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Books in Physics

Physics titles offer comprehensive research and advancements across the fundamental and applied areas of physical science. From quantum mechanics and particle physics to astrophysics and materials science, these titles drive innovation and deepen understanding of the principles governing the universe. Essential for researchers, educators, and students, this collection supports scientific progress and practical applications across a diverse range of physics disciplines.

  • Linear Ray and Wave Optics in Phase Space

    Bridging Ray and Wave Optics via the Wigner Phase-Space Picture
    • 1st Edition
    • Amalia Torre
    • English
    Ray, wave and quantum concepts are central to diverse and seemingly incompatible models of light. Each model particularizes a specific ''manifestation'' of light, and then corresponds to adequate physical assumptions and formal approximations, whose domains of applicability are well-established. Accordingly each model comprises its own set of geometric and dynamic postulates with the pertinent mathematical means.At a basic level, the book is a complete introduction to the Wigner optics, which bridges between ray and wave optics, offering the optical phase space as the ambience and the Wigner function based technique as the mathematical machinery to accommodate between the two opposite extremes of light representation: the localized ray of geometrical optics and the unlocalized wave function of wave optics.At a parallel level, the analogies with other branches of both classical and quantum physics, like classical and quantum mechanics, quantum optics, signal theory as well as magnetic optics, are evidenced by pertinent comments and/or rigorous mathematics. So, the Lie algebra and group methods are introduced and explained through the elementary optical systems within both the ray and wave optics contexts, the former being related to the symplectic group and the latter to the metaplectic group. In a like manner, the Wigner function is introduced by following the original issue to individualize a phase space representation of quantum mechanics, which is mirrored by the issue to individualize a local frequency spectrum within the signal theory context. The basic analogy with the optics of charged particles inherently underlying the ray-optics picture in phase space is also evidenced within the wave-optics picture in the Wigner phase space.
  • Chemical Thermodynamics of Compounds and Complexes of U, Np, Pu, Am, Tc, Se, Ni and Zr With Selected Organic Ligands

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 9
    • English
    This volume is part of the series on "Chemical Thermodynamics", published under the aegis of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It contains a critical review of the literature on thermodynamic data for compounds of complexes of oxalate, citrate, EDTA and iso-saccharinate with uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, technetium, selenium, nickel and zirconium. A review team, composed of five internationally recognized experts, has critically reviewed all the scientific literature containing chemical thermodynamic information for the above mentioned systems. The results of this critical review carried out following the Guidelines of the OECD NEA Thermochemical Database Project have been documented in the present volume, which contains tables of selected values for formation and reaction thermodynamical properties and an extensive bibliography.Contrib... by: Wolfgang Hummel (Chairman), Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, Giorgio Anderegg, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Switzerland, Linfeng Rao, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S.A., Ignasi Puigdomènech, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB), Sweden, and Osamu Tochiyama, Tohoku University, Japan.
  • Progress in Low Temperature Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15
    • English
    A number of interrelated areas of low temperature physics are brought together in this volume. The four topics are presented as separate chapters. First is the study of the Kibble-Zurek mechanism for defect formation following quench cooling of superfluid 3He and its relation to quantum field theory. Properties of heavy fermion materials are described next with special attention to the competition between magnetism and superconductivity. Some of the newest correlated electron systems are discussed and the arguments for possible unconventional nature of the superconducting order parameter are presented for these systems, including the novel coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity. Highly polarized degenerate Fermi liquids are of substantial interest in many areas of physics. The most complete description of observations of thermodynamic and transport phenomena are reviewed here for the case of polarized liquid 3He obtained by rapid melting from a polarized solid and subsequent rapid refrigeration. Properties of the melting curve of 3He, and the related technique of melting curve thermometry are described in detail.
  • Progress in Optics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 48
    • English
    In the thirty-seven years that have gone by since the first volume of Progress in Optics was published, optics has become one of the most dynamic fields of science. At the time of inception of this series, the first lasers were only just becoming operational, holography was in its infancy, subjects such as fiber optics, integrated optics and optoelectronics did not exist and quantum optics was the domain of only a few physicists. The term photonics had not yet been coined. Today these fields are flourishing and have become areas of specialisation for many science and engineering students and numerous research workers and engineers throughout the world. Some of the advances in these fields have been recognized by awarding Nobel prizes to seven physicists in the last twenty years. The volumes in this series which have appeared up to now contain nearly 190 review articles by distinguished research workers, which have become permanent records for many important developments. They have helped optical scientists and optical engineers to stay abreast of their fields. There is no sign that developments in optics are slowing down or becoming less interesting. We confidently expect that, just like their predecessors, future volumes of Progress in Optics will faithfully record the most important advances that are being made in optics and related fields.
  • Life Cycle Tribology

    31st Leeds-Lyon Tribology Symposium
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 48
    • Duncan Dowson + 3 more
    • English
    The 31st Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology was held at Trinity and All Saints College in Leeds under the title "Life Cycle Tribology" from Tuesday 7th September until Friday 10th September 2004. Over the three days of presentations that followed, life cycle tribology was explored across a range of areas including automotive tribology, bearings, bio-degradability and sustainability, bio-tribology, coatings, condition monitoring, contact mechanics, debris effects, elastohydrodynamic lubrication, lubricants, machine systems, nanotribology, rolling contact fatigue, transmissions, tribochemistry and wear and failure. Invited talks in these fields were presented by leading international researchers and practitioners, namely C.J. Hooke, J.A. Williams, R.J.K. Wood, G. Isaac, S.C. Tung, D. Price, I. Sherrington, M. Hadfield, K. Kato, R.I. Taylor, H.P. Evans, R.S. Dwyer-Joyce and H. Rahnejat.
  • Theory and Applications of Computational Chemistry

