Library Orders for 2007-8

    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. 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
Condensed Matter Physics & Nanoscience
Education
Electromagnetism
Experimental Methods
Fluid Mechanics
General Physics
Mechanics
Numerical Methods
History of Science
Particle Physics & Quantum Mechanics
Philosophy
Relativity
Statistical Physics & Thermodynamics

See orders from 2002-3, 2003-4, 2004-5, 2005-6, or 2006-2007.

Applications of Physics to Other Fields

·         Physics of the Human Body, J. Cameron, J. Skofronick, R. Grant

Book Description: This updated edition of a popular text contains new information on the relationship between physics and the workings of the body. New material on forces in dentistry has been added, and an entire chapter is devoted to the physics of the ear and hearing, with more detail on the function of the inner ear. Many new illustrations have also been added. This book is intended primarily for students who plan to make a career in some field of medicine. The authors rely on basic physics principles to promote an understanding of the function of the various organ systems of the body such as the eyes, ears, lungs, and heart. Although it was written primarily as a text for students who have some knowledge of elementary physics, it will be interesting and understandable to any person who is curious about how his/her body works. The mathematics is at the algebra level. Several new problems have been added to this new edition along with answers to all the problems.

·         Physics of Life: The Physicist's Road to Biology, Clas Blomberg

Book Description: The purpose of the book is to give a survey of the physics that is relevant for biological applications, and also to discuss what kind of biology needs physics. The book gives a broad account of basic physics, relevant for the applications and various applications from properties of proteins to processes in the cell to wider themes such as the brain, the origin of life and evolution. It also considers general questions of common interest such as reductionism, determinism and randomness, where the physics view often is misunderstood. The subtle balance between order and disorder is a repeated theme appearing in many contexts. There are descriptive parts which shall be sufficient for the comprehension of general ideas, and more detailed, formalistic parts for those who want to go deeper, and see the ideas expressed in terms of mathematical formulas.

Astronomy, Astrophysics, & Planetary Science

·         If We Had No Moon (DVD), Discovery Enterprises

DVD Description: In this program, scientists use ­modern computer simulations to show how the moon was formed millions of years ago. They explain the moon’s enormous impacts on the earth’s weather, gravitational pull, rotation, and living creatures.

·         Planets and Life: The Emerging Science of Astrobiology, W.T. Sullivan and J. Baross (eds.)

Book Description: Astrobiology involves the study of the origin and history of life on Earth, planets and moons where life may have arisen, and the search for extraterrestrial life. It combines the sciences of biology, chemistry, palaeontology, geology, planetary physics and astronomy. This textbook brings together world experts in each of these disciplines to provide the most comprehensive coverage of the field currently available. Topics cover the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the geological, physical and chemical conditions in which life might arise and the detection of extraterrestrial life on other planets and moons. The book also covers the history of our ideas on extraterrestrial life and the origin of life, as well as the ethical, philosophical and educational issues raised by astrobiology. Written to be accessible to students from diverse backgrounds, this text will be welcomed by advanced undergraduates and graduates who are taking astrobiology courses.

·         The Geology of Mars: Evidence from Earth-Based Analogs, Mary Chapman (ed.)

Book Description: Research into the geological processes operating on Mars relies on interpretation of images and other data returned by unmanned orbiters, probes and landers. Such interpretations are based on our knowledge of processes occurring on Earth Terrestrial analog studies therefore play an important role in understanding the geological features observed on Mars. This is the first book to present direct comparisons between locales on Earth and Mars, and contains contributions from leading planetary geologists to demonstrate the parallels and differences between these two neighboring planets. Mars is characterized by a wide range of geological phenomena that also occur on Earth, including tectonic, volcanic, impact cratering, eolian, fluvial, glacial and possibly lacustrine and marine processes. The book provides terrestrial analogs for newly acquired data sets from Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Express, and will therefore be a key reference for students and researchers of planetary science.

·         Understanding Variable Stars, John R. Percy

Book Description: Variable stars are those that change brightness. They come in many varieties, but each one provides important information about the star: its properties, its internal structure, and its evolution. This book provides a concise overview of variable stars, including a historical perspective, an introduction to stars in general, the techniques for discovering and studying variable stars, and a description of the main types of variable stars. Intended for anyone with some background knowledge of astronomy, it is especially suitable for undergraduate students and experienced amateur astronomers.

·         Planetary Mapping, Ronald Greeley & Raymond M. Batson (eds.)

