Bücher der Reihe Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics

Based on the celebrated lectures of the influential particle physicist Giorgio Giacomelli, this volume, now in a new edition, aims to provide the basic theoretical foundations, and phenomenological knowledge of, the structure of matter at the subatomic level.

Classical mechanics is the basis for any university-level study of technical-scientific disciplines. But most existing manuals use a technological and engineering approach, with basic aspects sometimes insufficiently highlighted. This book introduces the concepts and applications of classical mechanics into Newtonian formalism. Newtonian dynamics is useful for solving applied physics and engineering problems, but also a fascinating theory anchored in questions posed since the times of the Greek philosophers, regarding space, the flow of time, measurable physical quantities, the physical principles with the mathematical structure needed to describe the Universe, etc. The author aims to encourage students to think about these fundamental aspects and how they will be addressed in modern physics, including the successes and limitations of Newton's mechanics. The book is designed to mirror the progress of the students using it, with earlier chapters assuming nomore than basic high school instruction and later ones geared toward subsequent enhanced understanding. The book is designed for students of undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and engineering who will deal with modern physics, as they will benefit from an approach in which the aspects of classical mechanics are introduced in a propaedeutic approach towards relativistic physics and quantum mechanics.

Overview.- Review of Concepts and Some Extensions Thereof.- Introduction to Multidimensional Calculus.- Field Equations of General Relativity.- Classical Tests of General Relativity.- Black Holes.- Basics of Modern Cosmology: Overview.- Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Cosmology.- Thermodynamics of the Universe.- Accelerated Expansion of the Universe.- Inflation.- Appendices A-F.- Index.

This textbook is an introduction to the Brownian motion of colloids and nano-particles, and the diffusion of molecules. One very appealing aspect of Brownian motion, as this book illustrates, is that the subject connects a broad variety of topics, including thermal physics, hydrodynamics, reaction kinetics, fluctuation phenomena, statistical thermodynamics, osmosis and colloid science. The book is based on a set of lecture notes that the authors used for an undergraduate course at the University of Utrecht, Netherland. It aims to provide more than a simplified qualitative description of the subject, without getting bogged down in difficult mathematics.Each chapter contains exercises, ranging from straightforward ones to more involved problems, addressing instances from (thermal motion in) chemistry, physics and life sciences. Exercises also deal with derivations or calculations that are skipped in the main text.The book offers a treatment of Brownian motion on a level appropriate for bachelor/undergraduate students of physics, chemistry, soft matter and the life sciences. PhD students attending courses and doing research in colloid science or soft matter will also benefit from this book.

This book, the second in a two-volume set, provides an introduction to the basics of (mainly) non-relativistic quantum mechanics. While the first volume addresses the basic principles, this second volume discusses applications and extensions to more complex problems. In addition to topics dealt with in traditional quantum mechanics texts, such as symmetries or many-body problems, it also treats issues of current interest such as entanglement, Bell¿s inequality, decoherence and various aspects of quantum information in detail. Furthermore, questions concerning the basis of quantum mechanics and epistemological issues which are relevant e.g. to the realism debate are discussed explicitly. A chapter on the interpretations of quantum mechanics rounds out the book. Readers are introduced to the requisite mathematical tools step by step. In the appendix, the most relevant mathematics is compiled in compact form, and more advanced topics such as the Lenz vector, Hardy¿s experiment and Shor¿s algorithm are treated in more detail. As an essential aid to learning and teaching, 130 exercises are included, most of them with solutions.This revised second edition is expanded by an introduction into some ideas and problems of relativistic quantum mechanics. In this second volume, an overview of quantum field theory is given and basic conceptions of quantum electrodynamics are treated in some detail. Originally written as a course for students of science education, the book addresses all those science students and others who are looking for a reasonably simple, fresh and modern introduction to the field.

This book, the first in a two-volume set, provides an introduction to the fundamentals of (mainly) non-relativistic quantum mechanics. This first volume chiefly focuses on the essential principles, while applications and extensions of the formalism can be found in volume 2. Including but also moving beyond material that is covered in traditional textbooks on quantum mechanics, the book discusses in detail current issues such as interaction-free quantum measurements or neutrino oscillations, as well as fundamental problems and epistemological questions, such as the measurement problem. A chapter on the postulates of quantum mechanics rounds off this first volume.In order to quickly and clearly present the main principles of quantum mechanics and its mathematical formulation, there is a systematic transition between wave mechanics and algebraic representation in the first few chapters, in which the required mathematical tools are introduced step by step. Moreover, the appendix concisely reviews the most important mathematical tools, allowing readers to largely dispense with supplementary literature. The appendix also explores advanced topics, such as the Quantum-Zeno effect and time-delay experiments. Over 250 exercises, most of them with solutions, help to deepen the reader¿s understanding of the topics discussed.This revised second edition is expanded by an introduction to some ideas and problems of relativistic quantum mechanics. In this first volume, the Klein-Gordon and the Dirac equations are treated. Fundamentals of other areas are compiled in compact form, i.e., outlines of special relativity, classical field theory and electrodynamics. The book is chiefly intended for student science teachers and all students of physics, majors and minors alike, who are looking for a reasonably easy and modern introduction to quantum mechanics.

This textbook is an introduction to the Brownian motion of colloids and nano-particles, and the diffusion of molecules. One very appealing aspect of Brownian motion, as this book illustrates, is that the subject connects a broad variety of topics, including thermal physics, hydrodynamics, reaction kinetics, fluctuation phenomena, statistical thermodynamics, osmosis and colloid science. The book is based on a set of lecture notes that the authors used for an undergraduate course at the University of Utrecht, Netherland. It aims to provide more than a simplified qualitative description of the subject, without getting bogged down in difficult mathematics.Each chapter contains exercises, ranging from straightforward ones to more involved problems, addressing instances from (thermal motion in) chemistry, physics and life sciences. Exercises also deal with derivations or calculations that are skipped in the main text.The book offers a treatment of Brownian motion on a level appropriate for bachelor/undergraduate students of physics, chemistry, soft matter and the life sciences. PhD students attending courses and doing research in colloid science or soft matter will also benefit from this book.

