With Hiroshima and the Cold War still ringing in our ears, our perception of all things nuclear is seen through the lens of weapons development. Nuclear power is full of mind-bending theories, deep secrets, and the misdirection of public consciousness, some deliberate, some accidental. The result of this fixation on bombs and fallout is that the development of a non-polluting, renewable energy source stands frozen in time.It has been said that if gasoline were first used to make napalm bombs, we would all be driving electric cars. Our skewed perception of nuclear power is what makes James Mahaffey's new look at the extraordinary paradox of nuclear power so compelling. From medieval alchemy to Marie curie, Albert Einstein, and the Manhattan Project, atomic science is far from the spawn of a wicked weapons program. The discovery that the atom can be split brought forth the ultimate puzzle of the modern age: Now that the energy of the universe is available to us, how do we use it? For death and destruction? Or as a fuel for our society that has minimal impact on the environment and future generations?Outlining nuclear energy's discovery and applications throughout history, Mahaffey's brilliant and accessible book is essential to understanding the astounding phenomenon of nuclear power in an age where renewable energy and climate change have become the defining concerns of the twenty-first century.

    What are the boundaries of our universe? Could there be other worlds - do we actually live in a multiverse? Will we meet another 'us' in a different reality? Or are alternative worlds parallel but separate? John Gribbin guides us through the different theories about multiverses, along the way explaining the every latest thinking about gravity, about time and multiple dimensions, about quantum theory, about matter itself - and even the mind-bending possibility that one day we may be creating universes ourselves. John Gribbin is the best guide to the big questions of science. And there is no bigger question than our search for the multiverse. 'The master of popular science writing'  Sunday Times 'In this universe at least, it's brilliant'  BBC Focus 'Numerous books on the subject have appeared in the past few years, but Gribbin's stands out for succinctness and readability. Long renowned as one of Britain's finest popular science writers, Gribbin combines expert knowledge with straightforward, no-frills exposition'  Scotland on Sunday John Gribbin is one of today's greatest writers of popular science and the author of bestselling books, including In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, Stardust, Science: A History and Deep Simplicity. Gribbin trained as an astrophysicist at Cambridge University and is currently Visiting Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Sussex.

    

    Breaking down the symbols themselves, they pose a series of questions: What is energy? What is mass? What has the speed of light got to do with energy and mass? In answering these questions, they take us to the site of one of the largest scientific experiments ever conducted. Lying beneath the city of Geneva, straddling the Franco-Swiss boarder, is a 27 km particle accelerator, known as the Large Hadron Collider. Using this gigantic machine—which can recreate conditions in the early Universe fractions of a second after the Big Bang—Cox and Forshaw will describe the current theory behind the origin of mass.Alongside questions of energy and mass, they will consider the third, and perhaps, most intriguing element of the equation: 'c' - or the speed of light. Why is it that the speed of light is the exchange rate? Answering this question is at the heart of the investigation as the authors demonstrate how, in order to truly understand why E=mc2, we first must understand why we must move forward in time and not backwards and how objects in our 3-dimensional world actually move in 4-dimensional space-time. In other words, how the very fabric of our world is constructed. A collaboration between two of the youngest professors in the UK, Why Does E=mc2? promises to be one of the most exciting and accessible explanations of the theory of relativity in recent years.

    Dark matter. These strange and invisible substances don't just sound mysterious: their unexpected appearance in the cosmic census is upending long-held notions about the nature of the Universe. Astronomers have long known that the Universe is expanding, but everything they could see indicated that gravity should be slowing this spread. Instead, it appears that the Universe is accelerating its expansion and that something stronger than gravity--dark energy--is at work. In Einstein's Telescope Evalyn Gates, a University of Chicago astrophysicist, transports us to the edge of contemporary science to explore the revolutionary tool that unlocks the secrets of these little-understood cosmic constituents. Based on Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravitational lensing, or "Einstein's Telescope," is enabling new discoveries that are taking us toward the next revolution in scientific thinking--one that may change forever our notions of where the Universe came from and where it is going.

    In the 1980s, it became clear that underlying these diagrams is a powerful analogy between quantum physics and topology. Namely, a linear operator behaves very much like a ‘cobordism’: a manifold representing spacetime, going between two manifolds representing space. This led to a burst of work on topological quantum field theory and ‘quantum topology’. But this was just the beginning: similar diagrams can be used to reason about logic, where they represent proofs, and computation, where they represent programs. With the rise of interest in quantum cryptography and quantum computation, it became clear that there is extensive network of analogies between physics, topology, logic and computation. In this expository paper, we make some of these analogies precise using the concept of ‘closed symmetric monoidal category’. We assume no prior knowledge of category theory, proof theory or computer science.