Book Description: Planetary Mapping describes the history and process of mapping planets and satellites beyond the Earth. Mapping planetary bodies is a unique process much different from ordinary terrestrial cartography. The book begins with an introduction to the differences between terrestrial and planetary mapping and continues with a general discussion of the history of planetary mapping. The fundamentals of cartographic techniques are described in detail, and appendixes on map formats and projects, halftone processes for planetary maps, and available mission data are also included. The general language used in this book will make it accessible to researchers and students in planetary science as well as cartographers, photogrammetrists, geodesists, geologists, and geophysicists.

·         Universe or Multiverse, Bernard Carr (ed.)

Book Description: Recent developments in cosmology and particle physics, such as the string landscape picture, have led to the remarkable realization that our universe - rather than being unique - could be just one of many universes. The multiverse proposal helps to explain the origin of the universe and some of its observational features. Since the physical constants can be different in other universes, the fine-tunings which appear necessary for the emergence of life may also be explained. Nevertheless, many physicists remain uncomfortable with the multiverse proposal, since it is highly speculative and perhaps untestable. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers - address these issues and describe recent developments. The articles represent the full spectrum of views, providing for the first time an overview of the subject. They are written at different academic levels, engaging lay-readers and researchers alike.

·         Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, B.W. Carroll and D.A. Ostlie

Book Description: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Second Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the dramatic changes and advancements in astrophysics that have occurred over the past decade. The Second Edition of this market-leading book has been updated to include the latest results from relevant fields of astrophysics and advances in our theoretical understanding of astrophysical phenomena. The Tools of Astronomy: The Celestial Sphere, Celestial Mechanics, The Continuous Spectrum of Light, The Theory of Special Relativity, The Interaction of Light and Matter, Telescopes; The Nature of Stars: Binary Systems and Stellar Parameters, The Classification of Stellar Spectra, Stellar Atmospheres, The Interiors of Stars, The Sun, The Process of Star Formation, Post-Main-Sequence Stellar Evolution, Stellar Pulsation, Supernovae, The Degenerate Remnants of Stars, Black Holes, Close Binary Star Systems; Planetary Systems: Physical Processes in the Solar System, The Terrestrial Planets, The Jovian Worlds, Minor Bodies of the Solar System, The Formation of Planetary Systems; Galaxies and the Universe: The Milky Way Galaxy, The Nature of Galaxies, Galactic Evolution, The Structure of the Universe, Active Galaxies, Cosmology, The Early Universe; Astronomical and Physical Constants, Unit Conversions Between SI and cgs, Solar System Data, The Constellations, The Brightest Stars, The Nearest Stars, Stellar Data, The Messier Catalog, Constants, A Constants Module for Fortran 95 (Available as a C++ header file), Orbits, A Planetary Orbit Code (Available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), TwoStars, A Binary Star Code (Generates synthetic light and radial velocity curves; available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), StatStar, A Stellar Structure Code (Available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), StatStar, Stellar Models, Galaxy, A Tidal Interaction Code (Available as Java), WMAP Data. For all readers interested in moden astrophysics.

·         Our Place in the Universe, Norman K. Glendenning

Book Description: Our Place in the Universe tells the story of our world, formation of the first galaxies and stars formed from great clouds containing the primordial elements made in the first few minutes; birth of stars, their lives and deaths in fiery supernova explosions; formation of the solar system, its planets and many moons; life on Earth, its needs and vicissitudes on land and in the seas; finally exoplanets, planets that surround distant stars. Interspersed in the text are short pieces on some of those who revealed these wonders to us. It is written in a very authoritative and readable form and contains more than 100 color prints of the marvelous galaxies, and nebula that have been taken from space-based and land-based telescopes carried by NASA missions, the European Space Agency, the European Southern Laboratory in Chile and many other sources.

·         Titan: Exploring and Earthlike World, Athena Coustenis and Fredric W. Taylor

Book Description: Titan: Exploring an Earthlike World presents the only comprehensive description in book form of what is currently known about Titan, the largest satellite of the planet Saturn and arguably the most intriguing and mysterious world in the Solar System. Because of its resemblance to our own planet, Titan is often described as a “frozen primitive Earth” and is therefore of wide interest to scientists and educated laypersons from a wide range of backgrounds. The book aims to cater to all of these by using nontechnical language wherever possible, while maintaining a high standard of scientific rigor. The book is a fully revised and extensively updated edition of Titan: The Earthlike Moon, which was published in 1999, before the Cassini and Huygens missions arrived to orbit Saturn and land on Titan. As investigators on these missions, the authors use the latest results to present the most recent revelations and latest surprises about an exciting new world.

·         Cosmos (DVD)

DVD Description: The late Dr. Sagan's series goes beyond a guided tour through billions of stars and galaxies. After 20-plus years, Cosmos remains one of the most profound statements in exploration, crossing boundaries between science and religion. Each of the fascinating segments attempts to deepen our understanding of how we got from there to here. Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry, from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets.

