'... the author uses color drawings in two-dimensions (2D) and three-dimensions (3D) to help the reader better understand what is happening in the phase diagram. Examples of ternary compounds include important alloys such as stainless steels (Fe-Cr-Ni). These illustrations greatly help one to visualize important points described in each diagram and clarifies difficult processes by also including a step-by-step description of key points through the graph ... For material scientists and engineers who need to understand phase diagrams, this book can provide you with that basic knowledge that will make you an expert at reading these sometimes very complicated graphs.'IEEE Electrical Insulation MagazinePhase diagrams are a MUST for materials scientists and engineers (MSEs). However, understanding phase diagrams is a difficult task for most MSEs. The audience of this book are young MSEs who start learning phase diagrams and are supposed to become specialists and those who were trained in fields other than materials science and engineering but are involved in research and/or development of materials after they are employed.Ternary phase diagrams presented in Chapter 4 are far more complex than binary phase diagrams. For this reason, ternary phase diagrams are nowadays less and less taught. However, in ceramics and semiconductors ternary phase diagrams become more and more important. Recent software provides necessary information to handle ternary phase diagrams. However, needless to say, without fundamental knowledge of ternary phase diagrams it is impossible to understand ternary phase diagrams correctly. In this book ternary phase diagrams are presented in a completely original way, with many diagrams illustrated in full color.In this book the essence of phase diagrams is presented in a user-friendly manner. This book is expected to be a Bible for MSEs.

Semiconductor power devices are the heart of power electronics. They determine the performance of power converters and allow topologies with high efficiency. Semiconductor properties, pn-junctions and the physical phenomena for understanding power devices are discussed in depth. Working principles of state-of-the-art power diodes, thyristors, MOSFETs and IGBTs are explained in detail, as well as key aspects of semiconductor device production technology. In practice, not only the semiconductor, but also the thermal and mechanical properties of packaging and interconnection technologies are essential to predict device behavior in circuits. Wear and aging mechanisms are identified and reliability analyses principles are developed. Unique information on destructive mechanisms, including typical failure pictures, allows assessment of the ruggedness of power devices. Also parasitic effects, such as device induced electromagnetic interference problems, are addressed. The book concludes with modern power electronic system integration techniques and trends.

Covering the elementary aspects of the physics of phases transitions and the renormalization group, this popular book is widely used both for core graduate statistical mechanics courses as well as for more specialized courses. Emphasizing understanding and clarity rather than technical manipulation, these lectures de-mystify the subject and show precisely "how things work." Goldenfeld keeps in mind a reader who wants to understand why things are done, what the results are, and what in principle can go wrong. The book reaches both experimentalists and theorists, students and even active researchers, and assumes only a prior knowledge of statistical mechanics at the introductory graduate level.Advanced, never-before-printed topics on the applications of renormalization group far from equilibrium and to partial differential equations add to the uniqueness of this book.

This book presents the role of mesostructure on the properties of composite materials. A complex percolation model is developed for the material structure containing percolation clusters of phases and interior boundaries. Modeling of technological cracks and the percolation in the Sierpinski carpet are described. The interaction of mesoscopic interior boundaries of the material, including the fractal nature of interior boundaries, the oscillatory nature of it interaction and also the stochastic model of the interior boundaries' interaction, the genesis, structure, and properties are discussed. One of part of the book introduces the percolation model of the long-range effect which is based on the notion on the multifractal clusters with transforming elements, and the theorem on the field interaction of multifractals is described. In addition small clusters, their characteristic properties and the criterion of stability are presented.