    The First Forty Years
    • 1st Edition
    • Clifford Dykstra + 3 more
    • English
    Computational chemistry is a means of applying theoretical ideas using computers and a set of techniques for investigating chemical problems within which common questions vary from molecular geometry to the physical properties of substances. Theory and Applications of Computational Chemistry: The First Forty Years is a collection of articles on the emergence of computational chemistry. It shows the enormous breadth of theoretical and computational chemistry today and establishes how theory and computation have become increasingly linked as methodologies and technologies have advanced. Written by the pioneers in the field, the book presents historical perspectives and insights into the subject, and addresses new and current methods, as well as problems and applications in theoretical and computational chemistry. Easy to read and packed with personal insights, technical and classical information, this book provides the perfect introduction for graduate students beginning research in this area. It also provides very readable and useful reviews for theoretical chemists.
  • Optical Radiometry

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 41
    • English
    This book deals with the practice of Optical Radiation Measurements with introductory material to introduce the topics discussed. It will be most useful for students, scientists and engineers working in any academic, industrial or governmental projects related to optical radiation. The book contains chapters that treat in detail the procedures and techniques for the characterization of both sources and detectors to the highest degree of accuracy and reliability. It has a chapter devoted specifically to optical measurements of laser sources and fiberoptics for communication and a chapter devoted to uncertainty in measurement and its treatment with real examples of optical measurements. The book contains introductory materials that will allow a newcomer to radiometry to develop the expertise to perform exacting and accurate measurement. The authors stress the various causes of uncertainty in each phase of a measurement and thus allow for users to arrive at a correct assessment of their uncertainty of measurement in their particular circumstance.
  • Recent Advances in Multidisciplinary Applied Physics

    Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Applied Physics (APHYS-2003)
    • 1st Edition
    • Antonio Mendez-Vilas
    • English
    The 1st International Meeting on Applied Physics (APHYS-2003) succeeded in creating a new international forum for applied physics in Europe, with specific interest in the application of techniques, training, and culture of physics to research areas usually associated with other scientific and engineering disciplines.This book contains a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at APHYS-2003, held in Badajoz (Spain), from 15th to 18th October 2003, which included the following Plenary Lectures:* Nanobiotechnology - Interactions of Cells with Nanofeatured Surfaces and with Nanoparticles* Radiation Protection of Nuclear Workers - Ethical Issues* Chaotic Data Encryption for Optical Communications
  • Lectures on Ion-Atom Collisions

    From Nonrelativistic to Relativistic Velocities
    • 1st Edition
    • Jörg Eichler
    • English
    Atomic collisions offer some unique opportunities to study atomic structure and reaction mechanisms in experiment and theory, especially for projectiles of high atomic number provided by modern accelerators. The book is meant as an introduction into the field and provides some basic theoretical understanding of the atomic processes occurring when a projectile hits another atom. It also furnishes the tools for a mathematical description, however, without going deeper into the technical details, which can be found in the literature given. With this aim, the focus is on reactions, in which only a single active electron participates. Collisional excitation, ionization and charge transfer are discussed for collision velocities ranging from slow to comparable to thespeed of light. For the highest projectile velocities, energy can be converted into mass, so that electron-positron pairs are created. In addition to the systematic treatment, a theoretical section specializes on electron-electroncor... and three chapters are devoted to selected highlights bordering to surface science and to physics with antiprotons.
  • Quantum Chemistry

    • 3rd Edition
    • John P. Lowe + 1 more
    • English
    Lowe's new edition assumes little mathematical or physical sophistication and emphasizes an understanding of the techniques and results of quantum chemistry. It can serve as a primary text in quantum chemistry courses, and enables students and researchers to comprehend the current literature. This third edition has been thoroughly updated and includes numerous new exercises to facilitate self-study and solutions to selected exercises.
  • Progress in Optics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 47
    • English
    In this volume, six review articles which cover a broad range of topics of current interest in modern optics are included. The first article by S. Saltiel, A.A. Sukhorukov and Y.S. Kivshar presents an overview of various types of parametric interactions in nonlinear optics which are associated with simultaneous phase-matching of several optical processes in quadratic non-linear media, the so-called multi-step parametric interactions. The second article by H.E. Tureci, H.G.L. Schwefel, Ph. Jacquod and A.D. Stone reviews the progress that has been made in recent years in the understanding of modes in wave-chaotic systems. The next article by C.P. Search and P. Meystre reviews some important recent developments in non-linear optics and in quantum optics. The fourth article by E. Hasman, G. Biener, A. Niv and V. Kleiner discusses space-variant polarization manipulation. The article reviews both theoretical analysis and experimental techniques. The article which follows, by A.S. Desyatnikov, L. Torner and Y.S. Kivshar presents an overview of recent researches on optical vortices and phase singularities of electromagnetic waves in different types of non-linear media, with emphasis on the properties of vortex solitons. The concluding article by K. Iwata presents a review of imaging techniques with X-rays and visible light in which phase of the radiation that penetrates through a transparent object plays an important part.
  • Nanophysics: Coherence and Transport

