Physics Books

Book SynopsisThis book examines and explains cataclysmic and unusual events at the very frontier of our knowledge of stellar astrophysics, and presents them in a way that non-professionals can understand and enjoy.Trade ReviewFrom the reviews:“Stevenson … has authored a book on the deaths of stars that is unlike any other work on the subject. In a clear but very detailed manner, he discusses stellar evolution, placing particular emphasis on the many diverse and unusual ways that stars die. … Budding astrophysicists and professionals will find it educational and very thought provoking. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional library collections.” (A. Spero, Choice, Vol. 51 (9), May, 2014)Table of ContentsThe Evolution of Massive Stars.- The Top of the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.- Collapsars, Hypernovae, and Long Gamma Ray Bursts.- Quiet supernovae, and Death by Fall-Back.- Luminous Blue Variables and Supernova 'Imposters'.- Death by Magnetar.- Pulsational Pair Instability and Pair Instability Supernovae.- Luminous Blue Flashes.- Population III Stars.- The Impact of Nuclear Reactions of Massive Stars on the Present Day Universe.- Red Novae and the Enigma of V838 Monocerotis.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis new edition of The Standard Model and Beyond presents an advanced introduction to the physics and formalism of the standard model and other non-abelian gauge theories. It provides a solid background for understanding supersymmetry, string theory, extra dimensions, dynamical symmetry breaking, and cosmology. In addition to updating all of the experimental and phenomenological results from the first edition, it contains a new chapter on collider physics; expanded discussions of Higgs, neutrino, and dark matter physics; and many new problems.The book first reviews calculational techniques in field theory and the status of quantum electrodynamics. It then focuses on global and local symmetries and the construction of non-abelian gauge theories. The structure and tests of quantum chromodynamics, collider physics, the electroweak interactions and theory, and the physics of neutrino mass and mixing are thoroughly explored. The final chapter discusses the motivaTrade Review"The 2009 first edition of The Standard Model and Beyond provided a long-needed and thorough introductory textbook that focused on the advances in phenomenology that led to the highly successful Standard Model of Elementary Particle Physics. Its author, Paul Langacker, is well known not only for his research, but also his communication skills both as a lecturer and writer. However, much has happened over the last seven years, as the Higgs scalar was discovered, thus completing the minimal spectrum of the Standard Model, whilst the field of neutrino physics continued to mature. At the same time, a number of leading speculations regarding ‘new physics’, beyond the Standard Model, failed to be observed, causing a re-examination of some beliefs. This newly updated second edition explores such constraints on ‘new physics’ ideas, in addition to exploring recent discoveries and advances in the field. The text remains lucid, thorough, and well-worth having, and so I strongly recommend it as a resource for students and researchers who wish to understand, and help continue, the legacy of scientific exploration and discovery."—William J. Marciano, Senior Physicist, Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory"This second edition of Professor Paul Langacker’s book on The Standard Model and Beyond includes a brand new chapter on Collider Physics that describes the basic theory for calculations of high-energy particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. All graduate students in particle physics should read this book. I found it to be inspirational!"—Vernon Barger, Vilas and J.H. Van Vleck Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison"Paul Langacker, a renowned expert on particle physics, here presents the successful theoretical framework describing the interactions among the fundamental constituents of matter and the pending problems that still need to be solved. Starting from the most basic concepts, the book introduces the different elements of the Standard Model and discusses its most important experimental tests, from the empirical facts which suggested the Lagrangian structure to the most recent LHC data on the Higgs boson. A few representative directions to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model are also reviewed. The book includes a lot of complementary material, with useful appendices, suggested problems, and many references. It is a very comprehensive and valuable summary, which will be of great interest to a broad audience of readers interested in learning about our current understanding of the fundamental laws of nature."