The accessibility of the skin in vivo has resulted in the development of non-invasive methods in the past 40 years that offer accurate measurements of skin properties and structures from microscopic t
This book covers methods for evaluation of experimental data commonly encountered in science and engineering. Measurements of quantities that vary in a continuous fashion, e.g., the pressure of a gas,
This practical guide explains how to take accurate measurements, introduces key tools and takes the reader from simple pattern-cutting ideas to more advanced creative methods. Step-by-step illustratio
Traditional methods for handling spatial data are encumbered by the assumption of separate origins for horizontal and vertical measurements. Modern measurement systems operate in a 3-D spatial environ
Star-formation is one of the key processes that shape the current state and evolution of galaxies. This volume provides a comprehensive presentation of the different methods used to measure the intensity of recent or on-going star-forming activity in galaxies, discussing their advantages and complications in detail. It includes a thorough overview of the theoretical underpinnings of star-formation rate indicators, including topics such as stellar evolution and stellar spectra, the stellar initial mass function, and the physical conditions in the interstellar medium. The authors bring together in one place detailed and comparative discussions of traditional and new star-formation rate indicators, star-formation rate measurements in different spatial scales, and comparisons of star-formation rate indicators probing different stellar populations, along with the corresponding theoretical background. This is a useful reference for students and researchers working in the field of extragalact
Particle image velocimetry, or PIV, refers to a class of methods used in experimental fluid mechanics to determine instantaneous fields of the vector velocity by measuring the displacements of numerous fine particles that accurately follow the motion of the fluid. Although the concept of measuring particle displacements is simple in essence, the factors that need to be addressed to design and implement PIV systems that achieve reliable, accurate, and fast measurements and to interpret the results are surprisingly numerous. The aim of this book is to analyse and explain them comprehensively.
The critical role of trace gases in global atmospheric change makes an improved understanding of these gases imperative. Measurements of the distributions of these gases in space and time provide important information, but the interpretation of this information often involves ill-conditioned model inversions. A variety of techniques have therefore been developed to analyze these problems. Inverse Problems in Atmospheric Constituent Transport is the first book to give comprehensive coverage of work on this topic. The trace gas inversion problem is presented in general terms and the various different approaches are unified by treating the inversion problem as one of statistical estimation. Later chapters demonstrate the application of these methods to studies of carbon dioxide, methane, halocarbons and other gases implicated in global climate change. This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers embarking upon studies of global atmospheric change, biogeochemical cycles and Eart
The methods used in the detection and characterisation of exoplanets are presented through the study of transiting systems in this unique textbook for advanced undergraduates. From determining the atmospheric properties of transiting exoplanets to measuring the planetary orbit's alignment with the stellar spin, students will discover what these measurements imply for reinvigorated theories of planet formation and evolution. Worked examples and exercises with full solutions help students to assess their understanding of concepts and results. Key points and equations are highlighted to make them easily identifiable, and there are full colour illustrations throughout. Bridging the gap between introductory, non-mathematical texts and more advanced textbooks, this book is ideal for students with some background in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http://www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics.
The critical role of trace gases in global atmospheric change makes an improved understanding of these gases imperative. Measurements of the distributions of these gases in space and time provide important information, but the interpretation of this information often involves ill-conditioned model inversions. A variety of techniques have therefore been developed to analyze these problems. Inverse Problems in Atmospheric Constituent Transport is the first book to give comprehensive coverage of work on this topic. The trace gas inversion problem is presented in general terms and the various different approaches are unified by treating the inversion problem as one of statistical estimation. Later chapters demonstrate the application of these methods to studies of carbon dioxide, methane, halocarbons and other gases implicated in global climate change. This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers embarking upon studies of global atmospheric change, biogeochemical cycles and Eart
The problem of ocean acoustic tomography is to infer from precise measurements of travel time, or other properties of acoustic propagation, the state of the ocean traversed by a sound field. Tomography takes advantage of two facts: that travel time and other measurable acoustic parameters are functions of temperature, water velocity, and other parameters of oceanographic interest, and can be interpreted to provide information about the intervening ocean using inverse methods; and that the ocean is virtually transparent to low-frequency sound, so that signals can be transmitted over distances of many thousands of kilometres. It is therefore possible to prepare a practical system of transmitters and receivers to interpret the behaviour of the oceans. This book gives a comprehensive presentation of the underlying oceanography and mathematics necessary to understand and develop such a system. It covers the forward and inverse tomography problem, as well as numerous models for data interpre
This monograph presents a comprehensive description of the theoretical foundations and experimental applications of spectroscopic methods in plasma physics research. The first three chapters introduce the classical and quantum theory of radiation, with detailed descriptions of line strengths and high density effects. The next chapter describes theoretical and experimental aspects of spectral line broadening. The following five chapters are concerned with continuous spectra, level kinetics and cross sections, thermodynamic equilibrium relations, radiative energy transfer, and radiative energy losses. The book concludes with three chapters covering the basics of various applications of plasma spectroscopy to density and temperature measurements and to the determination of some other plasma properties. Over one thousand references not only guide the reader to original research covered in the chapters, but also to experimental details and instrumentation. This will be an important text and
This is a practically oriented introduction to the realiability of measurements. One of the implicit themes is that the measurement models and the statistical methods used in the assessment of accurac
The methods used in the detection and characterisation of exoplanets are presented through the study of transiting systems in this unique textbook for advanced undergraduates. From determining the atmospheric properties of transiting exoplanets to measuring the planetary orbit's alignment with the stellar spin, students will discover what these measurements imply for reinvigorated theories of planet formation and evolution. Worked examples and exercises with full solutions help students to assess their understanding of concepts and results. Key points and equations are highlighted to make them easily identifiable, and there are full colour illustrations throughout. Bridging the gap between introductory, non-mathematical texts and more advanced textbooks, this book is ideal for students with some background in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http://www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics.
