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16950 results

Page 308 of 848

General Relativity
  • An Introduction for Physicists
  • M. P. Hobson, G. P. Efstathiou, A. N. Lasenby
  • Published online:
    05 September 2012
    Print publication:
    02 February 2006
  • General Relativity: An Introduction for Physicists provides a clear mathematical introduction to Einstein's theory of general relativity. It presents a wide range of applications of the theory, concentrating on its physical consequences. After reviewing the basic concepts, the authors present a clear and intuitive discussion of the mathematical background, including the necessary tools of tensor calculus and differential geometry. These tools are then used to develop the topic of special relativity and to discuss electromagnetism in Minkowski spacetime. Gravitation as spacetime curvature is then introduced and the field equations of general relativity derived. After applying the theory to a wide range of physical situations, the book concludes with a brief discussion of classical field theory and the derivation of general relativity from a variational principle. Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this approachable textbook contains over 300 exercises to illuminate and extend the discussion in the text.

The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas
  • Graham Woan
  • Published online:
    05 September 2012
    Print publication:
    19 June 2000
  • The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas is a quick-reference aid for students and professionals in the physical sciences and engineering. It contains more than 2000 of the most useful formulas and equations found in undergraduate physics courses, covering mathematics, dynamics and mechanics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, solid state physics, electromagnetism, optics and astrophysics. An exhaustive index allows the required formulas to be located swiftly and simply, and the unique tabular format crisply identifies all the variables involved. The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas comprehensively covers the major topics explored in undergraduate physics courses. It is designed to be a compact, portable, reference book suitable for everyday work, problem solving or exam revision. All students and professionals in physics, applied mathematics, engineering and other physical sciences will want to have this essential reference book within easy reach.

Physical Foundations of Cosmology
  • Viatcheslav Mukhanov
  • Published online:
    05 September 2012
    Print publication:
    10 November 2005
  • Inflationary cosmology has been developed over the last twenty years to remedy serious shortcomings in the standard hot big bang model of the universe. This textbook, first published in 2005, explains the basis of modern cosmology and shows where the theoretical results come from. The book is divided into two parts; the first deals with the homogeneous and isotropic model of the Universe, the second part discusses how inhomogeneities can explain its structure. Established material such as the inflation and quantum cosmological perturbation are presented in great detail, however the reader is brought to the frontiers of current cosmological research by the discussion of more speculative ideas. An ideal textbook for both advanced students of physics and astrophysics, all of the necessary background material is included in every chapter and no prior knowledge of general relativity and quantum field theory is assumed.

Bayesian Logical Data Analysis for the Physical Sciences
  • A Comparative Approach with Mathematica® Support
  • Phil Gregory
  • Published online:
    05 September 2012
    Print publication:
    14 April 2005
  • Bayesian inference provides a simple and unified approach to data analysis, allowing experimenters to assign probabilities to competing hypotheses of interest, on the basis of the current state of knowledge. By incorporating relevant prior information, it can sometimes improve model parameter estimates by many orders of magnitude. This book provides a clear exposition of the underlying concepts with many worked examples and problem sets. It also discusses implementation, including an introduction to Markov chain Monte-Carlo integration and linear and nonlinear model fitting. Particularly extensive coverage of spectral analysis (detecting and measuring periodic signals) includes a self-contained introduction to Fourier and discrete Fourier methods. There is a chapter devoted to Bayesian inference with Poisson sampling, and three chapters on frequentist methods help to bridge the gap between the frequentist and Bayesian approaches. Supporting Mathematica® notebooks with solutions to selected problems, additional worked examples, and a Mathematica tutorial are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521150125.

The Analysis of Space-Time Singularities
  • C. J. S. Clarke
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    12 May 1994
  • The theorems of Hawking and Penrose show that space-times are likely to contain incomplete geodesics. Such geodesics are said to end at a singularity if it is impossible to continue the space-time and geodesic without violating the usual topological and smoothness conditions on the space-time. In this book the different possible singularities are defined, and the mathematical methods needed to extend the space-time are described in detail. The results obtained (many appearing here for the first time) show that singularities are associated with a lack of smoothness in the Riemann tensor. While the Friedmann singularity is analysed as an example, the emphasis is on general theorems and techniques rather than on the classification of particular exact solutions.