    Lecture Notes of the Les Houches Summer School 2004
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 81
    • English
    The developments of nanofabrication in the past years have enabled the design of electronic systems that exhibit spectacular signatures of quantum coherence. Nanofabricated quantum wires and dots containing a small number of electrons are ideal experimental playgrounds for probing electron-electron interactions and their interplay with disorder. Going down to even smaller scales, molecules such as carbon nanotubes, fullerenes or hydrogen molecules can now be inserted in nanocircuits. Measurements of transport through a single chain of atoms have been performed as well. Much progress has also been made in the design and fabrication of superconducting and hybrid nanostructures, be they normal/superconducto... or ferromagnetic/superc... Quantum coherence is then no longer that of individual electronic states, but rather that of a superconducting wavefunction of a macroscopic number of Cooper pairs condensed in the same quantum mechanical state. Beyond the study of linear response regime, the physics of non-equilibrium transport (including non-linear transport, rectification of a high frequency electric field as well as shot noise) has received much attention, with significant experimental and theoretical insights. All these quantities exhibit very specific signatures of the quantum nature of transport, which cannot be obtained from basic conductance measurements. Basic concepts and analytical tools needed to understand this new physics are presented in a series of theoretical fundamental courses, in parallel with more phenomenological ones where physics is discussed in a less formal way and illustrated by many experiments.
  • Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 35
    • English
    The rare earths play a unique role in science. These seventeen related elements afford a panoply of subtle variations deriving from the systematic development of their electronic configurations, allowing a test of theory with excellent resolution. In contrast they find widespread use in even the most mundane processes such as steel making, for polishing materials and gasoline cracking catalysts. In between are exotic uses such as TV screen phosphors, lasers, high strength permanent magnets and chemical probes.This multi-volume handbook covers the entire rare earth field in an integrated manner. Each chapter is a comprehensive up-to-date, critical review of a particular segment of the field. The work offers the researcher and graduate student alike, a complete and thorough coverage of this fascinating field.
  • Polymer-Layered Silicate and Silica Nanocomposites

    • 1st Edition
    • Y.C. Ke + 1 more
    • English
    Polymer-Layered Silicate and Silica Nanocomposites includes advanced materials and nanocomposites based on silica and layered silicates obtained from resources in China. Using nanotechnology, these inorganic materials can be filled, in-situ polymerised and combined with polymers with nanoscale dispersions. In this book, many practical examples are presented to show how to prepare the nanocomposites. Several kinds of polymer (PET,PBT,PE,PP,etc.)... silicate and silica nanocomposites are prepared and investigated based on our research works, inventions and applications. They are prepared and modified aiming at their applications to such fields as, functional films, barrier materials, coatings, and engineering plastics. Their structure-property relationship, especially the nano effects from them are investigated under different techniques to show how the critical load of the inorganic phase has the effect on the final properties of the nanocomposite materials. Obviously, this new generation of materials has revolutionary effects on the traditional materials or industry as petroleum. Some of the prospects of them are thus included.
  • Nonlinearity and Chaos in Molecular Vibrations

    • 1st Edition
    • Guozhen Wu
    • English
    Nonlinearity and Chaos in Molecular Vibrations deals systematically with a Lie algebraic approach to the study of nonlinear properties of molecular highly excited vibrations. The fundamental concepts of nonlinear dynamics such as chaos, fractals, quasiperiodicity, resonance, and the Lyapunov exponent, and their roles in the study of molecular vibrations are presented.The 20 chapters cover the basic ideas, the concept of dynamical groups, the integrable two-mode SU(2) system, the unintegrable three-mode SU(3) system, the noncompact su(1,1) algebraic application, su(3) symmetry breaking and its application and the quantal effect of asymmetric molecular rotation. Emphasis is given to: resonance and chaos, the fractal structure of eigencoefficients, the C-H bend motion of acetylene, regular and chaotic motion of DCN, the existence of approximately conserved quantum numbers, one-electronic motion in multi-sites, the Lyapunov exponent, actions of periodic trajectories and quantization, the H function and its application in vibrational relaxation as well as the Dixon dip and its destruction and chaos in the transitional states. This approach bridges the gap between molecular vibrational spectroscopy and nonlinear dynamics.The book presents a framework of information that readers can use to build their knowledge, and is therefore highly recommended for all those working in or studying molecular physics, molecular spectroscopy, chemical physics and theoretical physics.
  • Encyclopedia of Condensed Matter Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • G. Franco Bassani + 2 more
    • English
    The work provides solid coverage in the fundamental theoretical aspects of the subject, with carefully planned cross-linking and structuring to give the user the potential to gain a solid grounding in the theoretical aspects of quantum mechanics, mechanics, electrodynamics, relativity, statistical mechanics, and elementary particiles that form the core physics background for the field. These core areas form the background for coverage of such areas as crystallography, transport phenomena, various theoretical models (electronic, band structure, materials property models, etc), and physical properties of materials (electrical, magnetic, optical, thermal, etc). Coverage of experimental techniques will include, among others, the full range of scattering, microscopy, and spectroscopy techniques. Other entries do cover a range of materials processing (solidification, crystal growth, molecular beam epitaxy, sputtering, sintering, etc) and include coverage of key materials systems (macromolecules, nanostructures, polymers, ceramics, and alloys). Special materials systems that have had and continue to have a major impact on society such as semiconductors, laser materials, and superconductors are covered. The encyclopedia also includes a wide range of applied topics, device-oriented topics, developments in biomaterials, soft condensed matter, complex fluids, etc.Also available online via ScienceDirect – featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedire...
  • Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 136
    • Peter W. Hawkes
    • English
    Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics merges two long-running serials-Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics and Advances in Optical and Electron Microscopy. This series features extended articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science and digital image processing, electromagnetic wave propagation, electron microscopy, and the computing methods used in all these domains.
  • Statistics of Linear Polymers in Disordered Media

    • 1st Edition
    • Bikas K. Chakrabarti
    • English
    With the mapping of the partition function graphs of the n-vector magnetic model in the n to 0 limit as the self-avoiding walks, the conformational statistics of linear polymers was clearly understood in early seventies. Various models of disordered solids, percolation model in particular, were also established by late seventies. Subsequently, investigations on thestatistics of linear polymers or of self-avoiding walks in, say, porous medium or disordered lattices were started in early eighties. Inspite of the brilliant ideas forwarded and extensive studies made for the next two decades, the problem is not yet completely solved in its generality. This intriguing and important problem has remained since a topic of vigorous and active research.This book intends to offer the readers a first hand and extensive review of the various aspects of the problem, written by the experts in the respective fields. We hope, the contents of the book will provide a valuable guide for researchers in statistical physics of polymers and will surely induce further research and advances towards a complete understanding of the problem.
  • Stochastic Equations through the Eye of the Physicist

