The Many Facets of Complexity Science
This book explores recent developments in theoretical research and data analysis of real-world complex systems, organized in three parts, namely Entropy, information, and complexity functions Multistability, oscillations, and rhythmic synchronization Diffusions, rotation, and convection in fluids The collection of works devoted to the memory of Professor Valentin Afraimovich provides a deep insight into the recent developments in complexity science by introducing new concepts, methods, and applications in nonlinear dynamical systems covering physical problems and mathematical modelling relevant to economics, genetics, engineering vibrations, as well as classic problems in physics, fluid and climate dynamics, and urban dynamics. The book facilitates a better understanding of the mechanisms and phenomena in nonlinear dynamics and develops the corresponding mathematical theory to apply nonlinear design to practical engineering. It can be read by mathematicians, physicists, complex systems scientists, IT specialists, civil engineers, data scientists, and urban planners.
Singlet Oxygen Detection and Imaging
Singlet Oxygen, the lowest electronically excited state of molecular oxygen, is highly reactive and involved in many chemical and biological processes. It is one major mediator during photosensitization, which has been used by mankind since ancient times, even though the mechanisms behind it were understood only about half a century ago. The combination of high reactivity and very long natural lifetime allows for direct optical detection of singlet oxygen and its interactions using its characteristic phosphorescence at around 1270 nm. Since this emission is very weak, optical detection was technically very challenging for a long time. Therefore, even today, most laboratories only exploit the high reactivity to observe the interaction with sensor molecules, rather than singlet oxygen emission itself. However, in recent years highly sensitive optical detection was developed, the authors being major contributors. This book is dedicated to the detection of singlet oxygen, discussing possibilities, pitfalls and limits of the various methods with a special focus on time-resolved phosphorescence and the kinetics of singlet oxygen generation and decay including involved and related processes, discussing investigated systems with various complexity from solutions over in vitro to in vivo. The long-standing paradigm that singlet oxygen phosphorescence is a benchmark for detection systems rather than an option for process observation is still ubiquitous and this book hopes to contribute in overcoming this still prevailing bias.
Astronomy
Now with a full-color insert and thoroughly revised, this perennial bestseller is the most comprehensive and successful beginner's astronomy books in the market. "One of the best ways by which one can be introduced to the wonders of astronomy." -The Strolling Astronomer For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it up to date with the latest discoveries. Updated with the latest, most accurate information, new online resources, and more than 100 new graphics and photos, this Eighth Edition features: Website addresses throughout for the best color images and astronomy resources onlineTechnical ideas made simple without mathematicsA beautiful updated full-color, glossy insert with spectacular imagesAn interactive format with learning goals, reviews, self-tests, and answers for fast learning
Analyzing Narratives in Social Networks
This book uses literature as a wrench to pry open social networks and to ask different questions than have been asked about social networks previously. The book emphasizes the story-telling aspect of social networks, as well as the connection between narrative and social networks by incorporating narrative, dynamic networks, and time. Thus, it constructs a bridge between literature, digital humanities, and social networks. This book is a pioneering work that attempts to express social and philosophic constructs in mathematical terms.The material used to test the algorithms is texts intended for performance, such as plays, film scripts, and radio plays; mathematical representations of the texts, or "literature networks", are then used to analyze the social networks found in the respective texts. By using literature networks and their accompanying narratives, along with their supporting analyses, this book allows for a novel approach to socialnetwork analysis.
Quantum Field Theory
This book is a translation of the 8th edition of Prof. Kazuhiko Nishijima's classical textbook on quantum field theory. It is based on the lectures the Author gave to students and researchers with diverse interests over several years in Japan. The book includes both the historical development of QFT and its practical use in theoretical and experimental particle physics, presented in a pedagogical and transparent way and, in several parts, in a unique and original manner. The Author, Academician Nishijima, is the inventor (independently from Murray Gell-Mann) of the third (besides the electric charge and isospin) quantum number in particle physics: strangeness. He is also most known for his works on several other theories describing particles such as electron and muon neutrinos, and his work on the so-called Gell-Mann-Nishijima formula. The present English translation from its 8th Japanese edition has been initiated and taken care of by theeditors Prof. M. Chaichian and Dr. A. Tureanu from the University of Helsinki, who were close collaborators of Prof. Nishijima. Dr. Yuki Sato, a researcher in particle physics at the University of Nagoya, most kindly accepted to undertake the heavy task of translation. The translation of the book can be regarded as a tribute to Prof. Nishijima's memory, for his fundamental contributions to particle physics and quantum field theory. The book presents with utmost clarity and originality the most important topics and applications of QFT which by now constitute the established core of the theory. It is intended for a wide circle of graduate and post-graduate students, as well as researchers in theoretical and particle physics. In addition, the book can be a useful source as a basic material or supplementary literature for lecturers giving a course on quantum field theory.
