decade the well-established tools of statistical physics have been successfully applied to an increasing number of biological phenomena. It is a fruitful approach to systems characterized by fluctuations and/or a large number of very similar units, and such systems are common in biology, whether it be the individuals in the codons of a genetic code or the behavioral responses of macromolecules to thermal fluctuations. This book is thus able to cover a wide range of phenomena, including fractal pattern formation, group motion in organisms from bacteria to humans, or the mechanisms by which fluctuations are rectified in the cell's molecular machinery. This book provides a summary of the majority of recent approaches and concepts born in the study of biological phenomena involving collective behavior and random perturbation, as well as presenting some of the most important new results to specialist researchers.
Book Description: Reissue of this 3-volume set of classic books, newly edited and typeset as part of the Biological Physics Series, in response to numerous requests. Intended for undergraduate courses in biophysics, biological physics, physiology, medical physics, and biomedical engineering, they offer an introduction to mechanics, statistical physics, and electricity and magnetism with examples and problems from the medical and biological sciences. They can thus be used as supplements to standard introductory physics courses, and as texts for medical schools, medical physics courses, and biology departments, and solutions manuals will be available. The authors are recognized experts in the field, and will also publish an upper-level/graduate text in biological physics at a later date.
Asteroids III, W. Bottke, A. Cellino, P. Paolicchi, & R. Binzel (eds.)
Book Description: Two hundred years after the first asteroid was discovered, asteroids can no longer be considered mere points of light in the sky. Spacecraft missions, advanced Earth-based observation techniques, and state-of-the-art numerical models are continually revealing the detailed shapes, structures, geological properties, and orbital characteristics of these smaller denizens of our solar system. This volume brings together the latest information obtained by spacecraft, combined with astronomical observations and theoretical modeling, to present our best current understanding of asteroids and the clues they reveal for the origin and evolution of the solar system. This collective knowledge, prepared by a team of more than one hundred international authorities on asteroids, includes new insights into asteroid-meteorite connections, possible relationships with comets, and the hazards posed by asteroids colliding with Earth. The book's contents include reports on surveys based on remote observation and summaries of physical properties; results of in situ exploration; studies of dynamical, collisional, cosmochemical, and weathering evolutionary processes; and discussions of asteroid families and the relationships between asteroids and other solar system bodies. Two previous Space Science Series volumes have established standards for research into asteroids. Asteroids III carries that tradition forward in a book that will stand as the definitive source on its subject for the next decade.
The Life and Death of Planet Earth: How the New Science of Astrobiology Charts the Ultimate Fate of Our World, Peter Ward & Don Brownlee
Book Description: Planet Earth is middle-aged. Science has worked hard to piece together the story of the evolution of our world up to this point, but only recently have we developed the understanding and the tools to describe the entire life cycle of a planet-of our planet. Peter Ward and Don Brownlee, a geologist and an astronomer respectively, are in the vanguard of the new field of astrobiology. Combining their knowledge of how the critical sustaining systems of our planet evolve through time with their understanding of how stars and solar systems grow and change throughout their own life cycles, the authors tell the story of the second half of Earth's life. The process of planetary evolution will essentially reverse itself; life as we know it will subside until only the simplest forms remain. Eventually, they too will disappear. The oceans will evaporate, the atmosphere will degrade, and, as the sun slowly expands, Earth itself will eventually meet a fiery end. In this masterful melding of groundbreaking research and captivating, eloquent science writing, Ward and Brownlee provide a comprehensive portrait of Earth's life cycle that allows us to understand and appreciate how the planet sustains itself today, and offers us a glimpse of our place in the cosmic order.
Modern Cosmology, Scott Dodelson
Book Description: Modern Cosmology begins with an introduction to the smooth, homogeneous universe described by a Friedman-Robertson-Walker metric, including careful treatments of dark energy, big bang nucleosynthesis, recombination, and dark matter. From this starting point, the reader is introduced to perturbations about an FRW universe: their evolution with the Einstein-Boltzmann equations, their generation by primordial inflation, and their observational consequences. These consequences include the anisotropy spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) featuring acoustic peaks and polarization, the matter power spectrum with baryonic wiggles, and their detection via photometric galaxy surveys, redshift distortions, cluster abundances, and weak lensing. The book concludes with a long chapter on data analysis. Modern Cosmology is the first book to explain in detail the structure of the acoustic peaks in the CMB, the E/B decomposition in polarization which may allow for detection of primordial gravity waves, and the modern analysis techniques used on increasingly large cosmological data sets. Readers will gain the tools needed to work in cosmology and learn how modern observations are rapidly revolutionizing our picture of the universe.
Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System (Revised Edition), John S. Lewis
Book Description: Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Revised Edition is a comprehensive survey of the planetary physics and physical chemistry of the part of the universe that is best understood--our own solar system. Although many fundamental questions remain unanswered, or even unasked, research in these areas has advanced quickly, and the planetary sciences have benefited from both earth-based and spacecraft-based experimentation. These experiments form the basis of this encyclopedic reference, which skillfully fuses synthesis and explanation. Detailed chapters review each of the major planetary bodies as well as asteroids, comets, and other small orbitals. With this reference, astronomers, physicists, and planetary scientists will have a state-of-the-art book whose uses include both teaching and research. This new version, featuring approximately 10% new material, will also prove an invaluable addition to any library in astronomy, planetary physics, and astrophysics.
Asteroid Rendezvous: NEAR Shoemaker’s Adventures at Eros, J. Bell & J. Mitton
Book Description: The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) was the first mission to orbit and eventually land on an asteroid. The mission was a phenomenal success, returning hundreds of thousands of images, spectra, and other measurements about the large near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros. This book is a collection of essays by some of the scientists and engineers who made NEAR such a success. The entire mission is described here in their own words, from the initial concept studies, through the development phase, launch, cruise operations, the flyby of asteroid Mathilde, the near-catastrophic main engine failure in 1998, the heroic rescue and recovery of the spacecraft, the amazing year-long up-close look at one of our most primitive celestial neighbors, and finally the daring attempt to land the spacecraft on Eros at the end of the mission. The book is liberally illustrated throughout with images from the mission and explanatory diagrams.
Meteorites, Ice, and Antarctica: A Personal Account, William A. Cassidy
Book Description: Bill Cassidy has led meteorite recovery expeditions in the Antarctic for fifteen years. His searches have resulted in the collection of thousands of meteorite specimens from the ice. This fascinating story is a first hand account of his field experiences on the US Antarctic Search for Meteorites Project, which he carried out as part of an international team of scientists. Cassidy describes this hugely successful field program in Antarctica and its influence on our understanding of the moon, Mars and the asteroid belt. He describes the hardships and dangers of fieldwork in a hostile environment, as well as the appreciation he developed for the beauty of the place. In the final chapters he speculates on the results of the trips and the future research they might lead to.