    In the hands of one of today’s hottest young physicists, that simple fact of breakfast becomes a doorway to understanding the Big Bang, the universe, and other universes, too. In From Eternity to Here, Sean Carroll argues that the arrow of time, pointing resolutely from the past to the future, owes its existence to conditions before the Big Bang itself, a period modern cosmology of which Einstein never dreamed. Increasingly, though, physicists are going out into realms that make the theory of relativity seem like child’s play. Carroll’s scenario is not only elegant, it’s laid out in the same easy-to- understand language that has made his group blog, Cosmic Variance, the most popular physics blog on the Net. From Eternity to Here uses ideas at the cutting edge of theoretical physics to explore how properties of spacetime before the Big Bang can explain the flow of time we experience in our everyday lives. Carroll suggests that we live in a baby universe, part of a large family of universes in which many of our siblings experience an arrow of time running in the opposite direction. It’s an ambitious, fascinating picture of the universe on an ultra-large scale, one that will captivate fans of popular physics blockbusters like Elegant Universe and A Brief History of Time.

    It is fundamental to the fields of civil, mechanical, chemical and bioengineering. This time-tested text has been used for over 35 years to introduce junior and senior-level undergraduate engineering students, as well as graduate students, to the basic principles of continuum mechanics and their applications to real engineering problems. The text begins with a detailed presentation of the coordinate invariant quantity, the tensor, introduced as a linear transformation. This is then followed by the formulation of the kinematics of deformation, large as well as very small, the description of stresses and the basic laws of continuum mechanics. As applications of these laws, the behaviors of certain material idealizations (models) including the elastic, viscous and viscoelastic materials, are presented.This new edition offers expanded coverage of the subject matter both in terms of details and contents, providing greater flexibility for either a one or two-semester course in either continuum mechanics or elasticity. Although this current edition has expanded the coverage of the subject matter, it nevertheless uses the same approach as that in the earlier editions - that one can cover advanced topics in an elementary way that go from simple to complex, using a wealth of illustrative examples and problems. It is, and will remain, one of the most accessible textbooks on this challenging engineering subject.Significantly expanded coverage of elasticity in Chapter 5, including solutions of some 3-D problems based on the fundamental potential functions approach.New section at the end of Chapter 4 devoted to the integral formulation of the field equationsSeven new appendices appear at the end of the relevant chapters to help make each chapter more self-containedExpanded and improved problem sets providing both intellectual challenges and engineering applications

    And she can't concentrate on her tennis matches when she's worried about the questions she missed on the big test! Luckily for her, she befriends Ryota, a patient physics geek who uses real-world examples to help her understand classical mechanics-and improve her tennis game in the process!In The Manga Guide to Physics, you'll follow alongside Megumi as she learns about the physics of everyday objects like roller skates, slingshots, braking cars, and tennis serves. In no time, you'll master tough concepts like momentum and impulse, parabolic motion, and the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration.You'll also learn how to:Apply Newton's three laws of motion to real-life problems Determine how objects will move after a collision Draw vector diagrams and simplify complex problems using trigonometry Calculate how an object's kinetic energy changes as its potential energy increases If you're mystified by the basics of physics or you just need a refresher, The Manga Guide to Physics will get you up to speed in a lively, quirky, and practical way.

    Outlining the fascinating history of how superconductivity was discovered, and the race to understand its many mysterious and counter-intuitive phenomena, Stephen Blundell explains in accessible terms the theories that have been developed to explain it, and how they have influenced other areas of science, including the Higgs boson of particle physics and ideas about the early Universe. This Very Short Introduction examines the many strange phenomena observed in superconducting materials, the latest developments in high-temperature superconductivity, the potential of superconductivity to revolutionize the physics and technology of the future, and much more. It is a fascinating detective story, offering invaluable insights into some of the deepest and most beautiful ideas in physics today.About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

    While keeping to the spirit of the book I wrote originally, I have reorganised the chapters of Fokker-Planck equations and those on appr- imation methods, and introduced new material on the white noise limit of driven stochastic systems, and on applications and validity of simulation methods based on the Poisson representation. Further, in response to the revolution in ?nancial m- kets following from the discovery by Fischer Black and Myron Scholes of a reliable option pricing formula, I have written a chapter on the application of stochastic me- ods to ?nancial markets. In doing this, I have not restricted myself to the geometric Brownian motion model, but have also attempted to give some ?avour of the kinds of methods used to take account of the realities of ?nancial markets. This means that I have also given a treatment of Levy processes and their applications to ?nance, since these are central to most current thinking. Since this book was written the rigorous mathematical formulation of stochastic processes has developed considerably, most particularly towards greater precision and generality, and this has been re?ected in the way the subject is presented in m- ern applications, particularly in ?nance."

    In fact, it is or has become a highly interdisciplinary eld. On a topic such as the physicsof the atom the disciplines of physics, philosophy, and history of science interconnect in a remarkable way, and to an extent that is revealed in this volume for the rst time. This compendium brings together some 90 researchers, who have authored approximately 185 articles on all aspects of quantum theory. The project is truly international and interdisciplinary because it is a compilation of contributions by historiansofscience, philosophers, andphysicists, all interestedinparticularaspects of quantum physics. A glance at the biographies at the end of the volume reveals author af liations in no fewer than twenty countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Indeed, the authors are not only international, they are also internationally renowned with three Physics Nobel Prize laureates among them. The basic idea and motivationbehind the compendiumis indicatedin its subtitle, namely, to describe in concise and accessible form the essential conceptsand exp- iments as well as the history and philosophy of quantum physics. The length of the contributions varies according to the topic, and all texts are written by recognized experts in the respective elds."