    Basic Concepts, Exact Results and Asymptotic Approximations
    • 1st Edition
    • Valery I. Klyatskin
    • English
    Fluctuating parameters appear in a variety of physical systems and phenomena. They typically come either as random forces/sources, or advecting velocities, or media (material) parameters, like refraction index, conductivity, diffusivity, etc. The well known example of Brownian particle suspended in fluid and subjected to random molecular bombardment laid the foundation for modern stochastic calculus and statistical physics. Other important examples include turbulent transport and diffusion of particle-tracers (pollutants), or continuous densities (''oil slicks''), wave propagation and scattering in randomly inhomogeneous media, for instance light or sound propagating in the turbulent atmosphere. Such models naturally render to statistical description, where the input parameters and solutions are expressed by random processes and fields. The fundamental problem of stochastic dynamics is to identify the essential characteristics of system (its state and evolution), and relate those to the input parameters of the system and initial data. This raises a host of challenging mathematical issues. One could rarely solve such systems exactly (or approximately) in a closed analytic form, and their solutions depend in a complicated implicit manner on the initial-boundary data, forcing and system's (media) parameters . In mathematical terms such solution becomes a complicated "nonlinear functional" of random fields and processes. Part I gives mathematical formulation for the basic physical models of transport, diffusion, propagation and develops some analytic tools. Part II and III sets up and applies the techniques of variational calculus and stochastic analysis, like Fokker-Plank equation to those models, to produce exact or approximate solutions, or in worst case numeric procedures. The exposition is motivated and demonstrated with numerous examples. Part IV takes up issues for the coherent phenomena in stochastic dynamical systems, described by ordinary and partial differential equations, like wave propagation in randomly layered media (localization), turbulent advection of passive tracers (clustering), wave propagation in disordered 2D and 3D media. For the sake of reader I provide several appendixes (Part V) that give many technical mathematical details needed in the book.
  • Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 50
    • English
    This series, established in 1965, is concerned with recent developments in the general area of atomic, molecular and optical physics. The field is in a state of rapid growth, as new experimental and theoretical techniques are used on many old and new problems. Topics covered include related applied areas, such as atmospheric science, astrophysics, surface physics and laser physics. Articles are written by distinguished experts who are active in their research fields. The articles contain both relevant review material and detailed descriptions of important recent developments.
  • Chemical Thermodynamics of Nickel

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • English
    In order to quantitatively predict the chemical reactions that hazardous materials may undergo in the environment, it is necessary to know the relative stabilities of the compounds and complexes that may be found under certain conditions. This type of calculations may be done using consistent chemical thermodynamic data, such as those contained in this book for inorganic compounds and complexes of nickel.
  • Dynamics of Stochastic Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • Valery I. Klyatskin
    • English
    Fluctuating parameters appear in a variety of physical systems and phenomena. They typically come either as random forces/sources, or advecting velocities, or media (material) parameters, like refraction index, conductivity, diffusivity, etc. The well known example of Brownian particle suspended in fluid and subjected to random molecular bombardment laid the foundation for modern stochastic calculus and statistical physics. Other important examples include turbulent transport and diffusion of particle-tracers (pollutants), or continuous densities (''oil slicks''), wave propagation and scattering in randomly inhomogeneous media, for instance light or sound propagating in the turbulent atmosphere. Such models naturally render to statistical description, where the input parameters and solutions are expressed by random processes and fields. The fundamental problem of stochastic dynamics is to identify the essential characteristics of system (its state and evolution), and relate those to the input parameters of the system and initial data. This raises a host of challenging mathematical issues. One could rarely solve such systems exactly (or approximately) in a closed analytic form, and their solutions depend in a complicated implicit manner on the initial-boundary data, forcing and system's (media) parameters . In mathematical terms such solution becomes a complicated "nonlinear functional" of random fields and processes. Part I gives mathematical formulation for the basic physical models of transport, diffusion, propagation and develops some analytic tools. Part II sets up and applies the techniques of variational calculus and stochastic analysis, like Fokker-Plank equation to those models, to produce exact or approximate solutions, or in worst case numeric procedures. The exposition is motivated and demonstrated with numerous examples. Part III takes up issues for the coherent phenomena in stochastic dynamical systems, described by ordinary and partial differential equations, like wave propagation in randomly layered media (localization), turbulent advection of passive tracers (clustering). Each chapter is appended with problems the reader to solve by himself (herself), which will be a good training for independent investigations.
  • Fusion

    The Energy of the Universe
    • 1st Edition
    • Garry McCracken + 1 more
    • English
    Unraveling the role of fusion in the universe has taken almost a century since Einstein's proof of the equivalence of energy and matter in 1905. The discovery that fusion reactions are responsible for the building of the light elements in the "Big Bang" and the subsequent development of the heavier elements in the stars and in exploding supernovae is one of the field's most exciting successes. In this engaging book, McCracken and Stott reexamine these discoveries in astrophysics and discuss the possibility that fusion reactions are not only our sun's source of power, but may also be induced for our use on earth.
  • Batteries for Portable Devices

    • 1st Edition
    • Gianfranco Pistoia
    • English
    Batteries for Portable Devices provides a comprehensive overview of all batteries used in portable electric and electronic, as well as medical devices. These range from the cellular phone to portable CD and cardiac pacemakers to remote micro-sensors. The author looks at the behaviour of batteries in the conditions encountered in the above applications. Information on the performance of the most recent commercial batteries are graphically illustrated and comparisons are made. This easy-to-read book also contains useful information on topics rarely discussed in the field, such as battery collection, recycling and market trends.
  • Elsevier's Dictionary of Technical Abbreviations

