This book aims to integrate, in a pedagogical and technical manner, with detailed derivations, all essential principles of fundamental theoretical physics as developed over the past 100 years. It covers: Quantum physics and Stability Problems in the Quantum World, Minkowski Spacetime Physics Particle Classifications and Underlying Symmetries, Symmetry Violations, Quantum Field Theory of Particle Interactions, Higgs Field Physics, Supersymmetry: A Theory with Mathematical Beauty Superstrings, Gravity and Supergravity, General Relativity Predictions, including Frame Dragging, Intricacies of Black Hole Physics, Perturbative and Non-perturbative Quantum Gravity Intricacies of Modern Cosmology, including Inflation and Power Spectrum If you are in the process of learning, or are lecturing on, any of the subjects above, then this is your book - irrespective of your specialty. With over-specialization and no time to master all the fields given above, students, and perhaps many physicists, may find it difficult to keep up with all the exciting developments going on, and are even less familiar with their underlying technicalities: e.g. they might have heard that the Universe is 13.8 billion years old, but have no idea on how this number is actually computed. This unique book will be of great value to graduate students, instructors and researchers interested in the intricacies and derivations of the many aspects of modern fundamental theoretical physics. And, although a graduate level book, some chapters may also be suitable for advanced undergraduates in their final year.

This book delves into finite mathematics and its application in physics, particularly quantum theory. It is shown that quantum theory based on finite mathematics is more general than standard quantum theory, whilst finite mathematics is itself more general than standard mathematics.As a consequence, the mathematics describing nature at the most fundamental level involves only a finite number of numbers while the notions of limit, infinite/infinitesimal and continuity are needed only in calculations that describe nature approximately. It is also shown that the concepts of particle and antiparticle are likewise approximate notions, valid only in special situations, and that the electric charge and baryon- and lepton quantum numbers can be only approximately conserved.

Based on Prof. Lust's Masters course at the University of Munich, this book begins with a short introduction to general relativity. It then presents black hole solutions, and discusses Penrose diagrams, black hole thermodynamics and entropy, the Unruh effect, Hawking radiation, the black hole information problem, black holes in supergravity and string theory, the black hole microstate counting in string theory, asymptotic symmetries in general relativity, and a particular quantum model for black holes. The book offers an up-to-date summary of all the pertinent questions in this highly active field of physics, and is ideal reading for graduate students and young researchers.

This volume offers an integrated understanding of how the theory of general relativity gained momentum after Einstein had formulated it in 1915. Chapters focus on the early reception of the theory in physics and philosophy and on the systematic questions that emerged shortly after Einstein's momentous discovery. They are written by physicists, historians of science, and philosophers, and were originally presented at the conference titled Thinking About Space and Time: 100 Years of Applying and Interpreting General Relativity, held at the University of Bern from September 12-14, 2017. By establishing the historical context first, and then moving into more philosophical chapters, this volume will provide readers with a more complete understanding of early applications of general relativity (e.g., to cosmology) and of related philosophical issues. Because the chapters are often cross-disciplinary, they cover a wide variety of topics related to the general theory of relativity. These include: Heuristics used in the discovery of general relativity Mach's Principle The structure of Einstein's theory Cosmology and the Einstein world Stability of cosmological models The metaphysical nature of spacetime The relationship between spacetime and dynamics The Geodesic Principle Symmetries Thinking About Space and Time will be a valuable resource for historians of science and philosophers who seek a deeper knowledge of the (early and later) uses of general relativity, as well as for physicists and mathematicians interested in exploring the wider historical and philosophical context of Einstein's theory.

Starting from Newton's times this follow-up to the author's Springer book "Our Place in the Universe - Understanding Fundamental Astronomy from Ancient Discoveries" addresses the question of "our place in the Universe" from astronomical, physical, chemical, biological, philosophical and social perspectives. Using the history of astronomy to illustrate the process of discovery, the emphasis is on the description of the process of how we learned and on the exploration of the impacts of discoveries rather than on the presentation of facts. Thus readers are informed of the influence of science on a broad scale. Unlike the traditional way of teaching science, in this book, the author begins by describing the observations and then discusses various attempts to find answers (including unsuccessful ones). The goal is to help students develop a better appreciation of the scientific process and learn from this process to tackle real-life problems.