    Perkins's Electric Quilt. With his trademark combination of intriguing mathematical problems and the historical anecdotes surrounding them, Nahin invites readers on an exciting and informative exploration of some of the many ways math and physics combine to create something vastly more powerful, useful, and interesting than either is by itself.In a series of brief and largely self-contained chapters, Nahin discusses a wide range of topics in which math and physics are mutually dependent and mutually illuminating, from Newtonian gravity and Newton's laws of mechanics to ballistics, air drag, and electricity. The mathematical subjects range from algebra, trigonometry, geometry, and calculus to differential equations, Fourier series, and theoretical and Monte Carlo probability. Each chapter includes problems--some three dozen in all--that challenge readers to try their hand at applying what they have learned. Just as in his other books of mathematical puzzles, Nahin discusses the historical background of each problem, gives many examples, includes MATLAB codes, and provides complete and detailed solutions at the end.Mrs. Perkins's Electric Quilt will appeal to students interested in new math and physics applications, teachers looking for unusual examples to use in class--and anyone who enjoys popular math books.

    Feynman’s Lectures on Physics has been known worldwide as a classic resource for students and professionals. Responding to the interest in the source material from which the Lectures on Physics were transcribed, Basic Books is releasing Feynman’s original recordings. These CDs will serve as a library of essential physics by a scientific legend.

    It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. Table of Contents: Albert Einstein BiographyAbout and NavigationOn the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies (1905) Translated by Megh Nad SahaDialog about Objections against the Theory of Relativity (1918) Relativity: The Special and General Theory (1920) Translated by Robert W. LawsonRussell-Einstein ManifestoSidelights on RelativityLetters to Franklin D. RooseveltThe Einstein Theory of Relativity, A Concise Statement by Prof. H.A. Lorentz of the University of Leyden

    Nor do you need to be a great scientist to appreciate the exciting discoveries and intriguing mysteries of our universe.If you can change dollars into euros, you can understand the meaning of Einstein's most famous equation E=mc². And, you can understand black holes, relativity, quantum mechanics, and the Big Bang.Dr. Robert Piccioni brings the excitement of modern scientific discoveries to general audiences. He makes the key facts and concepts understandable without "dumbing" them down. He presents them in a friendly, conversational manner, and includes many personal anecdotes about the people behind the science.He presents real science for real people.In our modern age, science is the frontier where great discoveries are being made. While the public has participated in the excitement of Moon landings and missions to other planets, public participation in many other scientific discoveries is limited buy technical jargon and complex math. Most people hear only the sound bites of amazing new discoveries and have no way to find out what it all really means. That's a needless shame. Why be in the dark? Read this book, and have fun exploring your universe!

    Within these intuitive divisions, all human scientific endeavors and achievement are divided into four general fields of inquiry and arrayed into four basic geocultural regions for easy comparison in a logical, systematic grid format highlighted by 350 photographs, maps, illustrations, and diagrams that add graphic emphasis to key information. Special two-page feature spreads explore the most revolutionary developments in greater depth; compelling, expertly composed essays and memorable quotations add sparkle; and informative sidebars provide specifically focused items of information about particular inventions, ideas, or themes. Completing this comprehensive approach, an extensive glossary explains unfamiliar terms, and a detailed index makes it a simple matter to follow a particular field or process from its origin through its complete cross-cultural evolution. This is a reference as usefully accessible as it is inherently fascinating.

    These laws are viewed as fundamental building blocks on which to frame theories of material behavior. As a valuable reference source, this book presents a detailed and complete treatment of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics for graduates and advanced undergraduates in engineering, physics, and mathematics. The chapters on plasticity discuss the standard isotropic theories and, in addition, crystal plasticity and gradient plasticity.

    Lewis Ryder develops the theory of general relativity in detail. Covering the core topics of black holes, gravitational radiation, and cosmology, he provides an overview of general relativity and its modern ramifications. The book contains chapters on gravitational radiation, cosmology, and connections between general relativity and the fundamental physics of the microworld. It explains the geometry of curved spaces and contains key solutions of Einstein's equations - the Schwarzschild and Kerr solutions. Mathematical calculations are worked out in detail, so students can develop an intuitive understanding of the subject, as well as learn how to perform calculations. The book also includes topics concerned with the relation between general relativity and other areas of fundamental physics. Selected solutions for instructors are available under Resources.

    It allows readers to build up physical intuition for what is going on, before presenting concise mathematical descriptions. It contains many applications and numerous illustrations, examples and problems.

    The story of starlight is truly fascinating. Astronomers analyze and interpret the light from stars using photometry and spectroscopy, then inspirational detective work combines with the laws of physics to reveal the temperatures, masses, luminosities and outer structure of these far away points of light. The laws of physics themselves enable us to journey to the very center of a star and to understand its inner structure and source of energy!Starlight provides an in-depth study of stellar astrophysics that requires only basic high school mathematics and physics, making it accessible to all amateur astronomers. Starlight teaches amateur astronomers about the physics of stars and starlight in a friendly, easy-to-read way. The reader will take away a profoundly deeper understanding of this truly fascinating subject - and find his practical observations more rewarding and fulfilling as a result.

