Physics Books

Book SynopsisThe definitive, internationally bestselling biography of Albert Einstein from the author of The Innovators, Steve Jobs and Benjamin Franklin.**Now the basis of Genius, the ten-part National Geographic series on the life of Albert Einstein, starring the Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor Geoffrey Rush** How did Einstein’s mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson’s biography shows how Einstein’s scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk – a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate – became the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom, and the universe. His success came from

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Book SynopsisA theoretical physicist and feminist theorist, Karen Barad elaborates her theory of agential realism, a schema that is at once a new epistemology, ontology, and ethics.Trade Review“Meeting the Universe Halfway is highly original, exciting, and important. In this book Karen Barad puts her expertise in feminist studies and quantum physics to superb use, offering agential realism as an important alternative to representationalism.”—Arthur Zajonc, coauthor of The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundation of Quantum Mechanics“Meeting the Universe Halfway is the most important and exciting book in science studies that I have read in a long time. Karen Barad provides an original and satisfying response to a perennial problem in philosophy and cultural theory: how to grasp matter and meaning or causality and discourse together, without either erasing one of them or introducing an unbridgeable dualism. These theoretical abstractions come alive in Barad’s vivid examples; she shows that uncompromisingly rigorous analysis of difficult theoretical issues need not sacrifice concreteness or accessibility. Her methodological lessons from the diffraction of light and her convincing interpretations of familiar puzzles and recent experimental results in quantum physics also display how science and science studies can genuinely learn from one another. What other book could be a ‘must read’ in such diverse fields as science studies, foundations of quantum mechanics, feminist and queer theory, and philosophical metaphysics and epistemology?”—Joseph Rouse, Wesleyan University“Karen Barad’s Meeting the Universe Halfway makes fundamental contributions to science studies, philosophy, feminist theory, and physics—it is a rare book that can do that. This is an important, ambitious, readable, risk-taking, and very smart book, one to savor and grow with. Barad elaborates Niels Bohr’s philosophy-physics in the light of feminist science studies to propose an account of material-discursive practices in scientific knowledge. Eschewing all romantic appropriations of quantum physics that evade strong knowledge claims, Barad argues that Bohr’s interpretation of the experimental-theoretical nexus of quantum mechanics is crucial to understanding how observations and agencies of observation cannot be independent. ‘Agencies of observation’ are not liberal opinion-bearers, but situated entities made up of humans and non-humans in specific relationship. Reality is not independent of our explorations of it; and reality is not a matter of opinion, but of the material consequences of some cuts and not others made in the fabric of the world. As Barad reminds us, identities are always formed in intra-action. Ethical practices and consequences are intrinsic to the web. These issues are at the heart of debates about ‘constructivism,’ ‘realism,’ and the import of science studies, including feminist science studies, for configuring the nature of objective knowledge and the kinds of authorized actors in public worlds deeply shaped by science and technology.”—Donna Haraway, author of Modest_Witness@Second_Millennium.FemaleMan©_Meets_OncoMouse™: Feminism and Technoscience“Meeting the Universe Halfway is an ambitious, thought-provoking, challenging book. . . . The book is a provocative, generative, contribution to our attempts to provide effective tools to describe and understand the rapidly changing world we are part of. It deserves wide analysis and discussion. My intent here is to argue that it merits the serious attention of historians, philosophers, sociologists of science, and science studies and STS scholars.” -- S. S. Schweber * ISIS *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ix Part I. Entangled Beginnings Introduction: The Science and Ethics of Mattering 3 1. Meeting the Universe Halfway 39 2. Diffractions: Differences, Contingencies, and Entanglements That Matter 71 Part II. Intra-Actions Matter 3. Niels Bohr's Philosophy-Physics: Quantum Physics and the Nature of Knowledge and Reality 97 4. Agential Realism: How Material-Discursive Practices Matter 132 Part III. Entanglements and Re(Con)figurations 5. Getting Real: Technoscientific Practices and the Materialization of Reality 189 6. Spacetime Re(con)figurings: Naturalcultural Forces and Changing Topologies of Power 223 7. Quantum Entanglements: Experimental Metaphysics and the Nature of Nature 247 8. The Ontology of Knowing, the Intra-activity of Becoming, and the Ethics of Mattering 353 Appendix A. Cascade Experiment, by Alice Fulton 397 Appendix B. The Uncertainty Principle is Not the Basis of Bohr's Complementarity 399 Appendix C. Controversy concerning the Relationship between Bohr's Principle of Complementarity and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle 402 Notes 405 References 477 Index 493

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Book SynopsisThis concise book introduces nonphysicists to the core philosophical issues surrounding the nature and structure of space and time, and is also an ideal resource for physicists interested in the conceptual foundations of space-time theory. Tim Maudlin's broad historical overview examines Aristotelian and Newtonian accounts of space and time, and trTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "Taking up the conceptual foundations of classical and modern physics, Maudlin explains in a clear manner how Einstein's special and general theories of relativity emerged from Newtonian mechanics and Galilean relativity... This is a solid work that deserves careful study and rewards readers accordingly."--Choice "I would highly recommend Philosophy of Physics to anyone who wants to get a deeper historical and philosophical perspective on the nature of space and time, as well as to any physics student who has been confused by the twin paradox."--Robert M. Wald, Physics Today "Maudlin has successfully undertaken a very difficult task: to write a book about the physical theories of space and time, accessible to every learned person with genuine interest in philosophy and the foundations of physics, with little mathematical prerequisites but without betraying the physical theories. We are really anxious to read the second volume of his work."--Chrysovalantis Stergiou, Metascience "An accessible and highly engaging introduction to the major issues in the physics of space and time."--Matt Farr, Philosophy in ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: The Aim and Structure of These Volumes xi Chapter One Classical Accounts of Space and Time 1 The Birth of Physics 1 Newton's First Law and Absolute Space 4 Absolute Time and the Persistence of Absolute Space 9 The Metaphysics of Absolute Space and Time 12 Chapter Two Evidence for Spatial and Temporal Structure 17 Newton's Second Law and the Bucket Experiment 17 Arithmetic, Geometry, and Coordinates 24 The Symmetries of Space and the Leibniz-Clarke Debate 34 Chapter Three Eliminating Unobservable Structure 47 Absolute Velocity and Galilean Relativity 47 Galilean Space-Time 54 Chapter Four Special Relativity 67 Special Relativity and Minkowski Space-Time 67 The Twins Paradox 77 Minkowski Straightedge, Minkowski Compass 83 Constructing Lorentz Coordinates 87 Chapter Five The Physics of Measurement 106 The Clock Hypothesis 106 Abstract Boosts and Physical Boosts 114 The "Constancy of the Speed of Light" 120 Deeper Accounts of Physical Principles 124 Chapter Six General Relativity 126 Curved Space and Curved Space-Time 126 Geometrizing Away Gravity 131 Black Holes and the Big Bang 140 The Hole Argument 146 Suggested Readings on General Relativity 152 Chapter Seven The Direction and Topology of Time 153 The Geometry of Time 153 Time Travel as a Technical Problem 162 The Direction of Time 165 Appendix: Some Problems in Special Relativistic Physics 171 References 177 Index 181

