Why do elephants have sturdier thigh bones than humans? Why can't ostriches fly? How do bacteria swim through fluids? With each chapter structured around relevant biological case studies and examples, this engaging, full-colour book introduces fundamental physical concepts essential in the study of biological phenomena. Optics is introduced within the context of butterfly wing colouration, electricity is explained through the propagation of nerve signals, and accelerated motion is conveniently illustrated using the example of the jumping armadillo. Other key physical concepts covered include waves, mechanical forces, thermodynamics and magnetism, and important biological techniques are also discussed within this context, such as gel electrophoresis and fluorescence microscopy. A detailed appendix provides further discussion of the mathematical concepts utilised within the book, and numerous exercises and quizzes allow readers to test their understanding of key concepts. This book is invaluable to students aiming to improve their quantitative and analytical skills and understand the deeper nature of biological phenomena.

This introduction to dimensional analysis covers the methods, history and formalisation of the field, and provides physics and engineering applications. Covering topics from mechanics, hydro- and electrodynamics to thermal and quantum physics, it illustrates the possibilities and limitations of dimensional analysis. Introducing basic physics and fluid engineering topics through the mathematical methods of dimensional analysis, this book is perfect for students in physics, engineering and mathematics. Explaining potentially unfamiliar concepts such as viscosity and diffusivity, the text includes worked examples and end-of-chapter problems with answers provided in an accompanying appendix, which help make it ideal for self-study. Long-standing methodological problems arising in popular presentations of dimensional analysis are also identified and solved, making the book a useful text for advanced students and professionals.

Changes and additions to the new edition of this classic textbook include a new chapter on symmetries, new problems and examples, improved explanations, more numerical problems to be worked on a computer, new applications to solid state physics, and consolidated treatment of time-dependent potentials.

In this introductory textbook, thermodynamics is presented as a natural extension of mechanics, so that the laws and concepts learned in mechanics serve to get acquainted with the theory. The foundations of thermodynamics are presented in the first part. The second part covers a wide range of applications, which are of central importance in the fields of physics, chemistry and engineering, including calorimetry, phase transitions, heat engines and chemical reactions. In the third part, devoted to continuous media, Fourier and Fick's laws, diffusion equations and many transport effects are derived using a unified approach. Each chapter concludes with a selection of worked examples and several exercises, to reinforce key concepts under discussion. A full solutions manual is available at the end of the book. It contains more than 150 problems based on contemporary issues faced by scientists and engineers that are solved in detail for undergraduate and graduate students.

Geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this outstanding text surveys aeroelastic problems, their historical background, basic physical concepts, and the principles of analysis. It has also proven highly useful to designers and engineers concerned with flutter, structural dynamics, flight loads, and related subjects.

Do you want to deepen your understanding of complex systems and design integrated circuits more quickly? Learn how with this step-by-step guide that shows, from first principles, how to employ estimation techniques to analyze and solve complex problems in IC design using a simplified modeling approach. Applications are richly illustrated using real-world examples from across IC design, from simple circuit theory, to the electromagnetic effects and high frequency design, and systems such as data converters and phase-locked loops. Basic concepts like inductance and capacitance are related to one other and other RF phenomena inside a modern chip, enhancing understanding without the need for simulators. Use the easy-to-follow models presented to start designing your own products, from inductors and amplifiers to more complex systems. Whether you are an early-career professional or researcher, graduate student, or established IC engineer looking to reduce your reliance on commercial software packages, this is essential reading.

The 'go-to' text for non-specialists requiring a serious introduction to radio. Designed for those without a specialist theoretical background in electronic and electromagnetic engineering, it uses a holistic, physics-based approach to describe the theory underpinning radio science and engineering. It covers a wide range of topics, from fundamentals such as radio wave theory, the electronics of radio, antennas, and radio wave propagation, to software radio, spread spectrum, and MIMO. With a wealth of practical exercises and examples accompanying the book online, this is the ideal text for graduate students, professionals and researchers who work on radio systems and need to understand both the science and practice of radio.

This work summarises the salient features of current and planned experiments into multiquark hadrons, describing various inroads to accommodate them within a theoretical framework. At a pedagogical level, authors review the salient aspects of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of strong interactions, which has been brought to the fore by high-energy physics experiments over recent decades. Compact diquarks as building blocks of a new spectroscopy are presented and confronted with alternative explanations of the XYZ resonances. Ways to distinguish among theoretical alternatives are illustrated, to be tested with the help of high luminosity LHC, electron-positron colliders, and the proposed Tera-Z colliders. Non-perturbative treatments of multiquark hadrons, such as large N expansion, lattice QCD simulations, and predictions about doubly heavy multiquarks are reviewed in considerable detail. With a broad appeal across high-energy physics, this work is pertinent to researchers focused on experiments, phenomenology or lattice QCD.