The successes of the standard models of particle physics and cosmology are many, but have proven incapable of explaining all the phenomena that we observe. This book investigates the potentially important role of quantum physics, particularly quantum anomalies, in various aspects of modern cosmology, such as inflation, the dynamical generation of the visible and dark matter in the universe, and gravitational waves. By doing so, the authors demonstrate that exploring the links between cosmology and particle physics is key to helping solve the mysteries of our Universe.

This book presents the proceedings of The International Workshop on Frontiers in High Energy Physics (FHEP 2019), held in Hyderabad, India. It highlights recent, exciting experimental findings from LHC, KEK, LIGO and several other facilities, and discusses new ideas for the unified treatment of cosmology and particle physics and in the light of new observations, which could pave the way for a better understanding of the universe we live in. As such, the book provides a platform to foster collaboration in order to provide insights into this important field of physics.

This book is a tribute to the scientific legacy of GianCarlo Ghirardi, who was one of the most influential scientists in the field of modern foundations of quantum theory. In this appraisal, contributions from friends, collaborators and colleagues reflect the influence of his world of thoughts on theory, experiments and philosophy, while also offering prospects for future research in the foundations of quantum physics. The themes of the contributions revolve around the physical reality of the wave function and its notorious collapse, randomness, relativity and experiments.

This book is about supergravity, which combines the principles of general relativity and local gauge invariance with the idea of supersymmetries between bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom. The authors give a thorough and pedagogical introduction to the subject suitable for beginning graduate or advanced undergraduate students in theoretical high energy physics or mathematical physics. Interested researchers working in these or related areas are also addressed. The level of the presentation assumes a working knowledge of general relativity and basic notions of differential geometry as well as some familiarity with global supersymmetry in relativistic field theories. Bypassing curved superspace and other more technical approaches, the book starts from the simple idea of supersymmetry as a local gauge symmetry and derives the mathematical and physical properties of supergravity in a direct and "minimalistic" way, using a combination of explicit computations and geometrical reasoning. Key topics include spinors in curved spacetime, pure supergravity with and without a cosmological constant, matter couplings in global and local supersymmetry, phenomenological and cosmological implications, extended supergravity, gauged supergravity and supergravity in higher spacetime dimensions.

Der Wunsch nach einem Verstandnis von Einsteins Theorien ist unter naturwissenschaftlich Interessierten weit verbreitet - und bleibt doch meist unerfullt. Dieses Buch bietet nun eine einzigartige neue Chance: Mit anschaulichen Gedankenexperimenten, exakten Abbildungen, treffenden Analogien und mit strikt auf Mittelschulmathematik beschrankten Rechenschritten werden Sie behutsam in die immer wieder faszinierende Welt der Relativitatstheorien gefuhrt. Sachlich, grundlich und dennoch faszinierend werden die Zeitdehnung, das Zwillingsparadoxon, Schwarze Locher oder die Rotverschiebung des Lichts dargestellt, daneben viele weitere relativistische Effekte, die Ihnen hier erstmals mit ganz einfachen mathematischen Werkzeugen zuganglich gemacht werden.

..". das Buch ist sehr empfehlenswert: Der gesamte Text ist klar, ausfuhrlich und verstandlich geschrieben."

"Ein ausserst gelungenes Buch also, das halt, was es im Untertitel verspricht ..."