Astronomy: A Physical Perspective, Marc L. Kutner
Book Description: This fully revised and updated text is a comprehensive introduction to astronomical objects and phenomena. By applying some basic physical principles to a variety of situations, students will learn how to relate everyday physics to the astronomical world. Starting with the simplest objects, the text contains explanations of how and why astronomical phenomena occur, and how astronomers collect and interpret information about stars, galaxies and the solar system. The text looks at the properties of stars, star formation and evolution; neutron stars and black holes; the nature of galaxies; and the structure of the universe. It examines the past, present and future states of the universe; and final chapters use the concepts that have been developed to study the solar system, its formation; the possibility of finding other planetary systems; and the search for extraterrestrial life. This comprehensive text contains useful equations, chapter summaries, worked examples and end-of-chapter problem sets.
Discover the Moon, J. Lacroux & C. Legrand
Book Description: The Moon is accessible to everyone, and easy to observe even in big cities. It is a prime target for aspiring astronomers and for those who are merely curious about the night sky. This easy-to-use guide to discovering lunar sites takes the reader through fourteen observing sessions from New Moon to Full Moon. For each evening, the book shows which craters, mountains and other features can be seen, and how to find them. Each photograph shows what the observer actually sees through a telescope, solving the usual difficulties of orientation confronting beginners. Images are shown as they appear through both refracting and reflecting telescopes. Maps printed on the front and back flaps of the book show the whole Moon with sites as seen through a refractor, through a Newtonian reflector, or, when turned upside-down, through binoculars.
Babylon to Voyager: A History of Planetary Astronomy, David Leverington
Book Description: Babylon to Voyager and Beyond covers planetary research from the time of the Babylonians and Ancient Greeks through those of Kepler, Galileo and Newton to the modern era of space exploration. It outlines the key observational discoveries and theoretical developments in their historical context, covering not only the numerous successes but also the main failures. Planetary astronomy has come a long way since the Babylonians used their extensive numerical skills to predict the positions of the moon and planets. That progress is the story of this book, ending, as it does, with the considerable discoveries of the space age, and the discoveries of planets around other stars. This unique account will appeal to both amateur and professional astronomers, as well as those with an interest in the history of science.
New Worlds in the Cosmos: The Discovery of Exoplanets, M. Mayor, P.-Y. Frei, & B. Roukema
Book Description: With the discovery in 1995 of the first planet orbiting another star, we know that planets are not unique to our own Solar System. For centuries, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the Universe. We are now finally one step closer to knowing the answer. The quest for exoplanets is an exciting one, because it holds the possibility that one day we might find life elsewhere in the Universe, born in the light of another sun. Written from the perspective of one of the pioneers of this scientific adventure, this exciting account describes the development of the modern observing technique that has enabled astronomers to find so many planets orbiting around other stars. It reveals the wealth of new planets that have now been discovered outside our Solar System, and what this means in terms of finding other life in the Universe.
The Edge of Infinity: Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe, Fulvio Melia
Book Description: In the past, they were recognized as the most destructive force in nature. Now, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, supermassive black holes have undergone a dramatic shift in paradigm. Astronomers are finding out that these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation, planets, and even life itself. They may have contributed as much as half of all the radiation produced after the Big Bang, and as many as 200 million of them may now be lurking through the vast expanses of the observable cosmos. In this elegant, non-technical account, Melia conveys for the general reader the excitement generated by the quest to expose what these giant distortions in the fabric of space and time have to say about our origin and ultimate destiny.
Visions of the Cosmos, Carolyn Collins Petersen & John Brandt
Book Description: This spectacularly illustrated book is a comprehensive exploration of astronomy through the eyes of the world’s observatories and spacecraft missions. Featuring the latest and most stunning images, it provides a magnificent portrayal of the beauty of the cosmos. The accompanying text is an accessible guide to the science behind the wonders, with clear explanations of all the major themes in astronomy. An essential guide to understanding and appreciating the Universe, Visions of the Cosmos builds on the success of the authors’ previous book, Hubble Vision, which became an international best-seller and won world-wide acclaim.
Cosmic Company: The Search for Life in the Universe, Seth Shostak & Alex Barnett
Book Description: Is there life elsewhere in the universe? What might it be like and how will we ever find it? Cosmic Company ponders the possibility of aliens visiting the Earth, as well as what it would mean if we were to pick up a signal from the cosmos that would prove we're neither alone, nor the smartest creatures in creation. It explains why scientists think life might be plentiful on other worlds, and how we might get in touch. Containing a thorough overview of the science and technology behind the search for life, the book highlights current and future space missions and research, which are aiming to answer some of the greatest questions mankind has ever asked. This easy-to-read book, by two experienced writers of popular astronomy, is suitable for anyone who ever wondered whether there’s anybody out there…
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Amateur Astronomy, Michael E. Bakich
Book Description: Being an amateur astronomer is great fun, with many different and interesting areas to get involved in. This complete reference provides a wealth of practical information covering all aspects of amateur astronomy. Organised thematically for ease of use, it covers observing techniques, telescopes and observatories, Internet resources, and the objects that can be studied. Those new to the field will find tips, techniques and plans on how to begin their quest, and more advanced observers will find lots of useful advice on how to get more out of their hobby. Containing the most recent data, the book is highly accurate, and is illustrated throughout with stunning colour images and graphics. It is an essential guide for both beginning stargazers and more advanced observers.
Urban Astronomy, Denis Berthier
Book Description: Light pollution has spread so much in the last few decades that it often compromises our view of the stars. It is becoming more and more difficult to find an observing site with clear, dark skies away from light and industrial pollution. However, with patience, some simple equipment, and by choosing the right targets to observe, amateur astronomers can still find observing from towns and cities a rewarding hobby. The result of thirty years of observing the night sky from within a city, Denis Berthier’s practical guide will help amateur astronomers to enjoy their hobby without having to travel to distant sites, and without using complicated equipment or difficult techniques, enabling them to observe and photograph stars and planets as well as many other celestial objects.
David Levy’s Guide to Observing and Discovering Comets, David H. Levy
Book Description: David Levy has held a lifelong passion for comets, and is one of the most successful comet discoverers in history. In this book he describes the observing techniques that have been developed over the years - from visual observations and searching, to photography, through to electronic charge-coupled devices (CCDs). He combines the history of comet hunting with the latest techniques, showing how our understanding of comets has evolved over time. This practical handbook is suitable for amateur astronomers, from those who are casually interested in comets and how to observe them, to those who want to begin and expand an observing program of their own. Drawing widely from his own extensive experience, Levy describes how enthusiastic amateurs can observe comets and try to make new discoveries themselves.
Impossible Extinction: Natural Catastrophes and the Supremacy of the Microbial World, Charles S. Cockell
Book Description: Every 225 million years the Earth, and all the life on it, completes one revolution around our Milky Way Galaxy. During this remarkable journey, life is influenced by calamitous changes. Comets and asteroids strike the surface of the Earth, stars explode near by, enormous volcanoes erupt, and more recently, humans litter the planet with waste. Many animals and plants become extinct during the voyage, but humble microbes, simple creatures made of a single cell, survive this journey. This book takes a tour of the microbial world, from the coldest and deepest places on Earth to the hottest and highest, and witnesses some of the most catastrophic events that life can face. Impossible Extinction tells this remarkable story for the general reader explaining how microbes have survived on Earth for over three billion years.