—Antonio Pich, IFIC, University of Valencia - CSIC"The Standard Model and Beyond is a fantastic comprehensive compendium of all that young particle physicists must learn, and senior ones must not forget. It can serve both as an introduction to the most advanced topics, and as a prompt look-up reference for explicit results or bibliography. The first part contains a concise refresher on the basics of particle physics, from quantum fields to symmetries and group theory. Both formal and phenomenological topics are covered, and, together with thorough appendices, a large number of useful exercises and common-use results are offered. The Standard Model is covered from a modern perspective, but without neglecting its roots in Fermi theory. This second edition updates the state of the art in precision studies of the electroweak sector, reviewing the implications of the latest measurements of the Higgs boson, the top quark, and heavy flavours. The final part introduces the theoretical and experimental motivations of theories beyond the Standard Model. The formalism, applications, and open challenges in neutrino physics, supersymmetry, and grand unification are covered in detail in the light of the latest experimental results. These sections will enable young researchers to follow the most advanced research directions in particle physics phenomenology, and help them select their own projects. A large set of complementary resources are also available online, including codes for amplitude calculations, solutions to selected exercises, and links to tools and bibliography. This is the physics book to take with you for a sabbatical on a desert island!"—Michelangelo Mangano, CERN, TH Department"This fine book, updating the 2009 edition, has maintained its excellent treatment of a broad spectrum of topics in high energy physics. It will serve both as a definitive reference and as a primary text in a full-year course at the graduate level for students who have already been exposed to quantum field theory. The exercises are plentiful and well-chosen, providing valuable hands-on experience for both beginners and seasoned researchers. Many subjects benefit from the author's first-hand research experience, making the book an especially authoritative source. Results both in and beyond the standard model of particle physics are presented in an engaging and conversational style, with copious text and article references, but the author also provides plentiful explicit calculations. The reader who works through them will be truly empowered by this tour de force of presentation.The ground for discussion of physics beyond the standard model is carefully prepared by presenting the necessary formalism in a manner as independent as possible of specific schemes. Precision physics within the standard modelis highlighted, allowing one to spot key discrepancies. The major development since the First Edition, the discovery of the Higgs boson with properties completely consistent with standard model predictions, has been treatedin detail, with a thorough study of its implications. The choice of subjects beyond the standard model includes an extensive discussion of supersymmetry, a treatment of gauge theories beyond SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1), and schemes of grand unification."—Jonathan L. Rosner, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Chicago "The Standard Model and Beyond is an authoritative, comprehensive account of the standard model of particle physics, the quantum field theory that underlies it, and the detailed phenomenology needed to confront it with experiment. It is a stand-alone text and reference that covers all aspects of the field of high energy physics. Its usefulness is enhanced by multiple tables covering topics such as Fierz identities, gamma matrix transformation properties, and many more, that practitioners frequently have to dig in their research notebooks to recall. The second edition has updated all experimental results and their associated phenomenology, and has added a new chapter on collider physics and expanded treatments of currently active topics, including the Higgs boson and dark matter physics. The book references are usefully grouped by topic, and there is an extensive bibliography of articles and an excellent index. Each chapter contains problems, so the book is suitable as a graduate level text in particle physics, as well as an indispensable reference for practicing theoretical and experimental high energy physicists." —Stephen L. Adler, Professor Emeritus, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton "Langacker’s book is probably the best one available to provide a simultaneously broad and deep survey of the status of the Standard Model of particle physics and efforts to extend it. It covers a remarkable range of topics, and does so technically and reliably. He starts at the beginning, with a solid introduction to field theory and needed formalisms, and includes a thorough treatment of neutrino masses, followed by a good introduction to supersymmetry. He consistently includes relevant experimental information, at a good level of detail. He provides sixty-five pages of references, making this an unusually valuable guide to most topics of interest. The book will be a superb reference guide to workers in the field, as well as a fine way to learn particle physics."