·         Life Beyond Earth (DVD)

DVD Description: Does life exist beyond Earth? The unanswered question has transfixed stargazers for centuries. Life Beyond Earth, hosted by Timothy Ferris, tells the story of humanity's search for life beyond our own planet. Today's astronomers can see planets orbiting distant stars. As probes head to the farthest reaches of our universe, and scientists scan the heavens for alien radio signals, some predict the discovery of life elsewhere by century's end.

·         Conversations on Electric and Magnetic Fields in the Cosmos, Eugene N. Parker

Book Description: Today's standard textbooks treat the theoretical structure of electric and magnetic fields, but their emphasis is on electromagnetic radiation and static-electric and magnetic fields. In this book, Eugene Parker provides advanced graduate students and researchers with a much-needed complement to existing texts, one that discusses the dynamic electromagnetism of the cosmos--that is, the vast magnetic fields that are carried bodily in the swirling ionized gases of stars and galaxies and throughout intergalactic space. Parker is arguably the world's leading authority on solar wind and the effects of magnetic fields in the heliosphere, and his originality of thought and distinctive approach to physics are very much in evidence here. Seeking to enrich discussions in standard texts and correct misconceptions about the dynamics of these large-scale fields, Parker engages readers in a series of "conversations" that are at times anecdotal and even entertaining without ever sacrificing theoretical rigor. The dynamics he describes represents the Maxwell stresses of the magnetic field working against the pressure and inertia of the bulk motion of ionized gases, characterized in terms of the magnetic field and gas velocity. Parker shows how this dynamic interaction cannot be fully expressed in terms of the electric current and electric field. Conversations on Electric and Magnetic Fields in the Cosmos goes back to basics to explain why classical hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics are inescapable, even in the deepest reaches of space.

Condensed Matter Physics & Nanoscience

·         Fundamentals of Nanoscale Film Analysis, T. Alford, L. Feldman, J. Mayer

Book Description: From materials science to integrated circuit development, much of modern technology is moving from the microscale toward the nanoscale. This book focuses on the fundamental physics underlying innovative techniques for analyzing surfaces and near-surfaces. New analytical techniques have emerged to meet these technological requirements, all based on a few processes that govern the interactions of particles and radiation with matter. This book addresses the fundamentals and application of these processes, from thin films to field effect transistors.

·         Introduction to Nanoelectronics: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Applications, V. V. Mitin, V. A. Kochelap, & M. A. Stroscio

Book Description: Textbook presenting the fundamentals of nanoscience and nanotechnology with a view to nanoelectronics. Covers the underlying physics; nanostructures, including nanoobjects; methods for growth, fabrication and characterization of nanomaterials; and nanodevices. Provides a unifying framework for the basic ideas needed to understand the recent developments in the field. Includes numerous illustrations, homework problems and a number of interactive Java applets. For advanced undergraduate and graduate students in electrical and electronic engineering, nanoscience, materials, bioengineering and chemical engineering.

Education

·         Experiments and Demonstrations in Physics, Yaakov Kraftmakher

Book Description: A laboratory manual for high schools, colleges, and universities, this book contains more than 80 experiments and lecture demonstrations. The coverage includes the essentials of general physics: mechanics and molecular physics, electricity and magnetism, optics and atomic physics, and condensed matter physics. All the experiments are illustrated through the results of real measurements and include many novel experiments developed by the author.

·         The Films of Charles and Ray Eames - The Powers of Ten (DVD)

DVD Description: Now on DVD, this well-known, popular film by Charles and Ray Eames uses magnification to the power of ten to describe the relative size of things in the universe.

·         Frames of Reference (DVD)

DVD Description: Clearly demonstrates and explains inertial and accelerated frames of reference. AAPT and Ztek Co. have transferred the complete 30-minute unedited film to DVD to preserve it for physics educators. There are ten lessons for each of thre levels: middle school, high school, and college. The disc also includes a Barcode & Chapter Guide on CD.

·         Physics Single-Concept Films Collection 1 (Project Physics) (DVD)

DVD Description: DVD series created by transferring materials from Project Physics film loops. The 35 segments cover motion, motion in the heavens, modern physics, momentum and energy, waves, and collisions. With an audio track, sound effects, and a teacher's guide on the DVD.

·         Physics Single-Concept Films Collection 2 (Ealing) (DVD)

DVD Description: DVD series created from materials transferred from Ealing film loops (produced by Harold Daw at New Mexico State University). Topics covered include: mechanics, collision, behavior of gases, light, and electricity and magnetism. One complete tape is devoted to the study of heat and thermodynamic concepts. With an audio track, sound effects, and a teacher's guide on the DVD.

