This book gives an exposition of both the old and new results of spin and torsion effects on gravitational interactions with implications for particle physics, cosmology etc. Physical aspects are stressed and measurable effects in relation to other areas of physics are discussed.Among the topics discussed are: alternative ways of unifying gravity with electroweak and strong interactions by an energy dependent spin torsion coupling constant; the idea that all interactions can be understood as originating from spin curvature coupling; the possibility of cosmological models with torsion providing a solution to the cosmological constant problem; and a demonstration that torsion can lead directly to the quantization of space-time itself.

A comprehensive and up-to-date collection of papers on the role of electrodynamical activities in biocommunication is presented in this volume. It provides research findings, practical applications and theoretical investigations linking phenomena as diverse as the sensitivity of organisms to ultraweak ELF electromagnetic fields, noninvasive imaging by magnetic field tomography, coherent liquid crystalline mesophases in living organisms and coherent light emission from biological systems. The volume begins with chapters on the historical perspectives and the biophysical background necessary for understanding bioelectrical phenomena. This is followed by chapters dealing with the biological effects of external electromagnetic fields; the detection of endogenous electrodynamical and related activities and their practical applications; and finally, theoretical perspectives and overviews. It is recommended for undergraduates, graduates and research scientists in all disciplines who wish to be informed of the emerging discipline of bioelectrodynamics.List of Contributors: M Bischof, J J Chang, A S Davydov, D Edmonds, A French, C Gross, Q Gu, J Haffegee, M W Ho, A A Ioannides, R P Liburdy, W P Mei, R Pethig, F A Popp, P T Saunders; C W Smith, T Y Tsong, U Warnke, T M Wu, C L Zhang.

Refrigeration plays a prominent role in our everyday lives, and cryogenics plays a major role in medical science, space technology and the cooling of low-temperature electronics. This volume contains chapters on basic refrigeration systems, non-compression refrigeration and cooling, and topics related to global environmental issues, alternative refrigerants, optimum refrigerant selection, cost-quality optimization of refrigerants, advanced thermodynamics of reverse-cycle machines, applications in medicine, cryogenics, heat pipes, gas-solid absorption refrigeration, multisalt resorption heat pumps, cryocoolers, thermoacoustic refrigeration, cryogenic heat transfer and enhancement and other topics covering theory, design, and applications, such as pulse tube refrigeration, which is the most efficient of all cryocoolers and can be used in space missions.

Galaxies and Chaos examines the application of tools developed for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems to Galactic Dynamics and Galaxy Formation, as well as to related issues in Celestial Mechanics. The contributions collected in this volume have emerged from selected presentations at a workshop on this topic and key chapters have been suitably expanded in order to be accessible to nonspecialist researchers and postgraduate students wishing to enter this exciting field of research.

This second edition reflects significant progress in tsunami research, monitoring and mitigation within the last decade. Primarily meant to summarize the state-of-the-art knowledge on physics of tsunamis, it describes up-to-date models of tsunamis generated by a submarine earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, meteorite impact, and moving atmospheric pressure inhomogeneities. Models of tsunami propagation and run-up are also discussed. The book investigates methods of tsunami monitoring including coastal mareographs, deep-water pressure gauges, GPS buoys, satellite altimetry, the study of ionospheric disturbances caused by tsunamis and the study of paleotsunamis. Non-linear phenomena in tsunami source and manifestations of water compressibility are discussed in the context of their contribution to the wave amplitude and energy. The practical method of calculating the initial elevation on a water surface at a seismotectonic tsunami source is expounded. Potential and eddy traces of a tsunamigenic earthquake in the ocean are examined in terms of their applicability to tsunami warning. The first edition of this book was published in 2009. Since then, a few catastrophic events occurred, including the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, which is well known all over the world. The book is intended for researchers, students and specialists in oceanography, geophysics, seismology, hydro-acoustics, geology, and geomorphology, including the engineering and insurance industries.

p-adic numbers play a very important role in modern number theory, algebraic geometry and representation theory. Lately p-adic numbers have attracted a great deal of attention in modern theoretical physics as a promising new approach for describing the non-Archimedean geometry of space-time at small distances.This is the first book to deal with applications of p-adic numbers in theoretical and mathematical physics. It gives an elementary and thoroughly written introduction to p-adic numbers and p-adic analysis with great numbers of examples as well as applications of p-adic numbers in classical mechanics, dynamical systems, quantum mechanics, statistical physics, quantum field theory and string theory.