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface xiii Acknowledgments xv 1 The Physics of Waves 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 One-Dimensional Wave Equation 1 1.3 General Solutions to the 1D Wave Equation 3 1.4 Harmonic Traveling Waves 5 1.5 The Principle of Superposition 7 1.5.1 Periodic Traveling Waves 7 1.5.2 Linear Independence 7 1.6 Complex Numbers and the Complex Representation 8 1.6.1 Complex Algebra 9 1.6.2 The Complex Representation of Harmonic Waves 11 1.7 The Three-Dimensional Wave Equation 12 1.7.1 Spherical Coordinates 13 1.7.2 Three-Dimensional Plane Waves 13 1.7.3 Spherical Waves 15 Problems 16 2 Electromagnetic Waves and Photons 23 2.1 Introduction 23 2.2 Electromagnetism 23 2.3 Electromagnetic Wave Equations 29 2.3.1 Transverse Electromagnetic Waves 31 2.3.2 Energy Flow and the Poynting Vector 33 2.3.3 Irradiance 34 2.4 Photons 37 2.4.1 Single-Photon Interference 41 2.5 The Electromagnetic Spectrum 42 Problems 43 3 Reflection and Refraction 51 3.1 Introduction 51 3.2 Overview of Reflection and Refraction 51 3.2.1 Fermat’s Principle of Least Time 55 3.3 Maxwell’s Equations at an Interface 57 3.3.1 Boundary Conditions 57 3.3.2 Electromagnetic Waves at an Interface 58 3.4 The Fresnel Equations 60 3.4.1 Incident Wave Polarized Normal to the Plane of Incidence 61 3.4.2 Incident Wave Polarized Parallel to the Plane of Incidence 63 3.5 Interpretation of the Fresnel Equations 65 3.5.1 Normal Incidence 66 3.5.2 Brewster’s Angle 66 3.5.3 Total Internal Reflection 68 3.5.4 Plots of the Fresnel Equations vs. Incident Angle 71 3.5.5 Phase Changes on Reflection 72 3.5.5.1 Summary 75 3.6 Reflectivity and Transmissivity 75 3.6.1 Plots of Reflectivity and Transmissivity vs. Incident Angle 78 3.6.2 The Evanescent Wave 79 3.7 Scattering 81 3.7.1 Atmospheric Scattering 82 3.7.2 Rainbows 82 3.7.3 Parhelia 85 3.8 Optical Materials 86 3.9 Dispersion 86 3.9.1 Dispersion in Dielectric Media 86 3.9.1.1 Nonconducting Gases 92 3.9.2 Dispersion in Conducting Media 94 3.9.2.1 Reflection from Conductors 97 Problems 100 4 Geometric Optics I 107 4.1 Introduction 107 4.2 Reflection and Refraction at Aspheric Surfaces 107 4.3 Reflection and Refraction at a Spherical Surface 112 4.3.1 The Paraxial Approximation 112 4.3.2 Spherical Reflecting Surfaces 113 4.3.2.1 Sign Conventions for Reflecting Surfaces 114 4.3.3 Spherical Refracting Surfaces 115 4.3.4 Sign Conventions and Ray Diagrams 117 4.4 Lens Combinations 121 4.4.1 Thin Lenses in Close Combination 122 4.5 Optical Instruments 123 4.5.1 The Camera 123 4.5.2 The Eye 124 4.5.3 The Magnifying Glass 125 4.5.4 The Compound Microscope 126 4.5.5 The Telescope 127 4.5.6 The Exit Pupil 128 4.6 Optical Fibers 129 Problems 133 5 Geometric Optics II 139 5.1 Introduction 139 5.2 Aberrations 139 5.2.1 Chromatic Aberration 139 5.2.2 Spherical Aberration 143 5.2.3 Astigmatism and Coma 143 5.2.4 Field Curvature 143 5.2.5 Diffraction 144 5.3 Principal Points and Effective Focal Lengths in Paraxial Optics 144 5.4 Thick Paraxial Lenses 148 5.4.1 Principal Points and Effective Focal Lengths of Thick Paraxial Lenses 149 5.5 Introduction to Matrix Methods in Paraxial Geometrical Optics 153 5.5.1 The Translation Matrix 153 5.5.2 The Refraction Matrix 155 5.5.3 The Reflection Matrix 156 5.5.4 The Ray Transfer Matrix 157 5.5.5 Location of Principal Points and Effective Focal Lengths for an Optical System 161 5.6 Radiometry 165 5.6.1 Extended Sources 166 5.6.1.1 Spectral Distributions 168 5.6.1.2 Conservation of Radiance 168 5.6.2 Radiometry of Blackbody Sources 169 5.6.3 Rayleigh–Jeans Theory and the Ultraviolet Catastrophe 170 5.6.4 Planck’s Quantum Theory of Blackbody Radiation 173 Problems 176 6 Polarization 185 6.1 Introduction 185 6.2 Linear Polarization 185 6.2.1 Linear Polarizers 186 6.2.2 Linear Polarizer Design 188 6.3 Birefringence 191 6.4 Circular and Elliptical Polarization 194 6.4.1 Wave Plates and Circular Polarizers 196 6.5 Jones Vectors and Matrices 199 6.5.1 Jones Matrices 201 6.5.2 Birefringent Colors 204 Problems 207 7 Superposition and Interference 213 7.1 Introduction 213 7.2 Superposition of Harmonic Waves 213 7.3 Interference Between Two Monochromatic Electromagnetic Waves 214 7.3.1 Linear Power Detection 215 7.3.2 Interference Between Beams with the Same Frequency 216 7.3.2.1 Young’s Double-Slit Experiment 216 7.3.3 Thin-Film Interference 219 7.3.4 Quasi-Monochromatic Sources 222 7.3.5 Fringe Geometry 222 7.3.5.1 Lloyd’s Mirror 223 7.3.5.2 Newton’s Rings 223 7.3.6 Interference Between Beams with Different Frequencies 224 7.3.6.1 Coherent Detection 226 7.4 Fourier Analysis 229 7.4.1 Fourier Transforms 229 7.4.2 Position Space, k-Space Domain 230 7.4.3 Frequency–Time Domain 234 7.5 Properties of Fourier Transforms 234 7.5.1 Symmetry Properties 234 7.5.2 Linearity 235 7.5.3 Transform of a Transform 236 7.6 Wavepackets 236 7.7 Group and Phase Velocity 241 7.8 Interferometry 243 7.8.1 Energy Conservation and Complementary Fringe Patterns 248 7.9 Single-Photon Interference 250 7.10 Multiple-Beam Interference 251 7.10.1 The Scanning Fabry–Perot Interferometer 254 7.11 Interference in Multilayer Films 257 7.11.1 Antireflection Films 261 7.11.2 High-Reflectance Films 263 7.11.2.1 Fabry–Perot Interference Filters 264 7.12 Coherence 265 7.12.1 Temporal Coherence 265 7.12.2 Spatial Coherence 266 7.12.3 Michelson’s Stellar Interferometer 269 7.12.4 Irradiance Interferometry 270 7.12.5 Telescope Arrays 271 Problems 272 8 Diffraction 281 8.1 Introduction 281 8.2 Huygens’ Principle 282 8.2.1 Babinet’s Principle 284 8.3 Fraunhofer Diffraction 284 8.3.1 Single Slit 285 8.3.2 Rectangular Aperture 290 8.3.3 Circular Aperture 291 8.3.4 Optical Resolution 294 8.3.5 More on Stellar Interferometry 295 8.3.6 Double Slit 295 8.3.7 N Slits: The Diffraction Grating 296 8.3.8 The Diffraction Grating 298 8.3.8.1 Chromatic Resolving Power 302 8.3.9 Fraunhofer Diffraction as a Fourier Transform 304 8.3.10 Apodization 306 8.3.10.1 Apertures with Circular Symmetry 307 8.4 Fresnel Diffraction 309 8.4.1 Fresnel Zones 310 8.4.1.1 Circular Apertures 313 8.4.1.2 Circular Obstacles 313 8.4.1.3 Fresnel Zone Plate 316 8.4.2 Holography 320 8.4.3 Numerical Analysis of Fresnel Diffraction with Circular Symmetry 321 8.4.4 Fresnel Diffraction from Apertures with Cartesian Symmetry 323 8.4.4.1 Semi-Infinite Straightedge 326 8.4.4.2 Single Slit 327 8.4.4.3 Rectangular Aperture 329 8.5 Introduction to Quantum Electrodynamics 330 8.5.1 Feynman’s Interpretation 333 Problems 334 9 Lasers 343 9.1 Introduction 343 9.2 Energy Levels in Atoms, Molecules, and Solids 343 9.2.1 Atomic Energy Levels 343 9.2.2 Molecular Energy Levels 346 9.2.3 Solid-State Energy Bands 348 9.2.4 Semiconductor Devices 352 9.3 Stimulated Emission and Light Amplification 354 9.4 Laser Systems 357 9.4.1 Atomic Gas Lasers 358 9.4.1.1 Helium–Neon Laser 359 9.4.2 Molecular Gas Lasers 360 9.4.2.1 Carbon Dioxide Laser 360 9.4.3 Solid-State Lasers 362 9.4.3.1 Diode Lasers 363 9.4.4 Other Laser Systems 364 9.5 Longitudinal Cavity Modes 365 9.6 Frequency Stability 366 9.7 Introduction to Gaussian Beams 367 9.7.1 Overview of Gaussian Beam Properties 367 9.8 Gaussian Beam Properties 369 9.8.1 Approximate Solutions to the Wave Equation 370 9.8.2 Paraxial Spherical Gaussian Beams 372 9.8.3 Gaussian Beam Focusing 373 9.8.4 Matrix Methods and the ABCD Law 376 9.9 Laser Cavities 377 9.9.1 Laser Cavity with Equal Mirror Curvatures 377 9.9.2 Laser Cavity with Unequal Mirror Curvatures 379 9.9.3 Stable Resonators 381 9.9.4 Traveling Wave Resonators 385 9.9.5 Unstable Resonators 385 9.9.6 Transverse Cavity Modes 386 9.10 Electro-optics and Nonlinear Optics 387 9.10.1 The Electro-optic Effect 388 9.10.1.1 Pockels Cells 388 9.10.1.2 Kerr Cells 390 9.10.2 Optical Activity 390 9.10.2.1 Faraday Rotation 392 9.10.3 Acousto-optic Effect 393 9.10.4 Nonlinear Optics 397 9.10.4.1 Harmonic Generation 398 9.10.4.2 Phase Conjugation Reflection by Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing 402 9.10.5 Frequency Mixing 404 Problems 405 10 Optical Imaging 419 10.1 Introduction 419 10.2 Abbe Theory of Image Formation 419 10.2.1 Phase Contrast Microscope 424 10.3 The Point Spread Function 425 10.3.1 Coherent vs. Incoherent Images 426 10.3.2 Speckle 430 10.4 Resolving Power of Optical Instruments 431 10.5 Image Recording 432 10.5.1 Photographic Film 433 10.5.2 Digital Detector Arrays 434 10.6 Contrast Transfer Function 436 10.7 Spatial Filtering 437 10.8 Adaptive Optics 441 Problems 443 Appendix A Chapter 1 Appendix: Transverse Traveling Waves on a String 449 Appendix B Chapter 2 Appendix: Electromagnetic Wave Equations 451 B. 1 Maxwell’s Equations in Differential Form and Wave Equations for ⃗E and ⃗B 451 B. 2 Method 1: Cartesian Coordinates 451 B.2. 1 Wave Equations for ⃗E and ⃗B 455 B. 3 Method 2: Vector Calculus 456 B.3. 1 Wave Equations for ⃗E and ⃗B 457 Appendix C Chapter 5 Appendix: Calculation of the Jeans Number 459 Appendix D Chapter 7 Appendix: Fourier Series 461 D.1 Real Fourier Series 461 D.2 Complex Fourier Series 467 D.3 Nonperiodic Functions and Fourier Transforms 468 Problems 470 Appendix E Solutions to Selected Problems 473 Bibliography 553 Index 555

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking new series from bestselling author Sean CarrollTrade Review‘Neat, and extremely simple: only a deep thinker such as Sean Carroll could introduce the complexity of Einstein’s general relativity in such a luminous and straightforward manner.’ -- Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics‘Sean Carroll has achieved something I thought impossible: a bridge between popular science and the mathematical universe of working physicists. Magnificent!’ -- Brian Clegg, author of Ten Days in Physics that Shook the World'What is most appealing in this ambitious book is its combination of technical accuracy and lightness of tone…reader-friendly… the scientific and mathematical aspects of the book are impeccable.' -- Wall Street Journal'Reading The Biggest Ideas in the Universe is like taking an introductory physics class with a star professor – but with all of the heady lectures and none of the tedious problem sets… For those without the [STEM] background, [the result] might feel like a porthole into another world.' -- Scientific American‘Do popular books about physics leave you feeling that you’re just getting stories and not real science? If so, this is the book for you. In a clear and non-scary way, it explains the mathematical theories behind what physicists really think. Carroll’s trilogy will plug a big gap in how physics is communicated to non-specialists – and to judge from this first volume, will do so brilliantly.’ -- Philip Ball, author of Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different‘As a ten-year-old physics enthusiast, I would have loved The Biggest Ideas in the Universe. With this book, Sean Carroll rejects traditional elitism in physics and welcomes in anyone who knows only a little algebra but wants to understand the whole universe.’ -- Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, author of The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred‘Sean Carroll is a wizard of empathy. In this short book, the first of three on The Biggest Ideas in the Universe, he anticipates what’s always confused you about physics and then gently guides you to enlightenment… and ultimately, to newfound wonder.’ -- Steven Strogatz, author of The Joy of X and Infinite Powers'Sean Carroll shows… that the essence of physics, including its fundamental equations, can be made accessible to anyone equipped with no more than high school math. Carroll is an accomplished science writer, a talent with few peers… The Biggest Ideas in the Universe brings science dissemination to a new level. In doing so, the biggest and most consequential idea in Carroll’s trilogy might well be that substantive discussions about science can ultimately be had by everyone.' -- Science‘Sean Carroll has produced a guide to relativity theory for the 21st century, plugging the gap between “popularisations” that emphasise the oddities without giving the facts, and textbooks that train students to manipulate equations without providing insight into what it all means. He will open your eyes to the way physicists view the universe, making fundamental ideas accessible without the need for a degree in science, but bravely ignoring the old adage that adding equations will scare readers off. Don’t be scared; this is the best lay-person’s guide to the subject, written in an accessible, entertaining style and impeccably accurate. And the author promises to tackle quantum theory next! I can’t wait.’ -- John Gribbin, senior honorary research fellow in astronomy, University of Sussex‘Sean Carroll’s greatest gift isn’t that he’s an expert on the fundamentals of physics, which he is, but that he never speaks down to his reader. He assumes that anyone, even the uninitiated, can learn to understand the formulae that underlie complicated concepts like space and time. It is a pleasure to read his work, a greater pleasure still to get a world-class education from such a witty, thoughtful teacher.’ -- Annalee Newitz, author of The Future of Another Timeline‘No-nonsense, not-dumbed-down explanations of basic laws of the universe that reward close attention.’ -- Kirkus'One-of-a-kind… Carroll flips the script and illuminates the form and beauty underlying a discipline that helps us understand all that exists.' -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisTwenty years after Stephen Hawking's 9-million-copy selling A Brief History of Time, pioneering theoretical physicist Sean Carroll takes our investigation into the nature of time to the next level. You can't unscramble an egg and you can't remember the future. But what if time doesn't (or didn't!) always go in the same direction? Carroll's paradigm-shifting research suggests that other universes experience time running in the opposite direction to our own. Exploring subjects from entropy and quantum mechanics to time travel and the meaning of life, Carroll presents a dazzling new view of how we came to exist.Trade Review'Forget Stephen Hawking's Brief History: this mind-blowing book is the real deal... Fascinating.' * Times Higher Education, Book of the Week *'Carroll's insight will intrigue anyone... Most enjoyable.' * BBC Focus *

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction; Safety information; Practical skills; 1. Using apparatus; 2. Limitations and improvements; 3. Kinematics and dynamics; 4. Forces, work and energy; 5. Matter and materials; 6. Electric current, potential differences and resistance; 7. Resistance and resistivity; 8. Waves; 9. Planning and data analysis; 10. Circular motion and gravitational fields; 11. Oscillations; 12. Thermal physics and ideal gases; 13. Coulombs law and capacitance; 14. Magnetic fields, electromagnetism and charged particles; 15. Electromagnetic induction and alternating currents; 16. Quantum physics, nuclear physics and medical imaging; 17. Astronomy and cosmology; Glossary.