This textbook fills the gap between the very basic and the highly advanced volumes that are widely available on the subject.

This book offers a comprehensive, university-level introduction to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity.

Note from the prefaces in the first and second volumes: "This four-volume book grew from a four-semester general physics curriculum which I developed and taught for the past decade to undergraduate students at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee."

This book offers an essential bridge between college-level introductions and advanced graduate-level books on special relativity. It begins at an elementary level, presenting and discussing the basic concepts normally covered in college-level works, including the Lorentz transformation.

This book presents astrophysics from basic principles without requiring any previous study of astronomy or astrophysics. This one-semester overview provides 15 lecture-sized chapters and 50 set-aside focus elements.

The book treats the two-electron atom as the simplest example of the many-electron atom-as opposed to using techniques that are not applicable to many-electron atoms-so that it is unnecessary to develop additional equations when turning to multielectron atoms, such as carbon.

This basic course in physics is aimed at scientists and engineers and, along with a wealth of helpful exercises and solutions, includes the mathematical basics for each topic. It covers everything from elementary thermodynamics to magnetism and optics.

This book provides a chronological introduction to the electromagnetic theory of light, using selected extracts from classic texts such as Gilbert's De Magnete, Franklin's Experiments and Observations on Electricity, and Huygens' Treatise on Light.

This is a second edition of a textbook that provides the first comprehensive, easy-to-read, and up-to-date account of the fascinating discipline of archaeoastronomy, in which the relationship between ancient constructions and the sky is studied in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic worlds. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which explores the past relations between astronomy and people, power, the afterworld, architecture, and landscape. The second part then discusses in detail the fundamentals of archaeoastronomy, including the celestial coordinates; the apparent motion of the sun, moon, stars, and planets; observation of celestial bodies at the horizon; the use of astronomical software in archaeoastronomy; and current methods for making and analyzing measurements. The final section reviews what archaeoastronomy can now tell us about the nature and purpose of such sites and structures as Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, Chichen Itza, the Angkor Temples, the Campus Martius, and the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. In addition, it provides a set of exercises that can be performed using non-commercial free software, e.g., Google Earth and Stellarium, and that will equip readers to conduct their own research. This new edition features a completely new chapter on archaeoastronomy in Asia and an ΓÇ£augmented realityΓÇ¥ framework, which on the one hand enhances the didactic value of the book using direct links to the relevant sections of the authorΓÇÖs MOOC (online) lessons and, on the other, allows readers to directly experience ΓÇô albeit virtually ΓÇômany of the spectacular archaeological sites described in the book. This is an ideal introduction to what has become a wide-ranging multidisciplinary science.

What's the point of calculating definite integrals since you can't possibly do them all?What makes doing the specific integrals in this book of value aren't the specific answers we'll obtain, but rather the methods we'll use in obtaining those answers;

Following the approach of Lev Landau and Evgenii Lifshitz, this book introduces the theory of special and general relativity with the Lagrangian formalism and the principle of least action.

A self-contained introduction to finite dimensional vector spaces, matrices, systems of linear equations, spectral analysis on euclidean and hermitian spaces, affine euclidean geometry, quadratic forms and conic sections.

This book introduces particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

The formal concepts of quantum physics are illustrated by examples from the forefront of modern quantum research, such as quantum communication, teleportation and nonlocality. The author adopts a Socratic pedagogy: The student is guided to develop the machinery of quantum physics independently by solving sets of carefully chosen problems.

This book equips the reader with a coherent understanding of the structure of the Sun and its evolution and provides all the knowledge required to construct a simplified model of the Sun. The early chapters cover key aspects of basic physics and describe the Sun's size, mass, luminosity, and temperature.

This undergraduate textbook provides a simple, concise introduction to tensor algebra and analysis, as well as special and general relativity. With a plethora of examples, explanations, and exercises, it forms a well-rounded didactic text that will be useful for any related course.The book is divided into three main parts, all based on lecture notes that have been refined for classroom teaching over the past two decades. Part I provides students with a comprehensive overview of tensors. Part II links the very introductory first part and the relatively advanced third part, demonstrating the important intermediate-level applications of tensor analysis. Part III contains an extended discussion of general relativity, and includes material useful for students interested primarily in quantum field theory and quantum gravity.Tailored to the undergraduate, this textbook offers explanations of technical material not easily found or detailed elsewhere, including an understandable description of Riemann normal coordinates and conformal transformations. Future theoretical and experimental physicists, as well as mathematicians, will thus find it a wonderful first read on the subject.

This undergraduate textbook discusses the nature of the microscopic universe from a modern perspective, based on Einstein's notions of relativity and Noether's proof of the emergence of conservation laws from symmetries of the equations of motion.

Starting from the thermodynamics of the Sun-Earthsystem and biosphere, this book steps, via such subjects as the greenhouse effect and energetics of metabolism, into to the microscopic world (physics of bacteria and unicellular life, cells and tissues, biomolecules); and again to zoology and planetary ecology in a journey guided by Physics.

This book guides undergraduate students in the use of Maxima-a computer algebra system-in solving problems in classical mechanics. When it comes to problems that are too difficult to solve by hand, computer algebra systems that can perform symbolic mathematical manipulations are a valuable tool.