·         Physics Single-Concept Films Miller Collection (DVD)

DVD Description: This collection is a DVD series created by Franklin Miller, Jr. from his 19 short single-concept films originally produced in 1963 and transcribed to videotape in 1993. The films were originally designed to be silent, encouraging use of the same material in classrooms of students with varying skill levels. The 21 segments cover waves, mechanics, molecular, atomic, and nuclear physics, with an audio track written by Franklin Miller, and a teacher's guide on the DVD written by Miller.

·         The Mechanical Universe: High School Adaptation (DVD)

DVD Description: This noncalculus physics series now on DVD, made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation, was designed under the direction of Richard P. Olenick and a council of 12 prominent high school teachers. Twenty-eight broadcast-quality lessons address such physics subjects as the law of gravitation, waves, electric fields and forces, and relativity. All DVD lessons are supported by carefully designed Instructor’s Guides to support student understanding.

·         Physics of Car Crashes (DVD)

DVD Description: Demonstrate the link between science and car crashes with this fresh look at physics. Students will review a number of crashes and learn how stopping distance and average force affect the outcome of an accident. The program also discusses kinetic energy and the effects of speed. After viewing the program, young scientists and drivers alike will realize that physics plays an important role in their everyday lives and will better understand the factors that influence safe driving.

·         Why Science? James Trefil

Book Description: With conviction and clarity, prize-winning scientist and bestselling author James Trefil explains why every U.S. citizen needs to be “scientifically literate” and, therefore, why our schools must teach the fundamental principles of scientific literacy to every student. And he lays out those principles straightforwardly, so that educators—and everyone who is interested in education—can understand exactly what they are. Trefil knows that initiating a national scientific literacy program won’t be easy, but he convincingly argues that it is essential to our national future. After reading this book, you will agree that, whatever the cost of teaching scientific literacy, we simply can’t afford not to heed his advice. n this enjoyable read, a well-known critic of the status quo in science education describes the woeful state of science knowledge today. Explains why today’s science education is insufficient for tomorrow’s needs. Tackles the key topics of “scientific literacy” and explains how to teach them. Confronts headline issues, including stem cell research, global warming, cloning, and “intelligent design.” Shows why science education is essential to an informed citizenry and how scientific literacy is achievable. Suggests a middle way between the two prevailing approaches to science education: “deep and narrow” vs. “broad but shallow.”

·         The Art of Lecturing: A Practical Guide to Successful University Lectures and Business Presentations, Parham Aarabi

Book Description: This volume is a simple and clear guide to lecturing. It offers strategies for successful lectures in the academic and business communities. Told from a lecturing mindset, this book aims to combat fear and nervousness, while presenting successful tricks and tactics. Parham Aarabi discusses a wide array of practical ideas that may surprise and help even the most experienced public speakers. In addition, Aarabi provides a unique insight into lecturing for 21st century audiences based on his own lecturing experiences at the University of Toronto and Stanford University. Aarabi is the winner of the 2004 IEEE Mac Van Valkenburg Early Career Teaching Award for ‘inspirational classroom instruction’.

Electromagnetism

·         Introduction to Electromagnetic Theory: A Modern Perspective, Tai Chow

Book Description: Perfect for the upper-level undergraduate physics student, Introduction to Electromagnetic Theory presents a complete account of classical electromagnetism with a modern perspective.  Its focused approach delivers numerous problems of varying degrees of difficulty for continued study.  The text gives special attention to concepts that are important for the development of modern physics, and also discusses applications to other areas of physics wherever possible. A generous amount of detail has been in given in mathematical manipulations and vectors are employed right from the start.

·         A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equations, Daniel Fleisch

Book Description: Gauss’s law for electric fields, Gauss’s law for magnetic fields, Faraday’s law, and the Ampere-Maxwell law are four of the most influential equations in science. In this guide for students, each equation is the subject of an entire chapter, with detailed, plain-language explanations of the physical meaning of each symbol in the equation, for both the integral and differential forms. The final chapter shows how Maxwell’s equations may be combined to produce the wave equation, the basis for the electromagnetic theory of light. This book is a wonderful resource for undergraduate and graduate courses in electromagnetism and electromagnetics.