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Book SynopsisThe legendary introduction to physics from the subject's greatest teacher"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Now, we are reintroducing the printed books to the trade, fully corrected, for the first time ever, and in collaboration with Caltech. Timeless and collectible, the lectures are essential reading, not just for students of physics but for anyone seeking an introduction to the field from the inimitable Feynman.

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Book SynopsisIn For the Love of Physics, beloved MIT professor Walter Lewin, whose riveting physics lectures made him a YouTube super-star, takes readers on a remarkably fun, inventive, and often wacky journey that brings the joys of physics to life.“For the Love of Physics captures Walter Lewin’s extraordinary intellect, passion for physics, and brilliance as a teacher”—Bill Gates. For more than thirty years as a renowned professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lewin’s lectures made physics not only accessible but fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with three hundred thousand volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and clouds are white. In For the Love of Physics, Lewin takes readers on a marvelous journey, opening our eyes as never before to the wonders of physics and its amazing ability to reveal the beauty and power embedded in ou

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Book SynopsisIn addition to his ground-breaking research, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg is known for a series of highly praised texts on various aspects of physics, combining exceptional physical insight with his gift for clear exposition. Describing the foundations of modern physics in their historical context and with some new derivations, Weinberg introduces topics ranging from early applications of atomic theory through thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, transport theory, special relativity, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and quantum field theory. This volume provides the basis for advanced undergraduate and graduate physics courses as well as being a handy introduction to aspects of modern physics for working scientists.Trade Review'By using the notion of fundamental constituents as the guiding historical and theoretical principle, Weinberg manages to lay the foundations of diverse disciplines (hydrodynamics, statistical mechanics, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, special relativity, quantum mechanics and even field theory) in less than 300 pages.' CERN Courier, Opinion Reviews'Whereas many textbooks forgo historical notes, Weinberg delights the reader by adding terse yet apt context to the physical concepts he introduces … It is as if he is imagining what students might be puzzled by and then solves those problems … everyone will want to have Foundations of Modern Physics on their bookshelf. There is always something new to be found in it, and - similar to having a conversation about physics with Weinberg - there is never a dull moment when reading it.' Melissa Franklin, Physics TodayTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Early atomic theory; 2. Thermodynamics and kinetic theory; 3. Early quantum theory; 4. Relativity; 5. Quantum mechanics; 6. Nuclear physics; 7. Quantum field theory: assorted problems; Bibliography; Author index; Subject index.

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Book SynopsisMany student private pilots don’t realize at the start of their course that many hours of study are required on top of the in-class schedule. This book will help those trainee pilots without science backgrounds, or those that need a refresher, to brush up on the necessary theory. It covers subjects that will be encountered many times during the PPL course, such as principles of flight, aircraft general knowledge, flight performance and planning, meteorology, navigation and human factors. The content is organized around two main groups of information, namely core knowledge, concentrating more on the concepts; and a practical toolbox, dedicated to some techniques that will be required during the course.

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Book SynopsisIn response to popular demand, University Science Books is delighted to announce the one and only authorized Student Solutions Manual for John R. Taylor's internationally best-selling textbook, Classical Mechanics. This splendid little manual, by the textbook's own author, restates the odd-numbered problems from the book and the provides crystal-clear, detailed solutions. Of course, the author strongly recommends that students avoid sneaking a peek at these solutions until after attempting to solve the problems on their own! But for those who put in the effort, this manual will be an invaluable study aid to help students who take a wrong turn, who can't go any further on their own, or who simply wish to check their work.

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Book Synopsis Learn how to think like a physicist from a Nobel laureate and 'one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century' (New York Review of Books) with these six classic and beloved lessons  It was Richard Feynman's outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics. From 1961 to 1963, Feynman delivered a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. Six Easy Pieces, taken from these famous Lectures on Physics, represent the most accessible material from the series.   In these classic lessons, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the relationship of physics to other topics. With his dazzling and inimitable wit, Feynman presents each discussion with a minimum of jargon. Filled with wonderful examples and clever illustrations, Six Easy Pieces is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of physics by one of the most admired and accessible physicists of modern times.   'If one book was all that could be passed on to the next generation of scientists it would undoubtedly have to be Six Easy Pieces.'- John Gribbin, New Scientist