The Clementine Atlas of the Moon, Ben Bussey & Paul Spudis
Book Description: The highly successful Clementine mission to the Moon in 1994 gave scientists their first global look at the Moon, and both the near and far side were mapped. This atlas is based on the data collected by the Clementine mission. It covers the entire Moon in 144 Lunar Astronautical Charts (LACs), and represents the most complete lunar nomenclature database in existence, listing virtually all named craters and other features. This is the first atlas to show the entire lunar surface in uniform scale and format. A section of colour plates show lunar composition and physical properties, and the atlas also includes a brief history of lunar science and exploration. The Clementine Atlas of the Moon will appeal to both professional planetary and space scientists, and serious amateur astronomers.
Discovering the Cosmos, Robert C. Bless
Book Description: This book has two objectives: to describe the leading ideas and concepts of modern astronomy and to indicate how astronomy in particular and physical science in general developed - what are its methods, its goals and its limitations. Although not a history of astronomy, the book places a stronger emphasis on history than usual in order to give the context in which major discoveries were made and attitudes were shaped, as well as to indicate how early astronomy developed. The book is based on Bob Bless's very popular liberal arts course at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, which he has taught for over twenty years.
Spectrophysics: Principles and Applications, Anne Thorne, Ulf Litzen, & Sveneric Johansson
Book Description: Spectrophysics shows how observations of atomic and molecular spectra can be related to the environment of the emitting or absorbing particles, with particular applications to astrophysics, plasma physics and atmospheric physics. The first part of the book describes the relations between the structure of atoms and simple molecules and their spectra, including complex atoms, which are not normally covered in introductory texts. The second part treats the effects of temperature, density, pressure, collisions with other particles, and so on. Much of this material is normally found only in specialized texts on astrophysics or plasma physics. The experimental methods of optical spectroscopy, from the mid-infrared to the far-ultraviolet regions, are described and compared in the last part of the book with a final chapter addressing such practical matters as wavelength and intensity calibration and signal-to-noise ratios.
The Invisible Universe, David Malin
Book Description: The most beautiful collection of astronomical photographs ever published, in a magnificent oversize format. Human beings have always sought meaning in the mysterious dark of the night sky. Stargazers of antiquity recorded the procession of the constellations, naming them for gods and mythological creatures. Modern astronomers continue the search for meaning, probing ever farther into time and space to map the universe and determine its nature and origins. Today's sophisticated telescopes peer far beyond the ancient constellations to a universe more beautiful than our forebears could have imagined. The Invisible Universe takes us into the hearts of these constellations with more than fifty stunning reproductions of David Malin's luminous photographs of distant stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Using some of the most powerful Earth-based telescopes, astronomer and photographer Malin has spent over twenty years painstakingly capturing the previously undetected colors and forms of gas, dust, and light in the farthest reaches of space. The unusual photographic process that Malin devised requires three different exposures, which may be taken years apart, in order to produce each picture. The Invisible Universe gloriously reproduces the results of his labors on an unprecedented scale. Enriched with the history of the constellations and early observational renderings, this one magnificent volume unites the timeless enchantment of space with the excitement of new astronomical discoveries. Arranged by constellation like an antique star atlas, The Invisible Universe showcases such spectacular sights as the Great Orion Nebula, the Rosette Nebula, and the Jewel Box Cluster. The informative and entertaining text combines the science, poetry, and lore behind these glorious objects. It outlines the story of their discovery and observation along with vivid description of the life cycles of stars, setting them in the context of their distance, age, and environment. Lavishly designed and printed by Callaway Editions, with figures from classical celestial charts and apt quotations from Shakespeare, Dante, Donne, and Tennyson, The Invisible Universe is a delight, to be pored over by lovers of astronomy, literature, philosophy, and photography alike.
Book Description: This is a substantially revised and updates new edition of a classic introductory textbook. Although there are a wealth of cosmology texts at postgraduate level, Cosmology remains the classic introduction to modern cosmology for undergraduates. While designed as the main text for a course given at second or third year level, it is sufficiently self-contained for anyone with school science to understand. There is a strong emphasis on observational cosmology, with introductory chapters on the visible universe, our galaxy and other galaxies and the empirical basis for cosmological theory. After an account of the big bang model, there are chapters on the early stages of the big bang and galaxy formation. Finally, there are chapters on cosmological tests and on alternative theories. One feature of the book it its updated epilogue of twenty controversies on cosmology today. The latest results from the WMAP mission are included and a wealth of new material, including a stronger emphasis on the cosmological constant. It has an extensive glossary and the exercises have been substantially expanded. A stronger emphasis on the physical basis for cosmology is included throughout.
Book Description: Recent years have been a symbiosis of the fields of elementary particle physics and the astrophysics of the early universe. This text presents the background of the subjects and the latest developments at a level suitable for the average physics undergraduate. After introductory chapters in elementary particles are their interactions and role in the expanding universe, the problems and challenges of cosmological asymmetries, dark matter and dark energy are presented, followed by chapters on the growth of cosmic structure on high energy cosmic rays and on particle processes in stars. A balance is maintained between theory and experiment and the text supplemented with over 100 problems, together with answers and model solutions.
Book Description: Recent discoveries in astronomy, especially those made with data collected by satellites such as the Cosmic Background Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope, have brought the science of cosmology to the attention of the public. These new observations bring up the tantalizing possibility that the solutions to some especially elusive mysteries might be found in the near future. Despite their interest in black holes and the Big Bang theory, most people have little or no understanding of these topics, nor of the true significance of the new data. This highly accessible book provides a descriptive introduction to modern cosmology. It covers the study of the evolution of the universe, including a history of cosmological speculation, a qualitative introduction to relativity theory, space-time, black holes, models of the universe, and methods of testing these theories.
Book Description: Two events will make the summer of 2003 a remarkable one for amateur astronomers. By late August, Mars will come within 34 million miles of Earth, appearing six times larger and shining 85 times brighter than usual-"the most striking and spectacular Mars apparition in tens of thousands of years" (The New York Times). And William K. Hartmann, co-author of The Grand Tour, Out of the Cradle, and The History of Earth, is publishing A Traveler's Guide to Mars. Conceived and created like a real Baedecker-factual, accessible, heavily illustrated, in a carry-around size-A Traveler's Guide to Mars brings together all the astonishing information scientists have recently learned about Mars, and conveys it in the engaging, lively style that made Dr. Hartmann the first-ever winner of the Carl Sagan Medal for public communication of planetary science. Taken around the planet like tourists, readers will discover mysterious dry riverbeds, the largest volcano in the solar system (three times higher than Mount Everest), a possible ancient sea floor, giant impact craters, "the face on Mars," and other wonders. Throughout is an Extraordinary selection of photographs, maps, and paintings, including images from Mariner 9 and the Viking explorations, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the ongoing Mars Global Surveyor mission. Four gatefolds show the latest topographic maps of the entire Martian surface. Sidebars advise readers on what to wear and landing procedures. In addition, Hartmann's "My Martian Chronicles" spotlight his life and times as a planetary scientist.