Some twenty-three years after the discovery of pulsars and their identification as rotating neutron stars, neutron star physics may be regarded as comingofage. Pul sars and accreting neutron stars have now been studied at every wavelength, from the initial radio observations, through optical, X-, and "{-ray, up to the very recent observations in the TeV region, while theorists have studied in some detail relevant physical processes both outside and inside neutron stars. As a result, comparisonof theory with observation provides a test ofour theoretical ideas in fields as diverse as neutron and nuclear matter, superfluidity and superconductivity, the acceleration of high energy particles, and the generation and maintenance of intense magnetic fields. For example, through observations of glitches and post glitch behavior of pulsars, it has become possible to establish the presence ofsuperfluid neutron mat ter in the inner crust of neutron stars, and to determine some of its properties, while neutron stars in compact binary systems offer one ofthe most efficient energy generation mechanisms known. It is in fact the interactive interpretation of these, diverse pieces of information that can lead to major advances in our understanding of the physics of these exotic objects, and justifies the characterization of neutron stars as hadron physics laboratories."

This textbook presents the established sciences of optical, infrared, and radio astronomy as distinct research areas, focusing on the science targets and the constraints that they place on instrumentation in the different domains. It aims to bridge the gap between specialized books and practical texts, presenting the state of the art in different techniques. For each type of astronomy, the discussion proceeds from the orders of magnitude for observable quantities that drive the building of instrumentation and the development of advanced techniques. The specific telescopes and detectors are then presented, together with the techniques used to measure fluxes and spectra. Finally, the instruments and their limits are discussed to assist readers in choice of setup, planning and execution of observations, and data reduction. The volume also includes worked examples and problem sets to improve student understanding; tables and figures in chapters su mmarize the state of the art of instrumentation and techniques.

The question of a possible temporal variation of the fundamental constants was raised by Paul Dirac in his "large number hypothesis" in 1937. Today it appears in the context of the search for a unified theory of the fundamental interactions. It touches both fundamental and applied physics, as the postulate of the unalterability of the constants is the foundation for modern metrology. The book presents reviews written by leading experts in the field. Focussing on the question of variations of the fundamental "constants" in time or space, the chapters cover the theoretical framework in which variations are expected and the search for variations of quantities like the fine-structure constant, the electron/proton mass ratio, g-factors of proton and neutron etc. in astrophysical and geophysical observations and in precision experiments with atomic clocks and frequency standards.

This volume covers the latest developments in optical imaging of the brain which is becoming an increasingly important functional neuroimaging method. Optical intrinsic signals offer unrivaled temporal and spatial resolution of functional measurements of the exposed brain cortex in animals and humans. Near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging ap proaches permit the noninvasive functional assessment of the human brain at bedside. Main advantages of these optical techniques are the biochemical specificity of the meas urements and the potential of measuring correlates of intracellular and intravascular oxy genation simultaneously. Recent data indicate that one may also measure a more direct correlate of neuronal activity associated with changes in light scattering. In this volume, recent technical progress of the optical method is covered as well as the physiological basis of the measurements. In simultaneous studies, near-infrared spec troscopy measurements are directly compared to other functional methods, especially PET and fMRI and examples are given for new applications of the NIRS-method. Based on re sults obtained with optical methods and other functional techniques the latest in our under standing of the coupling of neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow response is reviewed. This is an important basis for a better understanding of all functional neuroi maging methods which rely on neurovascular coupling such as PET, SPET and fMRI. Fi nally the optical method is put into the perspective of presently available functional neuroimaging methods including fMRI, PET, MEG and EEG."