Stephan Edinger, Sterne und Weltraum, Mai 2008"

This book seeks to present a new way of thinking about the interaction of gravitational fields with quantum systems. Despite the massive amounts of research and experimentation, the myriad meetings, seminars and conferences, all of the articles, treatises and books, and the seemingly endless theorization, quantization and just plain speculation that have been engaged in regarding our evolving understanding of the quantum world, that world remains an enigma, even to the experts. The usefulness of general relativity in this regard has proven to be imperfect at best, but there is a new approach. We do not simply have to accept the limitations of Einstein's most celebrated theorem in regard to quantum theory; we can also embrace them, and thereby utilize them, to reveal new facts about the behavior of quantum systems within inertial and gravitational fields, and therefore about the very structure of space-time at the quantum level. By taking existing knowledge of the essential functionality of spin (along with the careful identification of the omnipresent inertial effects) and applying it to the quantum world, the book gives the reader a much clearer picture of the difference between the classical and quantum behaviors of a particle, shows that Einstein's ideas may not be as incompatible within this realm as many have come to believe, sparks new revelations of the way in which gravity affects quantum systems and brings a new level of efficiency-quantum efficiency, if you will-to the study of gravitational theory.

The three neutrinos are ghostly elementary particles that exist all across the Universe. Though every second billions of them fly through us, they are extremely hard to detect. We used to think they had no mass, but recently discovered that in fact they have a tiny mass. The quest for the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering (specifying how the three masses are distributed) is an extremely exciting one, and will open the door towards new physics operating at energy scales we can only ever dream of reaching on Earth. This thesis explores the use of measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (the oldest light reaching us, a snapshot of the infant Universe) and maps of millions of galaxies to go after the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering. Neutrinos might teach us something about the mysterious dark energy powering the accelerated expansion of the Universe, or about cosmic inflation, which seeded the initial conditions for the Universe. Though extremely baffling, neutrinos are also an exceptionally exciting area of research, and cosmological observations promise to reveal a great deal about these elusive particles in the coming years.

This engaging text takes the reader along the trail of light from Newton's particles to Einstein's relativity. Like the best detective stories, it presents clues and encourages the reader to draw conclusions before the answers are revealed. The first seven chapters cover the behavior of light, Newton's particle theory, waves and an electromagnetic wave theory of light, the photon, and wave-particle duality. Baierlein goes on to develop the special theory of relativity, showing how time dilation and length contraction are consequences of the two simple principles underlying the theory. An extensive chapter derives the equation E = mc2 clearly from first principles and then explores its consequences.

This book presents the basic fundamentals of descriptive archaeoastronomy and its application to the astronomical descriptions found in ancient Indian scriptures. Archaeoastronomy is a branch of positional astronomy that helps to determine the epochs of ancient astronomical alignments and special astronomical events. In this book, only the descriptions of special stellar alignments and events found in ancient texts can identify the antiquity of the descriptions. India possesses a large volume of ancient scriptures like Vedas and Puranas which contain many astronomical descriptions as in ancient India positional astronomy was well developed. The antiquities of these texts are determined through archaeoastronomical techniques. Major events like Mahabharata War are dated and using these dates a chronology of ancient India is determined. The astronomically determined chronology is compared with the results from various archaeological, palaeoclimatological, geological and genealogical investigations of ancient India. This introductory book interests readers interested in unveiling the mystery involved with the protohistory of this ancient civilization.

The greatest challenge in fundamental physics attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity in a theory of "quantum gravity." The project suggests a profound revision of the notions of space, time and matter. It has become a key topic of debate and collaboration between physicists and philosophers. This volume collects classic and original contributions from leading experts in both fields for a provocative discussion of the issues. It contains accessible introductions to the main and less-well-known known approaches to quantum gravity. It includes exciting topics such as the fate of spacetime in various theories, the so-called "problem of time" in canonical quantum gravity, black hole thermodynamics, and the relationship between the interpretation of quantum theory and quantum gravity. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the profound implications of trying to marry the two most important theories in physics.

Graduate students and researchers in astrophysics and cosmology need a solid grasp of a wide range of physical processes. This authoritative textbook helps readers develop the necessary toolkit of theory. The book is modular in design, allowing the reader to pick and chose a selection of chapters, if necessary. After reviewing the basics of dynamics, electromagnetic theory, and statistical physics, the book carefully develops a solid understanding of radiative processes, spectra, fluid mechanics, plasma physics and MHD, dynamics of gravitating systems, general relativity, nuclear physics, and other key concepts. Throughout, the reader's understanding is developed and tested with problems and helpful hints. This welcome volume provides graduate students with an indispensable introduction to and reference on all the physical processes they will need to successfully tackle cutting-edge research in astrophysics and cosmology. It can be used alone or in conjunction with two companion volumes, which cover stars and stellar systems, and galaxies and cosmology (both forthcoming).