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsChapter 1: Crystal Structure 1 Periodic Arrays of Atoms 3 Lattice Translation Vectors 4 Basis and the Crystal Structure 5 Primitive Lattice Cell 6 Fundamental Types of Lattices 6 Two-Dimensional Lattice Types 8 Three-Dimensional Lattice Types 9 Index Systems for Crystal Planes 11 Simple Crystal Structures 13 Sodium Chloride Structure 13 Cesium Chloride Structure 14 Hexagonal Close-Packed Structure (hcp) 15 Diamond Structure 16 Cubic Zinc Sulfide Structure 17 Direct Imaging of Atomic Structure 18 Nonideal Crystal Structures 18 Random Stacking and Polytypism 19 Crystal Structure Data 19 Summary 22 Problems 22 Chapter 2: Wave Diffraction And The Reciprocal Lattice 25 Diffraction of Waves by Crystals 27 The Bragg Law 27 Scattered Wave Amplitude 28 Fourier Analysis 29 Reciprocal Lattice Vectors 31 Diffraction Conditions 32 Laue Equations 34 Brillouin Zones 35 Reciprocal Lattice to sc Lattice 36 Reciprocal Lattice to bcc Lattice 38 Reciprocal Lattice to fcc Lattice 39 Fourier Analysis of the Basis 41 Structure Factor of the bcc Lattice 42 Structure Factor of the fcc Lattice 42 Atomic Form Factor 43 Summary 45 Problems 45 Chapter 3: Crystal Binding And Elastic Constants 49 Crystals of Inert Gases 51 Van der Waals–London Interaction 55 Repulsive Interaction 58 Equilibrium Lattice Constants 60 Cohesive Energy 61 Ionic Crystals 62 Electrostatic or Madelung Energy 62 Evaluation of the Madelung Constant 66 Covalent Crystals 69 Metals 71 Hydrogen Bonds 72 Atomic Radii 72 Ionic Crystal Radii 74 Analysis of Elastic Strains 75 Dilation 77 Stress Components 77 Elastic Compliance and Stiffness Constants 79 Elastic Energy Density 79 Elastic Stiffness Constants of Cubic Crystals 80 Bulk Modulus and Compressibility 82 Elastic Waves in Cubic Crystals 82 Waves in the [100] Direction 83 Waves in the [110] Direction 84 Summary 87 Problems 87 Chapter 4: phonons I. Crystal vibrations 91 Vibrations of Crystals with Monatomic Basis 93 First Brillouin Zone 95 Group Velocity 96 Long Wavelength Limit 96 Derivation of Force Constants from Experiment 96 Two Atoms per Primitive Basis 97 Quantization of Elastic Waves 101 Phonon Momentum 102 Inelastic Scattering by Phonons 102 Summary 104 Problems 104 Chapter 5: phonons 11. Thermal properties 107 Phonon Heat Capacity 109 Planck Distribution 109 Normal Mode Enumeration 110 Density of States in One Dimension 110 Density of States in Three Dimensions 113 Debye Model for Density of States 114 Debye T3 Law 116 Einstein Model of the Density of States 116 General Result for D( ) 119 Anharmonic Crystal Interactions 121 Thermal Expansion 122 Thermal Conductivity 123 Thermal Resistivity of Phonon Gas 125 Umklapp Processes 127 Imperfections 128 Problems 130 Chapter 6: Free Electron Fermi Gas 133 Energy Levels in One Dimension 136 Effect of Temperature on the FermiDirac Distribution 138 Free Electron Gas in Three Dimensions 139 Heat Capacity of the Electron Gas 143 Experimental Heat Capacity of Metals 147 Heavy Fermions 149 Electrical Conductivity and Ohm’s Law 149 Experimental Electrical Resistivity of Metals 150 Umklapp Scattering 153 Motion in Magnetic Fields 154 Hall Effect 155 Thermal Conductivity of Metals 158 Ratio of Thermal to Electrical Conductivity 158 Problems 159 Chapter 7: Energy Bands 163 Nearly Free Electron Model 166 Origin of the Energy Gap 167 Magnitude of the Energy Gap 169 Bloch Functions 169 Kronig-Penney Model 170 Wave Equation of Electron in a Periodic Potential 171 Restatement of the Bloch Theorem 175 Crystal Momentum of an Electron 175 Solution of the Central Equation 176 Kronig-Penney Model in Reciprocal Space 176 Empty Lattice Approximation 178 Approximate Solution Near a Zone Boundary 179 Number of Orbitals in a Band 182 Metals and Insulators 183 Summary 184 Problems 184 Chapter 8: Semiconductor Crystals 187 Band Gap 189 Equations of Motion 193 Physical Derivation of 195 Holes 196 Effective Mass 199 Physical Interpretation of the Effective Mass 200 Effective Masses in Semiconductors 202 Silicon and Germanium 204 Intrinsic Carrier Concentration 207 Intrinsic Mobility 210 Impurity Conductivity 211 Donor States 211 Acceptor States 213 Thermal Ionization of Donors and Acceptors 215 Thermoelectric Effects 216 Semimetals 217 Superlattices 218 Bloch Oscillator 219 Zener Tunneling 219 Summary 219 Problems 220 Chapter 9: Fermi Surfaces And Metals 223 Reduced Zone Scheme 225 Periodic Zone Scheme 227 Construction of Fermi Surfaces 228 Nearly Free Electrons 230 Electron Orbits, Hole Orbits, and Open Orbits 232 Calculation of Energy Bands 234 Tight Binding Method for Energy Bands 234 Wigner-Seitz Method 238 Cohesive Energy 239 Pseudopotential Methods 241 Experimental Methods in Fermi Surface Studies 244 Quantization of Orbits in a Magnetic Field 244 De Haas-van Alphen Effect 246 Extremal Orbits 250 Fermi Surface of Copper 251 Magnetic Breakdown 253 Summary 254 Problems 254 Chapter 10: Superconductivity 259 Experimental Survey 261 Occurrence of Superconductivity 262 Destruction of Superconductivity by Magnetic Fields 264 Meissner Effect 264 Heat Capacity 266 Energy Gap 268 Microwave and Infrared Properties 270 Isotope Effect 271 Theoretical Survey 272 Thermodynamics of the Superconducting Transition 272 London Equation 275 Coherence Length 278 BCS Theory of Superconductivity 279 BCS Ground State 280 Flux Quantization in a Superconducting Ring 281 Duration of Persistent Currents 284 Type II Superconductors 285 Vortex State 286 Estimation of Hc1 and Hc2 286 Single Particle Tunneling 289 Josephson Superconductor Tunneling 291 Dc Josephson Effect 291 Ac Josephson Effect 292 Macroscopic Quantum Interference 294 High-Temperature Superconductors 295 Summary 296 Problems 296 Reference 298 Chapter 11: Diamagnetism And Paramagnetism 299 Langevin Diamagnetism Equation 301 Quantum Theory of Diamagnetism of Mononuclear Systems 303 Paramagnetism 304 Quantum Theory of Paramagnetism 304 Rare Earth Ions 307 Hund Rules 308 Iron Group Ions 309 Crystal Field Splitting 309 Quenching of the Orbital Angular Momentum 310 Spectroscopic Splitting Factor 313 Van Vleck Temperature-Independent Paramagnetism 313 Cooling by Isentropic Demagnetization 314 Nuclear Demagnetization 316 Paramagnetic Susceptibility of Conduction Electrons 317 Summary 319 Problems 320 Chapter 12: Ferromagnetism And Antiferromagnetism 323 Ferromagnetic Order 325 Curie Point and the Exchange Integral 325 Temperature Dependence of the Saturation Magnetization 328 Saturation Magnetization at Absolute Zero 330 Magnons 332 Quantization of Spin Waves 335 Thermal Excitation of Magnons 336 Neutron Magnetic Scattering 337 Ferrimagnetic Order 338 Curie Temperature and Susceptibility of Ferrimagnets 340 Iron Garnets 341 Antiferromagnetic Order 342 Susceptibility Below the Néel Temperature 345 Antiferromagnetic Magnons 346 Ferromagnetic Domains 348 Anisotropy Energy 350 Transition Region Between Domains 351 Origin of Domains 353 Coercivity and Hysteresis 354 Single-Domain Particles 356 Geomagnetism and Biomagnetism 357 Magnetic Force Microscopy 357 Summary 359 Problems 359 Chapter 13: Magnetic Resonance 363 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 365 Equations of Motion 368 Line Width 372 Motional Narrowing 373 Hyperfine Splitting 375 Examples: Paramagnetic Point Defects 377 F Centers in Alkali Halides 378 Donor Atoms in Silicon 378 Knight Shift 379 Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance 381 Ferromagnetic Resonance 381 Shape Effects in FMR 382 Spin Wave Resonance 384 Antiferromagnetic Resonance 385 Electron Paramagnetic Resonance 388 Exchange Narrowing 388 Zero-field Splitting 388 Principle of Maser Action 388 Three-Level Maser 390 Lasers 391 Summary 392 Problems 393 Chapter 14: Dielectrics And Ferroelectrics 395 Maxwell Equations 397 Polarization 397 Macroscopic Electric Field 398 Depolarization Field, E1 400 Local Electric Field at an Atom 402 Lorentz Field, E2 404 Field of Dipoles Inside Cavity, E3 404 Dielectric Constant and Polarizability 405 Electronic Polarizability 406 Classical Theory of Electronic Polarizability 408 Structural Phase Transitions 409 Ferroelectric Crystals 409 Classification of Ferroelectric Crystals 411 Displacive Transitions 413 Soft Optical Phonons 415 Landau Theory of the Phase Transition 416 Second-Order Transition 417 First-Order Transition 419 Antiferroelectricity 421 Ferroelectric Domains 421 Piezoelectricity 423 Summary 424 Problems 425 Chapter 15: Plasmons, Polaritons, And Polarons 429 Dielectric Function of the Electron Gas 431 Definitions of the Dielectric Function 431 Plasma Optics 432 Dispersion Relation for Electromagnetic Waves 433 Transverse Optical Modes in a Plasma 434 Transparency of Metals in the Ultraviolet 434 Longitudinal Plasma Oscillations 434 Plasmons 437 Electrostatic Screening 439 Screened Coulomb Potential 442 Pseudopotential Component U(0) 443 Mott Metal-Insulator Transition 443 Screening and Phonons in Metals 445 Polaritons 446 LST Relation 450 Electron-Electron Interaction 453 Fermi Liquid 453 Electron-Electron Collisions 453 Electron-Phonon Interaction: Polarons 456 Peierls Instability of Linear Metals 458 Summary 460 Problems 460 Chapter 16: Optical Processes And Excitons 465 Optical Reflectance 467 Kramers-Kronig Relations 468 Mathematical Note 470 Example: Conductivity of Collisionless Electron Gas 471 Electronic Interband Transitions 472 Excitons 473 Frenkel Excitons 475 Alkali Halides 478 Molecular Crystals 478 Weakly Bound (Mott-Wannier) Excitons 479 Exciton Condensation into Electron-Hole Drops (EHD) 479 Raman Effect in Crystals 482 Electron Spectroscopy with X-Rays 485 Energy Loss of Fast Particles in a Solid 486 Summary 487 Problems 488 Chapter 17: Surface And Interface Physics 491 Reconstruction and Relaxation 493 Surface Crystallography 494 Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction 497 Surface Electronic Structure 498 Work Function 498 Thermionic Emission 499 Surface States 499 Tangential Surface Transport 501 Magnetoresistance in a Two-Dimensional Channel 502 Integral Quantized Hall Effect (IQHE) 503 IQHE in Real Systems 504 Fractional Quantized Hall Effect (FQHE) 507 p-n Junctions 507 Rectification 508 Solar Cells and Photovoltaic Detectors 510 Schottky Barrier 510 Heterostructures 511 n-N Heterojunction 512 Semiconductor Lasers 514 Light-Emitting Diodes 515 Problems 517 Chapter 18: Nanostructures 521 Imaging Techniques for Nanostructures 525 Electron Microscopy 526 Optical Microscopy 527 Scanning Tunneling Microscopy 529 Atomic Force Microscopy 532 Electronic Structure of 1D Systems 534 One-dimensional (1D) Subbands 534 Spectroscopy of Van Hove Singularities 535 1D Metals—Coulomb Interactions and Lattice Couplings 537 Electrical Transport in 1D 539 Conductance Quantization and the Landauer Formula 539 Two Barriers in Series-Resonant Tunneling 542 Incoherent Addition and Ohm’s Law 544 Localization 545 Voltage Probes and the Büttiker-Landauer Formalism 546 Electronic Structure of 0D Systems 551 Quantized Energy Levels 551 Semiconductor Nanocrystals 551 Metallic Dots 553 Discrete Charge States 555 Electrical Transport in 0D 557 Coulomb Oscillations 557 Spin, Mott Insulators, and the Kondo Effect 560 Cooper Pairing in Superconducting Dots 562 Vibrational and Thermal Properties 563 Quantized Vibrational Modes 563 Transverse Vibrations 565 Heat Capacity and Thermal Transport 567 Summary 568 Problems 568 Chapter 19: Noncrystalline Solids 573 Diffraction Pattern 575 Monatomic Amorphous Materials 576 Radial Distribution Function 577 Structure of Vitreous Silica, SiO2 578 Glasses 581 Viscosity and the Hopping Rate 582 Amorphous Ferromagnets 583 Amorphous Semiconductors 585 Low Energy Excitations in Amorphous Solids 586 Heat Capacity Calculation 586 Thermal Conductivity 587 Fiber Optics 589 Rayleigh Attenuation 590 Problems 590 Chapter 20: Point Defects 593 Lattice Vacancies 595 Diffusion 598 Metals 601 Color Centers 602 F Centers 602 Other Centers in Alkali Halides 603 Problems 605 Chapter 21: Dislocations 607 Shear Strength of Single Crystals 609 Slip 610 Dislocations 611 Burgers Vectors 614 Stress Fields of Dislocations 615 Low-angle Grain Boundaries 617 Dislocation Densities 620 Dislocation Multiplication and Slip 621 Strength of Alloys 623 Dislocations and Crystal Growth 625 Whiskers 626 Hardness of Materials 627 Problems 628 Chapter 22: Alloys 631 General Considerations 633 Substitutional Solid Solutions— Hume-Rothery Rules 636 Order-Disorder Transformation 639 Elementary Theory of Order 641 Phase Diagrams 644 Eutectics 644 Transition Metal Alloys 646 Electrical Conductivity 648 Kondo Effect 649 Problems 652 Appendix A: Temperature Dependence Of The Reflection Lines 653 Appendix B: Ewald Calculation Of Lattice Sums 656 Ewald-Kornfeld Method for Lattice Sums for Dipole Arrays 659 Appendix C: Quantization Of Elastic Waves: Phonons 660 Phonon Coordinates 661 Creation and Annihilation Operators 663 Appendix D: Fermi-Dirac Distribution Function 664 Appendix E: Derivation Of The Dk/Dt Equation 667 Appendix F: Boltzmann Transport Equation 668 Particle Diffusion 669 Classical Distribution 670 Fermi-Dirac Distribution 671 Electrical Conductivity 673 Appendix G: Vector Potential, Field Momentum, And Gauge Transformations 673 Lagrangian Equations of Motion 674 Derivation of the Hamiltonian 675 Field Momentum 675 Gauge Transformation 676 Gauge in the London Equation 677 Appendix H: Cooper Pairs 677 Appendix I: Ginzburg-Landau Equation 679 Appendix J: Electron-Phonon Collisions 683 Index 687

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Book SynopsisRoger A. Freedman is a Lecturer in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was an undergraduate at the University of California campuses in San Diego and Los Angeles, and he did his doctoral research in nuclear theory at Stanford University under the direction of Professor J. Dirk Walecka. Dr Freedman came to UCSB in 1981 after three years of teaching and research at the University of Washington. At UCSB, Dr Freedman has taught in both the Department of Physics and the College of Creative Studies a branch of the university intended for highly gifted and motivated undergraduates. He has published research in nuclear physics, elementary particle physics, and laser physics. In recent years, he has done extensive work on making physics lectures a more interactive experience by using classroom response systems and pre-lecture videos. In the 1970s Dr. Freedman worked as a comic book letterer and helped organise the San Diego Comic-Con (noTable of Contents Volume 1 contains Chapters 1–20 Volume 2 contains Chapters 21–37 Volume 3 contains Chapters 37–44 CHAPTER 1: MECHANICS Units, Physical Quantities, and Vectors Motion Along a Straight Line Motion in Two or Three Dimensions Newton's Laws of Motion Applying Newton's Laws Work and Kinetic Energy Potential Energy and Energy Conservation Momentum, Impulse, and Collisions Rotation of Rigid Bodies Dynamics of Rotational Motion Equilibrium and Elasticity Fluid Mechanics Gravitation Periodic Motion WAVES/ACOUSTICS Mechanical Waves Sound and Hearing THERMODYNAMICS Temperature and Heat Thermal Properties of Matter The First Law of Thermodynamics The Second Law of Thermodynamics ELECTROMAGNETISM Electric Charge and Electric Field Gauss's Law Electric Potential Capacitance and Dielectrics Current, Resistance, and Electromotive Force Direct-Current Circuits Magnetic Field and Magnetic Forces Sources of Magnetic Field Electromagnetic Induction Inductance Alternating Current Electromagnetic Waves OPTICS The Nature and Propagation of Light Geometric Optics Interference Diffraction MODERN PHYSICS Relativity Photons: Light Waves Behaving as Particles Particles Behaving as Waves Quantum Mechanics I: Wave Functions Quantum Mechanics II: Atomic Structure Molecules and Condensed Matter Nuclear Physics Particle Physics and Cosmology