The book describes first the principle photon generation processes from nuclear reactions, electron motion and from discrete quantum transitions. It then focuses on the use of photons in various selected fields of modern natural and life sciences. It bridges disciplines such as physics, chemistry, earth- and materials science, proteomics, information technology, photoelectrochemistry, photosynthesis and spintronics. Advanced light sources and their use in natural and life sciences are emphasized and the effects related to the quantum nature of photons (quantum computing, teleportation) are described. The content encompasses among many other examples the role of photons on the origin of life and on homochirality in biology, femtosecond laser slicing, photothermal cancer therapy, the use of gamma rays in materials science, photoelectrochemical surface conditioning, quantum information aspects and photo-spintronics. The book is written for scientists and graduate students from all related disciplines who are interested in the science beyond their immediate research field. It is meant to encourage interdisciplinary research and development in an age where nanoscience results in a convergence of formerly more disparate science.

Stephen Hawking, the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University, has made important theoretical contributions to gravitational theory and has played a major role in the development of cosmology and black hole physics.

Hawking's early work, partly in collaboration with Roger Penrose, showed the significance of spacetime singularities for the big bang and black holes. His later work has been concerned with a deeper understanding of these two issues. The work required extensive use of the two great intellectual achievements of the first half of the Twentieth Century: general relativity and quantum mechanics; and these are reflected in the reprinted articles. Hawking's key contributions on black hole radiation and the no-boundary condition on the origin of the universe are included.

The present compilation of Stephen Hawking's most important work also includes an introduction by him, which guides the reader though the major highlights of the volume. This volume is thus an essential item in any library and will be an important reference source for those interested in theoretical physics and applied mathematics.

It is an excellent thing to have so many of Professor Hawking's most important contributions to the theory of black holes and space-time singularities all collected together in one handy volume. I am very glad to have them". Roger Penrose (Oxford)

"This was an excellent idea to put the best papers by Stephen Hawking together. Even his papers written many years ago remain extremely useful for those who study classical and quantum gravity. By watching the evolution of his ideas one can get a very clear picture of the development of quantum cosmology during thelast quarter of this century". Andrei Linde (Stanford)

"This review could have been quite short: 'The book contains a selection of 21 of Stephen Hawking's most significant papers with an overview written by the author'. This would be sufficient to convince any researcher, student or librarian to acquire the book, so indisputable is the contribution of this man to the theoretical physics of the last half of our century ... Collected together, these brilliant works constitute a valuable contribution to the literature on modern classical and quantum gravity and cosmology. This book will certainly be a source of inspiration for new generations of physicists entering into this fascinating area of research". D Gal'tsov Classical & Quantum Gravity

The work developed in this thesis addresses very important and relevant issues of accretion processes around black holes. Beginning by studying the time variation of the evolution of inviscid accretion discs around black holes and their properties, the author investigates the change of the pattern of the flows when the strength of the shear viscosity is varied and cooling is introduced. He succeeds to verify theoretical predictions of the so called Two Component Advective Flow (TCAF) solution of the accretion problem onto black holes through numerical simulations under different input parameters. TCAF solutions are found to be stable. And thus explanations of spectral and timing properties (including Quasi-Period Oscillations, QPOs) of galactic and extra-galactic black holes based on shocked TCAF models appear to have a firm foundation.

The book introduces readers to and summarizes the current ideas and theories about the basic mechanisms for transport in chaotic flows. Typically no single paradigmatic approach exists as this topic is relevant for fields as diverse as plasma physics, geophysical flows and various branches of engineering. Accordingly, the dispersion of matter in chaotic or turbulent flows is analyzed from different perspectives. Partly based on lecture courses given by the author, this book addresses both graduate students and researchers in search of a high-level but approachable and broad introduction to the topic.

Gamma-ray astronomy began in the mid-1960s with balloon satellite, and, at very high photon energies, also with ground-based instruments. However, the most significant progress was made in the last decade of the 20th century, when the tree satellite missions SIGMA, Compton, and Beppo-Sax gave a completely new picture of our Universe and made gamma-ray astronomy an integral part of astronomical research. This book, written by well-known experts, gives the first comprehensive presentation of this field of research, addressing both graduate students and researchers. Gamma-ray astronomy helps us to understand the most energetic processes and the most violent events in the Universe. After describing cosmic gamma-ray production and absorption, the instrumentation used in gamma-ray astronomy is explained. The main part of the book deals with astronomical results, including the somewhat surprising result that the gamma-ray sky is continuously changing.