Understand the fundamental concepts, theoretical background, major experimental observations, and device applications of graphene photonics with this self-contained text. Systematically and rigorously developing each concept and theoretical model from the ground up, it guides readers through the major topics, from basic properties and band structure to electronic, optical, optoelectronic, and nonlinear optical properties, and plasmonics and photonic devices. The connections between theory, modeling, experiment, and device concepts are demonstrated throughout, and every optical process is analyzed through formal electromagnetic analysis. Suitable for both self-study and a one-semester or one-quarter course, this is the ideal text for graduate students and researchers in photonics, optoelectronics, nanoscience and nanotechnology, and optical and solid-state physics, who are working in this rapidly developing field.

An authoritative exposition of the methods at the heart of modern non-stationary signal processing from a recognised leader in the field. Offering a global view that favours interpretations and historical perspectives, it explores the basic concepts of time-frequency analysis, and examines the most recent results and developments in the field in the context of existing, lesser-known approaches. Several example waveform families from bioacoustics, mathematics and physics are examined in detail, with the methods for their analysis explained using a wealth of illustrative examples. Methods are discussed in terms of analysis, geometry and statistics. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to understand the 'why and how' of important methodological developments in time-frequency analysis, including academics and graduate students in signal processing and applied mathematics, as well as application-oriented scientists.

Handbook of Optical Sensors provides a comprehensive and integrated view of optical sensors, addressing the fundamentals, structures, technologies, applications, and future perspectives. Featuring chapters authored by recognized experts and major contributors to the field, this essential reference: Explains the basic aspects of optical sensors and the principles of optical metrology, presenting a brief historical review Explores the role of optical waveguides in sensing and discusses sensor technologies based on intensity and phase modulation, fluorescence, and plasmonic waves Describes wavefront sensing, multiphoton microscopy, and imaging based on optical coherence tomography Covers optical fiber sensing, from light guiding in standard and microstructured optical fibers to sensor multiplexing, distributed sensing, and fiber Bragg grating Offers a broad perspective of the field and identifies trends that could shape the future, such as metamaterials and entangled quantum states of light Handbook of Optical Sensors is an ideal resource for practitioners and those seeking optical solutions for their specific needs, as well as for students and investigators who are the intellectual driving force of optical sensing.

Fiber reinforced composite materials encompass a wide range of material classes from reinforced glasses, plastics, and rubbers through to more recently developed metals and ceramics. Fundamentals of Fibre Reinforced Composite Materials is a comprehensive and authoritative book that introduces the topic with a brief history of composite development, a review of composite applications, the types of fibre used, and their respective indiviual properties. An entire chapter considers organic matrices and their behavior, reviewing all of the most commonly encountered polymer matrix systems. Composite manufacturing techniques are then discussed, including those methods employed in the production of advanced metal and ceramic matrix composites.
The remaining chapters are devoted primarily to theoretical treatments of composite behavior, with emphasis on the understanding of damage mechanisms such as cracking, delamination, and fibre breakage. Where a mathematical approach is required, an attempt is made to relate the sometimes rather abstract notions back at the structure of the material being discussed.
With extensive sets of sample problems accompanying each chapter, Fundamentals of Fibre Reinforced Composite Materials is ideally suited to undergraduate and graduate students of materials science, structural, mechanical, and aeronautical engineering, polymer science, metallurgy, physics and chemistry. It will also be of use as a reference to researchers working with composite materials and material scientists in general.

Why do elephants have sturdier thigh bones than humans? Why can't ostriches fly? How do bacteria swim through fluids? With each chapter structured around relevant biological case studies and examples, this engaging, full-colour book introduces fundamental physical concepts essential in the study of biological phenomena. Optics is introduced within the context of butterfly wing colouration, electricity is explained through the propagation of nerve signals, and accelerated motion is conveniently illustrated using the example of the jumping armadillo. Other key physical concepts covered include waves, mechanical forces, thermodynamics and magnetism, and important biological techniques are also discussed within this context, such as gel electrophoresis and fluorescence microscopy. A detailed appendix provides further discussion of the mathematical concepts utilised within the book, and numerous exercises and quizzes allow readers to test their understanding of key concepts. This book is invaluable to students aiming to improve their quantitative and analytical skills and understand the deeper nature of biological phenomena.