    Supersymmetric charges and their algebra are discussed, as are interactions and gauge theories. The book also covers superspace formalism, superfields, supersymmetry breaking, and much more. Detailed examples, clear illustrations, and concise explanations make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.It's a no-brainer! You'll get: An explanation of the Wess-Zumino modelTips on how to build supersymmetric lagrangiansCoverage of superspace and superfieldsA detailed presentation of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) and some of its phenomenological implications.Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Supersymmetry Demystified is your key to understanding this fascinating particle physics subject.

    But for more than four decades after its publication, the theory remained largely a curiosity for scientists; however accurate it seemed, Einstein’s mathematical code—represented by six interlocking equations—was one of the most difficult to crack in all of science. That is, until a twenty-nine-year-old Cambridge graduate solved the great riddle in 1963. Roy Kerr’s solution emerged coincidentally with the discovery of black holes that same year and provided fertile testing ground—at long last—for general relativity. Today, scientists routinely cite the Kerr solution, but even among specialists, few know the story of how Kerr cracked Einstein’s code.   Fulvio Melia here offers an eyewitness account of the events leading up to Kerr’s great discovery. Cracking the Einstein Code vividly describes how luminaries such as Karl Schwarzschild, David Hilbert, and Emmy Noether set the stage for the Kerr solution; how Kerr came to make his breakthrough; and how scientists such as Roger Penrose, Kip Thorne, and Stephen Hawking used the accomplishment to refine and expand modern astronomy and physics. Today more than 300 million supermassive black holes are suspected of anchoring their host galaxies across the cosmos, and the Kerr solution is what astronomers and astrophysicists use to describe much of their behavior.   By unmasking the history behind the search for a real world solution to Einstein’s field equations, Melia offers a first-hand account of an important but untold story. Sometimes dramatic, often exhilarating, but always attuned to the human element, Cracking the Einstein Code is ultimately a showcase of how important science gets done.

    This introductory textbook for graduate students in biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics provides a systematic account of the basic science common to these diverse areas. This book provides a careful pedagogical motivation of key concepts, discusses why diverse nonequilibrium systems often show similar patterns and dynamics, and gives a balanced discussion of the role of experiments, simulation, and analytics. It contains numerous worked examples and over 150 exercises. This book will also interest scientists who want to learn about the experiments, simulations, and theory that explain how complex patterns form in sustained nonequilibrium systems.

    Presenting a detailed insight into the fascinating world of space, this comprehensive handbook describes the processes and methodologies behind the development, construction, operation, and utilization of space systems.

    It offers readers a Cumulative Index to the first ten volumes of the collected papers, the first complete bibliography of Einstein's scientific and nonscientific writings until 1921, and a succinct biographical time line. This volume is an invaluable research tool for delving into Einstein's written legacy; his interactions with colleagues, institutions, friends, and family; and his scientific, political, educational, and social activities.Volume 11 presents three important and unique bibliographies: the List of Writings, 1891-1921; the Einstein Bibliography, 1901-1921; and a Cumulative Bibliography and Index of Citations for Volumes 1-10. The List of Writings includes all of Einstein's manuscripts that remained unpublished by 1921, while the Einstein Bibliography includes documents that were republished during this period. The Cumulative Bibliography and Index of Citations lists all literature written by authors cited in at least one of the first ten volumes of the series.This volume also contains two complete lists of Einstein's correspondence up through 1920, and a Chronology of Einstein's life for the years 1879-1921. The first list presents the correspondence in chronological order, while the second list presents the correspondence in alphabetical order by correspondent. The indexes and bibliographies implicitly correct inconsistencies and errata across the different volumes. Other corrections are explicitly collected in a List of Errata for the first ten volumes of the series.

    The book's main goal is to help prepare engineering students for the upper division courses on devices they will later take, and to provide physics majors and engineering students an up-to-date description of contemporary physics. The book begins with a review of the basic properties of particles and waves from the vantage point of classical physics, followed by an overview of the important ideas of new quantum theory. It describes experiments that help characterize the ways in which radiation interacts with matter. Later chapters deal with particular fields of modern physics. These include includes an account of the ideas and the technical developments that led to the ruby and helium-neon lasers, and a modern description of laser cooling and trapping of atoms. The treatment of condensed matter physics is followed by two chapters devoted to semiconductors that conclude with a phenomenological description of the semiconductor laser. Relativity and particle physics are then treated together, followed by a discussion of Feynman diagrams and particle physics.