This book presents a collection of focused review papers on the advances in topics in modern astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology and planetary science. The chapters are written by expert members of an EU-funded ERASMUS+ program of strategic partnership between several European institutes. The 13 reviews comprise the topics: Space debris, optical measurements Meteors, light from comets and asteroids Extrasolar enigmas: from disintegrating exoplanets to exo-asteroids Physical conditions and chemical abundances in photoionized nebulae from optical spectra Observational Constraints on the Common Envelope Phase A modern guide to quantitative spectroscopy of massive OB stars Explosion mechanisms of core-collapse supernovae and their observational signatures Low-mass and substellar eclipsing binaries in stellar clusters Globular cluster systems and Galaxy Formation Hot atmospheres of galaxies, groups, and clusters of galaxies The establishment of the Standard Cosmological Model through observations Exploiting solar visible-range observations by inversion techniques: from flows in the solar subsurface to a flaring atmosphere Starburst galaxies The book is intended for the general astronomical community as well as for advanced students who could use it as a guideline, inspiration and overview for their future careers in astronomy.

Astronomy in the Inca Empire was a robust and fundamental practice. The subsequent Spanish conquest of the Andes region disrupted much of this indigenous culture and resulted in a significant loss of information about its rich history. Through modern archaeoastronomy, this book helps recover and interpret some of these elements of Inca civilization. Astronomy was intricately woven into the very fabric of Andean existence and daily life. Accordingly, the text takes a holistic approach to its research, considering first and foremost the cultural context of each astronomy-related site. The chapters necessarily start with a history of the Incas from the beginning of their empire through the completion of the conquest by Spain before diving into an astronomical and cultural analysis of many of the huacas found in the heart of the Inca Empire. Over 300 color images-original artwork and many photos captured during the author's extensive field research in Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Cusco, and elsewhere-are included throughout the book, adding visual insight to a rigorous examination of Inca astronomical sites and history.

In this comprehensive and interdisciplinary volume, former NASA Chief Historian Steven Dick reflects on the exploration of space, astrobiology and its implications, cosmic evolution, astronomical institutions, discovering and classifying the cosmos, and the philosophy of astronomy. The unifying theme of the book is the connection between cosmos and culture, or what Carl Sagan many years ago called the "cosmic connection." As both an astronomer and historian of science, Dr. Dick has been both a witness to and a participant in many of the astronomical events of the last half century. This collection of papers presents his reflections over the last forty years in a way accessible to historians, philosophers, and scientists alike. From the search for alien life to ongoing space exploration efforts, readers will find this volume full of engaging topics relevant to science, society, and our collective future on planet Earth and beyond.

This monograph provides an introduction to deformations of Poincare symmetries focusing on models with a Lie group momentum space and associated non-commutative space-times. The emphasis is put on the emergence of such structures from quantum gravity, their mathematical features described in terms of Hopf algebras and applications to particle kinematics and field theory. Part I of this work focuses on the link between gravity and deformed symmetries in the case of 2+1 and 3+1 space-time dimensions. Part II is devoted to the description of classical particles with group valued momenta, their phase spaces and kinematics. The last part of these notes provides an introduction to the basic features of classical and quantum field theory on -Minkowski space-time, the prototypical example of non-commutative space-time exhibiting deformed Poincare symmetry. The text, being the first providing a detailed overview of these topics, is primarily intended for researchers and graduate students interested in non-commutative field theories and quantum gravity phenomenology.