This book summarizes a number of fundamental developments at the interface of granular crystals and the mathematical and computational analysis of some of their key localized nonlinear wave solutions. The subject presents a blend of the appeal of granular crystals as a prototypical engineering tested for a variety of diverse applications, the novelty in the nonlinear physics of its coherent structures, and the tractability of a series of mathematical and computational techniques to analyse them. While the focus is on principal one-dimensional solutions such as shock waves, traveling waves, and discrete breathers, numerous extensions of the discussed patterns, e.g., in two dimensions, chains with defects, heterogeneous settings, and other recent developments are discussed. The emphasis on the subject was motivated by models in condensed matter physics, ferroelectrics, high energy physics, and statistical mechanics, leading to developments in mathematical analysis, numerical computation and insights on the physical aspects of the model. The book appeals to researchers in the field, as well as for graduate and advanced undergraduate students. It will be of interest to mathematicians, physicists and engineers alike.

This thesis describes longitudinal nuclear relaxation measurements of solid 129Xe near 77 K with previously unattainable reproducibility, and demonstrates differences in relaxation, dependent upon the way in which the solid is condensed. These results are directly applicable to the generation and storage of large quantities of hyperpolarized 129Xe for various applications, such as lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The thesis features a sophisticated theoretical approach to these data sets, including modifications to a well-established Raman-phonon scattering theory that may explain the larger scatter in and discrepancies with previous work.

This biography provides a stimulating and coherent blend of scientific and personal narratives describing the many achievements of the theoretical physicist Herbert Fröhlich. For more than half a century, Fröhlich was an internationally renowned and much respected figure who exerted a decisive influence, often as a ‘man ahead of his time’, in fields as diverse as meson theory and biology. Although best known for his contributions to the theory of dielectrics and superconductivity, he worked in many other fields, his most important legacy being the pioneering introduction quantum field-theoretical methods into condensed matter physics in 1952, which revolutionised the subsequent development of the subject. Gerard Hyland has written an absorbing and informative account, in which Herbert Fröhlich’s magnetic personality shines through.

This book describes the physics of the second-generation quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), a fundamental method of analysis for soft matter at interfaces. From a device for measuring film thickness in vacuum, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) has in the past two decades evolved into a versatile instrument for analyzing soft matter at solid/liquid and solid/gas interfaces that found applications in diverse fields including the life sciences, material science, polymer research and electrochemistry. As a consequence of this success, the QCM is now being used by scientists with a wide variety of backgrounds to study an impressive diversity of samples, with intricate data analysis methods being elaborated along the way. It is for these practitioners of the QCM that the book is written. It brings across basic principles behind the technique and the data analysis methods in sufficient detail to be educational and in a format that is accessible to anyone with an undergraduate level knowledge of any of the physical or natural sciences. These principles concern the analysis of acoustic shear waves and build on a number of fundamental physical concepts which many users of the technique do not usually come across. They have counterparts in optical spectroscopy, electrical engineering, quantum mechanics, rheology and mechanics, making this book a useful educational resource beyond the QCM itself. The main focus is the physics of QCM, but as the book describes the behavior of the QCM when exposed to films, droplets, polymer brushes, particles, vesicles, nanobubbles and stick-slip, it also offers insight into the behavior of soft matter at interfaces in a more general sense.

This book provides an insight into current research topics, focusing special attention exactly on welding issues. The presented research work demonstrates that application of synchrotron and neutron radiation in combination with other techniques enables the basic understanding of material-related processes to be extended appreciably. It also shows ways of how to improve new materials and their use in industry. Following on from the 1st workshop in 2009 at BAM Berlin, a 2nd workshop dealing with this subject matter was held in 28-30 November, 2012 in Osaka/Japan with international participation of scientists from sixteen countries. The book includes selected contributions from the various subject blocks, precisely covering issues of practical and immediately implementable benefit to industrial enterprises. Therefore, peer-reviewed papers dealing with the following topics are contained as well: - Phase transformation during welding, metallurgy and material development - Evolution and significance of residual stresses - Investigations into laser and electron beam welding