Atomic Physics: An Exploration through Problems and Solutions, Dmitry Budker, Derek Kimball, & David DeMille
Book Description: This volume is a collection of problems in atomic, molecular and optical physics intended for a broad audience of physicists: from undergraduate students to researchers who wish to refresh and sharpen their knowledge of the field and to learn about recent exciting developments.
Silicon Carbide and Related Materials - 2002, Peder Bergman & Erik Janzen (eds.)
A conference proceeding on the subject of silicon carbide.
Introduction to Nanotechnology, Charles P. Poole, Jr. & Frank J. Owens
Book Description: Currently receiving vast amounts of research funding from government and industry alike, nanotechnology is the science of matter at the scale of one-billionth of a meter or 1/75,000th the size of a human hair. In addition to the numerous advantages provided by this scale of miniaturization, quantum physics effects at this size range provide additional novel properties. By manipulating atoms at this building-block level, scientists can create stronger, lighter materials with tailored properties. Combining research from many disciplines, near-future nanotechnology applications involve everything from scratch-proof glass to internal drug delivery systems to a sugar cube—sized computer capable of storing the information from the entire United States Library of Congress. In this fascinating overview of the field the authors provide broad coverage of nanotechnology and its applications, with an eye toward giving researchers in different areas an appreciation of nanotechnological developments outside their own fields of expertise. Rather than focusing on the latest developments in nanotechnology, the authors use representative examples of research in many fields to focus on the diversity of its applications.
Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation, K. Eric Drexler
Book Description: Author Information "Devices enormously smaller than before will remodel engineering, chemistry, medicine, and computer technology. How can we understand machines that are so small? Nanosystems covers it all: power and strength, friction and wear, thermal noise and quantum uncertainty. This is the book for starting the next century of engineering." — Marvin Minsky MIT Science magazine calls Eric Drexler "Mr. Nanotechnology." For years, Drexler has stirred controversy by declaring that molecular nanotechnology will bring a sweeping technological revolution — delivering tremendous advances in miniaturization, materials, computers, and manufacturing of all kinds. Now, he’s written a detailed, top-to-bottom analysis of molecular machinery — how to design it, how to analyze it, and how to build it. Nanosystems is the first scientifically detailed description of developments that will revolutionize most of the industrial processes and products currently in use. This groundbreaking work draws on physics and chemistry to establish basic concepts and analytical tools. The book then describes nanomechanical components, devices, and systems, including parallel computers able to execute 1020 instructions per second and desktop molecular manufacturing systems able to make such products. Via chemical and biochemical techniques, proximal probe instruments, and software for computer-aided molecular design, the book charts a path from present laboratory capabilities to advanced molecular manufacturing. Bringing together physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and computer science, Nanosystems provides an indispensable introduction to the emerging field of molecular nanotechnology.
Book Description: Reprints ten articles published in Scientific America during 2000 and 2001 that explore the possibilities offered by the next generation of miniaturized technologies. The contributors discuss obstacles to fully functioning nanomachines, applications for drug delivery and genetic testing, and the creation of nanometer-scale electronic components from organic molecules.
Book Description: Since the beginning of the industrial age, many machines have grown steadily smaller even as they have grown more powerful and complex. Now nanotechnology, based on a new science of the infinitesimally small, takes technology beyond most popular definitions of reality, to a realm of molecular machines, cell-sized computers, and other astounding possibilities. With Nanocosm, Bill Atkinson reveals a spectacular view of the immediate future of nanotechnology and its applications in: * Medicine -- drugs that assemble themselves and have minimal side effects * Computing -- quantum processors triggered by a single particle of light * Engineering -- megastructures made of hollow nanotubes boasting exceptional strength and stability and countless other arenas that affect our world, redefining how we work, play, and live. As with any phenomenon, nanotechnology has both its naysayers and its zealots, by turns clouding scientific truth with dismissals, prophecies, and pipe dreams. But nanotech is real: The U.S. President recently announced a $500 million National Nanotechnology Initiative, and Business Week has named nanotechnology one of the Ten Technologies That Will Change Our Lives. Nanocosm shows why.
Book Description: Explaining how nanotechnology works and looking at recent advances and the future of the field, this book offers a simple, brief, almost math-free introduction for nonscientists. Early chapters give background on concepts needed to understand nanotechnology, and later chapters visit research laboratories, look at breakthroughs in smart materials, electronics, and optics, and discuss the relationship of nanotechnology to society.
Book Description: Although nanotechnology deals with the very small—a nanometer is 1/80,000th the diameter of a human hair—it is going to be huge. From the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the products we manufacture to the composition of our bodies, everything is made of atoms. And if we can manipulate the atom, then that changes the rules of the game for almost every product. Coal and diamonds, for example, are both constructed from carbon atoms. It’s merely the arrangement of the atoms that differentiates an inexpensive fuel source from a pricey engagement jewel. While the science of nanotech cannot yet transform coal into diamonds, it is advancing rapidly and will begin to radically alter the business world during the next few years—and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. The buzz surrounding nanotech is comparable to that at the dawn of the digital revolution, which changed the face of how business operates. Unlike the Internet, however, which applied new technology to many old processes and businesses, nanotech is about creating entirely new materials, products, and systems (and therefore markets), as well as making existing products faster, stronger, and better. You may be tempted to wait until the buzz dies down before deciding how to integrate nanotech into your business, but don’t make the mistake of thinking of it as being light-years away. Even though it may sound far-off at times, within ten years nanotech will have huge effects on many industries, including manufacturing, health care, energy, agriculture, communications, transportation, and electronics. Within a decade, nanotechnology is expected to be the basis of $1 trillion worth of products in the United States alone and will create anywhere from 800,000 to 2 million new jobs. Nanotechnology will require you to radically re-think what your core business is, who your competitors are, what skills your workforce needs, how to train your employees, and how to think strategically about the future. Jack Uldrich and Deb Newberry explain exactly how you should prepare for nanotech’s imminent arrival. They identify today’s nanotech innovators, chronicle and project the rapid rise of nanotech developments, and show how to think strategically about the field’s opportunities and investments. The Next Big Thing Is Really Small provides a sneak peek at the technology that will transform the next ten years, giving investors and executives a road map for using small wonders to generate big profits.
Book Description: Polymer Physics thoroughly details the fundamental concepts of polymer melts, solutions, and gels in terms of both static structure and dynamics. It goes beyond other introductory polymer texts, deriving the essential tools of the physical polymer chemist or engineer without skipping any steps. The book is divided into four parts. Part One summarizes the necessary concepts of a first course on polymers and covers the conformations of single polymer chains. Part Two deals with the thermodynamics of polymer solutions and melts, including chain conformations in those states. Part Three applies the concepts of Part Two to the formation and properties of polymer networks. Part Four explains the essential aspects of how polymers move in both melt and solution states. The text assumes a working knowledge of calculus, physics, and chemistry, but no prior knowledge of polymers. It is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and first-year graduate courses in Condensed Matter Physics, Soft Materials, and Polymers.
