Download or read book Surprises in Theoretical Casimir Physics written by William M.R. Simpson and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-19 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite more than half a century of theoretical work, the Casimir effect is still not as fully understood as some suppose. In this treatise, the author uncovers new puzzles and paradoxes concerning this mysterious phenomenon. In particular, he clearly demonstrates that the most sophisticated theories fail when confronted with dielectrics in which the refractive index is not uniform but gradually changes.

Download or read book State Of The Quantum Vacuum The Casimir Physics In The 2020 s written by Kimball A Milton and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2022-11-22 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This review volume is intended to survey the field of quantum fluctuational phenomena induced by material bodies, which is commonly encompassed under the name of Casimir physics. H B G Casimir first discovered that zero-point fluctuations in the electromagnetic field caused an attractive force between closely separated metallic plates. Now — 75 years later — the field is burgeoning, with numerous experimental verifications and applications to practical devices starting to emerge.In this book, new ideas about Casimir physics are brought to bear on such diverse subjects as cosmology, where the Casimir energy may explain the dark energy that causes the cosmic repulsion, and nonstatic regimes, such as Casimir or quantum friction. Unsolved problems, including divergences in Casimir self-energies, the meaning of local energy densities in inhomogeneous backgrounds, and discrepancies between theory and experiment, are treated in some detail. It is hoped that this collection of papers will serve as an introduction to the field for newcomers to the subject, and that it will inspire a new burst of research into the nature of the quantum vacuum.

Download or read book Classical And Quantum Dissipative Systems Second Edition written by Mohsen Razavy and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2017-02-27 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dissipative forces play an important role in problems of classical as well as quantum mechanics. Since these forces are not among the basic forces of nature, it is essential to consider whether they should be treated as phenomenological interactions used in the equations of motion, or they should be derived from other conservative forces. In this book we discuss both approaches in detail starting with the Stoke's law of motion in a viscous fluid and ending with a rather detailed review of the recent attempts to understand the nature of the drag forces originating from the motion of a plane or a sphere in vacuum caused by the variations in the zero-point energy. In the classical formulation, mathematical techniques for construction of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for the variational formulation of non-conservative systems are discussed at length. Various physical systems of interest including the problem of radiating electron, theory of natural line width, spin-boson problem, scattering and trapping of heavy ions and optical potential models of nuclear reactions are considered and solved.

Download or read book Neo Aristotelian Perspectives on Contemporary Science written by William M.R. Simpson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-19 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The last two decades have seen two significant trends emerging within the philosophy of science: the rapid development and focus on the philosophy of the specialised sciences, and a resurgence of Aristotelian metaphysics, much of which is concerned with the possibility of emergence, as well as the ontological status and indispensability of dispositions and powers in science. Despite these recent trends, few Aristotelian metaphysicians have engaged directly with the philosophy of the specialised sciences. Additionally, the relationship between fundamental Aristotelian concepts—such as "hylomorphism", "substance", and "faculties"—and contemporary science has yet to receive a critical and systematic treatment. Neo-Aristotelian Perspectives on Contemporary Science aims to fill this gap in the literature by bringing together essays on the relationship between Aristotelianism and science that cut across interdisciplinary boundaries. The chapters in this volume are divided into two main sections covering the philosophy of physics and the philosophy of the life sciences. Featuring original contributions from distinguished and early-career scholars, this book will be of interest to specialists in analytical metaphysics and the philosophy of science.

Download or read book Surface and Interfacial Forces written by Hans-Jürgen Butt and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A general introduction to surface and interfacial forces, perfectly combining theoretical concepts, experimental techniques and practical applications. In this completely updated edition all the chapters have been thoroughly revised and extended to cover new developments and approaches with around 15% new content. A large part of the book is devoted to surface forces between solid surfaces in liquid media, and while a basic knowledge of colloid and interface science is helpful, it is not essential since all important concepts are explained and the theoretical concepts can be understood with an intermediate knowledge of mathematics. A number of exercises with solutions and the end-of-chapter summaries of the most important equations, facts and phenomena serve as additional tools to strengthen the acquired knowledge and allow for self-study. The result is a readily accessible text that helps to foster an understanding of the intricacies of this highly relevant topic.