Experimental Methods

Business Week's Review:  Edward Tufte's Beautiful Evidence is a masterpiece from a pioneer in the field of data visualization. His book in brilliant. The Galileo of graphics has done it again. It's not often an iconoclast comes along, trashes the old ways, and replaces them with an irresistible new interpretation. By teasing out the sublime from the seemingly mundane world of charts, graphs, and tables, Tufte has proven to a generation of graphic designers that great thinking begets great presentation. In Beautiful Evidence, his fourth work on analytical design, Tufte digs more deeply into art and science to reveal very old connections between truth and beauty -- all the way from Galileo to Google.

Fluid Mechanics

Book Description: This textbook on continuum mechanics reflects the modern view that scientists and engineers should be trained to think and work in multidisciplinary environments. The book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students. The book features: derivations of the basic equations of mechanics in invariant (vector and tensor) form and specializations of the governing equations to various coordinate systems; numerous illustrative examples; chapter-end summaries; and exercise problems to test and extend the understanding of concepts presented.

Book Description: In recent decades, numerical algorithms and computer power have advanced to the point where computer simulations of the equations fluid flow have become routine. How does that affect the way we teach fluid dynamics? This book seizes on that question. One of its objectives is to integrate computer solutions into fluid dynamics education; another is to review important concepts of fluid dynamics that a computationalist needs in order to understand computed flows. This book provides a development of fluid flow theory in concert with a perspective on how computations are formulated and effected.

Book Description: This book presents the nonlinear theory of continuum mechanics and demonstrates its use in developing nonlinear computer formulations for large displacement dynamic analysis. Basic concepts used in continuum mechanics are presented and used to develop nonlinear general finite element formulations that can be effectively used in large displacement analysis. The book considers two nonlinear finite element dynamic formulations: a general large deformation finite element formulation and a formulation that can efficiently solve small deformation problems that characterize very stiff structures. The book presents material clearly and systematically, assuming the reader has only basic knowledge in matrix and vector algebra and dynamics. The book is designed for use by advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate students. It is also a reference for researchers, practicing engineers, and scientists working in computational mechanics, bio-mechanics, computational biology, multibody system dynamics, and other fields of science and engineering using the general continuum mechanics theory.

General Physics

Book Description: From the Pulitzer Prize winner and best-selling author of Woman, a playful, passionate guide to the science all around us With the singular intelligence and exuberance that made Woman an international sensation, Natalie Angier takes us on a whirligig tour of the scientific canon. She draws on conversations with hundreds of the world's top scientists and on her own work as a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for the New York Times to create a thoroughly entertaining guide to scientific literacy. Angier's gifts are on full display in The Canon, an ebullient celebration of science that stands to become a classic. The Canon is vital reading for anyone who wants to understand the great issues of our time -- from stem cells and bird flu to evolution and global warming. And it's for every parent who has ever panicked when a child asked how the earth was formed or what electricity is. Angier's sparkling prose and memorable metaphors bring the science to life, reigniting our own childhood delight in discovering how the world works. "Of course you should know about science," writes Angier, "for the same reason Dr. Seuss counsels his readers to sing with a Ying or play Ring the Gack: These things are fun and fun is good." The Canon is a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. Along the way, we learn what is actually happening when our ice cream melts or our coffee gets cold, what our liver cells do when we eat a caramel, why the horse is an example of evolution at work, and how we're all really made of stardust. It's Lewis Carroll meets Lewis Thomas -- a book that will enrapture, inspire, and enlighten.

Book Description: This is a fascinating and popular account of the very large and the very small, from the universe as a whole to subatomic physics. It includes qualitative explanations of quantum mechanics and relativity, the big bang with inflation, the synthesis of elements, atoms, nuclei, subnuclear physics, quarks, leptons, and other elementary particles. It also gives an account of dark matter and dark energy. In summary, it provides and overview of what we know about the universe and what it is made of, and also what we don't know.

Book Description: Does a glass of ice water filled to the brim overflow when the ice melts? Does the energy inside a sauna increase when you heat it up? What’s the best way to cool your coffee—adding the creamer first or last? These and other challenging puzzlers provide a fresh—and fun—approach to learning real physics. Presenting both classic and new problems, Brainteaser Physics challenges readers to use imagination and basic physics principles to find the answers. Göran Grimvall, professor of physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, provides detailed and accessible explanations of the solutions, sometimes correcting the standard explanations, sometimes putting a new twist on them.

Book Description: Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. Physicist John J. Fontanella makes physics come alive as you see how Kobe Bryant, Wilt “the Stilt” Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Becky Hammon, and J.J. Reddick do naturally the things that Isaac Newton says they should. With photographs and simple high school formulas, U.S. Naval Academy physics professor Fontanella reveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball.