This text discusses mathematical modelling, analysis and control of the immune system and disease dynamics. The purpose of the book is the practical application of mathematics to immunology and medicine in order to establish a basis for more effective treatment, to provide a tutorial systematic description of how the immune system controls diseases and to present several significant examples such as malignant tumour dynamics and control, and viral hepatitis. The book is multidisciplinary in content, with the intended readers including biomathematicians, biologists and physicists. It combines immunological principles, mathematical models, computer simulations and methods of analysis.

The feasibility to extract porous medium parameters from acoustic recordings is investigated. The thesis gives an excellent discussion of our basic understanding of different wave modes, using a full-waveform and multi-component approach. Focus lies on the dependency on porosity and permeability where especially the latter is difficult to estimate. In this thesis, this sensitivity is shown for interface-wave and reflected-wave modes. For each of the pseudo-Rayleigh and pseudo-Stoneley interface waves unique estimates for permeability and porosity can be obtained when impedance and attenuation are combined.
The pseudo-Stoneley wave is most sensitive to permeability: both the impedance and the attenuation are controlled by the fluid flow. Also from reflected-wave modes unique estimates for permeability and porosity can be obtained when the reflection coefficients of different reflected modes are combined. In this case the sensitivity to permeability is caused by subsurface heterogeneities generating mesoscopic fluid flow at seismic frequencies. The results of this thesis suggest that estimation of in-situ permeability is feasible, provided detection is carried out with multi-component measurements. The results of this thesis argely affect geotechnical and reservoir engineering practices.

This doctoral thesis applies measurements of ground deformation from satellite radar using their potential to play a key role in understanding volcanic and magmatic processes throughout the eruption cycle. However, making these measurements is often problematic, and the processes driving ground deformation are commonly poorly understood. These problems are approached in this thesis in the context of the Cascades Volcanic Arc. From a technical perspective, the thesis develops a new way of using regional-scale weather models to assess a priori the influence of atmospheric uncertainties on satellite measurements of volcano deformation, providing key parameters for volcano monitoring. Next, it presents detailed geodetic studies of two volcanoes in northern California: Medicine Lake Volcano and Lassen Volcanic Centre. Finally, the thesis combines geodetic constraints with petrological inputs to develop a thermal model of cooling magma intrusions. The novelty and range of topics covered in this thesis mean that it is a seminal work in volcanic and magmatic studies.

This volume contains the Proceedings of the Fourth Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (Sociedad Espanola de Astronomfa, SEA). The meeting was held at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela in Galicia from September 11 to 14, 2000. The event brought together 156 participants who pre- sented their latest results in many different subjects. In comparison with the previous scientific meetings of the Society, the numbers of oral talks and poster contributions (95 and 51, respectively) are rapidly increasing, confirming that the SEA conferences are becoming a point of reference to assess the interests and achievements of astrophysical research in Spain. During the meeting, the SEA made public the granting of the Prize to the Best Spanish Ph. D. Thesis in As- tronomy and Astrophysics for the period 1998-1999 to Dr. H. Socas. This is the first time that the SEA is awarding this prize, which aim is to encourage young spanish astrophysicists to pursue a high level scientific career. The Society is indebted to the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and, in particular, to the Observatorio Astronomico Ramon Marfa Aller, for its hospi- tality. The Local Organizing Committee took care of all the logistics details to ensure a nice stay for all the participants. The effort of the Scientific Organizing Committee was decisive in determining the organizational and scientific success of the meeting.

It is now well established that all living systems emit a weak but permanent photon flux in the visible and ultraviolet range. This biophoton emission is correlated with many, if not all, biological and physiological functions. There are indications of a hitherto-overlooked information channel within the living system. Biophotons may trigger chemical reactivity in cells, growth control, differentiation and intercellular communication, i.e. biological rhythms. The basic experimental and theoretical framework, the technical problems and the wide field of applications in the food industry, medicine, pharmacology, environmental science and basic sciences are presented in this book, which also includes the rapidly growing literature. This book is written by the most outstanding international scientists familiar with this topic who have been working in this field for many years.