Download or read book Neo Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature written by William M.R. Simpson and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2021-10-10 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the relationship between a scientifically updated Aristotelian philosophy of nature and a scientifically engaged theology of nature. It features original contributions by some of the best scholars engaging with Aristotelianism in contemporary metaphysics, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology. Despite the growing interest in Aristotelian approaches to contemporary philosophy of science, few metaphysicians have engaged directly with the question of how a neo-Aristotelian metaphysics of nature might change the landscape for theological discussion concerning theology and naturalism, the place of human beings within nature, or the problem of divine causality. The chapters in this volume are collected into three thematic sections: Naturalism and Nature, Mind and Nature, and God and Nature. By pushing the current boundaries of neo-Aristotelian metaphysics to recover the traditional notion of substantial forms in physics, reframe the principle of proportionality in biology, and restore the hierarchy of being familiar to ancient philosophy, this book advances a metaphysically unified framework that accommodates both scientific and theological knowledge, enriching the interaction between science, philosophy and theology. Neo-Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature will be of interest to scholars and advanced students working in metaphysics, philosophy of science, natural theology, philosophical theology, and analytic theology. Chapters 1, 2, and 7 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Download or read book Nanophotonics written by Arthur McGurn and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-04-27 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book gives a readable introduction to the important, rapidly developing, field of nanophotonics. It provides a quick understanding of the basic elements of the field, allowing students and newcomers to progress rapidly to the frontiers of their interests. Topics include: The basic mathematical techniques needed for the study of the materials of nanophotonic technology; photonic crystals and their applications as laser resonators, waveguides, and circuits of waveguides; the application of photonic crystals technology in the design of optical diodes and transistors; the basic properties needed for the design and understanding of new types of engineered materials known as metamaterials; and a consideration of how and why these engineered materials have been formulated in the lab, as well as their applications as negative refractive index materials, as perfect lens, as cloaking devices, and their effects on Cherenkov and other types of radiation. Additionally, the book introduces the new field of plasmonics and reviews its important features. The role of plasmon-polaritons in the scattering and transmission of light by rough surfaces and the enhanced transmission of light by plasmon-polariton supporting surfaces is addressed. The important problems of subwavelength resolution are treated with discussions of applications in a number of scientific fields. The basic principles of near-field optical microscopy are presented with a number of important applications. The basics of atomic cavity physics, photonic entanglement and its relation to some of the basic properties of quantum computing, and the physics associated with the study of optical lattices are presented.

Download or read book Powers Time and Free Will written by Christopher J. Austin and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-03-28 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together twelve original contributions by leading scholars on the much-debated issues of what is free will and how can we exercise it in a world governed by laws of nature. Which conception of laws of nature best fits with how we conceive of free will? And which constraints does our conception of the laws of nature place on how we think of free will? The metaphysics of causation and the metaphysics of dispositions are also explored in this edited volume, in relation to whether they may or may not be game-changers in how we think about both free will and the laws of nature. The volume presents the views of a range of international experts on these issues, and aims at providing the reader with novel approaches to a core problem in philosophy. The target audience is composed by academics and scholars who are interested in an original and contemporary approach to these long-debated issues. Chapters [2] and [4] are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Download or read book More Surprises in Theoretical Physics written by Rudolf Peierls and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like its predecessor, this book by the renowned physicist Sir Rudolf Peierls draws from many diverse fields of theoretical physics to present problems in which the answer differs from what our intuition had led us to expect. In some cases an apparently convincing approximation turns out to be misleading; in others a seemingly unmanageable problem turns out to have a simple answer. Peierls's intention, however, is not to treat theoretical physics as an unpredictable game in which such surprises happen at random. Instead he shows how in each case careful thought could have prepared us for the outcome. Peierls has chosen mainly problems from his own experience or that of his collaborators, often showing how classic problems can lend themselves to new insights. His book is aimed at both graduate students and their teachers. Praise for Surprises in Theoretical Physics: "A beautiful piece of stimulating scholarship and a delight to read. Physicists of all kinds will learn a great deal from it."--R. J. Blin-Stoyle, Contemporary Physics