    English-Russian
    • 1st Edition
    • S. Bobryakov + 1 more
    • English
    The English-Russian dictionary of technical abbreviations contains nearly 65,000 entries covering various fields and subfields of engineering and technology. Abbreviations are widely used in technical literature and, as a rule, they create difficulties for the reader. Numerous abbreviations are used in technical literature dealing with space, agriculture, electronics, computer science, chemistry, thermodynamics, nuclear engineering, refrigeration, cryogenics, machinery, aviation, business, accounting, optics, radio electronics, and military fields, including abbreviations used on a wide scale by the Navy, Airforce and the Army.In many instances the same abbreviation is used in most different fields of engineering and technology though depicting different notions. There are cases when the same abbreviation may have dozen of meanings, depending on the specific field of engineering.The entries are arranged in alphabetical order. A wide range of literature has been explored for the selection and translation of the abbreviations. The dictionary has been compiled by comparing parallel texts in both languages, and by consultation with experts.This publication will be invaluable to the personnel of designing bureaus and research institutions, and also to translators, scientists, researchers, designers and university personnel dealing with various fields of engineering and technology.approx. 125,000 terms
  • Handbook of Ellipsometry

    • 1st Edition
    • Harland Tompkins + 1 more
    • Harland Tompkins + 1 more
    • English
    The Handbook of Ellipsometry is a critical foundation text on an increasingly critical subject. Ellipsometry, a measurement technique based on phase and amplitude changes in polarized light, is becoming popular in a widening array of applications because of increasing miniaturization of integrated circuits and breakthroughs in knowledge of biological macromolecules deriving from DNA and protein surface research. Ellipsometry does not contact or damage samples, and is an ideal measurement technique for determining optical and physical properties of materials at the nano scale. With the acceleration of new instruments and applications now occurring, this book provides an essential foundation for the current science and technology of ellipsometry for scientists and engineers in industry and academia at the forefront of nanotechnology developments in instrumentation, integrated circuits, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Divided into four parts, this comprehensive handbook covers the theory of ellipsometry, instrumentation, applications, and emerging areas. Experts in the field contributed to its twelve chapters, covering various aspects of ellipsometry.
  • Corrosion Induced by Low-Energy Radionuclides

    Modeling of Tritium and Its Radiolytic and Decay Products Formed in Nuclear Installations
    • 1st Edition
    • Gilbert Bellanger
    • English
    Nuclear power plants emit radiation and particles across a range of energies. This radiation can cause corrosion to occur in critically important parts of the plant, which can lead to efficiency and safety problems. Gamma rays and neutrons have the highest energies and can break the metal bonds in interior metallic structures causing damage quickly and in easily monitored ways. Consequently these types of radiation and the best alloys to use to mitigate their effects have been extensively researched and their findings applied. However, the same is not true of low energy radiation which effects metal structures in a different way but can still cause appreciable and expensive corrosion. Low energy radiation degrades the passive oxide layers that protect metals. Without this protective layer the metals are easily corroded. This book uses tritium and tritiated water as models to describe the effects of low energy radiation on the corrosion of metals in these environments. Comprehensive coverage of the fields of liquid and gas flow, heat exchange, gas diffusion in materials, and of materials resistance to corrosion is ensures the reader has a full understanding of how these processes effect corrosion in nuclear installations. Such an understanding is essential for the efficient and safe running of all modern plant that uses radioactive material and this book is a critical reference tool for anyone involved in the nuclear power industry or metals research.* Unique coverage of low energy radiation and its corrosive effects in nuclear installations * Provides coverage of basic scientific principles contributing to corrosion * An essential reference for the safe and efficient construction and operation of nuclear installations * Applications in power generation, fuel reprocessing, military and civilian applications.
  • Semiconducting Chalcogenide Glass III

    Applications of Chalcogenide Glasses
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 80
    • Robert Fairman + 1 more
    • English
    Chalcogenide glass is made up of many elements from the Chalcogenide group. The glass is transparent to infrared light and is useful as a semiconductor in many electronic devices. For example, chalcogenide glass fibers are a component of devices used to perform laser surgery. Semiconducting Chalcogenide Glass III: Applications of Chalcogenide Glasses is a comprehensive overview of designs of various chalcogenide glass devices are presented, including switches, phase inverters, voltage stabilizers, oscillators, indicators and display control circuits, memory devices, and sensors. A special chapter is devoted to chalcogenide glass applications in optical fibers. This collective monograph is intended to survey the current state of chalcogenide glass applications to facilitate further development.
  • Semiconducting Chalcogenide Glass II

    Properties of Chalcogenide Glasses
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 79
    • Robert Fairman + 1 more
    • English
    Chalcogenide glass is made up of many elements from the Chalcogenide group. The glass is transparent to infrared light and is useful as a semiconductor in many electronic devices. For example, chalcogenide glass fibers are a component of devices used to perform laser surgery. The properties of chalcogenide glass result not only from their chemical composition and atomic structure, but also from the impact of numerous external factors. A comprehensive survey is presented of the properties of chalcogenide glass under various external impacts. Practical recommendations are presented for a wide range of applications. Part II is the second part of a three-volume work within the Semiconductors and Semimetals series.
  • Dilute Nitride Semiconductors