    It may be useful as a reference text for practicing engineers and scientists who want to acquire some of the concepts required for signal proce- ing. The readers are assumed to know the basics about linear algebra, calculus (on complex numbers, differentiation, and integration), differential equations, Laplace R transform, and MATLAB . Some knowledge about circuit systems will be helpful. Knowledge in signals and systems is crucial to students majoring in Electrical Engineering. The main objective of this book is to make the readers prepared for studying advanced subjects on signal processing, communication, and control by covering from the basic concepts of signals and systems to manual-like introduc- R R tions of how to use the MATLAB and Simulink tools for signal analysis and lter design. The features of this book can be summarized as follows: 1. It not only introduces the four Fourier analysis tools, CTFS (continuous-time Fourier series), CTFT (continuous-time Fourier transform), DFT (discrete-time Fourier transform), and DTFS (discrete-time Fourier series), but also illuminates the relationship among them so that the readers can realize why only the DFT of the four tools is used for practical spectral analysis and why/how it differs from the other ones, and further, think about how to reduce the difference to get better information about the spectral characteristics of signals from the DFT analysis."

    It covers many topics and eventually details the concept of orientifold constructions for the example of the bosonic string.

    This accidental discovery, nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman, possessed a trove of invaluable information about the origins of prehistoric people. Yet while standard archaeological techniques revealed many interesting aspects of Ötzi's life-including his diet and his dress-it was only through the use of physics that more microscopic clues were uncovered; clues that, decades earlier, might have remained hidden. The strontium-to-lead ratios in Ötzi's teeth matched the ratios found in the Eisack Valley, northeast of present-day Bolzano, Italy, suggesting that was where he spent his childhood. Varying ratios of oxygen 18 to oxygen 16 in Ötzi's bones indicated that he spent much of his later life at higher altitudes. And the presence of excess copper and arsenic in Ötzi's hair suggested that he played an active role in copper smelting. This is but one of the many examples of how the laws of physics can give us intimate details about history-details that are impossible to find through mere observation. In fact, the history of the entire universe and all it contains is written in the particular arrangements of the fundamental particles that constitute all matter. With recent developments in technology, scientists can now use everything they know about atoms-their origins, structure, and behavior-to uncover the truth about historical mysteries in archaeology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and even art.With this unprecedented access to times far earlier than those recorded by historians, scientists can now explore the rise and fall of preliterate societies, the history of the Earth's changing climate, and even the origins of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. Using this knowledge, they can finally develop a comprehensive, stable timeline that encompasses all of history, from the beginning of time to today-all by "reading" the history of a bone, a piece of wood, the mortar in a building, a neutrino from the sun, and more. The Physics of History, taught by award-winning Professor David J. Helfand of Columbia University, gives you the background to understand how scientists know what they do about the past. These 24 richly illustrated lectures cover an astonishing range of cases in which physics has helped to redefine history-in astronomy, archaeology, geology, climatology, art history, and other fields. An Amazing Voyage Your amazing voyage begins with five lectures on elementary atomic and nuclear physics. Professor Helfand then builds on this background with a series of lectures dealing with mysteries on Earth. He rounds out the course with a group of lectures that take on the problems of the cosmos, including the radical adjustment in our view of time and space required by Einstein's theory of relativity. Immensely rewarding and enlightening, The Physics of History enhances your appreciation of both science and history by addressing questions such as these: How did corn spread across the New World? Knowing the photosynthetic pathway used by corn, scientists can analyze Native American bones and chart the spread of corn cultivation, from its origin in the highlands of Mexico to New England over the course of 7,000 years. When did the extinction of the dinosaurs occur? Scientists have been able to narrow down June as the month when, 64.5 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into the Yucatan peninsula and wiped out at least 50% of all living species on Earth-all from a frozen water lily leaf preserved at a particular point in its life cycle. Which is older, Stonehenge or the pyramids? Archaeologists long considered Stonehenge to be much younger than the Egyptian pyramids. But in the 1960s, carbon-14 dating showed Stonehenge to be much older, predating the pyramids by hundreds of years. How old is the Earth? Analysis of a pair of rare atoms in meteorites shows that the Earth and the rest of the solar system formed 4.56 billion years ago. Clues in atoms also tell scientists about the early history of the Earth, where the moon came from, and that the explosion of a nearby star may have triggered the formation of the sun and planets. Tools of the Trade In The Physics of History, you explore the resources that scientists use to investigate the past, the most important of which is radioactivity. Radioactive isotopes decay at predictable rates, from fractions of a second to billions of years, making them very precise clocks. Isotopes also serve as tracers for the circumstances that produced them, such as the explosion of a star.One of the best-known radioactive isotopes is carbon-14. With a half-life of 5,730 years (the time required for half of the atoms to decay), it is ideal for dating carbon-containing material relating to human history. For example, the carbonate mortar in an unusual tower in Rhode Island turned out to be only 300 years old, showing that it was not built by the Vikings before Columbus, as some people believed.You also examine other tools, many of which are used in combination: Tree rings: These annual growth layers have been compiled into a continuous record extending back 12,000 years, allowing wood to be dated from distinctive patterns of ring widths, which also contain information on the weather conditions for any given year. Ice cores: With ice sheets more than two miles thick, Greenland and Antarctica preserve the successive snowfalls of 750,000 years. Trapped in these layers are atmospheric gases, sea salt, and dust, which serve as time capsules of long-ago events. Ocean sediments: Extending even further back than tree rings or ice cores, ocean sediments represent a continuous 5-million-year record, shedding light on climate change and continental drift. Drama, Mystery, and Delight One of the pleasures of The Physics of History is watching Professor Helfand tackle each of his case histories like a detective at a crime scene, using an arsenal of techniques to tease vivid stories from the slimmest of evidence. The drama and delight of his teaching style have made him a popular lecturer at Columbia University, where he was honored with a Presidential Teaching Award and a Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates.Among the many mysteries you solve with him are these: How to use atoms in a work of art to show whether it is a fake Why a simple ratio of isotopes can signal if orange juice has been adulterated with corn syrup What created the left-handed asymmetry in amino acids found in all forms of life on Earth, as well as in meteorites The Physics of History is an insightful feast that will undoubtedly satisfy your curiosity about some of the most profound discoveries in the history of humanity-and the universe. With the wealth of information contained in this course, the next time you hear about a breakthrough scientific finding in the news, you'll be better equipped to answer the question: How did they do that?