This book consolidates the latest research on the Hadean Eon - the first 500 million years of Earth history - which has permitted hypotheses of early Earth evolution to be tested, including geophysical models that include the possibility of plate tectonic-like behavior. These new observations challenge the longstanding Hadean paradigm - based on no observational evidence - of a desiccated, lifeless, continent-free wasteland in which surface petrogenesis was largely due to extraterrestrial impacts. The eon was termed "Hadean" to reflect such a hellish environment. That view began to be challenged in 2001 as results of geochemical analyses of greater than 4 billion year old zircons from Australia emerged. These data were consistent with the zircons forming in a world much more similar to today than long thought and interpreted to indicate that sediment cycling was occurring in the presence of liquid water. This new view leaves open the possibility that life could have emerged shortly after Earth accretion. The epistemic limitations under which the old paradigm persisted are closely examined. The book is principally designed as a monograph but has the potential to be used as a text for advanced graduate courses on early Earth evolution.

This book focuses on a critical discussion of the status and prospects of current approaches in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory, in particular concerning gravity. It contains a carefully selected cross-section of lectures and discussions at the seventh conference "Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity" which took place in fall 2018 at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig. In contrast to usual proceeding volumes, instead of reporting on the most recent technical results, contributors were asked to discuss visions and new ideas in foundational physics, in particular concerning foundations of quantum field theory. A special focus has been put on the question of which physical principles of quantum (field) theory can be considered fundamental in view of gravity. The book is mainly addressed to mathematicians and physicists who are interested in fundamental questions of mathematical physics. It allows the reader to obtain a broad and up-to-date overview of a fascinating active research area.

The problem of quantum gravity is often viewed as the most pressing unresolved problem of modern physics: our theories of spacetime and matter, described respectively by general relativity (Einstein's theory of gravitation and spacetime) and quantum mechanics (our best theory of matter and the other forces of nature) resist unification. Covered with Deep Mist provides the first book-length treatment of the history of quantum gravity, focusing on its origins and earliest stages of development until the mid-1950s. Readers will be guided through the impacts on the problem of quantum gravity resulting from changes in the two ingredient theories, quantum theory and general relativity, which were themselves still under construction in the years studied. We examine how several of the core approaches of today were formed in an era when the field was highly unfashionable. The book aims to be accessible to a broad range of readers and goes beyond a merely technical examination to include social and cultural factors involved in the changing fortunes of the field. Suitable for both newcomers and seasoned quantum gravity professionals, the book will shine new light on this century-old, unresolved problem.

This work is an introduction to the totality of the metaphysical philosophy of nature of Hedwig Conrad-Martius (1888-1966). Her own training and inclination as a realist phenomenologist enables a unique perspective on central issues in modern and contemporary (twentieth century) theoretical biology and physics. Here we find novel theories of, e.g., space and time, as well as development and evolution. This work is thus of interest to anyone studying the history of the phenomenological movement as well as religious cosmology. The philosophical basis for this cosmology is Conrad-Martius' "realontology" which is a phenomenological account of the essence of appearing reality. The full elaboration of the modes of appearing of what is real enables the unfolding of an analogical theory of "selfness" within the order of nature culminating in an account of the coming to be of humans, for whom there is an essentially distinctive world- and self-manifestation for which she reserves the term "spirit." Key to her position is the revival of ancient metaphysical themes in new transformed guises, especially potentiality and entelechy. Nature's status, as a self-actuation of world-constituting essence-entelechies, places Conrad-Martius in the middle of philosophical-theological discussions of, e.g., the hermeneutical mandate of demythologization as well as the nature of evolution. Of special interest is her insistence on both nature's self-actuating and evolving powers and a robust theory of creation.

Modern research has demonstrated that many stars are surrounded by planets-some of which might contain the right conditions to harbor life. This has only reinforced a question that has been tormenting scientists, philosophers and priests since Antiquity: Are there other inhabited worlds beyond our own? This book analyzes the many ways that humans have argued for and depicted extraterrestrial life over the centuries. The first known texts about the subject date from as early as the 6th century BC. Since that time, countless well-known historical characters like Lucretius, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Cusanus, Bruno, Kepler, Descartes, and Huygens contributed to the debate; here, their lesser known opinions on the subject are studied in detail. It is often difficult for the modern mind to follow the thinking of our ancestors, which can only be understood when placed in the relevant context. The book thus extends its scope to the evolution of ideas about cosmology in general, as well as the culture in which these great thinkers wrote. The research is presented with the author's insights and humor, making this an easy and enjoyable read.