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Book SynopsisThis modern text combines fundamental principles with advanced topics and recent techniques in a rigorous and self-contained treatment of quantum field theory.Beginning with a review of basic principles, starting with quantum mechanics and special relativity, students can refresh their knowledge of elementary aspects of quantum field theory and perturbative calculations in the Standard Model. Results and tools relevant to many applications are covered, including canonical quantization, path integrals, non-Abelian gauge theories, and the renormalization group. Advanced topics are explored, with detail given on effective field theories, quantum anomalies, stable extended field configurations, lattice field theory, and field theory at a finite temperature or in the strong field regime. Two chapters are dedicated to new methods for calculating scattering amplitudes (spinor-helicity, on-shell recursion, and generalized unitarity), equipping students with practical skills for research. AccesTrade Review'Quantum Field Theory: From Basics to Modern Topics, by François Gelis, is a very welcome addition to the canon of literature on quantum field theory, impressive both in its breadth and depth. It covers, in a succinct fashion, foundational material in the subject and then treats many more modern developments: effective field theories, anomaly matching, recursion relations for gauge and gravitational amplitudes, strong fields, and more.' Laurence Yaffe, University of Washington'Though there are many books on quantum field theory, I have found this book valuable for its readable treatment of a diverse selection of modern topics from a uniform viewpoint. Subjects introduced well in this book that are hard to find elsewhere include Schwinger-Keldysh and finite-temperature field theory, modern tools for scattering amplitudes, worldline methods, as well as effective field theory. The discussion is illustrated with a rich set of examples, mainly from high energy physics.' John McGreevy, University of California, San DiegoTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Basics of quantum field theory; 2. Peturbation theory; 3. Quantum electrodynamics; 4. Spontaneous symmetry breaking; 5. Functional quantization; 6. Path integrals for fermions and photons; 7. Non-Abelian gauge symmetry; 8. Quantization of Yang–Mills theory; 9. Renormalization of gauge theories; 10. Renormalization group; 11. Effective field theories; 12. Quantum anomalies; 13. Localized field configurations; 14. Modern tools for tree amplitudes; 15. Wordline formalism; 16. Lattice field theory; 17. Quantum field theory at finite temperature; 18. Strong fields and semi-classical methods; 19. From trees to loops; Further reading; Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom Schrodinger's cat to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, this book untangles the weirdness of the quantum world.Quantum mechanics underpins modern science and provides us with a blueprint for reality itself. And yet it has been said that if you're not shocked by it, you don't understand it. But is quantum physics really so unknowable? Is reality really so strange? And just how can cats be half-alive and half-dead at the same time?Our journey into the quantum begins with nature's own conjuring trick, in which we discover that atoms -- contrary to the rules of everyday experience -- can exist in two locations at once. To understand this we travel back to the dawn of the twentieth century and witness the birth of quantum theory, which over the next one hundred years was to overthrow so many of our deeply held notions about the nature of our universe. Scientists and philosophers have been left grappling with its implications every since.Trade ReviewAl-Khalili succeeds in making the quantum world understandable. Well, almost. * THE GUARDIAN *

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Book SynopsisThis remarkable text by John R. Taylor has been a non-stop best-selling international hit since it was first published forty years ago. However, the two-plus decades since the second edition was released have seen two dramatic developments; the huge rise in popularity of Bayesian statistics, and the continued increase in the power and availability of computers and calculators. In response to the former, Taylor has added a full chapter dedicated to Bayesian thinking, introducing conditional probabilities and Bayes’ theorem. The several examples presented in the new third edition are intentionally very simple, designed to give readers a clear understanding of what Bayesian statistics is all about as their first step on a journey to become practicing Bayesians. In response to the second development, Taylor has added a number of chapter-ending problems that will encourage readers to learn how to solve problems using computers. While many of these can be solved using programs such as Matlab or Mathematica, almost all of them are stated to apply to commonly available spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel. These programs provide a convenient way to record and process data and to calculate quantities like standard deviations, correlation coefficients, and normal distributions; they also have the wonderful ability – if students construct their own spreadsheets and avoid the temptation to use built-in functions – to teach the meaning of these concepts.Trade ReviewThe new chapter on Bayesian statistics is extremely clear and well written, and is another one of John Taylor’s fabulous expositions. I enjoyed how Taylor develops the subject by using it to answer questions about the effectiveness of a vaccine. Before reading this chapter I wondered what assumptions are needed to derive a numerical value for a vaccine’s effectiveness, and I also wondered about the data needed and the methods used. Lo and behold, all my questions were answered in this chapter! I definitely will buy the new edition of Error Analysis and I look forward to delving into the Bayesian statistics. -- Mark Semon, Bates CollegeTable of ContentsPART I 1. Preliminary Description of Error Analysis 2. How to Report and Use Uncertainties 3. Propagation of Uncertainties 4. Statistical Analysis of Random Uncertainties 5. The Normal Distribution PART II 6. Rejection of Data 7. Weighted Averages 8. Least-Squares Fitting 9. Covariance and Correlation 10. The Binomial Distribution 11. The Poisson Distribution 12. The Chi-Squared Test for a Distribution 13. Bayesian Statistics APPENDICES A. Normal Error Integral, I B. Normal Error Integral, II C. Probabilities for Correlation Coefficients D. Probabilities for Chi Squared E. Two Proofs Concerning Sample Standard Deviations Answers to Quick Checks and Odd-Numbered Problems Index

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Book SynopsisPaul G. Hewitt Becoming a physics instructor and textbook authordidn't seem a likely outcome of my earlier years. I grew up in Saugus (nearBoston), Massachusetts. In my high school years, an influential counselorconvinced me that I wouldn't have to take academic courses due to my talent forart. My passions at the time were drawing comic strips, rink roller-skating,and especially boxing, which helped repel school bullies. At age 17, I won thesilver medal of the New England Amateur Athletic Union in the 112-pound class.Shortly after that, I delivered newspapers, painted signs, and learnedsilk-screen printing in Boston, where I met life-long friend Ernie Brown, whoinfluenced me to spend two winters with him in Miami, Florida. I dedicated theeleventh edition of Conceptual Physics to Ernie. In 1953, during the Koreanconflict, I was abruptly drafted into the Army. I was fortunate, however, thatthe war ended on my last day of basic training at Camp Carson iTable of ContentsAbout Science Part One: MECHANICS Newton's First Law of Motion: Inertia Linear Motion Newton's Second Law of Motion Newton's Third Law of Motion Momentum Energy Rotational Motion Gravity Projectile and Satellite Motion Part Two: PROPERTIES OF MATTER The Atomic Nature of Matter Solids Liquids Gases Part Three: HEAT Temperature, Heat, and Expansion Heat Transfer Change of Phase Thermodynamics Part Four: SOUND Vibrations and Waves Sound Musical Sounds Part Five: ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM Electrostatics Electric Current Magnetism Electromagnetic Induction Part Six: LIGHT Properties of Light Color Reflection and Refraction Light Waves Light Emission Light Quanta Part Seven: ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS The Atom and the Quantum Atomic Nucleus and Radioactivity Nuclear Fission and Fusion Part Eight: RELATIVITY Special Theory of Relativity General Theory of Relativity Author Profile Appendices A. On Measurement and Unit Conversions B. More About Motion C. Graphing D. Vector Applications E. Exponential Growth and Doubling Time Odd-Numbered Answers Glossary Credits Index

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Book SynopsisA young theoretical physicist''s guide to how the radical new science of counterfactuals can reveal the full scope of our universeThere is a vast class of properties that science has so far almost entirely neglected. These properties are central to an understanding of physical reality both at an everyday level and at the level of fundamental phenomena, yet they have traditionally been thought of as impossible to incorporate into fundamental explanations. They relate not only to what is true - the actual - but to what could be true - the counterfactual. This is the science of can and can''t.Chiara Marletto, a pioneer in this field, explores the promise that this fascinating, far-reaching approach holds not only for revolutionizing how fundamental physics is formulated, but also for confronting existing technological challenges, from delivering the next generation of information-processing devices to designing AI. In each chapter, Marletto sets out how counterfactuals can solve a vexed open problem in science, and demonstrates that by contemplating the possible as well as the actual, we can break down barriers to knowledge and form a more complete and fruitful picture of the universe.''Clear, sharp and imaginative... The Science of Can and Can''t will open the doors to a dazzling set of concepts and ideas that will change deeply the way you look at the world'' David Deutsch, bestselling author of The Beginning of InfinityTrade ReviewChiara Marletto is trying to build a master theory - a set of ideas so fundamental that all other theories would spring from it. Her first step: Invoke the impossible * Quanta Magazine *A wonderful book, which has taught me new ways of thinking and expanded my mind. It's extremely beautifully written, full of wonder and passion and humour and energy -- Hermione LeeClear, sharp and imaginative... The Science of Can and Can't will open the doors to a dazzling set of concepts and ideas that will change deeply the way you look at the world -- David Deutsch, author of The Beginning of InfinityI enjoyed this book very much, not least because of the freshness of its approach to a subject that can easily become hard for the non-scientific mind to grasp. The theory of 'can and can't' is an intriguing way of describing problems that are not only scientific (it describes very well what a storyteller does, for instance), and Marletto's account of some things I thought I more or less understood (the nature of digital information, for one) illuminated them from an angle that showed them more clearly than I'd seen them before. -- Philip PullmanA revolutionary recasting of physics... [It] re-enchants the world and enriches our place in it. * New Scientist *Hugely ambitious, Chiara Marletto is the herald for a revolutionary new direction for physics. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of physics -- Professor Lee Smolin, author of Time RebornChiara Marletto writes well about deep issues. I particularly like her suggestion that the current impasse in attempts to unite gravity and quantum mechanics might be broken if we concentrate on what things the two theories tell us can and can't be done -- Julian Barbour, author of The Janus Point[Marletto] calls for physics to move beyond its dependence on such conditions and rules as Newton's laws of motion, argues that the "traditional conception" of physics is limiting, and urges that counterfactuals offer a more complete picture of the physical world. Marletto leads a whirlwind tour of such scientific concepts as motion and the possibility of a perpetual motion machine; thermodynamics and "the theory of the universal constructor"; and quantum computing and the possibility of a universal quantum computer that uses "all of quantum theory" * Publishers Weekly *Novel and interesting -- Priyamvada Natarajan * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisIf you''re left blinded by science, this ultimate home learning workbook companion makes everything clear.This unique visual reference guide adopts a simple step-by-step approach to give you a complete understanding of this diverse and difficult subject. Bubbling over with pictures, diagrams, and information, this book covers biology, chemistry, and physics in comprehensive depth and detail. Carol Vorderman''s Help Your Kids with Science encourages parents and children to work together as a team to solve even the most challenging problems on the school syllabus.It focuses on the UK National Curriculum up to GCSE level, but proves absolutely invaluable for adult students and science fans alike. The reference section also includes a glossary of key scientific terms and symbols, helping anyone learn a bit more about science, whether for their own knowledge or to tackle Key Stages 3 and 4.Created with home learning in mind, Help Your Kids with Science ensuTable of Contents 1: Foreword by Carol Vorderman 2: What is science? 3: The Scientific Method 4: Fields of Science 5: Biology 1: What is biology? 2: Variety of life 3: Cell structure 4: Cells at work 5: Fungi and single-celled life 6: Respiration 7: Photosynthesis 8: Feeding 9: Waste materials 10: Transport systems 11: Movement 12: Sensitivity 13: Reproduction I 14: Reproduction II 15: Life cycles 16: Hormones 17: Disease and immunity 18: Animal relationships 19: Plants 20: Invertebrates 21: Fish, amphibians, and reptiles 22: Mammals and birds 23: Body systems 24: Human senses 25: Human digestion 26: Brain and heart 27: Human health 28: Human reproduction 29: Ecosystems 30: Food chains 31: Cycles in nature 32: Evolution 33: Adaptations 34: Genetics I 35: Genetics II 36: Pollution 37: Human impact 6: Chemistry 1: What is chemistry? 2: Properties of materials 3: States of matter 4: Changing states 5: Gas laws 6: Mixtures 7: Separating mixtures 8: Elements and atoms 9: Compounds and molecules 10: Ionic bonding 11: Covalent bonding 12: Periodic table 13: Understanding the periodic table 14: Alkali metals and alkali earth metals 15: The halogens and noble gases 16: Transition metals 17: Radioactivity 18: Chemical reactions 19: Combustion 20: Redox reactions 21: Energy and reactions 22: Rates of reaction 23: Catalysts 24: Reversible reactions 25: Water 26: Acids and bases 27: Acid reactions 28: Electrochemistry 29: Lab equipment and techniques 30: Refining metals 31: Chemical industry 32: Carbon and fossil fuels 33: Hydrocarbons 34: Functional groups 35: polymers and plastics 7: Physics 1: What is physics? 2: Inside atoms 3: Energy 4: Forces and mass 5: Stretching and deforming 6: Velocity and acceleration 7: Gravity 8: Newton’s law of motion 9: Understanding motion 10: Pressure 11: Machines 12: Heat transfer 13: Using heat 14: Waves 15: Electromagnetic waves 16: Light 17: Optics 18: Sound 19: Electricity 20: Current, voltage, and resistance 21: Circuits 22: Electronics 23: Magnets 24: Electric motors 25: Electricity generators 26: Transformers 27: Power generation 28: Electricity supplies 29: Energy efficiency 30: Renewable energy 31: The Earth 32: Weather 33: Astronomy 34: The Sun 35: The Solar System I 36: The Solar System II 37: Stars and galaxies 38: Origins of the Universe 8: Reference - Biology 9: Reference - Chemistry 10: Reference - Physics 11: Glossary 12: Index 13: Acknowledgements