    • 1st Edition
    • Mohamed Henini
    • English
    This book contains full account of the advances made in the dilute nitrides, providing an excellent starting point for workers entering the field. It gives the reader easier access and better evaluation of future trends, Conveying important results and current ideas. Includes a generous list of references at the end of each chapter, providing a useful reference to the III-V-N based semiconductors research community. The high speed lasers operating at wavelength of 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm are very important light sources in optical communications since the optical fiber used as a transport media of light has dispersion and attenuation minima, respectively, at these wavelengths. These long wavelengths are exclusively made of InP-based material InGaAsP/InP. However, there are several problems with this material system. Therefore, there has been considerable effort for many years to fabricate long wavelength laser structures on other substrates, especially GaAs. The manufacturing costs of GaAs-based components are lower and the processing techniques are well developed. In 1996 a novel quaternary material GaInAsN was proposed which could avoid several problems with the existing technology of long wavelength lasers.In this book, several leaders in the field of dilute nitrides will cover the growth and processing, experimental characterization, theoretical understanding, and device design and fabrication of this recently developed class of semiconductor alloys. They will review their current status of research and development. Dilute Nitrides (III-N-V) Semiconductors: Physics and Technology organises the most current available data, providing a ready source of information on a wide range of topics, making this book essential reading for all post graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of Semiconductors and Optoelectronics
  • Advances in Applied Mechanics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 40
    • English
    The major developments in the field of fluid and solid mechanics are scattered throughout an array of scientific journals, making it often difficult to find what the real advances are, especially for a researcher new to the field. The Advances in Applied Mechanics book series draws together the recent significant advances in various topics in applied mechanics. Published since 1948, Advances in Applied Mechanics aims to provide authoritative review articles on topics in the mechanical sciences, primarily of interest to scientists and engineers working in the various branches of mechanics, but also of interest to the many who use the results of investigation in mechanics and various application areas. Advances in Applied Mechanics continues to be a publication of high impact. Review articles are provided by leading scientists in the field on an invitation only basis. Many of the articles published have become classics within their fields.
  • Methods and Models in Neurophysics

    Lecture Notes of the Les Houches Summer School 2003
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 80
    • English
    Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field that strives to understand the functioning of neural systems at levels ranging from biomolecules and cells to behaviour and higher brain functions (perception, memory, cognition). Neurophysics has flourished over the past three decades, becoming an indelible part of neuroscience, and has arguably entered its maturity. It encompasses a vast array of approaches stemming from theoretical physics, computer science, and applied mathematics. This book provides a detailed review of this field from basic concepts to its most recent development.
  • Polaritons in Periodic and Quasiperiodic Structures

    • 1st Edition
    • Eudenilson L. Albuquerque + 1 more
    • English
    In recent years there have been exciting developments in techniques for producing multilayered structures of different materials, often with thicknesses as small as only a few atomic layers. These artificial structures, known as superlattices, can either be grown with the layers stacked in an alternating fashion (the periodic case) or according to some other well-defined mathematical rule (the quasiperiodic case). This book describes research on the excitations (or wave-like behavior) of these materials, with emphasis on how the material properties are coupled to photons (the quanta of the light or the electromagnetic radiation) to produce “mixed” waves called polaritons.
  • Uncertain Input Data Problems and the Worst Scenario Method

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 46
    • Ivan Hlavacek + 2 more
    • English
    This book deals with the impact of uncertainty in input data on the outputs of mathematical models. Uncertain inputs as scalars, tensors, functions, or domain boundaries are considered. In practical terms, material parameters or constitutive laws, for instance, are uncertain, and quantities as local temperature, local mechanical stress, or local displacement are monitored. The goal of the worst scenario method is to extremize the quantity over the set of uncertain input data.A general mathematical scheme of the worst scenario method, including approximation by finite element methods, is presented, and then applied to various state problems modeled by differential equations or variational inequalities: nonlinear heat flow, Timoshenko beam vibration and buckling, plate buckling, contact problems in elasticity and thermoelasticity with and without friction, and various models of plastic deformation, to list some of the topics. Dozens of examples, figures, and tables are included.Although the book concentrates on the mathematical aspects of the subject, a substantial part is written in an accessible style and is devoted to various facets of uncertainty in modeling and to the state of the art techniques proposed to deal with uncertain input data.A chapter on sensitivity analysis and on functional and convex analysis is included for the reader's convenience.
  • Fluids, Materials and Microgravity

    Numerical Techniques and Insights into Physics
    • 1st Edition
    • Marcello Lappa
    • English
    Each year, universities and research centres – most particularly the major space agencies such as NASA, ESA, and NASDA – devote a vast amount of time and money into the research of materials behaviour and production in microgravity. Recently, the possibility of creating special alloys, inorganic and organic crystals, as well as biological (living) tissues in this condition has been investigated. Fluids, Materials and Microgravity provides a solid basis of established knowledge – through literature, fundamental studies, experimental methods, numerical (basic and sophisticated) techniques – as well as the latest in research advancements. Important for the prediction of material behaviour when exposed to the environment of space, this book explores the new knowledge provided by microgravity-based studies in producing unique inorganic, and organic materials on Earth (and in designing related new technological processes). A vital resource for any scientists interested in the understanding and modelling of the new important physical mechanisms disclosed by microgravity research, and in their possible effect on the production and behaviour of materials both in space and on Earth. A vital resource for any scientists interested in the effect of microgravity on the production and behaviour of materials.
  • Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 34
    • English
    This volume of the Handbook adds five new chapters to the science of rare earths. Two of the chapters deal with intermetallic compounds. An overview of ternary systems containing rare earths, transition metals and indium – Chapter 218 – opens the volume. It is followed by Chapter 219 sorting out relationships between superconductivity and magnetism. The next two chapters are dedicated to complex compounds of rare earths: Chapter 220 describes structural studies using circularly polarized luminescence spectroscopy of lanthanide systems, while Chapter 221 examines rare-earth metal-organic frameworks, also known as coordination polymers. The final Chapter 222 deals with the catalytic activity of rare earths in site-selective hydrolysis of DNA and RNA.
  • Encyclopedia of Modern Optics