Book Description: A user’s manual for our everyday world. Louis Bloomfield explains the physics behind the ordinary objects and natural phenomena all around us, and unravels the mysteries of how things work. Topics include how do microwave ovens cook food, how does an iPod use numbers to represent music, how do CDs and DVDs use light to convey information and why are they so colorful, how can a CT or MRI image show a cross-sectional view of a person without actually entering the body, why is the Sun red at sunset and sunrise?

Book Description: For over 40 years, satellites have been orbiting the Earth quietly monitoring the state of our planet. Unseen by most of us, they are providing information on the many changes taking place, from movements in the land and volcanic eruptions, to human-caused changes such as the growth of cities, deforestation and the spread of pollutants in the atmosphere and oceans. Led by four editors with support from a production team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, many of the world's top remote sensing scientists showcase some spectacular and beautiful satellite imagery along with informed essays on the science behind these images and the implications of what is shown. This is a stunningly attractive and informative book for anyone interested in environmental issues and the beauty of our home planet, providing inspiration for students, teachers, environmentalists and the general public alike.

Book Description: Using the cosmos as a backdrop, Rodney Cotterill delivers a fascinating journey of Nature's materials, from the atom to the living organism. This is a beautifully illustrated, expanded account of the highly praised Cambridge Guide to the Material World. The author seamlessly blends the physics, chemistry and biology of Nature, portraying matter with all its elegance and flaws. Although the book is divided into material types, the author connects concepts and pinpoints commonalities between the inorganic and organic domains. It challenges the reader to question our structured view of the world and whether this limits our scientific endeavour, aptly demonstrated by the new chapter devoted exclusively to the mind. Through the breadth of topics and engaging prose, this book will act as a superb introduction to material science for students and those intrigued by the material world we live in.

·         Physics in the Arts, P.U.P.A Glibert & Willy Haeberli

Book Description: Offers an alternative route to science literacy for those interested in the arts, music and photography.

History of Science

Book Description: What's the Matter? draws readers into the ongoing inquiry about the natural world, providing an overview of how physics has developed through the centuries, in the words of the scientists who made the great discoveries.

Book Description: This fascinating book assembles human stories about physicists and mathematicians. Remarkably, these stories cluster around some general themes having to do with the interaction between scientists, and with the impact of historic events — such as the advent of fascism and communism in the twentieth century — on scientists’ behavior. Briefly, but lucidly, some of the beautiful science that brought these scientists together in the first place is explained.

Book Description: This book for the first time chronicles the development of particle accelerators from the invention of electrostatic accelerators, linear accelerators, and the cyclotron to the colliders of today. It also addresses accelerators employed as sources of x-rays, for medical purposes, and in industrial applications. The book identifies the crucial discoveries in applied physics and engineering that have driven the field and gives the reader insight into the people who made these discoveries as well as the methods they used. Particle accelerators exploit every aspect of today’s cutting edge technology to the full and they themselves have contributed to these technologies. It is a saga every bit as fascinating as man’s mastery of transport and communications a century before and from which we have much to learn for the future. Thus, the book should appeal to the general public, scientists, and students. The field of accelerator physics is, at this time, a very active field. The governments of developed and developing countries spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on particle physics research — a pure science with important implications for the understanding of not only particle physics, but also astronomy and cosmology. At the same time there is much activity in developing light sources and spallation neutron sources — both employed for extensive studies in surface science, chemistry, biology, and medicine. There is also large commercial activity in producing accelerators for industrial and medical use.

Book Description: This book deals with the history of physics, covering important developments in physics from the end of the nineteenth century to about 1930. Major topics include relativity theory (both special and general) and quantum mechanics. This book is unique in that it concentrates on anecdotes about the physicists creating the new ideas. Both thematic and biographical in nature, it contains a heavy emphasis on personal incidents or quotes. Readers will be entertained with humorous incidents in the lives of some famous scientists, and simultaneously learn quite a bit of modern physics without the mathematical details, but with the important concepts. Academics and anyone interested in science in the most general sense are likely to want to read this book.

Book Description: This enlightening book, a sequel to Quips, Quotes, and Quanta, helps readers to understand how physicists think about and look at the world. Starting with the discovery and investigation of cosmic rays, the book proceeds to cover some major areas of modern physics in laymen's terms. Unlike other books that deal with the history of physics, this volume concentrates on anecdotes about the physicists who created the new ideas, with a heavy emphasis on personal incidents and quotes. At the same time it presents, in every day language, the ideas created by these physicists. Both thematic and biographical in nature, readers will be entertained with humorous events in the lives of some famous scientists. Readers will also learn quite a lot about modern physics without the mathematical details, but with the important concepts intact.