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Book Synopsis"Some people say, 'How can you live without knowing?' I do not know what they mean. I always live without knowing. That is easy. How you get to know is what I want to know."--Richard P. Feynman Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman (1918-88) was that rarest of creatures--a towering scientific genius who could make himself understood byTrade Review"Feynman's depth and zing leap from the page."--Nature "[Richard Feynman] combined scientific genius with regular-guy language... Now his daughter, Michelle Feynman--born three years after he received the Nobel in 1965--has edited a collection of quotes from his voluminous output of books, lectures, essays, articles and scientific papers."--Washington Post "So much has been said by and about the charismatic physicist Richard Feynman that it is no surprise to find that his witticisms fill a book nearly 400 pages long... A fun present for any Feynman fanboys and fangirls in your life."--Physics World "Deeply learned... Highly detailed and utterly convincing."--Tarek Masoud, Perspectives on Politics "[Feynman] was, after all, a Nobel Prize winning scientist, yet he wrote often with great lucidity and humor, much of which is on display in this collection."--Acadiana LifeStyleTable of ContentsA Brief Note on Sources ix Foreword, by Brian Cox xi Reflections on Richard Feynman, by Yo-Yo Ma xv Preface: My Quotable Father, by Michelle Feynman xvii Chronology xxiii Youth 3 Family 15 Autobiographical 23 Art, Music, and Poetry 51 Nature 57 Imagination 83 Humor 89 Love 103 Philosophy and Religion 109 Nature of Science 123 Curiosity and Discovery 165 How Physicists Think 185 The Quantum World 197 Science and Society 213 Mathematics 223 Technology 241 War 249 Challenger 261 Politics 271 Doubt and Uncertainty 281 Education and Teaching 293 Advice and Inspiration 317 Intelligence 327 The Nobel Prize 333 Worldview 345 The Future 355 Honoring Richard Feynman 363 Acknowledgments 383 Photo Credits 387 Sources 389 Index 397

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Book SynopsisPhysics of Energy Sourcesprovides readers with a balanced presentation of the fundamental physics needed to understand and analyze conventional and renewable energy sources including nuclear, solar, wind and water power. It also presents various ways in which energy can be stored for future use.Table of ContentsEditors’ preface to the Manchester Physics Series xi Author’s preface xiii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Energy consumption 1 1.2 Energy sources 3 1.3 Renewable and non-renewable energy sources 5 1.4 The form and conversion of energy 6 1.4.1 Thermal energy sources 7 1.4.2 Mechanical energy sources 7 1.4.3 Photovoltaic sources 7 1.4.4 Energy storage 8 Problems 1 9 2 The atomic nucleus 11 2.1 The composition and properties of nuclei 12 2.1.1 The composition of nuclei 12 2.1.2 The size of a nucleus 14 2.1.3 The distributions of nuclear matter and charge 19 2.1.4 The mass of a nucleus 21 2.1.5 The charge of a nucleus 24 2.1.6 Nuclear binding energy 27 2.1.7 Binding energy curve of the nuclides 30 2.1.8 The semi-empirical mass formula 32 2.2 Nuclear forces and energies 35 2.2.1 Characteristics of the nuclear force 35 2.2.2 Nuclear energies 36 2.2.3 Quantum mechanical description of a particle in a potential well 39 2.3 Radioactivity and nuclear stability 47 2.3.1 Segré chart of the stable nuclides 48 2.3.2 Decay laws of radioactivity 49 2.3.3 α, β and γ decay 57 Problems 2 67 3 Nuclear power 71 3.1 How to get energy from the nucleus 71 3.2 Nuclear reactions 73 3.2.1 Nuclear reactions 73 3.2.2 Q-value of a nuclear reaction 74 3.2.3 Reaction cross-sections and reaction rates 76 3.3 Nuclear fission 82 3.3.1 Liquid-drop model of nuclear fission 83 3.3.2 Induced nuclear fission 86 3.3.3 Fission cross-sections 87 3.3.4 Fission reactions and products 88 3.3.5 Energy in fission 90 3.3.6 Moderation of fast neutrons 92 3.3.7 Uranium enrichment 93 3.4 Controlled fission reactions 97 3.4.1 Chain reactions 97 3.4.2 Control of fission reactions 101 3.4.3 Fission reactors 103 3.4.4 Commercial nuclear reactors 105 3.4.5 Nuclear waste 107 3.5 Nuclear fusion 109 3.5.1 Fusion reactions 110 3.5.2 Energy in fusion 111 3.5.3 Coulomb barrier for nuclear fusion 113 3.5.4 Fusion reaction rates 113 3.5.5 Performance criteria 115 3.5.6 Controlled thermonuclear fusion 117 Problems 3 123 4 Solar power 127 4.1 Stellar fusion 128 4.1.1 Star formation and evolution 128 4.1.2 Thermonuclear fusion in the Sun: the proton–proton cycle 131 4.1.3 Solar radiation 132 4.2 Blackbody radiation 134 4.2.1 Laws of blackbody radiation 135 4.2.2 Emissivity 137 4.2.3 Birth of the photon 141 4.3 Solar radiation and its interaction with the Earth 145 4.3.1 Characteristics of solar radiation 145 4.3.2 Interaction of solar radiation with Earth and its atmosphere 147 4.3.3 Penetration of solar energy into the ground 155 4.4 Geothermal energy 159 4.4.1 Shallow geothermal energy 160 4.4.2 Deep geothermal energy 161 4.5 Solar heaters 162 4.5.1 Solar water heaters 162 4.5.2 Heat transfer processes 165 4.5.3 Solar thermal power systems 172 4.6 Heat engines: converting heat into work 174 4.6.1 Equation of state of an ideal gas 175 4.6.2 Internal energy, work and heat: the first law of thermodynamics 177 4.6.3 Specific heats of gases 181 4.6.4 Isothermal and adiabatic expansion 183 4.6.5 Heat engines and the second law of thermodynamics 185 Problems 4 196 5 Semiconductor solar cells 201 5.1 Introduction 201 5.2 Semiconductors 204 5.2.1 The band structure of crystalline solids 204 5.2.2 Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors 208 5.3 The p–n junction 214 5.3.1 The p–n junction in equilibrium 214 5.3.2 The biased p–n junction 217 5.3.3 The current–voltage characteristic of a p–n junction 219 5.3.4 Electron and hole concentrations in a semiconductor 222 5.3.5 The Fermi energy in a p–n junction 227 5.4 Semiconductor solar cells 229 5.4.1 Photon absorption at a p–n junction 229 5.4.2 Power generation by a solar cell 231 5.4.3 Maximum power delivery from a solar cell 235 5.4.4 The Shockley–Queisser limit 238 5.4.5 Solar cell construction 240 5.4.6 Increasing the efficiency of solar cells and alternative solar cell materials 243 Problems 5 248 6 Wind power 251 6.1 A brief history of wind power 251 6.2 Origin and directions of the wind 253 6.2.1 The Coriolis force 253 6.3 The flow of ideal fluids 256 6.3.1 The continuity equation 257 6.3.2 Bernoulli’s equation 258 6.4 Extraction of wind power by a turbine 263 6.4.1 The Betz criterion 265 6.4.2 Action of wind turbine blades 268 6.5 Wind turbine design and operation 271 6.6 Siting of a wind turbine 277 Problems 6 280 7 Water power 283 7.1 Hydroelectric power 284 7.1.1 The hydroelectric plant and its principles of operation 284 7.1.2 Flow of a viscous fluid in a pipe 286 7.1.3 Hydroelectric turbines 288 7.2 Wave power 291 7.2.1 Wave motion 292 7.2.2 Water waves 306 7.2.3 Wave energy converters 319 7.3 Tidal power 324 7.3.1 Origin of the tides 325 7.3.2 Variation and enhancement of tidal range 335 7.3.3 Harnessing tidal power 341 Problems 7 346 8 Energy storage 349 8.1 Types of energy storage 350 8.2 Chemical energy storage 351 8.2.1 Biological energy storage 351 8.2.2 Hydrogen energy storage 351 8.3 Thermal energy storage 352 8.4 Mechanical energy storage 355 8.4.1 Pumped hydroelectric energy storage 355 8.4.2 Compressed air energy storage 357 8.4.3 Flywheel energy storage 361 8.5 Electrical energy storage 364 8.5.1 Capacitors and super-capacitors 365 8.5.2 Superconducting magnetic storage 367 8.5.3 Rechargeable batteries 368 8.5.4 Fuel cells 370 8.6 Distribution of electrical power 372 Problems 8 374 Solutions to problems 377 Index 397

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Book SynopsisFour concise, brilliant lectures on mathematical methods in quantum mechanics from Nobel Prizeâwinning quantum pioneer build on idea of visualizing quantum theory through the use of classical mechanics.