Book Description: This latest text in the new Oxford Master Series in Physics provides a much need introduction to band theory and the electronic properties of materials. Written for students in physics and material science, the book takes a pedagogical approach to the subject through the extensive use of illustrations, examples and problem sets. The author draws on his extensive experience teaching band theory to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of the field. Considerable attention is paid to the vocabulary and quantum-mechanical training necessary to learn about the electronic, optical and structural properties of materials in science and technology. The text also offers several chapters on the newest experimental techniques used to study band structure. Concise yet rigorous, it fills a long overdue gap between student texts and current research activities.
Book Description: Ice is one of the most abundant and environmentally important materials on Earth, and its unique and intriguing physical properties present fascinating areas of study for a wide variety of researchers. This book is about the physics of ice, by which is meant the properties of the material itself and the ways in which these properties are interpreted in terms of water molecules and crystalline structure. Although ice has a simple crystal structure its hydrogen bonding results in unique properties, which continue to be the subject of active research. In Physics of Ice, the physical principles underlying the properties of ice are carefully developed at a level aimed at pure and applied researchers in the field. Important topics like current understandings of the electrical, mechanical and surface properties, and the occurrence of many different crystalline phases are developed in a coherent way for the first time. An extensive reference list and numerous illustrations add to the usefulness and readability of the text.
Book Description: The discovery of the Nanotube in 1991 by electron microscopy has ushered in the era of Nanoscience. The atomic-resolution electron microscope has been a crucial tool in this effort. This book gives the basic theoretical background needed to understand how electron microscopes allow us to see atoms, together with highly practical advice for electron microscope operators. The book covers the usefulness of seeing atoms in the semiconductor industry, in materials science and condensed matter physics. Biologists have recently used the atomic-resolution electron microscope to obtain three-dimensional images of the Ribosome, work which is covered in this book. The book also shows how the ability to see atomic arrangements has helped us understand the properties of matter. This new third edition of the standard text retains the early sections on the fundamentals of electron optics, linear imaging theory with partial coherence and multiple-scattering theory. Also preserved are updated earlier sections on practical methods, with detailed step-by-step accounts of the procedures needed to obtain the highest quality images of the arrangement of atoms in thin crystals using a modern electron microscope. Sources of software for image interpretation and electron-optical design are also given.
Book Description: This book describes how the arrangement of atoms in a solid and the way they move are related to the forces between atoms, and how they affect the behavior and properties of materials. The book is intended for final year undergraduate students and graduate students in physics and materials science.
Book Description: This textbook combines a thorough theoretical treatment of the basic physics of semiconductors with applications to practical devices by putting special emphasis on the physical principles upon which these devices operate. Topics treated are the detailed band structure of semiconductors, the effect of impurities on electronic states, and semiconductor statistics. Also discussed are lattice dynamical, transport, and surface properties as well as optical, magneto-optical, and electro-optical properties. The applied part of the book treats p-n junctions, bipolar junction transistors, semiconductor lasers and photodevices, after which the subject of heterostructures and superlattices is taken up with coverage of electronic, lattice dynamical, optical, and transport properties. The book concludes with treatments of metal-semiconductor devices such as MOSFETs and devices based on heterostructures. Graduate students and lecturers in semiconductor physics, condensed matter physics, electromagnetic theory, and quantum mechanics will find this a useful textbook and reference work.
Book Description: The standard rules of probability can be interpreted as uniquely valid principles in logic. In this book, E. T. Jaynes dispels the imaginary distinction between 'probability theory' and 'statistical inference', leaving a logical unity and simplicity, which provides greater technical power and flexibility in applications. This book goes beyond the conventional mathematics of probability theory, viewing the subject in a wider context. New results are discussed, along with applications of probability theory to a wide variety of problems in physics, mathematics, economics, chemistry and biology. It contains many exercises and problems, and is suitable for use as a textbook on graduate level courses involving data analysis. The material is aimed at readers who are already familiar with applied mathematics at an advanced undergraduate level or higher. The book will be of interest to scientists working in any area where inference from incomplete information is necessary.
Book Description: The second edition of this very successful, valuable laboratory companion textbook and handy reference for the professional scientist will continue to be popular with the addition of numerical method techniques for solving problems on the computer. Monte Carlo techniques, least square methods, matrix algebra, and program examples in PASCAL.
Book Description: Designed as an upper-level undergraduate/beginning graduate text and as a reference for research scientists, Modern Problems in Classical Electrodynamics addresses a wide range of topics in modern physics--including lasers and nonlinear optics--that are not found in other texts. The book begins with relativistic mechanics and field theory, partly because they lend unity and beauty to electrodynamics, and also because relativistic concepts appear frequently throughout the book. Electrostatics and magnetostatics, waves, continuous media, nonlinear optics, diffraction, and radiation by moving particles are then covered in depth. The book concludes by returning to basics, discussing the fundamental problems inherent in the classical theory of electrons. Modern Problems in Classical Electrodynamics features examples and homework exercises drawn from condensed-matter physics, particle physics, optics, and atomic physics. Many of these are experimentally oriented and help to make the book interesting and relevant to a broad audience.
Book Description: This book explains analog devices and circuits - how they work and how they are used to build communications systems. The emphasis is wireless, radio communications. The book includes an in-depth discussion of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. Detailed illustrations support the easy-to-read text. Worked-out examples and end-of-chapter quizzes reinforce learning. The authors discuss digital signal processing; analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog signal conversion.
Book Description: In an electronic world gone digital, this book explains the basic concepts of digital circuits and systems. This book stresses basic concepts of digital circuits and systems, discusses detailed circuits and includes informative illustrations and worked-out examples that support the text. End-of-chapter tests are featured to reinforce learning. For anyone who wants to understand digital electronics.
Book Description: A complete electronics course in 128 pages! This famous inventor teaches you the basics, takes you on a tour of analog and digital components, explains how they work and shows how they are combined for various applications. Includes circuit assembly tips and 100 electronic circuits you can build and test. Forrest has written dozens of books, hundreds of articles, invented scientific measurement devices for NASA and loves to share his knowledge with eager students.
Book Description: This book is for anyone who wants to understand the fundamentals of electronics. It explains electronic devices and circuits - how they work and how they are used. It contains detailed illustrations that support the easy-to-read text. The practical, worked-out examples demonstrate circuit applications.
Book Description: Here is the book that will teach you electronics without all the engineering terms and heavy math. Beginners will benefit from the clear concise explanations that come alive with drawings, cartoons and other illustrations. This is the fun and easy way to learn electronics.
