Basic Concepts in Physics: From the Cosmos to Quarks

Description

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783662623121 This book is the second edition of an excellent undergraduate-level overview of classical and modern physics, intended  for students of physics and related subjects, and also perfectly suited for the education of physics teachers. The twelve-chapter book begins with Newton’s laws of motion and subsequently covers topics such as thermodynamics and statistical physics, electrodynamics, special and general relativity, quantum mechanics  and cosmology , the standard model and quantum chromodynamics. The writing is lucid, and the theoretical discussions are easy to follow for anyone comfortable with standard mathematics. An important addition in this second edition is a set of exercises and problems, distributed throughout the book. Some of the problems aim to complement the text, others to provide readers with additional useful tools for tackling new or more advanced topics. Furthermore, new topics have been added in several chapters; for example, the discovery of extra-solar planets from the wobble of their mother stars, a discussion of the Landauer principle relating information erasure to an increase of entropy, quantum logic, first order quantum corrections to the ideal gas equation of state due to the Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics. Both gravitational lensing and the time-correction in geo-positioning satellites are explained as theoretical applications of special and  general relativity. The discovery of gravitational waves, one of the most important achievements of physical sciences, is presented as well. Professional scientists, teachers, and researchers will also want to have this book on their bookshelves, as it provides an excellent refresher on a wide range of topics and serves as an ideal starting point for expanding one’s knowledge of new or unfamiliar fields. Readers of this book will not only learn much about physics, they will also learn to love it. Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the First Edition Contents 1 Gravitation and Newton's Laws 1.1 From Pythagoras to the Middle Ages 1.2 Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo 1.3 Newton and Modern Science 1.4 Newton's Laws 1.4.1 Newton's First Law 1.4.2 Newton's Second Law 1.4.3 Planetary Motion in Newton's Theory 1.4.4 Newton's Third Law 1.5 Conservation Laws 1.5.1 Conservation of Linear Momentum 1.5.2 Conservation of Angular Momentum 1.5.3 Conservation of Energy 1.6 Degrees of Freedom 1.7 Inertial and Non-inertial Systems 1.8 Rigid Bodies 1.9 The Principle of Least Action 1.10 Hamilton Equations 1.11 Complements on Gravity and Planetary Motion 1.12 Advice for Solving Problems Literature 2 Entropy, Statistical Physics, and Information 2.1 Thermodynamic Approach 2.1.1 First Law of Thermodynamics 2.1.2 Second Law of Thermodynamics 2.1.3 Third Law of Thermodynamics 2.1.4 Thermodynamic Potentials 2.2 Statistical Approach 2.3 Entropy and Statistical Physics 2.4 Temperature and Chemical Potential 2.5 Statistical Mechanics 2.5.1 Canonical Ensemble 2.5.2 Maxwell Distribution 2.5.3 Grand Canonical Ensemble 2.6 Entropy and Information 2.7 Maxwell's Demon and Perpetuum Mobile 2.8 First Order Phase Transitions Literature 3 Electromagnetism and Maxwell's Equations 3.1 Coulomb's Law 3.2 Electrostatic and Gravitational Fields 3.3 Conductors, Semiconductors, and Insulators 3.4 Magnetic Fields 3.5 Magnetic Flux 3.6 Maxwell's Equations 3.6.1 Gauss's Law for Electric Fields 3.6.2 Gauss's Law for Magnetism 3.6.3 Faraday's Law 3.6.4 Ampère–Maxwell Law 3.7 Lorentz Force 3.8 Fields in a Medium 3.9 Magnetic Properties 3.9.1 Diamagnetism 3.9.2 Paramagnetism 3.9.3 Ferromagnetism 3.9.4 Ferrimagnetism, Antiferromagnetism, and Magnetic Frustration 3.9.5 Spin Ices and Monopoles 3.10 Second Order Phase Transitions 3.11 Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking 3.12 Superconductivity 3.13 Meissner Effect: Type I and II Superconductors 3.14 Appendix of Formulas Literature 4 Electromagnetic Waves 4.1 Waves in a Medium and in Æther 4.2 Electromagnetic Waves and Maxwell's Equations 4.2.1 Wave Propagation 4.2.2 Coherence 4.3 Generation of Electromagnetic Waves 4.3.1 Retarded Potentials 4.3.2 Mechanisms Generating Electromagnetic Waves 4.4 Wave Properties 4.4.1 Interference 4.4.2 Diffraction 4.4.3 Polarization 4.4.4 Spectral Composition 4.5 Fourier Series and Integrals 4.6 Reflection and Refraction 4.7 Dispersion of Light 4.8 Black Body Radiation Literature 5 Special Theory of Relativity 5.1 Postulates of Special