Relativistic Astrophysics of the Transient Universe
  • Gravitation, Hydrodynamics and Radiation
  • Maurice H. P. M. Van Putten, Amir Levinson
  • Foreword by Gerard t'Hooft
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    05 July 2012
  • In this decade, the transient universe will be mapped out in great detail by the emerging wide-field multiwavelength surveys, and neutrino and gravitational-wave detectors, promising to probe the astronomical and physical origin of the most extreme relativistic sources. This volume introduces the physical processes relevant to the source modeling of the transient universe. Ideal for graduate students and researchers in astrophysics, this book gives a unified treatment of relativistic flows associated with compact objects, their dissipation and emission in electromagnetic, hadronic and gravitational radiation. After introducing the source classes, the authors set out various mechanisms for creating magnetohydodynamic outflows in winds, jets and blast waves and their radiation properties. They then go on to discuss properties of accretion flows around rotating black holes and their gravitational wave emission from wave instabilites with implications for the emerging gravitational wave experiments. Graduate students and researchers can gain an understanding of data analysis for gravitational-wave data.

Foundations of Space and Time
  • Reflections on Quantum Gravity
  • Edited by Jeff Murugan, Amanda Weltman, George F. R. Ellis
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    19 July 2012
  • After almost a century, the field of quantum gravity remains as difficult and inspiring as ever. Today, it finds itself a field divided, with two major contenders dominating: string theory, the leading exemplification of the covariant quantization program; and loop quantum gravity, the canonical scheme based on Dirac's constrained Hamiltonian quantization. However, there are now a number of other innovative schemes providing promising new avenues. Encapsulating the latest debates on this topic, this book details the different approaches to understanding the very nature of space and time. It brings together leading researchers in each of these approaches to quantum gravity to explore these competing possibilities in an open way. Its comprehensive coverage explores all the current approaches to solving the problem of quantum gravity, addressing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, to give researchers and graduate students an up-to-date view of the field.

The Lighter Side of Gravity
  • 2nd edition
  • Jayant Vishnu Narlikar
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    03 October 1996
  • Gravity is the most enigmatic of all known basic forces in nature. Yet it controls everything from the motion of ocean tides to the expansion of the entire Universe. Many books use technical jargon and high-powered maths to explain what gravity is all about. In The Lighter Side of Gravity, the presentation is beautifully clear and completely non-technical. Familiar analogies, interesting anecdotes and numerous illustrations are used throughout to get across subtle effects and difficult points. The coverage is, however, comprehensive and makes no compromise with accuracy.This second edition has been brought completely up to date and expanded to include the discovery of gigantic gravitational lenses in space, the findings of the COBE satellite, the detection of MACHOS, the investigations of the very early Universe and other new ideas in cosmology. In short, this lucid and stimulating book presents 'the lighter side' of the intriguing phenomena of 'gravity' to the student and general reader.

Quantum Fields in Curved Space
  • N. D. Birrell, P. C. W. Davies
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    25 February 1982
  • This book presents a comprehensive review of the subject of gravitational effects in quantum field theory. Although the treatment is general, special emphasis is given to the Hawking black hole evaporation effect, and to particle creation processes in the early universe. The last decade has witnessed a phenomenal growth in this subject. This is the first attempt to collect and unify the vast literature that has contributed to this development. All the major technical results are presented, and the theory is developed carefully from first principles. Here is everything that students or researchers will need to embark upon calculations involving quantum effects of gravity at the so-called one-loop approximation level.

Canonical Gravity and Applications
  • Cosmology, Black Holes, and Quantum Gravity
  • Martin Bojowald
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    23 December 2010
  • Canonical methods are a powerful mathematical tool within the field of gravitational research, both theoretical and experimental, and have contributed to a number of recent developments in physics. Providing mathematical foundations as well as physical applications, this is the first systematic explanation of canonical methods in gravity. The book discusses the mathematical and geometrical notions underlying canonical tools, highlighting their applications in all aspects of gravitational research from advanced mathematical foundations to modern applications in cosmology and black hole physics. The main canonical formulations, including the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) formalism and Ashtekar variables, are derived and discussed. Ideal for both graduate students and researchers, this book provides a link between standard introductions to general relativity and advanced expositions of black hole physics, theoretical cosmology or quantum gravity.

