First published in 1988 this textbook on crystal chemistry covers the basic principles of crystal chemistry and physics and crystallography and introduces the concept of crystal refractivity. The book begins with a discussion of atoms and atomic structure and moves from there to atomic bonding. Throughout this discussion, special emphasis is given to Pauling's rules. The author then treats crystal symmetry, crystal field theory, polyhedral structure and atomic packing. He concludes by introducing the student to more sophisticated optical properties of minerals, refractivity and polarisability in crystals. The material covered is sufficiently basic so that the book will be suitable for undergraduate and graduate student in advanced mineralogy courses. It will also be of interest to individuals, including mineralogists, materials scientists, crystallographers and inorganic chemists who are engaged in academic and industrial research dealing with the structure of the solid state.
The first edition of Professor Duckworth's Mass Spectroscopy was highly praised. The present volume is a 1990 edition of the 1986 second edition, written by Professor Duckworth and two other scientists, both with extensive experience in the field. The authors describe the principles of mass spectroscopy and the uses to which mass spectrometers are put. Following a brief description of early instruments, the text describes ion optics, sources and detectors, deflection-type instruments, non-magnetic instruments, isotopic abundance and atomic mass determinations. The book also contains descriptions of the applications of the instrument to nuclear physics, organic chemistry, physical inorganic chemistry, solid state physics, geophysics and space physics.
The investigation and manipulation of matter on the atomic scale have been revolutionised by scanning tunnelling microscopy and related scanning probe techniques. This book is the first to provide a clear and comprehensive introduction to this subject. Beginning with the theoretical background of scanning tunnelling microscopy, the design and instrumentation of practical STM and associated systems are described in detail, as are the applications of these techniques in fields such as condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology. Containing 350 illustrations, and over 1200 references, this unique book represents an ideal introduction to the subject for final-year undergraduates in physics or materials science. It will also be invaluable to graduate students and researchers in any branch of science where scanning probe techniques are used.
This book surveys the physics of small clusters of particles undergoing vibrations, with applications in nuclear physics and the physics and chemistry of atomic clusters. The book begins with a survey of the experimental information on collective vibrations in atoms, metal clusters and nuclei. Next, the book goes on to develop theoretical tools to understand these findings. Special emphasis is placed on the Rayleigh-Ritz principle, the use of sum rules, and the quantum mechanics of mean field theory, known as 'RPA'. The important vibrational modes observed in the different systems are then discussed, including the dipole mode of oscillation (important in both nuclei and metal clusters), surface modes of higher polarity, and the compressional mode. In the last two chapters mechanisms for the damping of vibrational modes and the effects of excitation energy on the modes are described.
Einstein's Mirror is a book on relativity with a difference. Following the successful format of their earlier book, The Quantum Universe, the authors blend a simple, non-mathematical account of the underlying theory of special relativity and gravitation with a description of the way these theories have been triumphantly supported by experiment. Applications of relativity in atomic and nuclear physics are wide-ranging, from satellite navigation systems, particle accelerators and nuclear power to quantum chemistry, anti-matter and black holes. The text is enlivened by a superb collection of photographs and by amusing anecdotes about the early pioneers. The closing chapter examines the influence of Einstein's relativity on the development of science fiction. Final year students at school, general readers with an interest in science, and undergraduates in science subjects will all enjoy and benefit from this fascinating and accessible introduction to one of the most profound scientific dis
This book is an introductory manual that explains the basic concepts of chemistry behind scientific analytical techniques and that reviews their application to archaeology. It explains key terminology, outlines the procedures to be followed in order to produce good data, and describes the function of the basic instrumentation required to carry out those procedures. The manual contains chapters on the basic chemistry and physics necessary to understand the techniques used in analytical chemistry, with more detailed chapters on Atomic Absorption, Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy, Neutron Activation Analysis, X-ray Flourescence, Electron Microscopy, Infra-red and Raman Spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry. Each chapter describes the operation of the instruments, some hints on the practicalities, and a review of the application of the technique to archaeology, including some case studies. With guides to further reading on the topic, it is an essential tool for practitioners
This book is an introductory manual that explains the basic concepts of chemistry behind scientific analytical techniques and that reviews their application to archaeology. It explains key terminology, outlines the procedures to be followed in order to produce good data, and describes the function of the basic instrumentation required to carry out those procedures. The manual contains chapters on the basic chemistry and physics necessary to understand the techniques used in analytical chemistry, with more detailed chapters on Atomic Absorption, Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy, Neutron Activation Analysis, X-ray Flourescence, Electron Microscopy, Infra-red and Raman Spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry. Each chapter describes the operation of the instruments, some hints on the practicalities, and a review of the application of the technique to archaeology, including some case studies. With guides to further reading on the topic, it is an essential tool for practitioners
In recent years the interaction between dynamical systems theory and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics has been enormous. The discovery of fluctuation theorems as a fundamental structure common to almost all non-equilibrium systems, and the connections with the free energy calculation methods of Jarzynski and Crooks, have excited both theorists and experimentalists. This graduate-level book charts the development and theoretical analysis of molecular dynamics as applied to equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. Designed for both researchers in the field and graduate students of physics, it connects molecular dynamics simulation with the mathematical theory to understand non-equilibrium steady states. It also provides a link between the atomic, nano, and macro worlds. The book ends with an introduction to the use of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to justify a thermodynamic treatment of non-equilibrium steady states, and gives a direction to further avenues of exploration.