    • 1st Edition
    • Bob D. Guenther + 2 more
    • English
    The encyclopedia provides valuable reference material for those working in the field who wish to know more about a topic outside their area of expertise, as well as providing an authoritative reference source for students and researchers. Undergraduate students should find it a useful source of material, as will teachers and lecturers. It will also be useful at the postgraduate level for summarizing a broad range of theoretical topics, for practical advice on research techniques and for insights into new ways of approaching research problems. Subjects covered: light and optics, lasers, optical fibers, and optical fiber systems, optical materials, and LED's, and applications of all these in control and manufacturing, data processing and storage, applications in environment, engineering, defence, ocean study, medicine and biology. Also available online via ScienceDirect – featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedire...
  • Quantum Entanglement and Information Processing

    Lecture Notes of the Les Houches Summer School 2003
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 79
    • English
    It has been recognised recently that the strange features of the quantum world could be used for new information transmission or processing functions such as quantum cryptography or, more ambitiously, quantum computing. These fascinating perspectives renewed the interest in fundamental quantum properties and lead to important theoretical advances, such as quantum algorithms and quantum error correction codes. On the experimental side, remarkable advances have been achieved in quantum optics, solid state physics or nuclear magnetic resonance. This book presents the lecture notes of the Les Houches Summer School on ‘Quantum entanglement and information processing’. Following the long tradition of the les Houches schools, it provides a comprehensive and pedagogical approach of the whole field, written by renowned specialists.One major goal of this book is to establish connections between the communities of quantum optics and of quantum electronic devices working in the area of quantum computing. When two communities share the same goals, the universality of physics unavoidably leads to similar developments. However, the communication barrier is often high, and few physicists are able to overcome it. This school has contributed to bridge the existing gap between communities, for the benefit of the future actors in the field of quantum computing. The book thus combines introductory chapters, providing the reader with a sufficiently wide theoretical framework in quantum information, quantum optics and quantum circuits physics, with more specialized presentations of recent theoretical and experimental advances in the field. This structure makes the book accessible to any graduate student having a good knowledge of basic quantum mechanics, and extremely useful to researchers.
  • Free Electron Lasers 2003

    Proceedings of the 25th International Free Electron Laser Conference and the 10th FEL Users Workshop, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan, 8-12 September 2003
    • 1st Edition
    • Eisuke J. Minehara + 2 more
    • English
    This book contains the Proceedings of the 25th International Free Electron Laser Conference and the 10th Free Electron Laser Users Workshop, which were held on September 8-12, 2003 in Tsukuba, Ibaraki in Japan.
  • Solid State Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 59
    • Henry Ehrenreich + 1 more
    • English
    This volume contains two articles on topics in materials science of great importance: the thermodynamics of stressed solids, a fundamental problem that goes back to Gibbs, and hydrogen in materials, an area that is both scientifically rich and of great current technological importance.
  • Practical Optics

    • 1st Edition
    • Naftaly Menn
    • English
    Practical Optics bridges the gap between what students learn in optical engineering curricula and the problems they realistically will face as optical engineering practitioners, in a variety of high-tech industries. A broad range of topics from modern optical engineering are addressed, ranging from geometrical optics and basic layout of electro-optical instruments, to the theory of imaging, radiation sources and radiation sensors, spectroscopy, and color vision and description of optical methods for measurements of numerous physical parameters (temperature, flow velocity, distances, roughness of surfaces, etc.).
  • Dislocations in Solids

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • English
    This is the first volume to appear under the joint editorship of J.P. Hirth and F.R.N. Nabarro. While Volume 11 concentrated on the single topic of dislocations and work hardening, the present volume spreads over the whole range of the study of dislocations from the application by Kléman and his colleagues of homotopy theory to classifying the line and point defects of mesomorphic phases to Chaudhri's account of the experimental observations of dislocations formed around indentations.Chapter 64, by Cai, Bulatove, Chang, Li and Yip, discusses the influence of the structure of the core of a dislocation on its mobility. The power of modern computation allows this topic to be treated from the first principles of electron theory, and with empirical potentials for more complicated problems. Advances in electron microscopy allow these theoretical predictions to be tested.In Chapter 65, Xu analyzes the emission of dislocations from the tip of a crack and its influence on the brittle to ductile transition. Again, the treatment is predominantly theoretical, but it is consistently related to the very practical example of alpha iron.In a dazzling interplay of experiment and abstract mathematics, Kléman, Lavrentovich and Nastishin analyze the line and point structural defects of the many mesomorphic phases which have become known in recent years.Chapter 67, by Coupeau, Girard and Rabier, is essentially experimental. It shows how the various modern techniques of scanning probe microscopy can be used to study dislocations and their interaction with the free surface.Chapter 68, by Mitchell and Heuer, considers the complex dislocations that can form in ceramic crystals on the basis of observations by transmission electron microscopy and presents mechanistic models for the motion of the dislocations in various temperature regimes.While the underlying aim of the study of dislocations in energetic crystals by Armstrong and Elban in Chapter 69 is to understand the role of dislocations in the process of detonation, it has the wider interest of studying dislocations in molecular crystals which are ``elastically soft, plastically hard, and brittle''.Chaudhri in Chapter 70 discusses the role of dislocations in indentation processes, largely on the basis of the elastic analysis by E.H. Yoffe. The special case of nanoindentations is treated only briefly.
  • 50 Years Progress in Crystal Growth