    Quantum Information- the book- is based on two successful lecture courses given to advanced undergraduate and beginning postgraduate students in physics. The intention is to introduce readers at this level to the fundamental, but offer rather simple, ideas behind ground-breaking developments including quantum cryptography, teleportation and quantum computing. The text is necessarily rather mathematical in style, but the mathematics nowhere allowed priority over the key physical ideas. My aim throughout was to be as complete and self- contained but to avoid, as far as possible, lengthy and formal mathematical proofs. Each of the eight chapters is followed by about forty exercise problems with which the reader can test their understanding and hone their skills. These will also provide a valuable resource to tutors and lectures.To request a copy of the Solutions Manual, visit: http: //global.oup.com/uk/academic/physics/ad...

    Each topic is treated assuming no background, but a conceptual emphasis and numerous examples and problems lead the reader to make contact with current research literature. Full description

    Replete with numerous solved and unsolved problems, it offers an unparalleled exposure to optics, electromagnetism, theory of relativity, nuclear physics, solid state physics, quantum physics, magnetic properties of solids, superconductivity, X-rays and nanophysics. Key Features: Includes chapter on Nanophysics Covers advanced topics such as Laser Cooling, Bose-Einstein Condensation, Scanning Electron Microscope, Controlled Fusion including Plasma, and Inertial Confinement Fusion Includes problems from university question papers Rich pool of pedagogy 450 Examples 617 Practice problems 224 Short-answer problems 238 Objective-type questions Table of Content: Chapter 1. Interference Chapter 2. Diffraction Chapter 3. Polarisation Chapter 4. Lasers and Holography Chapter 5. Fibre Optics Chapter 6. Electron Optics Chapter 7. Waves and Oscillations Chapter 8. Sound Waves and Acoustics of Buildings Chapter 9. Dielectrics Chapter 10. Electromagnetism Chapter 11. Theory of Relativity Chapter 12. Applied Nuclear Physics Chapter 13. Crystal Structure Chapter 14. Development of Quantum Mechanics Chapter 15. Quantum Mechanics Chapter 16. Free electron Theory Chapter 17. Band theory of Solids Chapter 18. Magnetic Properties of Solids Chapter 19. Superconductivity Chapter 20. X-rays Chapter 21. Photoconducti

    Together with Bohr, Heisenberg forged what is commonly known as the 'Copenhagen interpretation'. Yet Heisenberg's philosophical viewpoint did not remain fixed over time, and his interpretation of quantum mechanics differed in several crucial respects from Bohr's. This book traces the development of Heisenberg's philosophy of quantum mechanics, beginning with his positivism of the mid-1920s, through his neo-Kantian reading of Bohr in the 1930s, and culminating with his 'linguistic turn' in the 1940s and 1950s. It focuses on the nature of this transformation in Heisenberg's thought and its wider philosophical context, which have up until now not received the attention they deserve. This new perspective on Heisenberg's interpretation of quantum mechanics will interest researchers and graduate students in the history and philosophy of twentieth-century physics.

    Fundamental concepts of phase transitions, such as order parameters, spontaneous symmetry breaking, scaling transformations, conformal symmetry, and anomalous dimensions, have deeply changed the modern vision of many areas of physics, leading to remarkable developments in statistical mechanics, elementary particle theory, condensed matter physics and string theory. This self-contained book provides an excellent introduction to frontier topics of exactly solved models in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory, renormalization group, conformal models, quantum integrable systems, duality, elastic S-matrix, thermodynamics Bethe ansatz and form factor theory. The clear discussion of physical principles is accompanied by a detailed analysis of several branches of mathematics, distinguished for their elegance and beauty, such as infinite dimensional algebras, conformal mappings, integral equations or modular functions. Besides advanced research themes, the book also covers many basic topics in statistical mechanics, quantum field theory and theoretical physics. Each argument is discussed in great detail, paying attention to an overall coherent understanding of physical phenomena. Mathematical background is provided in supplements at the end of each chapter, when appropriate. The chapters are also followed by problems of different levels of difficulty. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students will find a rich and challenging source for improving their skills and for accomplishing a comprehensive learning of the many facets of the subject.