This book provides a comprehensive and concise description of most important aspects of experimental and theoretical investigations of porous materials and powders, with the use and application of these materials in different fields of science, technology, national economy and environment. It allows the reader to understand the basic regularities of heat and mass transfer and adsorption occurring in qualitatively different porous materials and products, and allows the reader to optimize the functional properties of porous and powdered products and materials. Written in an straightforward and transparent manner, this book is accessible to both experts and those without specialist knowledge, and it is further elucidated by drawings, schemes and photographs. Porous materials and powders with different pore sizes are used in many areas of industry, geology, agriculture and science. These areas include (i) a variety of devices and supplies; (ii) thermal insulation and building materials; (iii) oil-bearing geological, gas-bearing and water-bearing rocks; and (iv) biological objects. Structural Properties of Porous Materials and Powders Used in Different Fields of Science and Technology is intended for a wide-ranging audience specializing in different fields of science and engineering including engineers, geologists, geophysicists, oil and gas producers, agronomists, physiologists, pharmacists, researchers, teachers and students.

This book summarizes the theoretical and experimental studies confirming the concept of the liquid-crystalline nature of boundary lubrication in synovial joints. It is shown that cholesteric liquid crystals in the synovial liquid play a significant role in the mechanism of intra-articular friction reduction. The results of structural, rheological and tribological research of the creation of artificial synovial liquids containing cholesteric liquid crystals in natural synovial liquids are described. These liquid crystals reproduce the lubrication properties of natural synovia and provide a high chondroprotective efficiency. They were tested in osteoarthritis models and in clinical practice.

This book explains the operating principles of atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. The aim of this book is to enable the reader to operate a scanning probe microscope successfully and understand the data obtained with the microscope. The chapters on the scanning probe techniques are complemented by the chapters on fundamentals and important technical aspects. This textbook is primarily aimed at graduate students from physics, materials science, chemistry, nanoscience and engineering, as well as researchers new to the field.

This textbook, now in its third edition, provides a formative introduction to the structure of matter that will serve as a sound basis for students proceeding to more complex courses, thus bridging the gap between elementary physics and topics pertaining to research activities. The focus is deliberately limited to key concepts of atoms, molecules and solids, examining the basic structural aspects without paying detailed attention to the related properties. For many topics the aim has been to start from the beginning and to guide the reader to the threshold of advanced research. This edition includes four new chapters dealing with relevant phases of solid matter (magnetic, electric and superconductive) and the related phase transitions. The book is based on a mixture of theory and solved problems that are integrated into the formal presentation of the arguments. Readers will find it invaluable in enabling them to acquire basic knowledge in the wide and wonderful field of condensed matter and to understand how phenomenological properties originate from the microscopic, quantum features of nature.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

This book describes the dynamics of low molecular weight and polymeric molecules when they are constrained under conditions of geometrical confinement. It covers geometrical confinement in different dimensionalities: (i) in nanometer thin layers or self supporting films (1-dimensional confinement) (ii) in pores or tubes with nanometric diameters (2-dimensional confinement) (iii) as micelles embedded in matrices (3-dimensional) or as nanodroplets. The dynamics under such conditions have been a much discussed and central topic in the focus of intense worldwide research activities within the last two decades. The present book discusses how the resulting molecular mobility is influenced by the subtle counterbalance between surface effects (typically slowing down molecular dynamics through attractive guest/host interactions) and confinement effects (typically increasing the mobility). It also explains how these influences can be modified and tuned, e.g. through appropriate surface coatings, film thicknesses or pore diameters. "Dynamics in Confinement" sums up the present state-of-the-art and introduces to the analytical methods of choice for the study of dynamics in nanometer-scale confinement.

Synergetics is the quantitative study of multicomponent systems that exhibit nonlinear dynamics and cooperativity. This book specifically considers basic models of the nonlinear dynamics of molecular systems and discusses relevant applications in biological physics and the polymer sciences. Emphasis is placed on specific solutions to the dynamical equations that correspond to the coherent formation of spatial-temporal structures, such as solitons, kinks and breathers, in particular. The emergence of these patterns in molecular structures provides a variety of information on their structural properties and plays a significant part in energy transfer processes, topological defects, dislocations, and related structure transitions. Real media, in which solitons take the form of solitary waves, are also considered. In this context, the formation of nonlinear waves in a continuous medium described by nonlinear equations is associated with spontaneous breaking of the local symmetry of the homogeneous system, which produces a range of interesting phenomena. A particular feature of this text is its combination of analytic and computational strategies to tackle difficult nonlinear problems at the molecular level of matter.