Frontiers in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology
Atmospheric pressure plasma discharges have grown rapidly in importance in recent decades, due to the ease in handling and operation, plus their eco-friendly applications, for agriculture, food, medicine, materials and even the automotive and aerospace industries. In this context, the need for a collection of results based on plasma technologies is justified. Moreover, at the international level, the increased number of projects that translated to publications and patents in the multidisciplinary field of plasma-based technology gives researchers the opportunity to challenge their knowledge and contribute to a new era of green services and products that society demands. Therefore, this book, based on the Special Issue of "Frontiers in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology" in the "Applied Physics" section of the journal Applied Sciences, provides results on some plasma-based methods and technologies for novel and possible future applications of plasmas in life sciences, biomedicine, agriculture, and the automotive industry.This book, entitled "Frontiers in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology", consists of 8 research articles, 2 review articles and 1 editorial. We know that we are only managing to address a small part of what plasma discharge can be used for, but we hope that the readers will enjoy this book and, therefore, be inspired with new ideas for future research in the field of plasma.
Methods of Mathematical Physics
Introduction.- Classification of PDEs.- Models of mathematical physics.- Boundary value problems.- Cauchy problem for hyperbolic equations.- Fourier method for the wave equation.- Sturm-Liouville problems.- Boundary value problems for the heat equation.- Harmonic functions and their properties.- Boundary value problems for the Laplace equation.- Potential theory.- Elements of theory of integral equations.- Solution of boundary value problems for the Laplace equation.- Helmholtz equation.- Method of non-orthogonal series.- Bergman kernel approach.- Bibliography.- Index.
The Oxford Linear Algebra for Scientists
This textbook provides a modern introduction to linear algebra, a mathematical discipline every first year undergraduate student in physics and engineering must learn. A rigorous introduction into the mathematics is combined with many examples, solved problems, and exercises as well as scientific applications of linear algebra. These include applications to contemporary topics such as internet search, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and quantum computing, as well as a number of more advanced topics, such as Jordan normal form, singular value decomposition, and tensors, which will make it a useful reference for a more experienced practitioner. Structured into 27 chapters, it is designed as a basis for a lecture course and combines a rigorous mathematical development of the subject with a range of concisely presented scientific applications. The main text contains many examples and solved problems to help the reader develop a working knowledge of the subject and every chapter comes with exercises.
The Oxford Linear Algebra for Scientists
This textbook provides a modern introduction to linear algebra, a mathematical discipline every first year undergraduate student in physics and engineering must learn. A rigorous introduction into the mathematics is combined with many examples, solved problems, and exercises as well as scientific applications of linear algebra. These include applications to contemporary topics such as internet search, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and quantum computing, as well as a number of more advanced topics, such as Jordan normal form, singular value decomposition, and tensors, which will make it a useful reference for a more experienced practitioner. Structured into 27 chapters, it is designed as a basis for a lecture course and combines a rigorous mathematical development of the subject with a range of concisely presented scientific applications. The main text contains many examples and solved problems to help the reader develop a working knowledge of the subject and every chapter comes with exercises.
Compact Introduction to Electron Microscopy
Goerg Michler summarizes the large field of electron microscopy and clearly presents the different techniques. The author clearly describes the possible applications of microscopy and the requirements for specimen preparation. He illustrates the descriptions with picture examples from practice.The Author: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Goerg H. Michler was head of the Institute for Materials Science at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, is honorary chairman of the Institute for Polymer Materials e.V. and chairman of the Heinz Bethge Foundation for Applied Electron Microscopy.