Aiming to bridge the gap in understanding between professional electrochemists and hard-core semiconductor physicists and material scientists, this book examines the science and technology of semiconductor electrode-positioning. Summarizing state-of-the-art information concerning a wide variety of semiconductors, it reviews fundamental electrodeposition concepts and terminology.

The vital interconnections that rivers share with the land, the sky, and us Rivers are essential to civilization and even life itself, yet how many of us truly understand how they work? Why do rivers run where they do? Where do their waters actually come from? How can the same river flood one year and then dry up the next? Where the River Flows takes you on a majestic journey along the planet's waterways, providing a scientist's reflections on the vital interconnections that rivers share with the land, the sky, and us. Sean Fleming draws on examples ranging from common backyard creeks to powerful and evocative rivers like the Mississippi, Yangtze, Thames, and Congo. Each chapter looks at a particular aspect of rivers through the lens of applied physics, using abundant graphics and intuitive analogies to explore the surprising connections between watershed hydrology and the world around us. Fleming explains how river flows fluctuate like stock markets, what "digital rainbows" can tell us about climate change and its effects on water supply, how building virtual watersheds in silicon may help avoid the predicted water wars of the twenty-first century, and much more. Along the way, you will learn what some of the most exciting ideas in science--such as communications theory, fractals, and even artificial life--reveal about the life of rivers. Where the River Flows offers a new understanding of the profound interrelationships that rivers have with landscapes, ecosystems, and societies, and shows how startling new insights are possible when scientists are willing to think outside the disciplinary box.

Essential background reading for engineers and scientists working in such fields as communications, control, signal, and image processing, radar and sonar, radio astronomy, seismology, remote sensing, and instrumentation. The book can be used as a textbook for a single course, as well as a combination of an introductory and an advanced course, or even for two separate courses, one in signal detection, the other in estimation.

Solar energy conversion plays a very important role in the rapid introduction of renewable energy, which is essential to meet future energy demands without further polluting the environment, but current solar panels based on silicon are expensive due to the cost of raw materials and high energy consumption during production. The way forward is to move towards thin-film solar cells using alternative materials and low-cost manufacturing methods. The photovoltaic community is actively researching thin-film solar cells based on amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and dye-sensitised and organic materials. However, progress has been slow due to a lack of proper understanding of the physics behind these devices. This book concentrates on the latest developments and attempts to improve our understanding of solid-state device physics. The material presented is mainly experimental and based on CdTe thin-film solar cells. The author extends these new findings to CIGS thin-film solar cells and presents a new device design based on graded bandgap multi-layer solar cells. This design has been experimentally tested using the well-researched GaAs/AlGaAs system, and initial devices have shown impressive device parameters. These devices are capable of absorbing all radiation (UV, visible and infra-red) within the solar spectrum and combine "impact ionisation" and "impurity photovoltaic" effects. The improved device understanding presented in this book should impact and guide future photovoltaic device development and low-cost thin-film solar panel manufacture. This new edition features an additional chapter besides exercises and their solutions, which will be useful for academics teaching in this field.

Quantum mechanics is traditionally associated with microscopic systems; however, quantum concepts have also been successfully applied to a diverse range of macroscopic systems both within and outside of physics. This book describes how complex systems from a variety of fields can be modelled using quantum mechanical principles; from biology and ecology, to sociology and decision-making. The mathematical basis of these models is covered in detail, furnishing a self-contained and consistent approach. This book provides unique insight into the dynamics of these macroscopic systems and opens new interdisciplinary research frontiers. It will be an essential resource for students and researchers in applied mathematics or theoretical physics who are interested in applying quantum mechanics to dynamical systems in the social, biological or ecological sciences.

One of the questions about which humanity has often wondered is the arrow of time. Why does temporal evolution seem irreversible? That is, we often see objects break into pieces, but we never see them reconstitute spontaneously. This observation was first put into scientific terms by the so-called second law of thermodynamics: entropy never decreases. However, this law does not explain the origin of irreversibly; it only quantifies it. Kinetic theory gives a consistent explanation of irreversibility based on a statistical description of the motion of electrons, atoms, and molecules. The concepts of kinetic theory have been applied to innumerable situations including electronics, the production of particles in the early universe, the dynamics of astrophysical plasmas, quantum gases or the motion of small microorganisms in water, with excellent quantitative agreement. This book presents the fundamentals of kinetic theory, considering classical paradigmatic examples as well as modern applications. It covers the most important systems where kinetic theory is applied, explaining their major features. The text is balanced between exploring the fundamental concepts of kinetic theory (irreversibility, transport processes, separation of time scales, conservations, coarse graining, distribution functions, etc.) and the results and predictions of the theory, where the relevant properties of different systems are computed.