Book Description: Nuclear Weapons is a history of nuclear weapons. From their initial theoretical development at the start of the twentieth century to the recent tests in North Korea, the author seeks to, at each point in the narrative, describe the basic science of nuclear weaponry. At the same time, he offers accounts and anecdotes of the personalities involved, many of whom he has known firsthand. Dr. Bernstein writes in response to what he sees as a widespread misunderstanding throughout the media of the basic workings and potential impact of nuclear weaponry.

Mechanics

Book Description: This textbook covers all the standard introductory topics in classical mechanics, including Newton's laws, oscillations, energy, momentum, angular momentum, planetary motion, and special relativity. It also explores more advanced topics, such as normal modes, the Lagrangian method, gyroscopic motion, fictitious forces, 4-vectors, and general relativity. It contains more than 250 problems with detailed solutions so students can easily check their understanding of the topic. There are also over 350 unworked exercises which are ideal for homework assignments. The vast number of problems alone makes it an ideal supplementary text for all levels of undergraduate physics courses in classical mechanics. Remarks are scattered throughout the text, discussing issues that are often glossed over in other textbooks, and it is thoroughly illustrated with more than 600 figures to help demonstrate key concepts.

Numerical Methods

Book Description:  Numerical Analysis and Optimization familiarises students with mathematical models (PDEs) and methods of numerical solutions and optimization. Including numerous exercises and examples, this is an ideal text for advanced students in Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Physical Science and Computer Science.

Book Description: In the 1990's it was realized that quantum physics has some spectacular applications in computer science. This book is a concise introduction to quantum computation, developing the basic elements of this new branch of computational theory without assuming any background in physics. It begins with an introduction to the quantum theory from a computer-science perspective. It illustrates the quantum-computational approach with several elementary examples of quantum speed-up, before moving to the major applications: Shor's factoring algorithm, Grover's search algorithm, and quantum error correction. The book is intended primarily for computer scientists who know nothing about quantum theory, but will also be of interest to physicists who want to learn the theory of quantum computation, and philosophers of science interested in quantum foundational issues. It evolved during six years of teaching the subject to undergraduates and graduate students in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and physics, at Cornell University.

Book Description: With the great progress in numerical methods and the speed of the modern personal computer, if you can formulate the correct physics equations, then you only need program a few lines of code to get the answer. Where other books on computational physics dwell on the details of problems, this book takes a detailed look at how to set-up the equations and actually solve them on a PC. Focusing on popular software packages like Mathematica, Maple and MatLab, the book offers undergraduate student a comprehensive treatment of the methodology used in programing solutions to equations in physics.

Particle Physics & Quantum Mechanics

Book Description: Quantum Mechanics: Classical Results, Modern Systems, and Visualized Examples is a comprehensive introduction to non-relativistic quantum mechanics for advanced undergraduate students in physics and related fields. It provides students with a strong conceptual background in the most important theoretical aspects of quantum mechanics, extensive experience with the mathematical tools required to solve problems, the opportunity to use quantum ideas to confront modern experimental realizations of quantum systems, and numerous visualizations of quantum concepts and phenomena. Changes from the First Edition include many new discussions of modern quantum systems (such as Bose-Einstein condensates, the quantum Hall effect, and wave packet revivals) all in the context of familiar textbook level examples. The book continues to emphasize the many connections to classical mechanics and wave physics to help students use their existing intuition to better learn new quantum concepts.

Book Description: This is the third and fully updated edition of the classic textbook on physics at the subatomic level. An up-to-date and lucid introduction to both particle and nuclear physics, the book is suitable for both experimental and theoretical physics students at the senior undergraduate and beginning graduate levels. Topics are introduced with key experiments and their background, encouraging students to think and empowering them with the capability of doing back-of-the-envelope calculations in a diversity of situations. Earlier important experiments and concepts as well as topics of current interest are covered, with extensive use of photographs and figures to convey principal concepts and show experimental data.

Book Description: Gauge fields are the messengers carrying signals between elementary particles, enabling them to interact with each other. Originating at the level of quarks, these basic interactions percolate upwards, through nuclear and atomic physics, through chemical and solid state physics, to make our everyday world go round. This book tells the story of gauge fields, from Maxwell's 1860 theory of electromagnetism to the 1954 theory of Yang and Mills that underlies the Standard Model of elementary particle theory. In the course of the narration, the author introduces people and events in experimental and theoretical physics that contribute to ideas that have shaped our conception of the physical world.

Book Description: The articles in this collection give an idea of the recent work in the basic problems of mechanics, particularly when a judicious combination of classical and quantum mechanics can help us understand and work out the solutions. This approach is new when the behavior of the system is chaotic in the classical regime, and leads directly to the idea of quantum chaos. Many problems in nuclear, atomic, and molecular physics are treated in this way, but also resonances in optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic cavities as well as in mesoscopic devices.