Download or read book Sleeping Beauties in Theoretical Physics written by Thanu Padmanabhan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-02-17 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses a fascinating set of questions in theoretical physics which will both entertain and enlighten all students, teachers and researchers and other physics aficionados. These range from Newtonian mechanics to quantum field theory and cover several puzzling issues that do not appear in standard textbooks. Some topics cover conceptual conundrums, the solutions to which lead to surprising insights; some correct popular misconceptions in the textbook discussion of certain topics; others illustrate deep connections between apparently unconnected domains of theoretical physics; and a few provide remarkably simple derivations of results which are not often appreciated. The connoisseur of theoretical physics will enjoy a feast of pleasant surprises skilfully prepared by an internationally acclaimed theoretical physicist. Each topic is introduced with proper background discussion and special effort is taken to make the discussion self-contained, clear and comprehensible to anyone with an undergraduate education in physics.

Download or read book Casimir Effect 50 Years Later the Proceedings Of The Fourth Workshop On Quantum Field Theory Under The Influence Of External Conditions written by Michael Bordag and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1999-04-01 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains papers based on talks delivered at the Fourth Workshop on Quantum Field Theory Under the Influence of External Conditions. This series of workshops, held at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of the University of Leipzig, was launched in 1989. The present meeting took place 50 years after Hendrik B Casimir discovered the effect named after him. This effect was found by Casimir in investigating the retarded long range van der Waals forces in colloids and re-expressing them as a change in the vacuum energy of the electromagnetic field. The story of why this work was done was told by Casimir himself at the workshop. A historical account of the development of vacuum energy in quantum theory starting from Planck's half quanta was given by H Rechenberg. Another interesting topic was about a possible explanation of sonoluminescence as a dynamical Casimir effect. Kim Milton reported on the work done by Julian Schwinger on this topic during the last years of the great physicist's life, as well as on his own research. M Bordag (Leipzig) provided a general analysis of the ultraviolet divergences of the vacuum energy of a dielectric sphere.The Casimir effect had been experimentally verified 10 years after its discovery on a rather qualitative level. Only last year and in another experiment this year, it became also quantitatively well established. It turned out to be of unexpectedly high sensitivity with respect to the presence of the so-called fifth forces, as V Mostepanenko showed in his talk.Modern methods of computing the Casimir effect rely on zeta functional regularization and heat kernel expansion. This mathematical background, together with a broader embedding into expansions of various spectral quantities, was the subject of the talk by S Fulling. Recent progress in the computation of the heat kernel coefficients was reported by V Kornyak and K Kirsten.A number of talks were devoted to magnetic background fields of various types; for instance, new trends in the Aharonov-Bohm effect. In cosmology, negative energy densities and the role of adiabatic vacuum states in a de Sitter universe were discussed.

Download or read book Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists written by A. Zee and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A concise, modern textbook on group theory written especially for physicists Although group theory is a mathematical subject, it is indispensable to many areas of modern theoretical physics, from atomic physics to condensed matter physics, particle physics to string theory. In particular, it is essential for an understanding of the fundamental forces. Yet until now, what has been missing is a modern, accessible, and self-contained textbook on the subject written especially for physicists. Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists fills this gap, providing a user-friendly and classroom-tested text that focuses on those aspects of group theory physicists most need to know. From the basic intuitive notion of a group, A. Zee takes readers all the way up to how theories based on gauge groups could unify three of the four fundamental forces. He also includes a concise review of the linear algebra needed for group theory, making the book ideal for self-study. Provides physicists with a modern and accessible introduction to group theory Covers applications to various areas of physics, including field theory, particle physics, relativity, and much more Topics include finite group and character tables; real, pseudoreal, and complex representations; Weyl, Dirac, and Majorana equations; the expanding universe and group theory; grand unification; and much more The essential textbook for students and an invaluable resource for researchers Features a brief, self-contained treatment of linear algebra An online illustration package is available to professors Solutions manual (available only to professors)