—Gordon Kane, Victor Weisskopf Distinguished University Professor of Physics, University of MichiganPraise for the first edition"… Paul Langacker is a pioneer in the field of high-precision tests of the Standard Model. … Langacker’s book is likely to play a pivotal role at this juncture when the plethora of ‘new physics’ and alternative models have emerged while experimental data has become too intricate to be comprehensible even to the experts. … Masterly treatment on the Standard Model by Langacker in Chapter 7, in my opinion, is the heart of the book. … Decades of past experience of the author in the area of precision tests make the writing lucid and transparent. … A thorough study of the book would enable the reader to unravel the intricacies involved in the claims of ‘new physics.’ … Langacker comprehensively demonstrates the spectacular successes of the Standard Model … This book would be of great utility to learn and do high quality particle physics in the age of LHC for both theorists and experimentalists. What about ‘new physics’? As and when this happens, the contents of the book would be helpful to focus on the matter-of-fact physics and interpret the new data. …"—Contemporary Physics, Volume 52, Issue 3, 2011"… This substantial book — at more than 600 pages — gives a detailed and lucid summary of the theoretical foundations of the Standard Model, and possible extensions beyond it. …I heartily recommend it to particle physicists as a great single-volume reference, especially useful to experimentalists. It also provides a firm, graduate-level foundation for theoretical physicists who plan to pursue concepts beyond the Standard Model to a greater depth."—Philip Burrows, John Adams Institute, Oxford University, UK, CERN Courier, June 2010"The textbook by Paul Langacker gives a comprehensive…overview about the Standard Model of Elementary Particle Physics and beyond…. the full Standard Model including mathematical foundations and current experimental references is fully reviewed. After each chapter, the reader finds quite an extensive set of problems which allows [them] to deepen the previously learned knowledge…The book is clearly not intended to serve theorists in their daily life but rather an experimental physicist to understand the theory behind and perform some simple calculations. However, as a kind of compendium and standard reference it is a worthy tool for everybody in the field."—Wolfgang G. Hollik (Hamburg) in Zentralblatt MATH 1376."The 2009 first edition of The Standard Model and Beyond provided a long-needed and thorough introductory textbook that focused on the advances in phenomenology that led to the highly successful Standard Model of Elementary Particle Physics. Its author, Paul Langacker, is well known not only for his research, but also his communication skills both as a lecturer and writer. However, much has happened over the last seven years, as the Higgs scalar was discovered, thus completing the minimal spectrum of the Standard Model, whilst the field of neutrino physics continued to mature. At the same time, a number of leading speculations regarding ‘new physics’, beyond the Standard Model, failed to be observed, causing a re-examination of some beliefs. This newly updated second edition explores such constraints on ‘new physics’ ideas, in addition to exploring recent discoveries and advances in the field. The text remains lucid, thorough, and well-worth having, and so I strongly recommend it as a resource for students and researchers who wish to understand, and help continue, the legacy of scientific exploration and discovery."—William J. Marciano, Senior Physicist, Physics Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory"This second edition of Professor Paul Langacker’s book on The Standard Model and Beyond includes a brand new chapter on Collider Physics that describes the basic theory for calculations of high-energy particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. All graduate students in particle physics should read this book. I found it to be inspirational!"—Vernon Barger, Vilas and J.H. Van Vleck Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison"Paul Langacker, a renowned expert on particle physics, here presents the successful theoretical framework describing the interactions among the fundamental constituents of matter and the pending problems that still need to be solved. Starting from the most basic concepts, the book introduces the different elements of the Standard Model and discusses its most important experimental tests, from the empirical facts which suggested the Lagrangian structure to the most recent LHC data on the Higgs boson. A few representative directions to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model are also reviewed. The book includes a lot of complementary material, with useful appendices, suggested problems, and many references. It is a very comprehensive and valuable summary, which will be of great interest to a broad audience of readers interested in learning about our current understanding of the fundamental laws of nature."