The book allows the reader to have a basic understanding of the structure and properties of nanoscale materials routinely used in nanotechnology-based research and industries. To add, the book describes the operation of nanoscale transistors and the processes used to fabricate the devices. Additionally, it presents research involving the use of carbon nanotubes, graphene, and molecules to create non-silicon based electronic devices. It aims to provide an understanding of the operation of the most frequently used fabrication and characterization procedures, such as scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, etch, e-beam lithography, and photolithography. Provides explanations of the common techniques used in nanofabrication. Focuses on nanomaterials that are almost exclusively used in academic research and incorporated in consumer materials, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanoparticles, quantum dots, and conductive polymers. Each chapter begins with a list of key objectives describing major content covered. Includes end-of-chapter questions to reinforce chapter content.

Presented in two volumes, The Physics of Astrophysics is ideally suited for a year-long astrophysics course for university seniors and first-year graduate students. This second volume deals with the interactions of matter and radiation, and electromagnetic fields of macroscopic scale in both the strongly collisional and collisionless regimes. It covers such fields as single-fluid theory, including radiative processes; waves, shocks, and fronts; magnetohydrodynamics and plasma physics; as well as their applications to such topics as self-gravitating spherical masses, accretion disks, spiral density waves, star formation, and dynamo theory. Over two hundred photos, line drawings, and tables amplify the major points of the text.

Impedance Spectroscopy is a powerful measurement method used in many application fields such as electrochemistry, material science, biology and medicine, semiconductor industry and sensors. Using the complex impedance at various frequencies increases the informational basis that can be gained during a measurement. It helps to separate different effects that contribute to a measurement and, together with advanced mathematical methods, non-accessible quantities can be calculated. This book is the fourth in the series Lecture Notes on Impedance Spectroscopy (LNIS). The series covers new advances in the field of impedance spectroscopy including fundamentals, methods and applications. It releases scientific contributions from the International Workshop on Impedance Spectroscopy (IWIS) as extended chapters including detailed information about recent scientific research results. This book is of interest to graduated students, engineers, researchers and specialists dealing with impedance spectroscopy. It includes fundamentals of impedance spectroscopy as well as specific theoretical and practical aspects from many applications in various fields.

A comprehensive guide to data analysis techniques for physical scientists, providing a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as seasoned researchers. The book begins with an extensive discussion of the foundational concepts and methods of probability and statistics under both the frequentist and Bayesian interpretations of probability. It next presents basic concepts and techniques used for measurements of particle production cross-sections, correlation functions, and particle identification. Much attention is devoted to notions of statistical and systematic errors, beginning with intuitive discussions and progressively introducing the more formal concepts of confidence intervals, credible range, and hypothesis testing. The book also includes an in-depth discussion of the methods used to unfold or correct data for instrumental effects associated with measurement and process noise as well as particle and event losses, before ending with a presentation of elementary Monte Carlo techniques.

Radar-based imaging of aircraft targets is a topic that continues to attract a lot of attention, particularly since these imaging methods have been recognized to be the foundation of any successful all-weather non-cooperative target identification technique. Traditional books in this area look at the topic from a radar engineering point of view. Consequently, the basic issues associated with model error and image interpretation are usually not addressed in any substantive fashion. Moreover, applied mathematicians frequently find it difficult to read the radar engineering literature because it is jargon-laden and device specific, meaning that the skills most applicable to the problem's solution are rarely applied. Enabling an understanding of the subject and its current mathematical research issues, Radar Imaging of Airborne Targets: A Primer for Applied Mathematicians and Physicists presents the issues and techniques associated with radar imaging from a mathematical point of view rather than from an instrumentation perspective. The book concentrates on scattering issues, the inverse scattering problem, and the approximations that are usually made by practical algorithm developers. The author also explains the consequences of these approximations to the resultant radar image and its interpretation, and examines methods for reducing model-based error.

Unique in its approach, this introduction to the physics of creep concentrates on the physical principles underlying observed phenomena. As such it provides a resource for graduate students in materials science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, physics and chemistry as well as researchers in other fields. Following a brief mathematical treatment, the authors introduce creep phenomena together with some empirical laws and observations. The mechanisms of creep and diffusion under varying experimental conditions are subsequently analysed and developed. The second half of the text considers alloying in greater detail as well as exploring the structure and properties of superalloys and stress effects in these materials.