The extremely powerful technique of molecular dynamics simulation involves solving the classical many-body problem in contexts relevant to the study of matter at the atomistic level. Since there is no alternative approach capable of handling this extremely broad range of problems at the required level of detail, molecular dynamics methods have proved themselves indispensable in both pure and applied research. This book, first published in 2004, is a blend of tutorial and recipe collection, providing both an introduction to the subject for beginners and a reference manual for the more experienced practitioner. It is organized as a series of case studies that take the reader through each of the steps from formulating the problem, developing the necessary software, and then using the programs to make actual measurements. The second edition of the book includes a substantial amount of new material as well as completely rewritten software.
The long-awaited second edition of this well-received textbook gives a thorough introduction to observational astronomy. Starting with the basics of positional astronomy and systems of time, it continues with charts and catalogs covering both historically important publications and modern electronic databases. The book builds on a fundamental discussion of the basics of light and the effects of the atmosphere on astronomical observations. Chapters include discussions of optical telescopes, detectors, photometry, variable stars, astrometry, spectroscopy, and solar observations. This edition contains new discussions of measurements with CCDs and appendices give basic statistical methods, useful astronomical software and websites, and sources of accurate time-calibration signals. Observational Astronomy is the perfect textbook for upper level undergraduate or beginning graduate courses on astronomy. Examples based on real astronomical data are placed throughout the text. Each of the well-
The third edition shows how the concept of quality can be validated with basic statistical methods. Topics include statistics and ISO 9000; criteria measurements and the Baldridge award; graphical me
Fully updated, with significant new coverage of advances in satellite oceanography and results from new satellite missions, the second edition of this popular textbook introduces students to how remote sensing works, how to understand observations from Earth-observing systems, and the observations' importance to physical and biological oceanography. It provides full explanations of radiative transfer, ocean surface properties, satellite orbits, instruments and methods, visible remote sensing of biogeochemical properties, infrared and microwave retrieval of sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity retrieval, passive microwave measurements, scatterometer wind retrieval, altimetry and SAR. Also included are descriptions of the online archives where data can be obtained, and readers can obtain online tools for working with the data - enabling hands-on engagement with real-world observations. This is an ideal textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in oceanography, re
The need for faster and more accurate dimensional measurements has sparked the development of a range of laser types and methods with greater computational power. Featuring contributors from industry
Quantum engineering – the design and fabrication of quantum coherent structures – has emerged as a field in physics with important potential applications. This book provides a self-contained presentation of the theoretical methods and experimental results in quantum engineering. The book covers topics such as the quantum theory of electric circuits, theoretical methods of quantum optics in application to solid state circuits, the quantum theory of noise, decoherence and measurements, Landauer formalism for quantum transport, the physics of weak superconductivity and the physics of two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor heterostructures. The theory is complemented by up-to-date experimental data to help put it into context. Aimed at graduate students in physics, the book will enable readers to start their own research and apply the theoretical methods and results to their current experimental situation.
Now thoroughly revised and up-dated, this book describes techniques for handling and analysing data obtained from high-energy and nuclear physics experiments. The observation of particle interactions involves the analysis of large and complex data samples. Beginning with a chapter on real-time data triggering and filtering, the book describes methods of selecting the relevant events from a sometimes huge background. The use of pattern recognition techniques to group the huge number of measurements into physically meaningful objects like particle tracks or showers is then examined and the track and vertex fitting methods necessary to extract the maximum amount of information from the available measurements are explained. The final chapter describes tools and methods which are useful to the experimenter in the physical interpretation and in the presentation of the results. This indispensable guide will appeal to graduate students, researchers and computer and electronic engineers involve