—Antonio Pich, IFIC, University of Valencia - CSIC"The Standard Model and Beyond is a fantastic comprehensive compendium of all that young particle physicists must learn, and senior ones must not forget. It can serve both as an introduction to the most advanced topics, and as a prompt look-up reference for explicit results or bibliography. The first part contains a concise refresher on the basics of particle physics, from quantum fields to symmetries and group theory. Both formal and phenomenological topics are covered, and, together with thorough appendices, a large number of useful exercises and common-use results are offered. The Standard Model is covered from a modern perspective, but without neglecting its roots in Fermi theory. This second edition updates the state of the art in precision studies of the electroweak sector, reviewing the implications of the latest measurements of the Higgs boson, the top quark, and heavy flavours. The final part introduces the theoretical and experimental motivations of theories beyond the Standard Model. The formalism, applications, and open challenges in neutrino physics, supersymmetry, and grand unification are covered in detail in the light of the latest experimental results. These sections will enable young researchers to follow the most advanced research directions in particle physics phenomenology, and help them select their own projects. A large set of complementary resources are also available online, including codes for amplitude calculations, solutions to selected exercises, and links to tools and bibliography. This is the physics book to take with you for a sabbatical on a desert island!"—Michelangelo Mangano, CERN, TH Department"This fine book, updating the 2009 edition, has maintained its excellent treatment of a broad spectrum of topics in high energy physics. It will serve both as a definitive reference and as a primary text in a full-year course at the graduate level for students who have already been exposed to quantum field theory. The exercises are plentiful and well-chosen, providing valuable hands-on experience for both beginners and seasoned researchers. Many subjects benefit from the author's first-hand research experience, making the book an especially authoritative source. Results both in and beyond the standard model of particle physics are presented in an engaging and conversational style, with copious text and article references, but the author also provides plentiful explicit calculations. The reader who works through them will be truly empowered by this tour de force of presentation.The ground for discussion of physics beyond the standard model is carefully prepared by presenting the necessary formalism in a manner as independent as possible of specific schemes. Precision physics within the standard modelis highlighted, allowing one to spot key discrepancies. The major development since the First Edition, the discovery of the Higgs boson with properties completely consistent with standard model predictions, has been treatedin detail, with a thorough study of its implications. The choice of subjects beyond the standard model includes an extensive discussion of supersymmetry, a treatment of gauge theories beyond SU(3) x SU(2) x U(1), and schemes of grand unification."—Jonathan L. Rosner, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Chicago "The Standard Model and Beyond is an authoritative, comprehensive account of the standard model of particle physics, the quantum field theory that underlies it, and the detailed phenomenology needed to confront it with experiment. It is a stand-alone text and reference that covers all aspects of the field of high energy physics. Its usefulness is enhanced by multiple tables covering topics such as Fierz identities, gamma matrix transformation properties, and many more, that practitioners frequently have to dig in their research notebooks to recall. The second edition has updated all experimental results and their associated phenomenology, and has added a new chapter on collider physics and expanded treatments of currently active topics, including the Higgs boson and dark matter physics. The book references are usefully grouped by topic, and there is an extensive bibliography of articles and an excellent index. Each chapter contains problems, so the book is suitable as a graduate level text in particle physics, as well as an indispensable reference for practicing theoretical and experimental high energy physicists." —Stephen L. Adler, Professor Emeritus, School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton "Langacker’s book is probably the best one available to provide a simultaneously broad and deep survey of the status of the Standard Model of particle physics and efforts to extend it. It covers a remarkable range of topics, and does so technically and reliably. He starts at the beginning, with a solid introduction to field theory and needed formalisms, and includes a thorough treatment of neutrino masses, followed by a good introduction to supersymmetry. He consistently includes relevant experimental information, at a good level of detail. He provides sixty-five pages of references, making this an unusually valuable guide to most topics of interest. The book will be a superb reference guide to workers in the field, as well as a fine way to learn particle physics."