Understanding the theories of Cosmology and Astronomy
For many of us, the universe has always been a mysterious place. We are all fascinated by the elements of our universe and have always wondered about its various mysteries. The universe refers to the collection of all things that exist in space. It is made up of trillions of stars, galaxies, black holes, massive gas clouds, and a plethora of other fascinating things. This book is a collection of some of the most fascinating theories about the universe that will intensify your interest in the cosmos and the human mind's centuries-long quest to understand the universe.
Chemistry of Discotic Liquid Crystals
Fundamentally important as models for the study of energy and charge migration in self-organized systems, discotic liquid crystals find functional application as one-dimensional conductors, photoconductors, light emitting diodes, photovoltaic solar cells, field-effect transistors, and gas sensors. Compiling the scattered literature into a single
The Euroschool on Exotic Beams, Vol. VI
This book is based on the lectures given at the "Euroschool on Exotic Beams" and collects contributions which address topics from the traditional core of the field of exotic nuclei like nuclear structure far from stability, discussing recent theoretical developments and state-of-the-art experimental methods. It provides also new perspectives in nuclear astrophysics and in applied areas such as gamma-ray emission imaging. The contributions are written with a pedagogical approach and carefully edited in order to provide the readership with a clear and fluent reading. The book is intended for PhD students and young researchers who are approaching the new research lines in nuclear physics with exotic nuclei. Only basics concepts on quantum mechanics and nuclear physics are requested to follow and master the covered arguments.
Smart Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids
SMART HYBRID AC/DC MICROGRIDS Addresses the technical aspects and implementation challenges of smart hybrid AC/DC microgrids Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids: Power Management, Energy Management, and Power Quality Control provides comprehensive coverage of interconnected smart hybrid microgrids, their different structures, and the technical issues associated with their control and implementation in the next generation of smart grids. This authoritative single-volume resource addresses smart hybrid microgrids power management, energy management, communications, power converter control, power quality, renewable generation integration, energy storage, and more. The book contains both basic and advanced technical information about smart hybrid AC/DC microgrids, featuring a detailed discussion of microgrid structures, communication technologies, and various configurations of interfacing power converters and control strategies. Numerous case studies highlight effective solutions for critical issues in hybrid microgrid operation, control and power quality compensation throughout the text. Topics include control strategies of renewable energy and energy storage interfacing converters in hybrid microgrids, supervisory control strategies of interfacing power converters for microgrid power management and energy microgrid, and smart interfacing power converters for power quality control. This volume: Includes a thorough overview of hybrid AC/DC microgrid concepts, structures, and applications Discusses communication and security enhancement techniques for guarding against cyberattacks Provides detailed controls of smart interfacing power electronics converters from distributed generations and energy storage systems in hybrid AC/DC microgrids Provides details on transient and steady-state power management systems in microgrids Discusses energy management systems, hierarchical control, multi-agent control, and advanced distribution management control of smart microgrids Identifies opportunities to control power quality with smart interfacing power electronic converters Addresses power quality issues in the context of real-world applications in data centers, electric railway systems, and electric vehicle charging stations Smart Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids: Power Management, Energy Management, and Power Quality Control is a valuable source of up-to-date information for senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as academic researchers and industry engineers in the areas of renewable energy, smart grids, microgrids, and power electronics.
Nanomaterials for Ion Battery Applications
This book describes recent studies in the development of nanomaterials for various secondary batteries, including Li-ion batteries (LIBs), Li-air batteries, and multivalent aqueous batteries. A simple, low-cost, and scalable synthetic process for the development of nanomaterials is another research topic in this book. The recent studies dedicated by researchers in this book highlight the importance of innovative nanostructures and new functional materials, which can open new opportunities for battery research.
Notes on Hamiltonian Dynamical Systems
Starting with the basics of Hamiltonian dynamics and canonical transformations, this text follows the historical development of the theory culminating in recent results: the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theorem, Nekhoroshev's theorem and superexponential stability. Its analytic approach allows students to learn about perturbation methods leading to advanced results. Key topics covered include Liouville's theorem, the proof of Poincaré's non-integrability theorem and the nonlinear dynamics in the neighbourhood of equilibria. The theorem of Kolmogorov on persistence of invariant tori and the theory of exponential stability of Nekhoroshev are proved via constructive algorithms based on the Lie series method. A final chapter is devoted to the discovery of chaos by Poincaré and its relations with integrability, also including recent results on superexponential stability. Written in an accessible, self-contained way with few prerequisites, this book can serve as an introductory text for senior undergraduate and graduate students.
