Bücher von Mark P. Silverman

Approximately 10 years have passed since the publication of And Yet 1 It Moves: Strange Systems and Subtle Questions in Physics. During this time, the book has done very well, being received favorably by both readers and reviewers. The exhaustion of the last printing has given me the opportunity to make revisions. The present volume, updated and expanded by three new chapters containing a total of 17 additional essays on a wide range of questions that I have explored in quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, thermodynamics, general relativity, and astrophysics, has been given a new title to re?ect the broad thematic coverage and a new publisher (Springer-Verlag). The Introduction (The Fire Within) that follows, based on the preface to the original edition, explains fully the purpose and content of this book. I wish to note brie?y here, however, that time and the advance of physics have not dulled the scienti?c relevance of any of the essays. This book, like its predecessor, is not intended to be a popularization, a textbook, or a monograph of any ?eld of physics. Rather, it is a p- sonal account of the scienti?c underpinnings, motivations, lessons, and rami?cations of some of the many fundamental physical problems that have engaged me throughout my career to the present. These are essays that anyone with an interest in contemporary physics can read, although it is certainly the case that the more serious the interest, the more meaningful will be the essays.

The many-faceted efforts to understand the structure and interactions of atoms over the past hundred years have contributed decisively and dramatically to the explosive development of physics. There is hardly a branch of modern physical science that does not in some seminal way rely on the fundamental principles and mathematical and experimental insights that derive from these studies. In particular, the drive to understand the singular features of the hydrogen atom--simultaneously the archetype of all atoms and the least typical atom--spurred many of the twentieth century's advances in physics and chemistry. This book gives an in-depth account of the author's own penetrating experimental and theoretical investigations of the hydrogen atom, while simultaneously providing broad lessons in the application of quantum mechanics to atomic structure and interactions. A pioneer in the combined use of atomic accelerators and radiofrequency spectroscopy for probing the internal structure of the hydrogen atom, Mark Silverman examines the general principles behind this far-reaching experimental approach. Fast-moving protons are directed into gas or foil targets from which they capture electrons to become hydrogen atoms moving uniformly at very high speeds. During their rapid passage through the spectroscopy chamber of the atomic accelerator, these atoms reveal by the light they emit fascinating details of their internal configuration and the interactions that created them. Silverman examines the effects of radiofrequency fields on the hydrogen atom clearly and systematically, explaining the details of these interactions at different levels of complexity and refinement, each level illuminating the physical processes involved from different and complementary perspectives. Readers interested in diverse areas of physics and physical chemistry will appreciate both the theoretical and practical implications of Silverman's studies and the personal style with which he relays them. This is a work of not only an outstanding research physicist, but a fine teacher who understands how curiosity underlies all science.

Mark Silverman has seen light perform many wonders. From the marvel of seeing inside cloudy liquids as a result of his own cutting-edge research to reproducing and examining an unusual diffraction pattern first witnessed by Isaac Newton 300 years ago, he has studied aspects of light that have inspired and puzzled humans for hundreds of years. In this book, he draws on his many experiences as an optical and atomic physicist--and on his consummate skills as a teacher and writer about the mysteries of physics--to present a remarkable tour of the world of light. He explores theoretical, experimental, and historical themes, showing a keen eye for curious and neglected corners of the study of light and a fascination with the human side of scientific discovery. In the course of the book, he covers such questions as how it is possible to achieve magnifications of a millionfold without a single lens or mirror. He asks what all living things have in common that might one day allow the development of a "e;life-form scanner"e; like the one in Star Trek. He considers whether more light can reflect from a surface than strikes it, and explores the origin of the strange hyperpolic diffraction pattern Newton originally produced with sunlight and knives. Silverman also discusses his new and ground-breaking experiments to see into murky substances such as fog or blood--a finding with potential applications as diverse as noninvasive medical testing and remote sensing of the environment. His wide-ranging reflections cover virtually all elements of physical optics, including propagation, reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, polarization, and scattering. Throughout, Silverman makes extensive reference to both modern research and the original works of giants such as Newton, Fresnel, and Maxwell. In a more personal section about physics and learning, Silverman argues for self-directed learning and discusses the central importance of stimulating scientific curiosity in students. Waves and Grains will encourage a spirit of wonder and inquiry in anyone with scientific interests.

Originally published in 1993, this book of essays is a largely nonmathematical account of some of the strange behaviour, both classical and quantum, exhibited by moving particles, fluids and waves. Drawn from the author's researches in quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics, electromagnetism and optics, gravity, thermodynamics, and the physics of fluids, the essays describe different physical systems whose behaviour provokes surprise and challenges the imagination. There are strange processes for which no visualisable mechanism can be given; processes that seem to violate fundamental physical laws, but which in reality do not; processes that are superficially well understood, yet turn out to be subtly devious. The essays address questions or controversies from whose resolution emerge lessons of general significance regarding the mystery and fascination of motion. Anyone with a basic physics background or with an interest in the fundamental questions of physics will find this book of use.

A clear and engaging discussionWritten by a highly respected quantum physicistPuzzling phenomena made comprehensibleDescribes solutions to challenging quandries in physics

Er erforscht Details anhand einfacher Modelle, wie des Zweiatom-Modells oder des Doppelspalt-Interferometers. Silverman, dessen experimentelle und theoretische Arbeiten weltweit anerkannt sind, kommt zu dem Schluss: Es gibt mehr als nur ein Geheimnis in der fesselnden Welt der Quantenmechanik.

jThis thoroughly updated and revised text contains a selection of well-written essays based on Silvermans work on a wide range of topics, including: quantum mechanics, including atomic and nuclear physics, electromagnetism and optics, gravity, thermodynamics, and the physics of fluids.