    High-Energy Astrophysics provides graduate and advanced undergraduate students with the most complete, self-contained introduction to the subject available. This textbook covers all the essentials, weaving together the latest theory with the experimental techniques, instrumentation, and observational methods astronomers use to study high-energy radiation from space.Fulvio Melia introduces topics at the forefront of today's research, including relativistic particles, energetic radiation, and accretion disk theory. No other textbook offers such a thorough yet concise treatment of the key aspects of high-energy astrophysics--both theoretical and observational--or delves as deeply into modern detection techniques, satellite systems, and analytical and numerical modeling used by theoreticians. Amply illustrated, High-Energy Astrophysics is also ideal for researchers interested in the application of fundamental physical laws to understand how matter and radiation behave in regions of the universe where physical conditions are most extreme.Uniquely weaves together the theoretical and experimental aspects of this important branch of astronomyFeatures stunning images of the high-energy skyFully describes the principal classes of high-energy sources, with an in-depth study of many archetypal objects within themProvides an excellent, self-contained resource for the classroom, written by a preeminent researcher and teacher in the field

    

    Hubble's images are snapshots in time and catch the colliding galaxies in different stages of collision. Thanks to a new and amazing set of 60 Hubble images, for the first time these different stages can be put together to form a still-frame movielike montage showing the incredible processes taking place as galaxies collide and merge.The significance of these cosmic encounters reaches far beyond aesthetics. Galaxy mergers may, in fact, be some of the most important processes that shape our universe. Colliding galaxies very likely, hold some of the most important clues to our cosmic past and to our destiny. It now seems clear that the Milky Way is continuously undergoing merging events, some small scale, others on a gigantic scale. And the importance of this process in the lives of galaxies is much greater than what was previously thought.

    The first half of the book focuses on the traditional mathematical methods of physics - differential and integral equations, Fourier series and the calculus of variations. The second half contains an introduction to more advanced subjects, including differential geometry, topology and complex variables. The authors' exposition avoids excess rigor whilst explaining subtle but important points often glossed over in more elementary texts. The topics are illustrated at every stage by carefully chosen examples, exercises and problems drawn from realistic physics settings. These make it useful both as a textbook in advanced courses and for self-study.