My Journey with Shock Waves
This book compiles historical notes and a review of the work of the author and his associates on shock compression of condensed matter (SCCM). The work includes such topics as foundational aspects of SCCM, thermodynamics, thermodynamics of defects, and plasticity as they relate to shock compression, shock-induced phase transition, and shock compaction. Also included are synthesis of refractory and hard ceramic compounds such as Ni aluminides, SiC and diamonds, method of characteristics, discrete element methods, the shock compression process at the grain scale, and modeling shock-to-detonation transition in high explosives. The book tells the story of how the author's view of shock physics came to be where it is now. and analytically discusses how the author's appreciation of shock waves has evolved in time. It offers a personal but pedagogical perspective on SCCM for young scientists and engineers who are starting their careers in the field. For experts it offers materials to nudge them reflect on their own stories, with the hope of planting a seed of motivation to write them down to be published.
How Small Social Systems Work
Most of us are intuitively familiar with small social systems, such as families and soccer teams. Surprisingly, though, most of us are unaware of how complex these systems are or of the fact that they have a unique character distinguishing them from both populations and individuals. The current manuscript, which emerged from high-level scientific publications on the subject, aims to bridge this gap in our understanding of small social systems. The book aims to explain, illustrate, and model the unique and fascinating nature of small (social) systems by relying on deep scientific foundations and by using examples from sport, movies, music, and the martial arts. To support its friendly exposition of challenging scientific ideas, the book also discusses entertaining questions such as (1) why inviting your mother-in-law to dinner might be a challenging event, for reasons you have never considered; (2) why soccer teams should be messy in order to win; (3) why Nazis are deeply wrong in their understanding of the importance of entropy; and (4) why "panda fighters" failed in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)."How Small Systems Work is a welcome book, which sheds light on a branch of mathematics overlooked by scholars: how networks store information. Focusing on small systems, the book asks fundamental questions, providing the tools (and the examples) for answering them -with fun. Neuman analyses, with plenty of humor, the dynamics of a family of cats, the pleasure of listening to jazz, and the science behind football championships, while uncovering hidden gems in the history of cinema"Dr. Mario Alemi, author of "The Amazing Journey of Reason: from DNA to Artificial Intelligence"
The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable."--Wall Street Journal"A porthole into another world."--Scientific American"Brings science dissemination to a new level."--ScienceThe most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables. No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come.
Hubble Space Telescope
The highly successful Hubble Space Telescope was meant to change our view and understanding of the universe. Within weeks of its launch in 1990, however, the space community was shocked to find out that the primary mirror of the telescope was flawed. It was only the skills of scientists and engineers on the ground and the daring talents of astronauts sent to service the telescope in December that saved the mission.Hubble Space Telescope teach us about: Possibility of additional life formsExoplanetsDistant galaxiesBlack holes, And so forth.The Hubble Space Telescope: The History and Legacy of the World's Most Famous Telescope chronicles the fascinating story of the telescope's origins, deployment, and production. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Hubble telescope like never before.
A Brief History of Nuclear Reactor Accidents
Are you afraid of a nuclear reactor accident? Should you be? This book will arm you with the scientific knowledge necessary to make a rational and informed opinion on the subject, without having to be an expert in nuclear physics. Written so that a non-specialist can easily approach the highly technical aspects, it looks at all significant nuclear reactor accidents since the dawn of the Atomic Age and brings to light many crucial details that rarely, if ever, appear in the general media. Serge Marguet, an internationally renowned expert in reactor physics, breaks down the must-know technical aspects of numerous nuclear reactor accidents throughout history - both famous and unknown - from the first ever nuclear accident in Leipzig to the Chernobyl explosion and, finally, the Fukushima affair and its most recent developments. With many high-quality photographs and diagrams, this book is essential reading for anyone concerned about nuclear safety, curious about nuclear reactors, or simply interested in the history - and future - of nuclear power.
Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics
The importance of thermodynamics, particularly its Second Principle, to all branches of science in which systems with very large numbers of particles are involved cannot be overstated. This book offers a panoramic view of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Perhaps the two most attractive aspects of thermodynamic equilibrium are its stability and its independence from the specifics of the particular system involved. Does an equivalent exist for non-equilibrium thermodynamics? Many researchers have tried to describe such stability in the same way that the Second Principle describes the stability of thermodynamic equilibrium - and failed. Most of them invoked either entropy, or its production rate, or some modified version of it. In their efforts, however, those researchers have found a lot of useful stability criteria for far-from-equilibrium states. These criteria usually take the form of variational principles, in terms of the minimization or maximization of some quantity. The aimof this book is to discuss these variational principles by highlighting the role of macroscopic quantities. This book is aimed at a wider audience than those most often exposed to the criteria described, i.e., undergraduates in STEM, as well as the usual interested and invested professionals.
Light Beams in Liquid Crystals
This reprint collects recent articles published on "Light Beams in Liquid Crystals", both research and review contributions, with specific emphasis on liquid crystals in the nematic mesophase. The editors, Prof. Gaetano Assanto (NooEL, University of Rome "Roma Tre") and Prof. Noel F. Smyth (School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh), are among the most active experts worldwide in nonlinear optics of nematic liquid crystals, particularly reorientational optical solitons ("nematicons") and other all-optical effects.
How the World Listens
How the World Listens explores our everyday and professional interactions with sound. The book aims to uncover the human relationship with sound across the world and to reveal practical ways in which a better understanding of listening can help us in our daily lives.
Sustainable Energy in Central Asia
This book argues that sustainable energy development represents a new frontier for many transitional economies, including those countries which are well-endowed with traditional energy resources, as exemplified by the case of Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
Mellin-Barnes Integrals
In this book, the authors discuss the Mellin-Barnes representation of complex multidimensional integrals. Experiments frontiered by the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider at CERN and future collider projects demand the development of computational methods to achieve the theoretical precision required by experimental setups. In this regard, performing higher-order calculations in perturbative quantum field theory is of paramount importance. The Mellin-Barnes integrals technique has been successfully applied to the analytic and numerical analysis of integrals connected with virtual and real higher-order perturbative corrections to particle scattering. Easy-to-follow examples with the supplemental online material introduce the reader to the construction and the analytic, approximate, and numeric solution of Mellin-Barnes integrals in Euclidean and Minkowskian kinematic regimes. It also includes an overview of the state-of-the-art software packages for manipulating and evaluating Mellin-Barnes integrals. The book is meant for advanced students and young researchers to master the theoretical background needed to perform perturbative quantum field theory calculations.
Crackling Noise
The response of materials and the functioning of devices is often associated with noise. In this book, Stefano Zapperi concentrates on a particular type of noise, known as crackling noise, which is characterized by an intermittent series of broadly distributed pulses. While representing a nuisance in many practical applications, crackling noise can also tell us something useful about the microscopic processes ruling the materials behavior. Each crackle in the noise series usually corresponds to a localized impulsive event, an avalanche, occurring inside the material. A distinct statistical feature of crackling noise, and of the underlying avalanche behavior, is the presence of scaling, observed as power-law distributed noise pulses, long-range correlation, and scale free spectra. These are the hallmarks of critical phenomena and phase transitions. This work summarizes the current understanding of crackling noise, reviewing research undertaken in the past 30 years, from the early and influential ideas on self-organized criticality in sandpile models, to more modern studies on disordered systems. Crackling Noise covers the main theoretical models used to investigate avalanche phenomena, describes the statistical tools needed to analyze crackling noise, and provides a detailed discussion of a set of relevant examples of crackling noise in materials science. These include acoustic emission in fracture, strain bursts in amorphous and crystal plasticity, granular avalanches, magnetic noise in ferromagnets and superconductors, and fluid flow in porous media. The book concludes by considering the wider application of these models in the natural sciences.