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Book SynopsisThis text is a guide for high school teachers, college faculty, and graduate teaching assistants involved in introductory physics teaching. Teaching Physics is a combination of the previous Guide to Introductory Physics Teaching, and Homework and Test Questions for Introductory Physics Teaching. Both works have been edited to incorporate suggestions and feedback received after the first publication. Added to this combination is a monograph intended to illustrate how certain misleading aspects, widely prevalent in existing text presentations, can be rectified in introductory teaching of the energy concepts. This is intended as a guide and resource for active teachers at college and high school level.Table of ContentsPartial table of contents: Underpinnings. Rectilinear Kinematics. Elementary Dynamics. Motion in Two Dimensions. Momentum and Energy. Static Electricity. Current Electricity. Electromagnetism. Waves and Light. Early Modern Physics. Miscellaneous Topics. Achieving Wider Scientific Literacy. Critical Thinking. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisArticles and speeches by the Nobel Prizeâwinning physicist, dating from 1934 to 1958, offer philosophical explorations of the relevance of atomic physics to many areas of human endeavor. 1961 edition.

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Book SynopsisIn this biography of hydrogen, Rigden shows how this singular atomthe most abundant in the universehas helped unify our understanding of the material world from the smallest scale, the elementary particles, to the largest, the universe itself. It is a tale of startling discoveries and dazzling practical benefits spanning more than 100 years.Trade ReviewA prominent physicist once said, "to understand hydrogen is to understand all of physics." That is perhaps a bit of an overstatement; but it is no exaggeration to say that John Rigden's eminently readable book is a unique guide to the overwhelming role in science and technology of that simplest of all elements--from the origin of the universe itself to the most recently created lab sensation, the Bose-Einstein condensate. A book to be treasured by laypersons and experts alike. -- Gerald Holton, author of Einstein, History, and Other PassionsUsing the leitmotif of the hydrogen atom, John Rigden gives us an elegant review of the development of modern physics. This simplest of all atoms provided the challenge to Bohr, Heisenberg, Dirac, Rabi, Ramsey, and the other founders of 20th century physics. As the leading character, it carries the plot gracefully even to the subtlest of corrections provided by the quantum field theory of the 1940's and the most recent breakthrough by Dan Kleppner and his students in the late 1990's which earned some of those students the 2001 Nobel Prize for the observation of Bose-Einstein condensates. The writing is lucid and accessible, and should be easy going for the lay reader who enjoys his science with a minimum of mathematics. It is quite astonishing that the story loses almost none of its drama and coverage when filtered through the efforts to really, really understand hydrogen. -- Leon Lederman, Nobel Laureate of Physics, 1988John Rigden has chosen a great subject. Hydrogen truly has been the essential element in the evolution of our universe, in the development of the early quantum theory of atomic structure, quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance, and the creation of the atomic clock, and in many other discoveries and theoretical advances. In telling the story of this simplest of all atoms, Rigden gives us, in effect, a history of physics in the twentieth century. This fascinating book will captivate scientists and general readers alike. -- Norman Ramsey, Nobel Laureate of Physics, 1989Justly acclaimed for his lucid biography of physicist I. I. Rabi, Rigden here shifts his focus from person to problem, chronicling how one enduring conundrum--that of explaining the element hydrogen--has challenged two centuries of brilliant scientists...Readers will marvel that in its very first square, the periodic table holds so much science, so much history, so much humanity. -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist *There can be no understanding of either the microscopic world or the cosmos at large without an understanding of hydrogen. Rigden's book is, on one level, a history of this most basic element, from its discovery in the 18th century to today's cutting-edge experiments...But Rigden is also telling us the story of modern physics...If you love physics, you'll enjoy this book. It is thoughtful, clever and rich in detail. -- Dan Falk * National Post *There is almost magic eloquence in the practice and insights of science at its highest orders--which when transformed into the written word can produce splendid literature. A recent effort to do just that is Hydrogen...For many reasons, this book grabbed me from the start and held my attention to its finish...For its literary quality, its memorable parade of scientific superheroes and the richness of its material, this is a book I heartily recommend. -- Michael Pakenham * Baltimore Sun *Rigden's easy narrative style provides one of the most accessible descriptions of the importance of laboratory experimentation in developing our current understanding of fundamental physics that I know of. Also, he demonstrates how theorists have at times led the way, sometimes with jumps of intuition, sometimes with reliance on fundamental notions like symmetry and sometimes with sheer stubborn persistence. Finally, readers will particularly benefit from seeing extremely important practical technologies that the original experimenters may never have dreamed of. For a picture of how physics really progresses--with gritty details filled in, along with ingenious experiments and glimpses of physicists who push the forefronts of knowledge--Rigden's brief ode to hydrogen is a refreshing alternative to some of the speculative musings dominating the physics sections of bookstores. -- Lawrence M. Krauss * New York Times Book Review *Rigden is deeply enamored of physics, physicists and the historical anecdotes that bind them together. These passions are reflected in Hydrogen's format--short essays about different aspects of the hydrogen story, focusing on its physicist-heroes...Great stories, beautifully told...Rigden has done physicists a service with his touching love letters to their favorite atomic quarry. -- Graham Farmelo * New Scientist *John S. Rigden...has taken on the challenge and produced an accessible, congenial book for the general reader...His book deserves praise for introducing a wider audience to the rich story of hydrogen. -- Peter Pesic * American Scientist *Rigden writes well and admiringly of the characters involved and emphasises the benefits of pure research. -- Steven Poole * The Guardian *What this slim biography of 280 pages lacks in size, it more than makes up for in scientific revelations. Its subject, hydrogen, beneath a mask of simplicity, is clearly an element on the move. Such is the importance of this primordial element, that its biography mirrors that of the universe. As science--at least the modern physics part of it--is such an international enterprise, and is not carried out in a social vacuum, the book subtly provides a brief history of the world...If you are an admirer of progress in science, this book is for you. -- Dozie Azubike * Materials World *These chapters clearly demonstrate that hydrogen is an effective vehicle for presenting a good deal of modern physics…This book is part history of science and part primer on fundamental physical concepts. Moreover it includes interesting vignettes about the scientists involved in these various discoveries, especially I. I. Rabi, the subject of an earlier biography by the same author…The book is well written with clear explanations and good references. It should be accessible to an educated lay audience and of particular interest to chemists. -- A. Truman Schwartz * Journal of Chemical Education *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. In the Beginning: Hydrogen and the Big Bang 2. Hydrogen and the Unity of Matter: The Prout Hypothesis William Prout, 1815 3. Hydrogen and the Spectra of the Chemical Elements: A Swiss High School Teacher Finds a Pattern Johann Jakob Balmer, 1885 4. The Bohr Model of Hydrogen: A Paradigm for the Structure of Atoms Niels Bohr, 1913 5. Relativity Meets the Quantum in the Hydrogen Atom Arnold Sommerfeld, 1916 6. The Fine-Structure Constant: A Strange Number with Universal Significance Arnold Sommerfeld, 1916 7. The Birth of Quantum Mechanics: The Hydrogen Atom Answers the "Crucial Question" Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli, 1925-26 * Paul Dirac, 1925-26 8. The Hydrogen Atom: Midwife to the Birth of Wave Mechanics Erwin Schrodinger, 1926 9. The Hydrogen Atom and Dirac's Theory of the Electron Paul Dirac, 1928 10. Hydrogen Guides Nuclear Physicists: The Discovery of Deuterium Harold Urey, 1932 11. Hubris Meets Hydrogen: The Magnetic Moment of the Proton Otto Stern, 1933 12. The Magnetic Resonance Method: The Origin of Magnetic Resonance Imaging I. I. Rabi, 1938 13. New Nuclear Forces Required: The Discovery of the Quadrupole Moment of the Deuteron Norman F. Ramsey and I. I. Rabi, 1939 14. Magnetic Resonance in Bulk Matter (NMR) Edward M. Purcell and Felix Bloch, 1946 15. Hydrogen's Challenge to Dirac Theory: Quantum Electrodynamics as the Prototype Physical Theory Willis Lamb, 1947 16. The Hydrogen Atom Portends an Anomaly with the Electron I. I. Rabi, John E. Nafe, and Edward B. Nelson, 1946 17. Hydrogen Maps the Galaxy Edward M. Purcell and Harold Ewen, 1951 18. The Hydrogen Maser: A High-Precision Clock Norman F. Ramsey and Daniel Kleppner, 1960 19. The Rydberg Constant: A Fundamental Constant Johannes Robert Rydberg, 1890 * Theodor Hansch, 1992 20. The Abundance of Deuterium: A Check on Big Bang Cosmology David N. Schramm, 1945-1997 21. Antihydrogen: The First Antiatom 22. The Bose-Einstein Condensate for Hydrogen Satyendranath Bose, 1924 * Albert Einstein, 1925 * Eric A. Cornell and Carl E. Wieman, 1995 * Daniel Kleppner and Tom Greytak, 1998 23. Exotic Hydrogen-like Atoms: From Theory to Technology Epilogue Notes Acknowledgments Credits Index

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Book Synopsis* Combines physics, philosophy, and history in a radical new approach to introducing the philosophy of physics. * Emphasizes the integral role that philosophical analysis plays in physics. * Presents many concrete examples in which struggles with conceptual issues drove innovation in physics.Trade Review"Marc Lange uses the philosophical tools of traditional metaphysics to analyze examples drawn from electromagnetic theory and quantum mechanics and in turn uses these examples to refine some of the basic concepts of traditional metaphysics. The result is an excellent introduction to the best sort of metaphysics, the sort that is informed by our best physical theories." Jeffrey Barrett, University of California, Irvine "This is philosophy of physics that meets even Feynman's challenge of making a difference for physics while it attains Hempel's standards of clarity. I can hardly imagine teaching the philosophy of physics, at any level, from introductory to graduate seminar, without using this book!" Alex Rosenberg, Duke University "Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy of science, though he is a fluent contributor to journals and refers to current issues in appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, common language style, complete with discussion questions suitable for an undergraduate introductory class. [...] Highly recommended to philosphically inexperienced physicists as well as current students in philosophy of science. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty." P.D. Skiff, Bard College, Choice, January 2003 "An accomplished philosopher of science, Lange introduces the epistemological consequences of a central idea in physics - locality ... Eschewing the technical jargon of philosophy of science, though he is a fluent contributor to journals and feres to current issues in appropriate notes, Lange employs a breezy, commom language style, complete with discussion questions suitable for an undergraduate introductory class ... his introduction to the issues via concrete example is very effective and unique. Highly recommended to philosophically inexperienced physicists as well as current students in philosophy of science." ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface vi 1 What is Spatiotemporal Locality? 1 1 The Big Picture 1 2 Causal Relations between Events 3 3 Action by Contact 7 4 Spatial, Temporal, and Spatiotemporal Locality Defined 13 5 Intrinsic Properties and Noncausal Connections 17 Discussion Questions 23 Notes 24 2 Fields to the Rescue? 26 1 The Electric Force 26 2 The Electric Field and its Possible Interpretations 32 3 Potentials 42 4 Lines of Force 47 Discussion Questions 61 Notes 65 3 Dispositions and Causes 67 1 Introduction 67 2 Dispositions, Categorical Bases, and Subjunctive Conditionals 71 3 Are the Categorical Bases in Themselves Unknowable? 79 Discussion Questions 90 Notes 92 4 Locality and Scientific Explanation 94 1 Is Action at a Distance Impossible? 94 2 Brute Facts and Ultimate Explanations 95 3 Which Facts are Brute? 100 Discussion Questions 107 Notes 110 5 Fields, Energy, and Momentum 111 1 Introduction 111 2 The Argument from Conserved Quantities 112 3 Why Energy’s Ontological Status Matters 120 4 Energy in Classical Physics 125 5 Energy in the Fields 131 6 Energy Flow and the Poynting Vector 136 7 A Moral Regarding the Testability of Theories 153 Discussion Questions 157 Notes 162 6 Is there Nothing but Fields? 165 1 Is Electric Charge Real? 165 2 Faraday’s Picture 167 Discussion Questions 171 Notes 173 7 Relativity and the Unification of Electricity and Magnetism 175 1 Unification in Physics 175 2 How Relativity Unifies Electricity and Magnetism 180 3 Einstein’s Argument from Asymmetry 186 4 The Interdependence of Philosophy and Physics 199 Discussion Questions 201 Notes 203 8 Relativity, Energy, Mass, and the Reality of Fields 205 1 Classical Physics and the “Relativity of Motion” 206 2 Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves: Space and Time 210 3 Relativistic Invariants and the Unification that Relativity Achieves: Energy and Momentum 221 4 Mass and the Meaning of “e = mc2 ” 224 5 Fields – At Last! 240 6 Erasing the Line between Scientific Theory and its Philosophical Interpretation 249 Discussion Questions 250 Notes 252 9 Quantum Metaphysics 255 1 Is Quantum Mechanics Complete? 255 2 The Bell Inequalities 263 3 For Whom the Bell Tolls 271 4 Wrestling with Nonlocality 280 Discussion Questions 298 Notes 300 Final Exam 302 References 305 Index 316