    all you deserve is the illusion of understanding? If yes, this is the book for you. The fact that the reader may not have a scientific education does not mean that s/he does not have the intelligence to understand profound concepts -- as long as they are presented with semantic and epistemological clarity. After all, Einstein said that Science is simply the refinement of our intuition and everyday experiences. Galloping with Light is a symbolic cavalcade that starts with the discovery of fire 1.5 million years ago; it allegorically employs the imagination of an adolescent called Einstein to explain the Theory of Relativity in non-scientific terms, and ends with the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon in 1969 -- depositing on lunar soil a laser retro-reflector which would prove, once again, that Einstein was right. Motivated by his own difficulties to understand Relativity Theory, and convinced that it is possible to teach the layperson without distorting the subject matter, the author takes an approach utterly opposed to that of most popular science books. Knowing he has to demolish what the reader understands by time, distance, and motion, the author -using his experiences as a child, adolescent, and adult- dedicates the first half of the book to convince the reader that our intuition and common sense, as applied to those three everyday concepts, have a foundation as solid as that of a castle on the sand. The purpose of this book is to demystify and 'defolklorize' the reader; to destroy the aura of mystery and incomprehensibility surrounding Relativity Theory, unmasking and debunking the body of popular (and scientific) beliefs (mostly erroneous) which -taking advantage of the confusion between relativity and subjectivity, as well as of Einstein's popularity and prestige- have been used to validate preposterous assertions in fields like psychology, morality, spirituality, sociology, literature, art, etc.Editorial ReviewsA remarkable book. You have "galloped with light" very astutely and imaginatively! Besides being a thorough student of your subject, you are also a skilled pedagogue of it! -- Adolf Grünbaum, Author of Philosophical Problems of Space and Time and The Foundations of Psychoanalysis: A Philosophic Critique.I'm impressed at your pedagogical capability to explain advanced physics with words (almost) only. An absolutely fascinating reading, a cultural Odyssey through the roots of physics. -- Matts Roos, Author of "Introduction to Cosmology"A delightful treat for the inquisitive mind. -- Raj Rajamani, Professor, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.By reading this book anyone can comprehend Einstein's concepts and implications and, at the end, one would like to start all over. -- Manuel Toharia Cortés, Scientific Director of 'Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias' (Spain)An introduction intellectually accessible and literarily enchanting to the Theory of Relativity. -- Jesús Zamora Bonilla, Professor of Philosophy of Science (UNED, Spain)If this reviewer was teaching a course in physics at the college level, Mr. Alba-Juez's book would be an absolute must on the course reading list. -- Donn Gurney (BookReview.com).An excellent pick that blends humor, common sense, and knowledge into one entertaining package, highly recommended. -- Michael J. Carson (Midwest Book Review).From the AuthorAt the beginning of 2008, I started my dream of finishing my life explaining the most profound concepts in Science to the big public, and decided to start doing so by writing this book about Einstein, Relativity, and Folklore. By Folklore, I mean the set of popular (and scientific) beliefs, mostly erroneous, associated with Relativity Theory and with our scientific activity in general. In this new project as a writer of Popular Science, my objective is to reach the mass reader, that non-scientific person with the curiosity of understanding the Universe in which we live, who has the habit of reading and thinking and the respect for her/his own capacity of logical analysis and comprehension, and who is conscious of the relevance Science carries in current society, and the essential role it plays as a modeler of our destiny as a biological species.Around my 14 years of age I avidly read a little book on Relativity Theory without understanding a thing. However, I was perplexed, because the three concepts about which the author elaborated upon over and over were precisely those which every 14-year kid had to be already intimately familiarized with, by the sheer fact of growing up: time, distance, and speed. What did I learn from that frustrating juvenile experience? That the author expected me to employ what every one of us (even adults) understands by time, distance, and speed to reach conclusions which only could be considered untrue and preposterous precisely because, had we considered them credible and sensible, we would have been compelled to throw away our millenary understanding of those three cherished concepts. What a peculiar approach, I said to myself: if the conclusion is going to destroy our deepest convictions, why not start analyzing those convictions, attempting to grasp the experiences, basic principles, and hypotheses that made us erroneously though vehemently believe in them for thousands of years?What the non-scientific reader needs (as well as the scientist) is a book giving more importance to the intuitive physical meaning of the words than to the unmeasured erudition an author can display with them. My objective thus is not to turn the reader into an expert in Relativity; on the contrary: that would require a much bigger effort than simply reading this book. My purpose is to show that the Theory of Relativity, experimentally confirmed in the last hundred years, regardless of how strange and opposed to our prejudices (disguised in the mask of 'common sense') may seem to be, is rational, consistent, and intelligible for the layperson -- if, and only if, s/he has the audacity of accepting the unfounded nature of those preconceptions. It is my desire and the honor of stimulating in the non-specialized person such a necessary intellectual boldness that have motivated me to write this book. These intellectual strength and courage have nothing to do with our academic or professional credentials; even more: had I believed they are strictly necessary to seize a concrete and positive message out of this book, I would have not gone through the trouble of writing it. I thus dream for the reader finishing this book with the sensation that it is possible to achieve an acceptable understanding of the Theory of Relativity based on the objective truth and free of folklore (popular as well as scientific). And... if, after some time, the reader feels the urge to read my book again so as to strengthen his/her understanding, my ephemeral stay in Plato's cave will have had the sense and transcendence that all of us seek for our existence.From the Back Cover"...an introduction, intellectually accessible and literarily enchanting, to one of the principal components of the scaffold scientists have built for the current understanding of the Universe: the Theory of Relativity." Jesús Zamora Bonilla, Full Professor of Philosophy of Science at the UNED (Madrid, Spain)"...By reading this book anyone can comprehend the immensity of Einstein's concepts and implications. And not only that: it is read with gusto and at the end one would like to start all over; in part just for the mere pleasure of it, but mostly because there is profound philosophical content throughout the book."Manuel Toharia Cortés, Scientific Director of the 'Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias' (Valencia, Spain)

    This book aims to provide an everyman's guide for understanding and following the discoveries that will take place within the next fewyears at the Large Hadron Collider project at CERN. The reader is invited to share an insider's view of the theory of particle physics, and is equipped to appreciate the scale of the intellectual revolution that is about to take place. The technological innovations required to build the LHC areamong the most astonishing aspects of this scientific adventure, and they too are described here as part of the LHC story. The book culminates with an outline of the scientific aims and expectations at the LHC. Does the mysterious Higgs boson exist? Does space hide supersymmetry or extend intoextra dimensions? How can colliding protons at the LHC unlock the secrets of the origin of our universe? These questions are all framed and then addressed by an expert in the field. While making no compromises in accuracy, this highly technical material is presented in a friendly, accessible style.The book's aim is not just to inform, but to give the reader the physicist's sense of awe and excitement, as we stand on the brink of a new era in understanding the world in which we all live.

    Planck had reached the surprising conclusion that light behaves as if it is packaged in discrete amounts, or quanta, a seemingly simple observation that would lead to a powerful new field of physics called quantum mechanics.

    This book is briefer and more accessible than other books in the market, and is the most up-to-date book available in this fast-changing field. With a logical presentation and conceptual and quantitative end-of-chapter problems, the material is easier-to-grasp for introductory astrophysics readers. Key Topics: Early Astronomy, Emergence of Modern Astronomy, Orbital Mechanics, The Earth-Moon System, Interaction of Radiation and Matter, Astronomical Detection of Light, The Sun, Overview of the Solar System, Earth and Moon, The Planets, Small Bodies in the Solar System, The Solar System in Perspective, Properties of Stars, Stellar Atmospheres, Stellar Interiors, The Interstellar Medium, Formation and Evolution of Stars, Stellar Remnants, Our Galaxy, Galaxies, Active Galaxies, Clusters and Superclusters, Cosmology, History of the Universe Market: Intended for those interested in learning the basics of astrophysics