Perturbative Aspects of the Deconfinement Transition
This book offers an original view of the color confinement/deconfinement transition that occurs in non-abelian gauge theories at high temperature and/or densities. It is grounded on the fact that the standard Faddeev-Popov gauge-fixing procedure in the Landau gauge is incomplete. The proper analysis of the low energy properties of non-abelian theories in this gauge requires, therefore, the extension of the gauge-fixing procedure, beyond the Faddeev-Popov recipe. The author reviews various applications of one such extension, based on the Curci-Ferrari model, with a special focus on the confinement/deconfinement transition, first in the case of pure Yang-Mills theory, and then, in a formal regime of Quantum Chromodynamics where all quarks are considered heavy. He shows that most qualitative aspects and also many quantitative features of the deconfinement transition can be accounted for within the model, with only one additional parameter. Moreover, these features emerge in a systematic and controlled perturbative expansion, as opposed to what would happen in a perturbative expansion within the Faddeev-Popov model. The book is also intended as a thorough and pedagogical introduction to background field gauge techniques at finite temperature and/or density. In particular, it offers a new and promising view on the way these techniques might be applied at finite temperature. The material aims at graduate students or researchers who wish to deepen their understanding of the confinement/deconfinement transition from an analytical perspective. Basic knowledge of gauge theories at finite temperature is required, although the text is designed in a self-contained manner, with most concepts and tools introduced when needed. At the end of each chapter, a series of exercises is proposed to master the subject.
Electric and Electronic Circuit Simulation using TINA-TI(R)
A circuit simulator is a computer program that permits us to see circuit behavior, i.e. circuit voltages and currents, without making the circuit. Use of a circuit simulator is a cheap, efficient, and safe way to study the behavior of circuits.The Toolkit for Interactive Network Analysis (TINA(R)) is a powerful yet affordable SPICE based circuit simulation and PCB design software package for analyzing, designing, and real time testing of analog, digital, VHDL, MCU, and mixed electronic circuits and their PCB layouts. This software was created by DesignSoft. TINA-TI is a spinoff software program that was designed by Texas Instruments (TI(R)) in cooperation with DesignSoft which incorporates a library of pre-made TI components for the user to utilize in their designs.This book shows how a circuit can be analyzed in the TINA-TI(R) environment. Students of engineering (for instance, electrical, biomedical, mechatronics, and robotics to name a few), engineers who work in the industry, and anyone who wants to learn the art of circuit simulation with TINA-TI can benefit from this book.
A Concise Introduction to Thermodynamics for Physicists
This concise and compact introductory textbook on thermodynamics is designed for undergraduate students in physics, physics engineering, biophysics and biomedical engineering who are being exposed to the ideas and concepts of thermal physics for the first time.
Predictive Maintenance in Smart Factories
This book presents the outcome of the European project "SERENA", involving fourteen partners as international academics, technological companies, and industrial factories, addressing the design and development of a plug-n-play end-to-end cloud architecture, and enabling predictive maintenance of industrial equipment to be easily exploitable by small and medium manufacturing companies with a very limited data analytics experience. Perspectives and new opportunities to address open issues on predictive maintenance conclude the book with some interesting suggestions of future research directions to continue the growth of the manufacturing intelligence.
Introduction to Nuclear Reactions
Until the publication of the first edition of Introduction to Nuclear Reactions in 2004, an introductory reference on nuclear reactions had been unavailable. Now, fully updated throughout, this second edition continues to provide an authoritative overview of nuclear reactions.
Medical Physics During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Spreading to every corner of the Earth, the COVID-19 virus has had an unparalleled impact on all aspects of our lives. This book explores in detail how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected clinical practice, education and research in medical physics, and how colleagues on the frontline dealt with this unpredictable and unprecedented pandemic.
Waking Up In Time
In this special edition of his award-winning bestseller, visionary scientist Peter Russell updates his classic manifesto for awakening to the mounting planetary crisis while deepening the connection to inner tranquility. Amid fears of ecological catastrophe and political chaos, this book stands out for its message of sanity and hope.
Road Atlas for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 - Color Edition
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, an annular eclipse of the Sun will be visible from parts of the United States. Although a partial eclipse will be seen from all of North America, the annular phase in which the Moon's disk is completely silhouetted by the Sun (known as annularity) is only visible from a narrow path of the Moon's antumbral shadow as it sweeps through the western USA (Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Mexico, Central and South America. The Road Atlas for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 contains a comprehensive series of 29 maps of the path of annularity across the USA, Mexico, Central and South America. The large scale (1 inch = 28 miles) shows both major and minor roads, towns and cities, rivers, lakes, parks, national forests, wilderness areas and mountain ranges. The path of annularity on each map is depicted as a lightly shaded region with the northern and southern limits clearly identified. The "ring of fire" annular phase can only be seen inside this path. The closer one gets to the central line of the path, the longer the annular eclipse lasts. Gray lines inside the path mark the duration of the annular eclipse in 30 second steps. This makes it easy to estimate the duration of annularity from any location in the eclipse path.Armed with this atlas and the latest weather forecasts, the road warrior is ready to chase annularity no matter where it takes him/her along the entire path. This mobile strategy offers the highest probability of witnessing the amazing 2023 annular eclipse in clear skies.