Book Description: The Quantum Challenge, Second Edition is an engaging and thorough treatment of the extraordinary phenomena of quantum mechanics, and of the enormous challenge they present to our conception of the physical world.  Traditionally, the thrill of grappling with such issues is reserved for practicing scientists, while physical science, mathematics, and engineering students are often isolated from these inspiring questions.  This book was written to remove this isolation. Greenstein and Zajonc present the puzzles of quantum mechanics using vivid references to contemporary experiments.  The authors focus on the most striking and conceptually significant quantum phenomena, together with a clear theoretical treatment of each.  The depth and extent of the challenge of quantum mechanics becomes increasingly compelling as they move from the simplest experiments involving single photons or particles, to the famous Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen and Bell's Theorem, and then to macroscopic quantum phenomena.

Book Description: If you need a book that relates the core principles of quantum mechanics to modern applications in engineering, physics, and nanotechnology, this is it. Students will appreciate the book’s applied emphasis, which illustrates theoretical concepts with examples of nanostructured materials, optics, and semiconductor devices. The many worked examples and more than 160 homework problems help students to problem solve and to practice applications of theory. Without assuming a prior knowledge of high-level physics or classical mechanics, the text introduces Schrodinger’s equation, operators, and approximation methods. Systems, including the hydrogen atom and crystalline materials, are analyzed in detail. More advanced subjects, such as density matrices, quantum optics, and quantum information, are also covered. Practical applications and algorithms for the computational analysis of simple structures make this an ideal introduction to quantum mechanics for students of engineering, physics, nanotechnology, and other disciplines.

Book Description: Providing a deeper understanding of the microscopic world through quantum theory, this supplementary text covers a wider range of topics than conventional textbooks. Emphasis is given to modern achievements such as entanglement, quantum teleportation, and Bose-Einstein condensation. Macroscopic quantum effects of practical relevance, for example superconductivity and the quantum Hall effect, are also described. The author discusses the exciting prospects for quantum computing in the future.

Philosophy

Book Description: What is the true nature of space and time? These concepts are at the heart of science, but they remain wrapped in enigma. This unique volume brings together leaders in cosmology, particle physics, quantum gravity, mathematics, philosophy and theology to provide fresh insights into the structure of space and time.

Relativity

Book Description: This textbook fills a gap in the existing literature on general relativity by providing the advanced student with practical tools for the computation of many physically interesting quantities. The context is provided by the mathematical theory of black holes, one of the most successful and relevant applications of general relativity. Topics covered include congruences of timelike and null geodesics, the embedding of spacelike, timelike and null hypersurfaces in spacetime, and the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations of general relativity.

Statistical Physics & Thermodynamics

Book Description: Statistical physics has its origins in attempts to describe the thermal properties of matter in terms of its constituent particles, and has played a fundamental role in the development of quantum mechanics. Based on lectures taught by Professor Kardar at MIT, this textbook introduces the central concepts and tools of statistical physics. It contains a chapter on probability and related issues such as the central limit theorem and information theory, and covers interacting particles, with an extensive description of the van der Waals equation and its derivation by mean field approximation.

Book Description: This introductory textbook for standard undergraduate courses in thermodynamics has been completely rewritten. Starting with an overview of important quantum behaviors, the book teaches students how to calculate probabilities, in order to provide a firm foundation for later chapters. It introduces the ideas of classical thermodynamics and explores them both in general and as they are applied to specific processes and interactions. The remainder of the book deals with statistical mechanics - the study of small systems interacting with huge reservoirs. The changes to this second edition have been made after more than 10 years classroom testing and student feedback. Each topic ends with a boxed summary of ideas and results, and every chapter contains numerous homework problems, covering a broad range of difficulties.

Book Description: Phase diagrams are used in materials research and engineering to understand the interrelationship between composition, microstructure and process conditions. In complex systems, computational methods such as CALPHAD are employed to model thermodynamic properties for each phase and simulate multicomponent phase behavior. Written by recognized experts in the field, this is the first introductory guide to the CALPHAD method, providing a theoretical and practical approach. Building on core thermodynamic principles, this book applies crystallography, first principles methods and experimental data to computational phase behavior modeling using the CALPHAD method. With a chapter dedicated to creating thermodynamic databases, the reader will be confident in assessing, optimizing and validating complex thermodynamic systems alongside database construction and manipulation. Several case studies put the methods into a practical context, making this suitable for use on advanced materials design and engineering courses and an