Relativity 5.2 Lorentz Transformations 5.3 Light Cone and Causality 5.4 Contraction of Lengths 5.5 Time Dilation: Proper Time 5.6 Addition of Velocities 5.7 Relativistic Four-Vectors 5.8 Electrodynamics in Relativistically Covariant Formalism 5.9 Energy and Momentum 5.10 Photons 5.11 Neutrinos 5.12 Tachyons and Superluminal Signals 5.13 The Lagrangian for a Particle in an Electromagnetic Field Literature 6 Atoms and Quantum Theory 6.1 Motion of a Particle 6.2 Evolution of the Concept of Atom 6.3 Rutherford's Experiment 6.4 Bohr's Atom 6.5 Schrödinger's Equation 6.6 Wave Function 6.7 Operators and States in Quantum Mechanics 6.8 One-Dimensional Systems in Quantum Mechanics 6.8.1 The Infinite Potential Well 6.8.2 Quantum Harmonic Oscillator 6.8.3 Charged Particle in a Constant Magnetic Field 6.9 Emission and Absorption of Radiation 6.10 Stimulated Emission and Lasers 6.11 Tunnel Effect 6.12 Indistinguishability and Pauli's Principle 6.13 Exchange Interaction 6.14 Exchange Energy and Ferromagnetism 6.15 Distribution of Electrons in the Atom 6.16 Quantum Measurement 6.16.1 U and R Evolution Procedures 6.16.2 On Theory and Observable Quantities 6.17 Paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics 6.17.1 De Broglie's Paradox 6.17.2 Schrödinger's Cat Paradox 6.17.3 Toward the EPR Paradox 6.17.4 A Hidden Variable Model and Bell's Theorem 6.17.5 Bell Inequality and Conventional Quantum Mechanics 6.17.6 EPR Paradox: Quantum Mechanics Versus Special Relativity 6.18 Quantum Computation and Teleportation 6.19 Classical vs. Quantum Logic Literature 7 Quantum Electrodynamics 7.1 Dirac Equation 7.1.1 The Spin of the Electron 7.1.2 Hydrogen Atom in Dirac's Theory 7.1.3 Hole Theory and Positrons 7.2 Intermezzo: Natural Units and the Metric Used in Particle Physics 7.3 Quantized Fields and Particles 7.4 Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) 7.4.1 Unitarity in Quantum Electrodynamics 7.4.2 Feynman Diagrams 7.4.3 Virtual Particles 7.4.4 Compton Scattering 7.4.5 Electron Self-energy and Vacuum Polarization 7.4.6 Renormalization and Running Coupling Constant 7.5 Quantum Vacuum and Casimir Effect 7.6 Principle of Gauge Invariance 7.7 CPT Symmetry 7.8 Grassmann Variables Literature 8 Fermi–Dirac and Bose–Einstein Statistics 8.1 Fermi–Dirac Statistics 8.2 Fermi–Dirac and Bose–Einstein Distributions 8.3 The Ideal Electron Gas 8.4 Heat Capacity of Metals 8.5 Metals, Semiconductors, and Insulators 8.6 Electrons and Holes 8.7 Applications of the Fermi–Dirac Statistics 8.7.1 Quantum Hall Effect 8.7.2 Graphene 8.8 Bose–Einstein Statistics 8.9 Einstein–Debye Theory of Heat Capacity 8.10 Bose–Einstein Condensation 8.11 Quantum Coherence 8.12 Nonrelativistic Quantum Gases Literature 9 Four Fundamental Forces 9.1 Gravity and Electromagnetism 9.2 Atomic Nuclei and Nuclear Phenomena 9.3 Strong Interactions 9.4 Weak Interactions 9.5 Parity Non-Conservation in Beta Decay 9.6 Violation of CP and T Invariance 9.7 Some Significant Numbers 9.8 Death of Stars 9.9 Neutron Stars and Pulsars Literature 10 General Relativity and Cosmology 10.1 Principle of Equivalence and General Relativity 10.2 Gravitational Field and Geometry 10.3 Affine Connection and Metric Tensor 10.4 Gravitational Field Equations 10.5 Cosmology 10.6 Gravitational Radius and Collapse 10.6.1 Wormholes 10.6.2 Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Accelerated Expansion 10.7 Gravitation and Quantum Effects 10.8 Cosmic Numbers Literature 11 Unification of the Forces of Nature 11.1 Theory of Weak Interactions 11.2 Yang–Mills Fields 11.3 Nambu–Goldstone Theorem 11.4 Brout–Englert–Higgs Mechanism 11.5 Glashow–Salam–Weinberg Model 11.6 Electroweak Phase Transition 11.7 Hadrons and Quarks 11.8 Neutrino Oscillations and Masses 11.9 Quantum Chromodynamics 11.10 Grand Unification 11.11 Inflation 11.12 Supersymmetry and Superstrings Literature 12 Physics and Life 12.1 Order and Life 12.2 Life and Fundamental Interactions 12.3 Homochirality: Biological Symmetry Breaking 12.4 Neutrinos and Beta Decay 12.5 Anthropic Principle 12.6 Search for Extraterrestrial Life Literature Appendix Solutions of the Problems Solutions for Chap. 1摥映數爠eflinkchap111 Solutions for Chap. 2摥映數爠eflinkchap222 Solutions for Chap. 3摥映數爠eflinkchap333 Solutions for Chap. 4摥映數爠eflinkchap444 Solutions for Chap. 5摥映數爠eflinkchap555 Solutions for Chap. 6摥映數爠eflinkchap666 Solutions for Chap. 7摥映數爠eflinkchap777 Solutions for Chap. 8摥映數爠eflinkchap888 Solutions for Chap. 9摥映數爠eflinkchap999 Solutions for Chap. 10摥映數爠eflinkchap101010 Solutions for Chap. 11摥映數爠eflinkchap111111 Appendix Subject Index Index Appendix Author Index Author Index