Diffusion, Segregation and Solid-State Phase Transformations
This book contains a set of solved problems on the thermodynamics of phase transformations, diffusion and kinetics in alloys. These problems, preceded by a reminder of the course, are completed by answers detailing each stage of the calculations. The topics covered in the book (precipitation, ordering, segregation on crystalline defects, growth of a thin film, oxidation, creep, doping of semiconductors, etc.) are essential for the design of materials and the optimisation of heat treatments and properties, whether for structural materials (steels, Ni, Al, Cu, Ti-based alloys, etc.) or functional materials (semiconductors, alloys and magnetic multilayers, etc.). They often lead to an industrial problem (aeronautics, nuclear power plants, microelectronics, etc.). This book is intended for teachers and students of bachelor's and master's degrees, but also for engineering students, PhD students and researchers.
Elementary Particles and the Early Universe
This book is suitable for those taking courses on particle physics, general relativity, and cosmology.
Undecidability, Uncomputability, and Unpredictability
For a brief time in history, it was possible to imagine that a sufficiently advanced intellect could, given sufficient time and resources, in principle understand how to mathematically prove everything that was true. They could discern what math corresponds to physical laws, and use those laws to predict anything that happens before it happens. That time has passed. G繹del's undecidability results (the incompleteness theorems), Turing's proof of non-computable values, the formulation of quantum theory, chaos, and other developments over the past century have shown that there are rigorous arguments limiting what we can prove, compute, and predict. While some connections between these results have come to light, many remain obscure, and the implications are unclear. Are there, for example, real consequences for physics -- including quantum mechanics -- of undecidability and non-computability? Are there implications for our understanding of the relations between agency, intelligence, mind, and the physical world? This book, based on the winning essays from the annual FQXi competition, contains ten explorations of Undecidability, Uncomputability, and Unpredictability. The contributions abound with connections, implications, and speculations while undertaking rigorous but bold and open-minded investigation of the meaning of these constraints for the physical world, and for us as humans.​
Phenomenology of Particle Physics
Written for a two-semester Master's or graduate course, this comprehensive treatise intertwines theory and experiment in an original approach that covers all aspects of modern particle physics. The author uses rigorous step-by-step derivations and provides more than 100 end-of-chapter problems for additional practice to ensure that students will not only understand the material but also be able to apply their knowledge. Featuring up-to-date experimental material, including the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN and of neutrino oscillations, this monumental volume also serves as a one-stop reference for particle physics researchers of all levels and specialties. Richly illustrated with more than 450 figures, the text guides students through all the intricacies of quantum mechanics and quantum field theory in an intuitive manner that few books achieve.
Coating Application for Piping, Valves and Actuators in Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
This book looks at the applications of coating in piping, valves, actuators in the offshore oil and gas industry. Providing a key guide for professionals and students alike, it highlights specific coating standards within the industry, including ISO, NORSOK, SSPC and NACE.
The Case for Space
A noted space expert explains the current revolution in spaceflight, where it leads, and why we need it.A new space race has begun. But the rivals in this case are not superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. These daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future. Astronautical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the potential of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is visionary yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges.Fueled by the combined expertise of the old aerospace industry and the talents of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, spaceflight is becoming cheaper. The new generation of space explorers has already achieved a major breakthrough by creating reusable rockets. Zubrin foresees more rapid innovation, including global travel from any point on Earth to another in an hour or less; orbital hotels; moon bases with incredible space observatories; human settlements on Mars, the asteroids, and the moons of the outer planets; and then, breaking all limits, pushing onward to the stars.Zubrin shows how projects that sound like science fiction can actually become reality. But beyond the how, he makes an even more compelling case for why we need to do this--to increase our knowledge of the universe, to make unforeseen discoveries on new frontiers, to harness the natural resources of other planets, to safeguard Earth from stray asteroids, to ensure the future of humanity by expanding beyond its home base, and to protect us from being catastrophically set against each other by the false belief that there isn't enough for all.