Book Description: The book features: carefully hand-drawn circuit illustrations hundreds of fully tested circuits tutorial on electronics basics tips on part substitutions, design modifications, and circuit operation All covering the following areas: Review of the Basics Digital Integrated Circuits MOS/CMOS Integrated Circuits TTL/LS Integrated Circuits Linear Integrated Circuits Index of Integrated Circuits Index of Circuit Applications.
Book Description: Here it is--a collection of Forrest Mims's classic work from the Modern Electronics magazine! Using commonly available components and remarkable ingenuity, Forrest shows you how to build and experiment with circuits like these: analog comparators audio synthesizers data loggers fiber optic sensors laser diode devices MOSFET oscillators piezoelectronics power electronics programmable function generators pulse generators radio control systems and much, much, more!
Book Description: An intuitive, applications-driven guide to electronics for engineers, hobbyists, and students--one that doesn't overload readers with technical detail. Chock-full of illustrations--over 750 hand-drawn images provide clear, detailed instructions on how to turn theoretical ideas into real-life gadgets. Covers integrated circuits (ICs), digital electronics, and various input/output devices; includes a complete chapter on the latest microcontrollers.
Book Description: For all of you who break out in a sweat at the thought of thermodynamics, or freeze up at the mention of quantum mechanics, like a bolt from the blue, Instant Physics will zap you through the fascinating history of our most basic, yet baffling, science.
From the thousand-year search for proof of the existence of the ever-elusive atom to the varied and heated arguments behind the big bang theory, Instant Physics answers all the heavy questions with a light touch. You'll learn:
* How the Greek philosophers used the sledgehammer of mathematics to break apart the mysteries of the physical universe.
* Why gravity is a "romantic" force.
* How to tell the difference between a gluon, a meson, and a quark, even if you can't see them.
Instant Physics is crammed with special features, including chapter summaries, who's who lists, biographical and historical tidbits, and a host of illustrations, photos, equations, diagrams, and drawings.
Book Description: If you've recently received your degree and are looking for the most complete and up-to-date information on career and employment opportunities, get Landing Your First Job: A Guide for Physics Students. The volume contains information on the job search, including cover letters, resume writing, interview preparation, and salary negotiation. It also includes the latest employment statistics and glimpses of physicists in the workplace. Landing Your First Job is designed exclusively for physics-educated individuals and represents a resource whose practical value is unparalleled.
Book Description: The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty, an amazing new collection of super-detailed snowflake photographs, takes an up-close look at the beauty and wonder of these miniature ice masterpieces. It explains just what snowflakes are, how they form, and why they appear in such a remarkable diversity of symmetric patterns. The Snowflake combines the superb photography of Patricia Rasmussen with an in-depth account of the science of snow crystals, as told by Caltech physics professor Kenneth Libbrecht.
Book Description: Published in 1998, this Ben Franklin Award-winning publication was the first book in more than a decade to provide job hunters, students, and seasoned professionals the resources to understanding the $80 Billion space industry. Concisely written and packed with information, readers are guided through the space industry from its earliest days through today's activities and opportunities.
Book Description: Ancient Greece was the birthplace of science, which developed in the Hellenized culture of ancient Rome. This book, written by seventeen international experts, examines the role and achievement of science and mathematics in Greek antiquity through discussion of the linguistic, literary, political, religious, sociological, and technological factors which influenced scientific thought and practice.
Book Description: Only in the early 19th century did scientists recognize that energy is a distinct physical quality. Since then however, it has played a pivotal role in the advancement and the understanding of science and in technology. From the steam engine to the equation E=mc2 and beyond, the concept of energy offers an essential key to our understanding of the Universe. In this entertaining and highly readable book, Professor Laidler explains the concept of energy and its characteristics as they were discovered over the past two centuries. He describes how energy transformations as interpreted by the second law of thermodynamics are not absolute but can only be understood in terms of chance and probability. After looking at energy on a small scale and then at the scale of the Universe itself, he shows how these topics are linked with chaos theory according to which the unexpected is inevitable.
Book Description: This book discusses in detail all the relevant numerical methods for the classical N-body problem. It demonstrates how to develop clear and elegant algorithms for models of gravitational systems, and explains the fundamental mathematical tools needed to describe the dynamics of a large number of mutually attractive particles. Particular attention is given to the techniques needed to model astrophysical phenomena such as close encounters and the dynamics of black hole binaries. The author reviews relevant work in the field and covers applications to the problems of planetary formation and star cluster dynamics, both of Pleiades type and globular clusters. Self-contained and pedagogical, this book is suitable for graduate students and researchers in theoretical physics, astronomy and cosmology.
Book Description: The theory of dynamical systems is a major mathematical discipline closely intertwined with all main areas of mathematics. It has greatly stimulated research in many sciences and given rise to the vast new area variously called applied dynamics, nonlinear science, or chaos theory. This introduction for senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students of mathematics, physics, and engineering combines mathematical rigor with copious examples of important applications. It covers the central topological and probabilistic notions in dynamics ranging from Newtonian mechanics to coding theory. Readers need not be familiar with manifolds or measure theory; the only prerequisite is a basic undergraduate analysis course. The authors begin by describing the wide array of scientific and mathematical questions that dynamics can address. They then use a progression of examples to present the concepts and tools for describing asymptotic behavior in dynamical systems, gradually increasing the level of complexity. The final chapters introduce modern developments and applications of dynamics. Subjects include contractions, logistic maps, equidistribution, symbolic dynamics, mechanics, hyperbolic dynamics, strange attractors, twist maps, and KAM-theory.
Book Description: When new ideas like chaos first move into the mathematical limelight, the early textbooks tend to be very difficult. The concepts are new and it takes time to find ways to present them in a form digestible to the average student. This process may take a generation, but eventually, what originally seemed far too advanced for all but the most mathematically sophisticated becomes accessible to a much wider readership. This book takes some major steps along that path of generational change. It presents ideas about chaos in discrete time dynamics in a form where they should be accessible to anyone who has taken a first course in undergraduate calculus. More remarkably, it manages to do so without discarding a commitment to mathematical substance and rigor. The book evolved from a very popular one-semester middle level undergraduate course over a period of several years and has therefore been well class-tested.
Book Description: Recent advances in the study of dynamical systems have revolutionized the way that classical mechanics is taught and understood. Classical Dynamics: A Contemporary Approach is a new and comprehensive textbook that provides a complete description of this fundamental branch of physics. The authors cover all the material that one would expect to find in a standard graduate course: Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics, canonical transformations, the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, perturbation methods, and rigid bodies. They also deal with more advanced topics such as the relativistic Kepler problem, Liouville and Darboux theorems, and inverse and chaotic scattering. A key feature of the book is the early introduction of geometric (differential manifold) ideas, as well as detailed treatment of topics in nonlinear dynamics (such as the KAM theorem) and continuum dynamics (including solitons). The book contains many worked examples and over 200 homework exercises. It will be an ideal textbook for graduate students of physics, applied mathematics, theoretical chemistry, and engineering, as well as a useful reference for researchers in these fields. A solutions manual is available exclusively for instructors.