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Book SynopsisThis is an introduction to the basic tools of mathematics needed to understand the relation between knot theory and quantum gravity. The book begins with a rapid course on manifolds and differential forms, emphasizing how these provide a proper language for formulating Maxwell's equations on arbitrary spacetimes. The authors then introduce vector bundles, connections and curvature in order to generalize Maxwell theory to the Yang-Mills equations. The relation of gauge theory to the newly discovered knot invariants such as the Jones polynomial is sketched. Riemannian geometry is then introduced in order to describe Einstein's equations of general relativity and show how an attempt to quantize gravity leads to interesting applications of knot theory.

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Book SynopsisThis book is designed for introductory courses at either the undergraduate or graduate level.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisFrom Stonehenge to atomic clocks, this is how we’ve used science to work out the time across the centuriesTrade Review‘Each day in 2019, Chad Orzel informs us, is nearly two milliseconds longer than days were in 1870. And they feel even longer. This entertaining and engrossing book takes us through our long struggle to measure time with precision. Filled with amazing devices, it’s ultimately a story of the triumph of human ingenuity.’ -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply Hidden‘I came away from this brisk, chatty book feeling that the history of chronometry is a triumph of progress. With infectious enthusiasm [Orzel] catalogues the feats of skill and effort that have gone into marking time… Orzel dives deep into the nitty-gritty of physics, astronomy and engineering, but writes lucidly and leavens his material with jokes and anecdotes… ultimately, one comes away with a sense of awe at what human ingenuity can achieve… stimulating.’ -- Daily Telegraph‘A lively introduction to timekeeping, from the Newgrange passage-tomb to caesium-133 and its possible replacements… As a professor of physics and the author of several popular science books, Orzel is an experienced teacher of science to non-scientists… His account of relativity should be comprehensible even to the single-cultured humanist. Orzel’s research is impressive and he is able to debunk various myths… so much is on offer in Chad Orzel’s book.’ -- TLS‘In A Brief History of Timekeeping, Chad Orzel… turns his enthusiasm for time travel to something more tangible: how humans through the ages have measured the passage of time… Throughout the book, Orzel scoots backwards and forwards in time, treating us to illustrations of spectacular forgotten timepieces… The author’s enthusiasm doesn’t wane as he moves into the digital era, explaining how quartz-based wristwatches “democratised” time and serve as temporal “tuning forks” for the masses… As Orzel’s book makes clear, time, and its measurement, stands still for no one.’ -- George Bass, New Scientist'Full of history, physics and physicists... [a] varied book.’ * Nature *‘A deliciously detailed journey through the astonishing ticks and tocks of timekeeping, from neolithic henges and Mayan number systems to cinnamon-filled sandglasses, tuning fork wristwatches, and even the northern lights. Equal parts mesmerizing and fascinating, Orzel’s beautifully clear explanations of physics illuminate subjects from planets to quantum engineering. By the end it is clear that time may never be on our side, but keeping track of it has opened up the universe for us.’ -- Caleb Scharf, author of The Copernicus Complex‘As Chad Orzel shows in his informative new book, while the pace of modern life seems to march briskly in step with the rhythms of various clocks, keeping accurate time has been a mainstay of history – a driving force for astronomical measurements, and eventually classical and relativistic physics. A Brief History of Timekeeping offers the quintessential account of all the factors that make up ways we record time – from the relatively slow progression of daily and lunar cycles to the near-instantaneous speed of atomic transitions. Orzel’s fascinating chronicle of how we measure the seconds, days, and years that set the stride of our life’s journey is well worth making the time to read – and that literary adventure will fly by, no doubt.’ -- Paul Halpern, author of Flashes of Creation'An excellent book… [Orzel] has turned his gifts of clarity, logical exposition and gentle humour to explaining how different time systems have operated over the millennia… “Brief Histories of…” have multiplied ever since Stephen Hawking published his A Brief History of Time, but Orzel’s version is far more intelligible and entertaining that its bestselling predecessor… A Brief History of Timekeeping would be an ideal gift to satisfy anyone demanding to understand why clocks are such a perpetual source of fascination – and for those who are already convinced, it provides a succinct summary of the multiple ways in which time can be told.’ * Dr Patricia Fara, Antiquarian Horology *‘Today’s best atomic clocks can track time with a precision of one part in a billion – but getting to this point, as Chad Orzel’s entertaining new book shows, has been an incredible adventure. It’s a history of technology, of course, but we also learn about the underlying science, from the ancient astronomers who first made sense of the motions of the sun, moon, and stars to those who unveiled relativity and quantum mechanics in the last century. If you like science, history, and fun in equal measure, A Brief History of Timekeeping is for you.’ -- Dan Falk, science journalist, author and broadcaster‘A fascinating intersection of science, history, and theology. I never expected to lose track of time reading a book about time.’ -- James Breakwell, comedy writer, creator of @XplodingUnicorn on Twitter, and author of How to Be a Man (Whatever That Means)‘Orzel gives us the grand tour of something we all take for granted. It’s about time.’ -- Chris Ferrie, author of Where Did the Universe Come From?‘Fascinating… a page-turning popular science book which is full of quirky, unexpected turns.’ -- Fortean Times

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Book SynopsisA wise and inspiring manifesto about why understanding physics can make you happier, by one of the leading science writers of our time.Trade ReviewTim Radford's The Consolations of Physics is a love letter to the Voyager space probes. The poetry of their journey stimulated Radford to wax lyrical about the purpose of science. It is a beautiful, moving book that roams through the grand physics of recent decades. -- Michael Brooks * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Lyrical hymn to space exploration, knowledge and the enquiring mind... Helps quench our curiosity, yet deepens the mystery, about the cosmos and our attempts to discover more about it. -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *Beautiful, joyful, inspiring. A celebration of physicists' quest to understand the universe, from one of the best science writers around. -- Jo Marchant, New York Times bestselling author of CUREIt's rare that you get a book that connects Dante's Divine Comedy to the Higgs boson and the geology of limestone cliffs, and this weaving together of two thousand's years of intellectual thought is one of the many delights of this book. It's a hymn to scientific endeavour. -- Professor Mark Miodownik, New York Times bestselling author of STUFF MATTERSWow... Tim Radford's writing is so beautiful, it reads like poetry. A book more about life and passion than physics. People who have never cared a jot about physics (like me) must read this book. -- Suzanne O'Sullivan, Wellcome Prize-winning author of IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEADA beautiful, inspiring reflection on science, humanity, space, and matter - this would blow Boethius's mind. -- Sarah Bakewell, Sunday Times-bestselling author of HOW TO LIVE and AT THE EXISTENTIALIST'S CAFEAn appreciative survey of the vast canvas on which physicists do their creative work - the entire observable universe, from the beginning of time to its end (assuming there is one)... Beneath his jocularity, Radford is an unapologetic intellectual. -- Graham Farmelo * Guardian *Beautifully crafted 'love letter to physics'... His deft narrative interweaves discoveries such as the Higgs boson, the Hubble Deep Field and gravitational waves with Dante Alighieri's epic fourteenth-century poem The Divine Comedy, which intuited the laws of motion found by Galileo Galilei some 300 years later. -- Barbara Kiser * Nature *Engaging and delightful... In Radford's persuasive and genial company, as he roams from the initial singularity to dark energy, from Saint Augustine's City of God to Dante's The Divine Comedy, from the Higgs bosun to the multiverse, it's hard not to be moved by the fact that there are those who are capable of dreaming up and executing complex undertakings that explore the order that underpins creation. -- Manjit Kumar * Observer *Physics may not be a subject many people find consoling, but in this poetic paean to mankind's quest to make sense of the universe Tim Radford...might convert a few. -- Rob Kingston * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Hossenfelder stands between us and incomprehension' Daily Mail'Informative and engaging' TLSDo we have free will? Is the universe compatible with God? Do we live in a computer simulation? Does the universe think?Physicists are great at complicated research, but they are less good at telling us why it matters. In this entertaining and groundbreaking book, theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder breaks down why we should care. Drawing on the latest research in quantum mechanics, black holes, string theory and particle physics, Existential Physics explains what modern physics can tell us about the big questions.Filled with counterintuitive insights and including interviews with other leading scientists, this clear and yet profound book will reshape your understanding of science and the limits of what we can know.Trade ReviewHossenfelder may popularise science but she doesn't dumb it down... she stands between us and total incomprehension... That's my kind of science writer * Daily Mail *Hossenfelder is a unique writing talent and a unique science popularizer. You will come away from this book enriched, and will think about the world differently than you did before. * Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist and bestselling author *It is hard not to enjoy the bold and easy spirit with which Hossenfelder begins her book... informative and engaging * Times Literary Supplement *[Existential Physics] takes you on a thought provoking, tantalising and illuminating journey. It clearly delineates what physics can tell us about ourselves and the universe we inhabit, and thus what it cannot. * Physics Education *Hossenfelder rightly believes that a better understanding of the limitations of science will benefit society. This comes across loud and clear in her book, which I found fun to read and really made me think about the scientific method and the big questions in life * Physics World *If I had six stars to give this book, I'd do it... Highly recommended' * Popular Science (5* review) *Table of Contents1: DOES THE PAST STILL EXIST? 2: HOW DID THE UNIVERSE BEGIN? HOW WILL IT END? 2.1: IS MATH ALL THERE IS? An Interview with Tim Palmer 3: WHY DOESN'T ANYONE EVER GET YOUNGER? 4: ARE YOU JUST A BAG OF ATOMS? 4.1: IS KNOWLEDGE PREDICTABLE? An Interview with David Deutsch 5: DO COPIES OF US EXIST? 6: HAS PHYSICS RULED OUT FREE WILL? 6.1: IS CONSCIOUSNESS COMPUTABLE? An Interview with Roger Penrose 7: WAS THE UNIVERSE MADE FOR US? 8: DOES THE UNIVERSE THINK? 8.1: CAN WE CREATE A UNIVERSE? An Interview with Zeeya Merali 9: ARE HUMANS PREDICTABLE?

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