This book details how two distinguished physicists and Nobel laureates have explored this theme in two lectures given in Cambridge, England, in 1986 to commemorate the famous British physicist Paul Dirac. Given for nonspecialists and undergraduates, the talks transcribed in Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics focus on the fundamental problems of physics and the present state of our knowledge. Professor Feynman examines the nature of antiparticles, and in particular the relationship between quantum spin and statistics. Professor Weinberg speculates on how Einstein's theory of gravitation might be reconciled with quantum theory in the final law of physics. Highly accessible, deeply thought provoking, this book will appeal to all those interested in the development of modern physics.

    Niels Bohr's dictum bears witness to the bewildering impact of quantum theory, flying in the face of classical physics and dramatically transforming scientists' outlook on our relationship with the material world. In this book Paul Davies interviews eight physicists involved in debating and testing the theory, with radically different views of its significance.

    Exploring in detail the full history of particle physics, Yuval Ne'eman and Yoram Kirsh explain in an engaging, nonmathematical style the principles of modern theories such as quantum mechanics and Einstein's relativity, and they brilliantly succeed in conveying to the reader the excitement that accompanied the original discoveries. The book is spiced with amusing stories on how great discoveries were made, and Ne'eman, who took an active role in some of the historical advances in particle physics, gives his personal point of view. New to this edition are sections on the discovery of the top quark; the rise and fall of the supercollider project; the detection of the Zo particle in e+e- colliders; and the use of the width of the Zo to determine the number of generations of quarks and leptons. The Particle Hunters will interest anyone who wants to keep pace with the progress of human knowledge. Yuval Ne'eman discovered the basic symmetry of the subatomic particles of matter, leading him to their classification, to the prediction of new particles, and to his identification (in 1962) of a new layer in the structure of matter (quarks). Yoram Kirsh was awarded the Aharon Katzir Prize for popular science writing in 1975.

    

    This pedagogical introduction to the physics of black holes emphasizes the “membrane paradigm”, which translates the mathematics and physics of black holes into a form accessible to readers with little knowledge of general relativity but a solid grounding in nonrelativistic physics.  This is accomplished without resort to approximations or loss of content.  Instead of treating a black hole’s “event horizon” as a globally defined null surface in four-dimensional space time, the paradigm views it as a two-dimensional membrane in three-dimensional space.  Made of viscous fluid, electrically charged and conducting, with finite entropy and temperature but no power to conduct heat, this membrane is seen as having familiar properties that enable the reader to understand intuitively and compute quantitatively the behavior of black holes in complex astrophysical environments.

    In his groundbreaking new book, Pais chronicles the history of the physics of matter and physical forces since the discovery of x-rays. He relates not only what has happened over the last one-hundred years, but also why it happened the way it did, the experiences of the scientists involved, and how a series of seemingly bizarre or unrelated occurrences has emerged as a logical sequence of discoveries and events. Personally involved in many of the developments described, Pais provides unique insights into the world of big and small physics, revealing how the smallest distances explored between 1895 and 1983 have shrunk a hundred millionfold. Along this road inward, scientists have made advances that later generations will rank among the principal monuments of the twentieth century. This magisterial survey explores the discoveries made on the constituents of matter, the laws that govern them, and the forces that act on them. Demonstrating the sometimes rocky road to new insights, Pais reveals that these have been times of progress and stagnation, of order and chaos, of clarity and confusion, of belief and incredulity, of the conventional and the bizarre, as well as of revolutionaries and conservatives, of science by individuals and by consortia, of little gadgets and big machines, and of modest funds and big moneys.

    . . a theory to explain all natural fields and their interaction with particles. . . . Lives and contributions of physicists and cosmologists, starting with the pioneers of scientific cosmology in the 19th century, are described. Topics range from Maxwell's discovery of the laws of magnetic fields to Hawking's work on black hole physics. A concluding chapter looks at the current state of unified field theory. (Sci Books Films)

    The book gives a detailed accurate treatment of laser physics which does not require a background in quantum mechanics.

    Written by the pre-eminent professors in their fields, this new edition of the Finite Element Method maintains the comprehensive style of the earlier editions and authoritatively incorporates the latest developments of this dynamic field. Expanded to three volumes the book now covers the basis of the method and its application to advanced solid mechanics and also advanced fluid dynamics. Volume 1: The Basis is intended as a broad overview of the Finite Element Method. Aimed at undergraduates, postgraduates and professional engineers, it provides a complete introduction to the method. Volume 2 and Volume 3 of the Finite Element Method cover non-linear solid and structural mechanics and fluid dynamics respectively. Both are essential reading for postgraduate students and professional engineers working in these disciplines.

    Starting from first principles, the authors have successfully produced a unified and thorough treatment of the subjects of generation, propagation, absorption, reflection, and scattering of compressional waves in fluids, progressing to such topics as moving sound sources, turbulence, and wave-induced vibration of structures. Material is included on viscous and thermal effects, on the acoustics of moving media, on plasma acoustics, on nonlinear effects, and on the interaction between light and sound. Problems, with answers in many cases, are given at the end of each chapter. They contain extensions to further applications, thus enhancing the reference value of the book. Many of the examples worked out in the text and in the problem solutions were not previously published. Anyone familiar with calculus and vector analysis should be able to understand the mathematical techniques used here.