Book Description: This book is aimed at the student who wants to know what the excitement of chaos is all about and how it might be applied in a practical setting. With only the necessary mathematics, it treats the broad range of topics current in nonlinear dynamics today.
CD-ROM Description: This imaginative CD-ROM offers penetrating insights into some of the most challenging concepts in physics. Topics include transverse and longitudinal waves; free, forced, and damped oscillations; superposition; resonance; the Doppler effect; diffraction and diffraction gratings; two-source interference; beats; and standing waves on a string and in an air column. In addition, all notes, diagrams, activities, and solutions are printable. Can be used with both Windows and Macintosh.
Book Description: Designed for the many applied mathematicians and engineers who wish to explore computerized numerical methods, this text explores the power of C++ as a tool for work in numerical methods. This revision of the successful first edition includes for the first time information on programming in Windows-based environments. In addition it includes new topics and methods throughout the text that clarify and enhance the treatment of the subject.
Book Description: The success of Fortran as the programming language in the field of scientific and numerical computing is due, in part, to its steady evolution. Following the publication of standards in 1966, 1977 and 1991, Fortran 95 was published in 1997. This volume represents a revision of the first edition of Fortran 90/95 Explained. The Fortran 95 material is now fully integrated with that of the Fortran 90, while maintaining a clear distinction between the two language levels. Chapters on two operational enhancements to Fortran 95 have been added. It is a complete and authoritative description of Fortran 90/95, and is intended for new and existing users, and for all those involved in scientific and numerical computing.
Book Description: This third edition, like its two predecessors, provides a detailed account of the basic theory needed to understand the properties of light and its interactions with atoms, in particular the many nonclassical effects that have now been observed in quantum-optical experiments. The earlier chapters describe the quantum mechanics of various optical processes, leading from the classical representation of the electromagnetic field to the quantum theory of light. The later chapters develop the theoretical descriptions of some of the key experiments in quantum optics. Over half of the material in this third edition is new. It includes topics that have come into prominence over the last two decades, such as the beamsplitter theory, squeezed light, two-photon interference, balanced homodyne detection, travelling-wave attenuation and amplification, quantum jumps, and the ranges of nonlinear optical processes important in the generation of nonclassical light. The book is written as a textbook, with the treatment as a whole appropriate for graduate or postgraduate students, while earlier chapters are also suitable for final-year undergraduates. Over 100 problems help to intensify the understanding of the material presented.
Book Description: Quantum Theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics since Newton. This book gives a lucid, exciting, and accessible account of the surprising and counterintuitive ideas that shape our understanding of the sub-atomic world. It does not disguise the problems of interpretation that still remain unsettled 75 years after the initial discoveries. The main text makes no use of equations, but there is a Mathematical Appendix for those desiring stronger fare. Uncertainty, probabilistic physics, complementarity, the problematic character of measurement, and decoherence are among the many topics discussed. This volume offers the reader access to one of the greatest discoveries in the history of physics and one of the oustanding intellectual achievements of the twentieth century.
The original edition of Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics was used with great success for single-semester courses on nuclear and particle physics offered by American and Canadian universities at the undergraduate level. It was also translated into German, and used overseas. Being less formal but well-written, this book is a good vehicle for learning the more intuitive rather than formal aspects of the subject. It is therefore of value to scientists with a minimal background in quantum mechanics, but is sufficiently substantive to have been recommended for graduate students interested in the fields covered in the text. In the second edition, the material begins with an exceptionally clear development of Rutherford scattering and, in the four following chapters, discusses sundry phenomenological issues concerning nuclear properties and structure, and general applications of radioactivity and of the nuclear force. This is followed by two chapters dealing with interactions of particles in matter, and how these characteristics are used to detect and identify such particles. A chapter on accelerators rounds out the experimental aspects of the field. The final seven chapters deal with elementary- particle phenomena, both before and after the realization of the Standard Model. This is interspersed with discussion of symmetries in classical physics and in the quantum domain, bringing into full focus the issues concerning CP violation, isotopic spin, and other symmetries. The final three chapters are devoted to the Standard Model and to possibly new physics beyond it, emphasizing unification of forces, supersymmetry, and other exciting areas of current research. The book contains several appendices on related subjects, such as special relativity, the nature of symmetry groups, etc. There are also many examples and problems in the text that are of value in gauging the reader's understanding of the material.
Book Description: Quantum theory is one the most important and successful theories of modern physical science. It has been estimated that its principles form the basis for about 30 per cent of the world's manufacturing economy. This is all the more remarkable because quantum theory is a theory that nobody understands. The meaning of Quantum Theory introduces science students to the theory's fundamental conceptual and philosophical problems, and the basis of its non-understandability. It does this with the barest minimum of jargon and very little mathematics in the main text. Readers wishing to delve more deeply into the theory's mathematical subtleties can do so in an extended series of appendices. The book brings the reader up to date with the results of new experimental tests of quantum weirdness and reviews the latest thinking on alternative interpretations, the frontiers of quantum cosmology, quantum gravity and potential application of this weirdness in computing, cryptography and teleportation.
Book Description: In this wide-ranging book, Brian Davies discusses the basis for scientists' claims to knowledge about the world. He looks at science historically, emphasizing not only the achievements of scientists from Galileo onwards, but also their mistakes. He rejects the claim that all scientific knowledge is provisional, by citing examples from chemistry, biology and geology. A major feature of the book is its defense of the view that mathematics was invented rather than discovered. A large number of examples are used to illustrate these points, and many of the deep issues in today's world discussed-from psychology and evolution to quantum theory, consciousness and even religious belief. Disentangling knowledge from opinion and aspiration is a hard task, but this book provided a clear guide to the difficulties.
Book Description: Space and time are the most fundamental features of our experience of the world, and yet they are also the most perplexing. Does time really flow, or is that simply an illusion? Did time have a beginning? What does it mean to say that time has a direction? Does space have boundaries, or is it infinite? Is change really possible? Could space and time exist in the absence of any objects or events? What, in the end, are space and time? Do they really exist, or are they simply the constructions of our minds? Robin Le Poidevin provides a clear, witty, and stimulating introduction to these deep questions and many other mind-boggling puzzles and paradoxes. He gives a vivid sense of the difficulties raised by our ordinary ideas about space and time, but he also gives us the basis to think about these problems independently, avoiding large amounts of jargon and technicality. His book is an invitation to think philosophically rather than a sustained argument for particular conclusions, but Le Poidevin does advance and defend a number of controversial views. He argues, for example, that time does not actually flow, that it is possible for space and time to be both finite and yet be without boundaries, and that causation is the key to an understanding of one of the deepest mysteries of time: its direction. Drawing on a variety of vivid examples from science, history, and literature, Travels in Four Dimensions brings to life some of the most profound questions imaginable.