Les deuxiernes "Rencontres de l'Observatoire", qui ont eu lieu a l'Observatoire de Paris a Meudon du 10 au 14 Janvier 2000, ont reuni autour du theme "Problernes ernergents en physique de I'espace" 120 physiciens et astrophysiciens venus d'une vingtaine de pays differents. Nous avons voulu honorer a cette occasion Jean-Louis Steinberg pour ses con- tributions majeures a la recherche spatiale, ala radioastronomie et a la physique de I'espace. L'approche explicitement pluridisciplinaire de ce colloque, qui ne s'est pas laisse confiner dans les limites etroites de la physique spatiale ni dans celles imposees par certains programmes officiels, suit l'esprit de sa carriere scientifique: sortir des limites des sujets deja etudies ou sur Ie point de l'etre, et appliquer les connaissances acquises pour explorer de nouveaux domaines. Ce dernier quart de siecle a vu une croissance vertigineuse des performances spatiales. La technologie moderne ne perrnet pas encore de jongler avec les univers comme Ie prestidigitateur de Grandville (Grandville, Un autre monde, ed. H. Four- nier, Paris, 1844); mais quelques decades ont suffi pour voir des instruments soph- istiques explorer les frontieres du systerne solaire, et la cornmunaute de la recher- che spatiale a depasse rapidement Ie sujet etroit de I'environnement soleil-terre pour s'interesser a I'ensemble de l'heliosphere, OU les memes processus physiques sont a I'ceuvre.

Many biological phenomena are especially interesting from a physical point of view, and recent developments have made it possible to perform quantitative, 'physics-style' experiments on many different biological systems. In this volume, composed largely of lectures at a summer workshop for students in 1991, many of those emerging problems in biophysics are surveyed, with emphasis on the confrontation between theory and experiment. The topics range from the structure and dynamics of individual biological molecules to the computational strategies of the nervous system.

On September 15, 2017, the Cassini spacecraft sent its final transmission to the Earth as it entered the atmosphere of Saturn, ending its historic 13 year mission at the ringed planet. This book is a beautifully illustrated journey of discovery through the Saturn system. Cassini's instruments have revealed never seen before details, including the only extraterrestrial lakes known in the solar system, and have provided unprecedented views of the rings, moons, and the planet itself. Results from Cassini's dramatic Grand Finale of ring-grazing and planet-skimming orbits are included in this expanded and updated second edition. Saturn is the jewel of the solar system. The Cassini spacecraft has been exploring the ringed planet and its moons and rings since 2004 and has helped us solve many of its mysteries while generating a wealth of new questions. Cassini has observed the bizarre mountains of Iapetus, the geysers of Enceladus, the lakes of Titan, and the dynamic and evolving rings. Along the way, this book explores and explains the fundamental processes that shape not just the Saturn system, but planets and moons in general. Written for the general audience with an emphasis on the fundamental physics of planetary systems, The Ringed Planet is a fascinating exploration of the Saturn system that places Saturn in the context of the solar system as a whole. Cassini's instruments have revealed Enceladus and Titan to have subsurface oceans of liquid water. Its cameras have returned stunning images of rings in turmoil, a tumbling moon, the only extraterrestrial lakes known in the solar system, a hexagon of clouds, some of the highest mountains in the solar system and much more. More than a journey of discovery at Saturn, The Ringed Planet is also an introduction to how planetary systems work.

This thesis reports on the development of the first quantum enhanced microscope and on its applications in biological microscopy. The first quantum particle-tracking microscope, described in detail here, represents a pioneering advance in quantum microscopy, which is shown to be a powerful and relevant technique for future applications in science and medicine. The microscope is used to perform the first quantum-enhanced biological measurements -- a central and long-standing goal in the field of quantum measurement. Sub diffraction-limited quantum imaging is achieved, also for the first time, with a scanning probe imaging configuration allowing 10-nanometer resolution.