—Gordon Kane, Victor Weisskopf Distinguished University Professor of Physics, University of MichiganPraise for the first edition"… Paul Langacker is a pioneer in the field of high-precision tests of the Standard Model. … Langacker’s book is likely to play a pivotal role at this juncture when the plethora of ‘new physics’ and alternative models have emerged while experimental data has become too intricate to be comprehensible even to the experts. … Masterly treatment on the Standard Model by Langacker in Chapter 7, in my opinion, is the heart of the book. … Decades of past experience of the author in the area of precision tests make the writing lucid and transparent. … A thorough study of the book would enable the reader to unravel the intricacies involved in the claims of ‘new physics.’ … Langacker comprehensively demonstrates the spectacular successes of the Standard Model … This book would be of great utility to learn and do high quality particle physics in the age of LHC for both theorists and experimentalists. What about ‘new physics’? As and when this happens, the contents of the book would be helpful to focus on the matter-of-fact physics and interpret the new data. …"—Contemporary Physics, Volume 52, Issue 3, 2011"… This substantial book — at more than 600 pages — gives a detailed and lucid summary of the theoretical foundations of the Standard Model, and possible extensions beyond it. …I heartily recommend it to particle physicists as a great single-volume reference, especially useful to experimentalists. It also provides a firm, graduate-level foundation for theoretical physicists who plan to pursue concepts beyond the Standard Model to a greater depth."—Philip Burrows, John Adams Institute, Oxford University, UK, CERN Courier, June 2010Table of ContentsNotation and ConventionsReview of Perturbative Field TheoryLie Groups, Lie Algebras, and SymmetriesGauge TheoriesThe Strong Interactions and QCDCollider PhysicsThe Weak InteractionsThe Standard Electroweak TheoryNeutrino Mass and MixingBeyond the Standard ModelAppendix A: Canonical Commutation RulesAppendix B: Derivation of a Simple Feynman DiagramAppendix C: Unitarity, the Partial Wave Expansion, and the Optical TheoremAppendix D: Two, Three, and nBody Phase SpaceAppendix E: Calculation of the Anomalous Magnetic Moment of the ElectronAppendix F: BreitWigner ResonancesAppendix G: Implications of P, C, T, and Gparity for Nucleon Matrix ElementsAppendix H: Quantum Mechanical Analogs of Symmetry Breaking

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlvin Weinberg is one of the most influential nuclear engineers & physicists in the U.S., having participated in many high profile projects from the early days of nuclear research on into the 1980s. This book is his autobiography and it's peppered with first-hand accounts of major historical events. He writes about the events of December 2, 1942, when Fermi set into motion the first chain reaction in a uranium pile and goes on to describe what happened during the "First Nuclear Era" a period he admits that has now largely run its course. A proponent of nuclear power, Weinberg also exposed its down- side risks and for years remained in the forefront of strong science administration.

Read more less

Book Synopsis*Shows how to create realistic action games without assuming college-level Physics (which the majority of gamers won't have); includes necessary physics and mathematics *Ideal for all budding games programmers, with example code in Java, C#, and C *Complements Apress's platform-specific gaming books, like Advanced Java Games Programming and Beginning .NET Games Programming with C#, and the forthcoming Beginning .NET Games Programming in VB.NET *Palmer has strong contacts in the Microsoft Games Division and Electronic Arts, a major gaming producer. Table of ContentsA table of contents is not available for this title.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPositive feedbackwhen A produces B, which in turn produces even more Adrives not only abrupt climate changes, but also the most important and disruptive events in economics and finance, from asset bubbles to debt crises, bank runs, even corporate corruption. But economists, with few exceptions, have ignored this reality for fifty years, holding onto the unreasonable belief in the wisdom of the market. It's past time to be asking how do markets really work? Can we replace economic magical thinking with a better means of predicting what the financial future holds, in order to prepare for, or even avoid the next extreme economic event?In Forecast, physicist and acclaimed science writer Mark Buchanan answers these questions and more in building a new model for economics, one that accepts that markets act much like the weather does. While centuries of classical financial thought has trained us to understand the market as something that always returns to equilibrium, economies work more like our atmospherea loose surface balance riding on a deeper torrent of fluctuation. Market instability is as naturaland dangerousas a prairie twister. With Buchanan's help, we can better govern the markets and weather their storms.