Download or read book The Spectrum of Atomic Hydrogen advances written by G. W. Series and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1988 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After more than a century of study, the hydrogen atom still presents challenges and opportunities to theoretical as well as to experimental physicists. The discovery of the Lamb shift in the late nineteen forties, followed by the development of QED and the introduction of powerful new experimental techniques in the nineteen sixties and seventies, have preserved for hydrogen its central place in atomic physics. Part I of this book, a reprint of the work published in 1957, covers the period from the earliest days up to the late nineteen fifties. Part II, a collection of progress reports written by well-known specialists on hydrogen and hydrogen-like systems, presents the advances in theory and experiment that have occurred since that time.

Download or read book Spectrum Of Atomic Hydrogen The Advances written by G Series and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1988-06-01 with total page 538 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After more than a century of study, the hydrogen atom still presents challenges and opportunities to theoretical as well as to experimental physicists. The discovery of the Lamb shift in the late nineteen forties, followed by the development of QED and the introduction of powerful new experimental techniques in the nineteen sixties and seventies, have preserved for hydrogen its central place in atomic physics. Part I of this book, a reprint of the work published in 1957, covers the period from the earliest days up to the late nineteen fifties. Part II, a collection of progress reports written by well-known specialists on hydrogen and hydrogen-like systems, presents the advances in theory and experiment that have occurred since that time.

Download or read book Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell written by Anthony Zee and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2010-02-01 with total page 605 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fully updated edition of the classic text by acclaimed physicist A. Zee Since it was first published, Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell has quickly established itself as the most accessible and comprehensive introduction to this profound and deeply fascinating area of theoretical physics. Now in this fully revised and expanded edition, A. Zee covers the latest advances while providing a solid conceptual foundation for students to build on, making this the most up-to-date and modern textbook on quantum field theory available. This expanded edition features several additional chapters, as well as an entirely new section describing recent developments in quantum field theory such as gravitational waves, the helicity spinor formalism, on-shell gluon scattering, recursion relations for amplitudes with complex momenta, and the hidden connection between Yang-Mills theory and Einstein gravity. Zee also provides added exercises, explanations, and examples, as well as detailed appendices, solutions to selected exercises, and suggestions for further reading. The most accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook available Features a fully revised, updated, and expanded text Covers the latest exciting advances in the field Includes new exercises Offers a one-of-a-kind resource for students and researchers Leading universities that have adopted this book include: Arizona State University Boston University Brandeis University Brown University California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon College of William & Mary Cornell Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northwestern University Ohio State University Princeton University Purdue University - Main Campus Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rutgers University - New Brunswick Stanford University University of California - Berkeley University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Montreal University of Notre Dame Vanderbilt University Virginia Tech University