    A Reprint Collection
    • 1st Edition
    • Robert Feigelson
    • English
    There is no question that the field of solid state electronics, which essentially began with work at Bell laboratories just after World War II, has had a profound impact on today's Society. What is not nearly so widely known is that advances in the art and science of crystal growth underpin this technology. Single crystals, once valued only for their beauty, are now found, in one form or another in most electronic, optoelectronic and numerous optical devices. These devices, in turn, have permeated almost every home and village throughout the world. In fact it is hard to imagine what our electronics industry, much less our entire civilization, would have been like if crystal growth scientists and engineers were unable to produce the large, defect free crystals required by device designers. This book brings together two sets of related articles describing advances made in crystal growth science and technology since World War II. One set is from the proceedings of a Symposium held in August 2002 to celebrate 50 years of progress in the field of crystal growth. The second contains articles previously published in the newsletter of the American Association for Crystal Growth in a series called "Milestones in Crystal Growth".The first section of this book contains several articles which describe some of the early history of crystal growth prior to the electronics revolution, and upon which modern crystal growth science and technology is based. This is followed by a special article by Prof. Sunagawa which provides some insight into how the successful Japanese crystal growth industry developed. The next section deals with crystal growth fundamentals including concepts of solute distribution, interface kinetics, constitutional supercooling, morphological stability and the growth of dendrites. The following section describes the growth of crystals from melts and solutions, while the final part involves thin film growth by MBE and OMVPE.These articles were written by some of the most famous theorists and crystal growers working in the field. They will provide future research workers with valuable insight into how these pioneering discoveries were made, and show how their own research and future devices will be based upon these developments.
  • Crystal Growth - From Fundamentals to Technology

    • 1st Edition
    • Georg Müller + 2 more
    • English
    The book contains 5 chapters with 19 contributions form internationally well acknowledged experts in various fields of crystal growth. The topics are ranging from fundamentals (thermodynamic of epitaxy growth, kinetics, morphology, modeling) to new crystal materials (carbon nanocrystals and nanotubes, biological crystals), to technology (Silicon Czochralski growth, oxide growth, III-IV epitaxy) and characterization (point defects, X-ray imaging, in-situ STM). It covers the treatment of bulk growth as well as epitaxy by anorganic and organic materials.
  • Unifying Concepts in Granular Media and Glasses

    From the Statistical Mechanics of Granular Media to the Theory of Jamming
    • 1st Edition
    • Antonio Coniglio + 3 more
    • English
    Deep connections are emerging in the physics of non-thermal systems,such as granular media, and other "complex systems" such as glass formers, spin glasses, colloids or gels. This book discusses the unifying physical theories, developed in recent years, for the description of these systems. The special focus of the book is on recent important developments in the formulation of a Statistical Mechanics approach to granular media and the description of out-of-equilibrium dynamics, such as "jamming" phenomena, ubiquitous in these "complex systems". The book collects contributions from leading researchers in these fields, providing both an introduction, at a graduate level, to these rapidly developing subjects and featuring an up to date, self contained, presentation of theoretical and experimental developments for researchers in areas ranging from Chemistry, to Engineering and Physical Sciences.
  • Unstable Singularities and Randomness

    Their Importance in the Complexity of Physical, Biological and Social Sciences
    • 1st Edition
    • Joseph P. Zbilut
    • English
    Traditionally, randomness and determinism have been viewed as being diametrically opposed, based on the idea that causality and determinism is complicated by “noise.” Although recent research has suggested that noise can have a productive role, it still views noise as a separate entity. This work suggests that this not need to be so. In an informal presentation, instead, the problem is traced to traditional assumptions regarding dynamical equations and their need for unique solutions. If this requirement is relaxed, the equations admit for instability and stochasticity evolving from the dynamics itself. This allows for a decoupling from the “burden” of the past and provides insights into concepts such as predictability, irreversibility, adaptability, creativity and multi-choice behaviour. This reformulation is especially relevant for biological and social sciences whose need for flexibility a propos of environmental demands is important to understand: this suggests that many system models are based on randomness and nondeterminism complicated with a little bit of determinism to ultimately achieve concurrent flexibility and stability. As a result, the statistical perception of reality is seen as being a more productive tool than classical determinism. The book addresses scientists of all disciplines, with special emphasis at making the ideas more accessible to scientists and students not traditionally involved in the formal mathematics of the physical sciences. The implications may be of interest also to specialists in the philosophy of science.
  • Solid State Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 58
    • Henry Ehrenreich + 1 more
    • English
    Solid state physics is the branch of physics that is primarily devoted to the study of matter in its solid phase, especially at the atomic level. This prestigious serial presents timely and state-of-the-art reviews pertaining to all aspects of solid state physics.
  • Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

    in Chemistry, Materials Science, and Biology
    • 1st Edition
    • Sy M. Blinder
    • English
    Introduction to Quantum Mechanics provides a lucid, up-to-date introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics at the level of undergraduates and first-year graduate students in chemistry, materials science, biology and related fields. It shows how the fundamental concepts of quantum theory arose from classic experiments in physics and chemistry, and presents the quantum-mechanical foundations of modern techniques including molecular spectroscopy, lasers and NMR. Blinder also discusses recent conceptual developments in quantum theory, including Schrödinger's Cat, the Einstein-Podolsky-Ro... experiment, Bell's theorem and quantum computing.
  • Measurement Science for Engineers

    • 1st Edition
    • Paul Regtien + 3 more
    • English
    This volume, from an international authority on the subject, deals with the physical and instrumentation aspects of measurement science, the availability of major measurement tools, and how to use them. This book not only lays out basic concepts of electronic measurement systems, but also provides numerous examples and exercises for the student.
  • Generalized Boltzmann Physical Kinetics

    • 1st Edition
    • Boris V. Alexeev
    • English
    The most important result obtained by Prof. B. Alexeev and reflected in the book is connected with new theory of transport processes in gases, plasma and liquids. It was shown by Prof. B. Alexeev that well-known Boltzmann equation, which is the basement of the classical kinetic theory, is wrong in the definite sense. Namely in the Boltzmann equation should be introduced the additional terms which generally speaking are of the same order of value as classical ones. It leads to dramatic changing in transport theory. The coincidence of experimental and theoretical data became much better. Particularly it leads to the strict theory of turbulence and possibility to calculate the turbulent flows from the first principles of physics.