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides an introduction to the core features of the Python programming language and Matplotlib plotting routings for scientists and engineers (or students of either discipline) who want to use Python™ to analyse data, simulate physical processes, and render publication-quality plots. No previous programming experience is needed before reading the first page.Readers will learn the core features of the Python programming language in under a day. They will be able to immediately use Python to implement codes that solve their own problems and make beautiful plots and animations. Python code is extremely fast to prototype, allowing users to achieve results quickly and accurately. Python and Matplotlib Essentials for Scientists and Engineers is accessible for motivated high-school students, but will likely be most useful for undergraduate and graduate students as well as working professionals who have some background with the basic mathematical concepts. This book is intended for technical people who want to get things done.Table of Contents Introduction Download and Install First Steps Working with Numbers NumPy Arrays File Input and Output Simple Programming: Flow Control Functions and Modules Classes and Class Methods Making Plots with Matplotlib Applications Visualization and Animations Interfacing with Other Languages

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday, air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radars, or more generally airborne maritime surveillance radars, are installed on maritime reconnaissance aircraft for long-range detection, tracking and classification of surface ships (ASuW--anti-surface warfare) and for hunting submarines (ASW--anti-submarine warfare). Such radars were first developed in the UK during WWII as part of the response to the threat to shipping from German U boats. This book describes the ASV radars developed in the UK and used by RAF Coastal Command during WWII for long-range maritime surveillance.Table of Contents Preface A note on units Acknowledgements Author biography List of abbreviations 1. ASV radar development 2. ASV Mk. I and II 3. ASV Mk. III 4. ASV Mk. VI 5. ASV Mk. VII 6. Lucero 7. Comparative performance assessment 8. Conclusions

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday, air-to-surface vessel (ASV) radars, or more generally maritime surveillance radars, are installed on maritime reconnaissance aircraft for long-range detection, tracking and classification of surface ships (ASuW - Air to Surface Warfare) and for hunting submarines (ASW - anti-submarine warfare). Such radars were first developed in the UK during WWII as part of the response to the threat to shipping from German U-Boats. This book describes the ASV radars developed in the UK after WWII (1946-2000) and used by the RAF for long-range maritime surveillance.Table of Contents Preface A note on units Acknowledgements Author biography List of abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. ASV Mk. 7A 3. ASV Mk. 13 4. ASV 21 5. ASV 846 development 6. Searchwater 7. Comparative performance of ASV 21D and Searchwater 8. Other ASV Radars 9. Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisLeonhard Euler's Letters to a German Princess: A Milestone in the History of Physics Textbooks and More is a milestone in the history of physics textbooks and the instruction of women in the sciences.It also covers views of its author on epistemology, religion, and innovations in scientific equipment, including telescopes and microscopes. Today, 250 years later, we study this work of Euler's as a foundation for the history of physics teaching and analyze the letters from an historical and pedagogical point of view.Table of Contents Preface Prologue: physics pedagogy Author biographies Physics textbooks: origins before 1650 and principal natural philosophies and physics textbooks of the Enlightenment The two princesses and the Letters Euler: life, research, and teaching Selected letters from Volume 1 (letters 1-79) Selected letters from Volume 2 (letters 80-154) and Volume 3 (letters 155-234) Afterword Selected bibliography Glossary of principal names

Read more less

Book SynopsisTopology is the study of properties of geometrical objects that remain invariant as the object is bent, twisted, or otherwise continuously deformed. It has been an indispensable tool in particle physics and solid state physics for decades, but in recent years it has become increasingly relevant in classical and quantum optics as well. It makes appearances through such diverse phenomena as Pancharatnam-Berry phases, optical vortices and solitons, and optical simulations of solid-state topological phenomena. This book concisely provides the necessary mathematical background needed to understand these developments and to give a rapid survey of some of the optical applications where topological issues arise.Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgements Author biography 1. Topology and physicsa historical overview 2. Electromagnetism and physics 3. Characterizing spaces 4. Fiber bundles, curvature, and holonomy 5. Topological invariants 6. Vortices and corkscrewssingular optics 7. Optical solitons 8. Geometric and topological phases 9. Topological states of matter and light Appendices

Read more less