Download or read book The Best Science Fiction of the Year written by Neil Clarke and published by Start Publishing LLC. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 788 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As Earth dies, an architect is commissioned to remote build a monument on Mars from the remains of a failed colony; a man who has transferred his consciousness into a humanoid robot discovers he’s missing thirty percent of his memories, and tries to discover why; bored with life in the underground colony of an alien world, a few risk life inside one of the “whales” floating in the planet’s atmosphere; an apprentice librarian searching through centuries of SETI messages from alien civilizations makes an ominous discovery; a ship in crisis pulls a veteran multibot out from storage with an unusual assignment: pest control; the dead are given a second shot at life, in exchange for a five-year term in a zombie military program. For decades, science fiction has compelled us to imagine futures both inspiring and cautionary. Whether it’s a warning message from a survey ship, a harrowing journey to a new world, or the adventures of well-meaning AI, science fiction inspires the imagination and delivers a lens through which we can view ourselves and the world around us. With The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Three, award-winning editor Neil Clarke provides a year-in-review and twenty-seven of the best stories published by both new and established authors in 2017. Table of Contents Introduction: The State of Short SF Field in 2017 A Series of Steaks by Vina Jie-Min Prasad Holdfast by Alastair Reynolds Every Hour of Light and Dark by Nancy Kress The Last Novelist, or a Dead Lizard in the Yard by Matthew Kressel Shikasta by Vandana Singh Wind Will Rove by Sarah Pinsker Focus by Gord Sellar The Martian Obelisk by Linda Nagata Shadows of Eternity by Gregory Benford The Worldless by Indrapramit Das Regarding the Robot Raccoons Attached to the Hull of My Ship by Rachel Jones and Khaalidah Muhammad-Ali Belly Up by Maggie Clark Uncanny Valley by Greg Egan We Who Live in the Heart by Kelly Robson A Catalogue of Sunlight at the End of the World by A.C. Wise Meridian by Karin Lowachee The Tale of the Alcubierre Horse by Kathleen Ann Goonan Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee In Everlasting Wisdom by Aliette de Bodard The Last Boat-Builder in Ballyvoloon by Finbarr O’Reilly The Speed of Belief by Robert Reed Death on Mars by Madeline Ashby An Evening with Severyn Grimes by Rich Larson ZeroS by Peter Watts The Secret Life of Bots by Suzanne Palmer Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance by Tobias S. Buckell Permissions Recommended Reading

Download or read book Haphazard Reality Half a Century of Science written by Hendrik B.G. Casimir and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2020-09-23 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An outstanding scientific autobiography... I remain impressed by its thoughtfulness and charm.” — Steve K. Lamoreaux, American Journal of Physics “[A] rich autobiography and history-of-atomic-physics... One is impressed by Casimir’s memory for detail and zeal to find corroboration for the stories he tells. And they are splendid tales: Gamow’s playful pranks in Copenhagen: conversations with Lev Landau, ardent revolutionary but no Marxist; the tragedy of Ehrenfest, who killed himself after shooting his hopelessly retarded son... A charming, idiosyncratic, and meaningful account of events and personalities that changed physics.” — Kirkus “I myself read [this book] with fascination, meeting old friends such as Gamow, Landau, Kramers, and learning much more about them... Also in the book are character sketches of those who made physics in the Netherlands such as Lorentz, Kamerlingh Onnes and Ehrenfest, the latter remembered with the greatest affection by the author.” — Sir Nevill Mott, Contemporary Physics “The book... contains a valuable, entertaining and insightful collection of vignettes of many of the physicists Casimir has associated with[,]... Lorentz, Ehrenfest, Bohr, Pauli, with whom he studied; Goudsmit, Uhlenbeck, Landau, Gamov, members of his own generation; Kramers, Gorter, de Haas, colleagues in Dutch academic circles; Holst and Loupart, colleagues at the Philips Laboratories. Haphazard Reality also offers valuable insights into Dutch middle class culture and a rewarding overview of Dutch educational and scientific establishments... Casimir is a master at deftly and sensitively conveying the psychological ambiance of his surroundings. His description of the brilliant young theoretical physicists around Bohr in the early thirties conveys not only the style of doing physics but also delineates the issues addressed by outlining the content of their researches.” — S. S. Schweber, 4S Review “Engaging reminiscences by an important Dutch physicist of conversations with the major contributors to 20th-century physics. An overly modest, but otherwise balanced account of his own experiences and contributions from his early years at Leiden to his directorship of the Philips Laboratory.” — The Antioch Review “Haphazard Reality paints a vivid and insightful picture of the development of modern physics.” — Steve K. Lamoreaux, Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society