Book Description: This book discusses some ways of doing mathematical work and the subject matter that is being worked upon and created. It argues that the conventions we adopt, the subject areas we delimit, what we can prove and calculate about the physical world, and the analogies that work for mathematicians — all depend on mathematics, what will work out and what won't. And the mathematics, as it is done, is shaped and supported, or not, by convention, subject matter, calculation, and analogy. The cases studied include the central limit theorem of statistics, the sound of the shape of a drum, the connection between algebra and topology, the stability of matter, the Ising model, and the Langlands Program in number theory and representation theory.
Book Description: This broad collection of accessible essays helps students develop a fuller appreciation of the nature of science and scientific knowledge in general and of their own discipline specialty within it. The focus throughout is on the relationships in science between fact and theory, about the nature of scientific theory, and about the kinds of claims on truth that science makes.
Book Description: Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity provides a lucid and thoroughly modern introduction to general relativity. With an accessible and lively writing style, it introduces modern techniques to what can often be a formal and intimidating subject. Readers are led from the physics of flat spacetime (special relativity), through the intricacies of differential geometry and Einstein's equations, and on to exciting applications such as black holes, gravitational radiation, and cosmology. For advanced undergraduates and graduate students, or anyone interested in astronomy, cosmology, physics, or general relativity.
Book Description: The present book explains special relativity and the basics of general relativity from a geometric viewpoint. Space-time geometry is emphasised throughout, and provides the basis of understanding of the special relativity effects of time dilation, length contraction, and the relativity of simultaneity. Bondi's K-calculus is introduced as a simple means of calculating the magnitudes of these effects, and leads to a derivation of the Lorentz transformation as a way of unifying these results. The invariant interval of flat space-time is generalised to that of curved space-times, and leads to an understanding of the basic properties of simple cosmological models and of the collapse of a star to form a black hole. The appendices enable the advanced student to master the application of four-tensors to the relativistic study of energy and momentum, and of electromagnetism. In addition, this new edition contains up-to-date information on black holes, gravitational collapse, and cosmology.
Book Description: This text is a considerable amplification and modernization of the authors' earlier Essential Relativity. It brings relativity alive conceptually and emphasizes the foundations and the logical subtleties rather than the mathematics or the detailed experiments. It includes 300 exercises and promotes a visceral understanding and the confidence to tackle any fundamental relativistic problem. Following a critical overview of the whole field, special-relativistic kinematics is presented three dimensionally before the mathematical level gradually rises. Four vectors preceded mechanics, four tensors precede Maxwell theory, and three chapters on cosmology end the text. This book brings the challenge and excitement of modern relativity and cosmology at a rigorous mathematical level within the reach of advanced undergraduates, while containing enough new material to interest lecturers and researchers.
Book Description: This book explains the ideas and techniques of statistical mechanics in a simple and progressive way, accessible to undergraduates. It includes numerous examples from solid state physics as well as from theories of radiation from black holes and data from the Cosmic Background Explorer. This second edition features three new chapters on phase transitions and additional exercises at the end of each chapter.
Book Description: The present book is a teaching text designed to introduce the fundamentals of the subject of statistical mechanics. The treatment given is designed to give the student a feeling for the topic of statistical mechanics without being held back by the need to understand complex mathematics. The text is concise and concentrates on the understanding of fundamental aspects. Numerous questions with worked solutions are given throughout.
Book Description: A highly original, and truly novel, approach to theoretical reasoning in physics. This book illuminates the subject from the perspective of real physics as practised by research scientists. It is intended to be a supplement to the final years of an undergraduate course in physics and assumes that the reader has some grasp of university physics. By means of a series of seven case studies, the author conveys the excitement of research and discovery, highlighting the intellectual struggles to attain understanding of some of the most difficult concepts in physics. Case studies include the origins of Newton’s law of gravitation, Maxwell’s equations, mechanics and dynamics, linear and non-linear, thermodynamics and statistical physics, the origins of the concepts of quanta, special relativity, general relativity and cosmology. The approach is the same as that in the highly acclaimed first edition, but the text has been completely revised and many new topics introduced.
Amazon.com Description: Based on Brian Greene's book, this three-part Nova program should do for physics what Cosmos did for astronomy. Greene hosts the program on the relative new concept of String Theory, a potential (and explosive) answer to the Holy Grail of science: a single, ultimate theory for everything. Part of Greene's (along with filmmakers Julia Cort and Joseph McMaster) genius is the ability to explain complex issues with ease thanks to a generous helping of graphics and humor. It starts with a perplexing anecdote: Einstein died trying to figure out if there could be an ultimate theory. His General Theory of Relativity brought order to the laws of large objects, but could not explain the chancier world of Quantum Mechanics (which deals with atomic particles). String Theory tries to marry the two. Greene and many colleagues give us a history of the quest and how String Theory was "discovered" in the 1980s. The formula has a lot of quirks, the most dazzling being the insistence there's 11 dimensions in the universe. Greene is not as natural as Cosmos creator/host Carl Sagan, but he is certainly friendly and encouraging (albeit it's quite odd for the host to be interviewed at various times in the program). Because it's a three-part show, there is some overlap at the start of hours 2 and 3. --Doug Thomas
Book Description: This book is an attempt to get to the bottom of an acute and perennial tension between our best scientific pictures of the fundamental physical structure of the world and our everyday empirical experience of it. The trouble is about the direction of time. The situation (very briefly) is that it is a consequence of almost every one of those fundamental scientific pictures-and that it is at the same time radically at odds with our common sense-that whatever can happen can just as naturally happen backwards. Albert provides an unprecedentedly clear, lively, and systematic new account-in the context of a Newtonian-Mechanical picture of the world-of the ultimate origins of the statistical regularities we see around us, of the temporal irreversibility of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, of the asymmetries in our epistemic access to the past and the future, and of our conviction that by acting now we can affect the future but not the past. Then, in the final section of the book, he generalizes the Newtonian picture to the quantum-mechanical case and (most interestingly) suggests a very deep potential connection between the problem of the direction of time and the quantum-mechanical measurement problem. The book aims to be both an original contribution to the present scientific and philosophical understanding of these matters at the most advanced level, and something in the nature of an elementary textbook on the subject accessible to interested high-school students.
Book Description: This book is unique in occupying a gap between standard undergraduate texts and more advanced texts on quantum field theory. It covers a range of renormalization methods with a clear physical interpretation (and motivation), including mean-field theories and high-temperature and low-density expansions. It then proceeds by easy steps to the famous epsilon-expansion, ending up with the first-order corrections to critical exponents beyond mean-field theory. Nowadays, there is widespread interest in applications of renormalization methods to various topics ranging over soft condensed matter, engineering dynamics, traffic queuing and fluctuations in the stock market. Hence macroscopic systems are also included, with particular emphasis on the archetypal problem of fluid turbulence. The book is also unique in making this material accessible to readers other than theoretical physicists, as it requires only the basic physics and mathematics which should be known to most scientists, engineers and mathematicians.
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Lyle Ford
fordla@uwec.edu
Department of Physics and Astronomy
(715)836-5046
Last Updated: August 29, 2005