Warm Dense Matter (WDM) occupies a loosely defined region of phase space intermediate between solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, and typically shares characteristics of two or more of these phases. WDM is generally associated with the combination of strongly coupled ions and moderately degenerate electrons, and careful attention to quantum physics and electronic structure is essential. The lack of a small perturbation parameter greatly limits approximate attempts at its accurate description. Since WDM resides at the intersection of solid state and high energy density physics, many high energy density physics (HEDP) experiments pass through this difficult region of phase space. Thus, understanding and modeling WDM is key to the success of experiments on diverse facilities. These include the National Ignition Campaign centered on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), pulsed-power driven experiments on the Z machine, ion-beam-driven WDM experiments on the NDCX-II, and fundamental WDM research at the Linear Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Warm Dense Matter is also ubiquitous in planetary science and astrophysics, particularly with respect to unresolved questions concerning the structure and age of the gas giants, the nature of exosolar planets, and the cosmochronology of white dwarf stars. In this book we explore established and promising approaches to the modeling of WDM, foundational issues concerning the correct theoretical description of WDM, and the challenging practical issues of numerically modeling strongly coupled systems with many degrees of freedom.

This thesis explores the dispersion stability, microstructure and phase transitions involved in the nanoclay system. It describes the recently discovered formation of colloidal gels via two routes: the first is through phase separation and second is by equilibrium gelation and includes the first reported experimental observation of a system with high aspect ratio nanodiscs. The phase behavior of anisotropic nanodiscs of different aspect ratio in their individual and mixed states in aqueous and hydrophobic media is investigated. Distinct phase separation, equilibrium fluid and equilibrium gel phases are observed in nanoclay dispersions with extensive aging. The work then explores solution behavior, gelation kinetics, aging dynamics and temperature-induced ordering in the individual and mixed states of these discotic colloids. Anisotropic ordering dynamics induced by a water-air interface, waiting time and temperature in these dispersions were studied in great detail along with aggregation behavior of nanoplatelets in hydrophobic environment of alcohol solutions.

When close to a continuous phase transition, many physical systems can usefully be mapped to ensembles of fluctuating loops, which might represent for example polymer rings, or line defects in a lattice magnet, or worldlines of quantum particles. 'Loop models' provide a unifying geometric language for problems of this kind. This thesis aims to extend this language in two directions. The first part of the thesis tackles ensembles of loops in three dimensions, and relates them to the statistical properties of line defects in disordered media and to critical phenomena in two-dimensional quantum magnets. The second part concerns two-dimensional loop models that lie outside the standard paradigms: new types of critical point are found, and new results given for the universal properties of polymer collapse transitions in two dimensions. All of these problems are shown to be related to sigma models on complex or real projective space, CP^{n−1} or RP^{n−1} -- in some cases in a 'replica' limit -- and this thesis is also an in-depth investigation of critical behaviour in these field theories.

This thesis offers novel insights into the time-dependent structural evolution of polymers under deformation. In-situ tensile experiments at high-brilliance synchrotron sources allowed to characterize the material with unrivaled resolution in time and space. The strain-induced crystallization in natural rubber was studied by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Special emphasis was put on the establishment of new structure-property relationships to give a more in-depth understanding of the mechanical performance of rubber parts, e.g. in tear fatigue loading. To this end, the kinetics of strain-induced crystallization were investigated, subjecting the material to high strain rates. The local structure around a crack tip was observed by scanning wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Ultra-small angle X-ray scattering served to study filled elastomers under deformation, from specially prepared model filler systems to industrially relevant carbon black filled rubbers. Other methods include electron microscopy coupled with in-situ tensile testing and optical dilatometry to examine cavitation in rubbers. The underlying theory as well as a literature review are covered by an extensive introductory chapter, followed by a description of the experimental techniques. The results are presented in more detail than in the original journal publications.