    Its clarity and completeness makes the text suitable for self-learning and for self-paced courses.Throughout the text the emphasis is on clarity, rather than formality, the various derivations are explained in detail and, wherever possible, the physical interpretations are emphasized. The mathematical treatment is set out in great detail, carrying out the steps which are usually left to the reader. The problems form an integral part of the text and most of them were designed in such a way as to provide a guideline, stating intermediate steps with answers.

    In physical terms, supersymmetry is a symmetry or gauge invariance which connects bosons (particles with integer spin) with fermions (particles with half integer spin). The study of supersymmetry has led to the construction of Yang-Mills theories, which are the first field theories to be free of the divergences that usually occur in quantum theories, with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. It has also led to the construction of supergravity and superstring theories which seem to be the best hope for a complete unified theory of all physical interactions including gravity. Supersymmetry and its Applications reviews a number of recent advances in the area of anomalies, the topology of gauge theories, superstrings, supergravity and super Yang-Mills theory.The papers, written by both physicists and mathematicians, include both expository articles and progress reports describing most recent developments.

    Includes a comprehensive treatment of the conformal approach to space-time infinity with results on general relativistic mass and angular momentum.

    The presentation of the standard course material includes a discussion of the thought processes of the discoverers and a description of the methods by which they arrived at their theories. However the presentation proceeds logically rather than strictly chronologically, so new concepts are introduced at the natural moment. The book assumes a familiarity with calculus, includes a discussion of rigid body motion, and contains numerous thought-provoking problems. It is largely based in content on The Mechanical Universe: Introduction to Mechanics and Heat, a book designed in conjunction with a tele-course to be offered by PBS in the Fall of 1985. The advanced edition, however, does not coincide exactly with the video lessons, contains additional material, and develops the fundamental ideas introduced in the lower-level edition to a greater degree.

    Analyzes many important building blocks of integrated optical systems. Discusses 2- and 3-dimensional optical waveguides, optical fibers, prism and dielectric waveguide couplers, waveguide filters, grating reflectors, and spectrum analyzers. The first introductory text to use optics rather than microwaves as a teaching vehicle, thus making the subject matter easily comprehensible. Numerous worked examples and homework problems included.

    The text essentially concerns itself with three themes, these being a logical exposition of quantum mechanics, a full discussion of the difficulties in the interpretation of quantum mechanics, and an outline of the current state of understanding of theoretical particle physics, The reader is assumed to have some mathematical skill, but no prior knowledge of physics is assumed. The book will be used for final-year undergraduate courses in mathematics and physics, and of interest to professionals in philosophy and pure mathematics.

    The theory has undergone dramatic evolution over the last two decades due to the introduction of new methods and concepts that have extended the frontier of theory from dilute solutions in which polymers move independently to concentrated solutions where many polymers converge. Among the properties examined are viscoelasticity, diffusion, dynamic light scattering, and electric birefringence. Nonlinear viscoelasticity is discussed in detail on the basis of molecular dynamical models. The book bridges the gap between classical theory and new developments, creating a consistent picture of polymer solution dynamics over the entire concentration range.

    Gerald Holton, one of the century's leading historians of science, continues his analysis of how modern science works and how it influences our world, with particular emphasis on the role of the thematic elements--those often unconscious presuppositions that guide scientific work to success or failure. Many of the conclusions emerge from the author's extensive study of the contributions of Albert Einstein. Indeed, Holton's new introduction for this edition, Einstein and the Cultural Roots of Modern Science, demonstrates that Einstein's daring main pursuit, the discovery of unity among seemingly disparate aspects of physics, was psychologically supported by a surprising ally: the high literary works in which he immersed himself, above all Goethe's. This case study alone may well be a classic example for studying the interaction of science and culture.

    Covers a broad range of topics, with carefully worked examples illustrating important problem-solving methods. A collection of self-test problems helps students prepare for the College Entrance Advanced Physics Examination and the Qualifying Written Examination for the PhD.

    Then, it moves on to modern physics, where particles may behave like waves and where some of the great verities of Newtonian physics appear less certain. Along with the first volume, this book is based on, though independent of, a public television series broadcast in the United States. Physics is presented as a human endeavor, with historical development forming a thread throughout the text. The prerequisites are minimal, only basic algebra and trigonometry since the necessary calculus is developed in the text, with physics providing the motivation. New concepts are introduced at the natural, logical point with many historical references to place physics in a social perspective. Many topics from twentieth-century physics are included. The book is attractively illustrated and will be a stimulating alternative to other, less-thorough treatments.

    A number of complimentary approaches are developed, including perturbation theory; nonperturbative approximations based on functional integrals; general arguments based on order parameters, symmetry, and Fermi liquid theory; and stochastic methods.