Resource Nationalism and Energy Policy
It is widely thought that state ownership of natural resources, oil and natural gas in particular, causes countries to fall under the sway of the "resource curse." In such cases, governments allegedly display "resource nationalism," which destabilizes the economy, society, and politics. In this book, David R. Mares dispels these beliefs and develops a powerful new account of the relationship between state resource ownership and energy policy. Mares examines variations in energy policy across a wide range of countries, underscoring the fact that in most of the world outside the United States, subsoil natural resources are owned by the state. He considers the history of Latin American oil and gas policies and provides an in-depth analysis of Venezuela from 1989 to 2016--before, during, and after the presidency of Hugo Ch獺vez. Mares demonstrates that the key factors that influence energy policy are the inclusiveness of the political system, the level of competitiveness within policy making, and the characteristics of individual leaders. Domestic politics, not state ownership, determines the effectiveness and efficiency of energy policies: the "resource curse" is avoidable. Drawing on these findings, Mares reconceptualizes resource nationalism, arguing that government intervention into resource extraction is legitimate as long as the benefits are shared through the provision of public goods. Featuring a sophisticated grasp of both Latin American politics and energy policy, this book sheds new light on why some governments are responsible stewards of natural resources while others appropriate national wealth for partisan or private benefit.
Road Atlas for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 - Black & White Edition
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, an annular eclipse of the Sun will be visible from parts of the United States. Although a partial eclipse will be seen from all of North America, the annular phase in which the Moon's disk is completely silhouetted by the Sun (known as annularity) is only visible from a narrow path of the Moon's antumbral shadow as it sweeps through the western USA (Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Mexico, Central and South America. The Road Atlas for the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 contains a comprehensive series of 29 maps of the path of annularity across the USA, Mexico, Central and South America. The large scale (1 inch = 28 miles) shows both major and minor roads, towns and cities, rivers, lakes, parks, national forests, wilderness areas and mountain ranges. The path of annularity on each map is depicted as a lightly shaded region with the northern and southern limits clearly identified. The "ring of fire" annular phase can only be seen inside this path. The closer one gets to the central line of the path, the longer the annular eclipse lasts. Gray lines inside the path mark the duration of the annular eclipse in 30 second steps. This makes it easy to estimate the duration of annularity from any location in the eclipse path.Armed with this atlas and the latest weather forecasts, the road warrior is ready to chase annularity no matter where it takes him/her along the entire path. This mobile strategy offers the highest probability of witnessing the amazing 2023 annular eclipse in clear skies.
Recent Advances in Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter physics is the study of microscopic and macroscopic physical properties of materials. It deals with the solid-state of substances by applying concepts from quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, and looks after the theoretical concepts of materials science. It also applies the principles of physics such as quantum physics laws, and statistical mechanics. Condensed matter physics has a wide variety of branches such as crystallography, metallurgy, elasticity, and magnetism. It finds applications in jet turbines, modern tennis rackets, MRI tomography, space exploration, homeland security, and various medical procedures. This book attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under the discipline of condensed matter physics and how such concepts have practical applications Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies in this field have been included herein. This book will provide comprehensive knowledge to the readers.
Physics of the Sun
With an emphasis on numerical modelling, Physics of the Sun: A First Course presents a quantitative examination of the physical structure of the Sun and the conditions of its extended atmosphere.
Gamma Rays: A Comprehensive Study
Gamma rays, also known as gamma radiation, is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. For imparting the highest photon energy, it consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves. To understand and identify the decaying radionuclides, the use of gamma spectroscopy is essential. Radioactive decay, terrestrial thunderstorms, solar flares, cosmic rays, pulsars and magnetars, and quasars are some of its main sources. Gamma rays that originate on earth are typically a result of radioactive decay and secondary radiation from the atmospheric interaction of cosmic ray particles. This book elucidates new techniques of gamma rays, current trends and future prospects in a multidisciplinary manner. It strives to provide a fair idea about this discipline and to help develop a better understanding of the latest advances within this field. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.