This thesis presents studies on the interaction of soft materials like surfactants and proteins with hard silica nanomaterials. Due to its interdisciplinary nature it combines concepts from the fields of physical chemistry, nanoscience and materials science, yielding to fundamental insights into the structure-directing forces operating at the nano-scale. It is shown that the morphology of surfactant micellar aggregates adsorbed at the surface of nanoparticles and inside tubular nanopores can be tuned on demand by the co-adsorption of a surface modifier. The interaction of globular proteins with silica nanoparticles is dominated by electrostatic interactions and can be controlled by pH and ionic strength, while the bridging of nanoparticles by adsorbed protein molecules leads to large-scale hybrid aggregates of protein with the nanoparticles. Concepts emerging from the role of electrostatic interactions in the hetero-aggregation of nanoparticles with protein molecules are used for the co-assembly of charged microbeads into linear clusters and chains of controllable length.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

This book focuses on the assembly, organization and resultant collective dynamics of soft matter systems maintained away from equilibrium by an energy flux. Living matter is the ultimate example of such systems, which are comprised of different constituents on very different scales (ions, nucleic acids, proteins, cells). The result of their diverse interactions, maintained using the energy from physiological processes, is a fantastically well-organized and dynamic whole. This work describes results from minimal, biomimetic systems and primarily investigates membranes and active emulsions, as well as key aspects of both soft matter and non-equilibrium phenomena. It is shown that these minimal reconstitutions are already capable of a range of complex behaviour such as nonlinear electric responses, chemical communication and locomotion. These studies will bring us closer to a fundamental understanding of complex systems by reconstituting key aspects of their form and function in simple model systems. Further, they may also serve as the first technological steps towards artificial soft functional matter.

This book presents a modern and systematic approach to Linear Response Theory (LRT) by combining analytic and algebraic ideas. LRT is a tool to study systems that are driven out of equilibrium by external perturbations. In particular the reader is provided with a new and robust tool to implement LRT for a wide array of systems. The proposed formalism in fact applies to periodic and random systems in the discrete and the continuum. After a short introduction describing the structure of the book, its aim and motivation, the basic elements of the theory are presented in chapter 2. The mathematical framework of the theory is outlined in chapters 3-5: the relevant von Neumann algebras, noncommutative $L^p$- and Sobolev spaces are introduced; their construction is then made explicit for common physical systems; the notion of isopectral perturbations and the associated dynamics are studied. Chapter 6 is dedicated to the main results, proofs of the Kubo and Kubo-Streda formulas. The book closes with a chapter about possible future developments and applications of the theory to periodic light conductors. The book addresses a wide audience of mathematical physicists, focusing on the conceptual aspects rather than technical details and making algebraic methods accessible to analysts.

Ultrafast science has long been limited to the investigation of molecular processes. Over the past 10 years investigation of ultrafast processes has expanded to material science, including aspects relevant to the solid-state such as excitation of electrons in band structures and collective phonon excitation. Specific probes for electronic and structural reorganization, such as X-ray diffraction and ARPES, have been advanced. Furthermore, experimental techniques including XFEL science, THz science and various pump-probe methods, as well as the theoretical understanding of ultrafast, out-of-equilibrium and multiscale processes driven by light or THz excitation, have seen rapid development. This volume brings together a complementarity of internationally-leading experimental material scientists and theoreticians in this field to explore and exchange their ideas about the key aspects of ultrafast science, designing new ways to control materials and understanding transformation processes. The topics covered include: Material science: ultrafast transformation, electron-phonon coupling, multi-scale aspects Theory of out of equilibrium light-induced phenomena Optical excitation processes THz and laser field excitation processes