The New World of Mr Tompkins
  • George Gamow's Classic Mr Tompkins in Paperback
  • George Gamow
  • Edited by Russell Stannard
  • Illustrated by Michael Edwards
  • Translated by Wu Bozhe
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    16 September 1999
  • Mr Tompkins is back! The mild-mannered bank clerk with the short attention span and vivid imagination has inspired, charmed and informed young and old alike since the publication of the hugely successful Mr Tompkins in Paperback (by George Gamow) in 1965. In this 1999 book, he returns in a new set of adventures exploring the extreme edges of the universe - the smallest, the largest, the fastest, the farthest. Through his experiences and his dreams, you are there at Mr Tompkins' shoulder watching and taking part in the merry dance of cosmic mysteries: Einstein's relativity, bizarre effects near light-speed, the birth and death of the universe, black holes, quarks, space warps and antimatter, the fuzzy world of the quantum, and that ultimate cosmic mystery of all … love. This text is revised, updated and expanded by best-selling popular-science author Russell Stannard (who wrote the much-acclaimed Uncle Albert series of books for children).

David Levy's Guide to Variable Stars
  • David H. Levy
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    15 December 2005
  • Variable stars are fascinating objects to observe; found all over the sky, they change in brightness over time and can be seen with even the most basic of equipment. Variable star astronomy is one field in which amateur astronomers can still make significant contributions to science and in this highly accessible book David Levy teaches the reader how variable stars work, and how to observe them. Using simple, non-technical terms he explains how to get started with electronic (or CCD) observing, as well as how to observe variable stars through a small telescope or binoculars. Including a section on Southern hemisphere stars, the book covers various types of object that can be observed by amateur astronomers, including more exotic phenomena like gamma ray bursts, blazars, and polars. This book will serve to motivate anyone with even a basic interest in astronomy to begin observing these fascinating objects.

Our Cosmic Origins
  • From the Big Bang to the Emergence of Life and Intelligence
  • Armand H. Delsemme
  • Foreword by Christian de Duve
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    25 June 1998
  • Our Cosmic Origins, first published in 1998, traces the remarkable story of the emergence of life and intelligence right through the complex evolutionary history of the Universe. Armand Delsemme weaves together a rich tapestry of science, bringing together cosmology, astronomy, geology, biochemistry and biology in this wide-ranging book. In following the complex, chronological story, we discover how the first elements formed in the early Universe, how stars and planets were born, how the first bacteria evolved towards a plethora of plants and animals, and how the coupling of the eye and brain led to the development of self-awareness and, ultimately, intelligence. Professor Delsemme concludes with the tantalising suggestion that the existence of alien life and intelligence is likely, and examines our chances of contacting it. This provocative book provides the general reader with an accessible and wide-ranging account of how life evolved on Earth and how likely it is to exist elsewhere in the Universe.

An Introduction to Celestial Mechanics
  • Richard Fitzpatrick
  • Published online:
    05 August 2012
    Print publication:
    28 June 2012
  • This accessible text on classical celestial mechanics, the principles governing the motions of bodies in the Solar System, provides a clear and concise treatment of virtually all of the major features of solar system dynamics. Building on advanced topics in classical mechanics such as rigid body rotation, Langrangian mechanics and orbital perturbation theory, this text has been written for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in astronomy, physics, mathematics and related fields. Specific topics covered include Keplerian orbits, the perihelion precession of the planets, tidal interactions between the Earth, Moon and Sun, the Roche radius, the stability of Lagrange points in the three-body problem and lunar motion. More than 100 exercises allow students to gauge their understanding and a solutions manual is available to instructors. Suitable for a first course in celestial mechanics, this text is the ideal bridge to higher level treatments.

Page 308 of 848