Philosopher, physicist, and anarchist Paul Feyerabend was one of the most unconventional scholars of his time. His book Against Method has become a modern classic. Yet it is not well known that Feyerabend spent many years working on a philosophy of nature that was intended to comprise three volumes covering the period from the earliest traces of stone age cave paintings to the atomic physics of the 20th century – a project that, as he conveyed in a letter to Imre Lakatos, almost drove him nuts: “Damn the ,Naturphilosophie.”The book’s manuscript was long believed to have been lost. Recently, however, a typescript constituting the first volume of the project was unexpectedly discovered at the University of Konstanz. In this volume Feyerabend explores the significance of myths for the early period of natural philosophy, as well as the transition from Homer’s “aggregate universe” to Parmenides’ uniform ontology. He focuses on the rise of rationalism in Greek antiquity, which he consid
This book deals with a central topic at the interface of chemistry and physics--the understanding of how the transformation of matter takes place at the atomic level. Building on the laws of physics,
Entanglements: Physics, Love, and Wilderness Dreams, Jack Mayer’s second poetry collection, is a poetic mélange about relationships, from sub-atomic particles to our human family; the ties that bind. Mayer, a pediatrician, poet, and hiker, explores the metaphysics of cosmology and that particularly intense entanglement, love. At the macroscopic level, Mayer’s doctor poems, inspired by his pediatric practice in rural Northern Vermont, take the reader into the heart and soul of a healer inspired to find meaning in his patients’ often difficult lives. Unique connections are unearthed. As a wilderness hiker and canoeist, Mayer has experienced the healing power of wilderness; the mystery of belonging to wilderness, of independence and interdependence. His wilderness poems carry us into his beloved Green Mountains on Vermont’s Long Trail. On solo hikes he composes poems, then copies his first draft into the nearest shelter’s logbook under his trail name, “Mountain Poet.” A durable thread con
There have been many recent and important developments based on effective field theory and the renormalization group in atomic, condensed matter, nuclear and high-energy physics. These powerful and ve
Density Functional Theory (DFT) has firmly established itself as the workhorse for atomic-level simulations of condensed phases, pure or composite materials and quantum chemical systems. This work off
Since his first appearance over sixty years ago, Mr Tompkins has become known and loved by many thousands of readers as the bank clerk whose fantastic dreams and adventures lead him into a world inside the atom. George Gamow's classic provides a delightful explanation of the central concepts in modern physics, from atomic structure to relativity, and quantum theory to fusion and fission. Roger Penrose's foreword introduces Mr Tompkins to a new generation of readers and reviews his adventures in light of recent developments in physics.
Rapid advances in quantum optics, atomic physics, particle physics and other areas have been driven by fantastic progress in instrumentation (especially lasers) and computing technology as well as by
Is the universe fine-tuned for complexity, life, or something else? This comprehensive overview of fine-tuning arguments in physics, with contributions from leading researchers in their fields, sheds light on this often used but seldom understood topic. Each chapter reviews a specific subject in modern physics, such as dark energy, inflation, or solar system formation, and discusses whether any parameters in our current theories appear to be fine-tuned and, if so, to what degree. Connections and differences between these fine-tuning arguments are made clear, and detailed mathematical derivations of various fine-tuned parameters are given. This accessible yet precise introduction to fine-tuning in physics will aid students and researchers across astrophysics, atomic and particle physics and cosmology, as well as all those working at the intersections of physics and philosophy.