This text describes novel treatments of quantum problems using enhanced quantization procedures. When treated conventionally, certain systems yield trivial and unacceptable results. This book describes enhanced procedures, generally involving extended correspondence rules for the association of a classical and a quantum theory, which, when applied to such systems, yield nontrivial and acceptable results. The text begins with a review of classical mechanics, Hilbert space, quantum mechanics, and scalar quantum field theory. Next, analytical skills are further developed, a special class of models is studied, and a discussion of continuous and discontinuous perturbations is presented. Later chapters cover two further classes of models both of which entail discontinuous perturbations. The final chapter offers a brief summary, concluding with a conjecture regarding interacting covariant scalar quantum field theories. Symmetry is repeatedly used as a tool to help develop solutions for simple and complex problems alike. Challenging exercises and detailed references are included.

You cannot hide from radioactivity. Even the book you are holding is slightly radioactive, but there are more serious risks. Radioactivity - the breakdown of unstable atomic nuclei, releasing radiation - is a fundamental process in nature. It is a process that has been harnessed to provide wide and important applications in science, medicine, industry, and energy production. But it remains much misunderstood - and feared, perhaps because nuclear radiation cannot be detected by human senses, and can undoubtedly do great harm if appropriate precautions are not taken. In recent times there have been increasing concerns about nuclear terrorism. The traces of radioactive atoms in rocks have allowed us to understand the nature and history of the Earth, in particular to date events in that history. Radioactive dating has been used for a variety of purposes, from determining the age of the first hominids to the dating of the Turin Shroud. The discovery of radioactivity has improved our survival kit, but also gave us the chance to reach a new level of awareness on the history of our species and its environmental impacts. In this Very Short Introduction, Claudio Tuniz explains the nature of radioactivity and discuss its role in nature. Describing radioactivity in the stars and in the Earth, he also looks at its wide range of applications in biomedicine and in science, as well as the mechanisms of nuclear fission and fusion, and the harnessing of nuclear power. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This book covers the structure and dynamics of atomic nuclei in terms of nucleons, pions, and quarks, all within a unified treatment of the nuclear response to an electromagnetic probe. The basic formalism is presented to describe the electromagnetic field and its interaction with nuclear matter for both real and virtual photons. Nuclear response is then analyzed in terms of structure functions in the case of inclusive and semi-inclusive inelastic electron scattering. The discussion covers pion production and one- or two-nucleon emission and compares the results with available data. The formalism is also extended to incident polarized electrons, polarized targets and nuclear recoil polarization. It contains a comprehensive description of photonuclear reactions at intermediate energies and a review of experimental data and previous theoretical approaches.

From the recent discovery of the "top quark" to the search for the Higgs particle, the frontiers of particle physics beckon the imagination. Exploring in detail the full history of particle physics, Yuval Ne'eman and Yoram Kirsh explain in an engaging, nonmathematical style the principles of modern theories such as quantum mechanics and Einstein's relativity, and they brilliantly succeed in conveying to the reader the excitement that accompanied the original discoveries. The book is spiced with amusing stories on how great discoveries were made, and Ne'eman, who took an active role in some of the historical advances in particle physics, gives his personal point of view. New to this edition are sections on the discovery of the top quark; the rise and fall of the supercollider project; the detection of the Zo particle in e+e- colliders; and the use of the width of the Zo to determine the number of "generations" of quarks and leptons. The Particle Hunters will interest anyone who wants to keep pace with the progress of human knowledge. Yuval Ne'eman discovered the basic symmetry of the subatomic particles of matter, leading him to their classification, to the prediction of new particles, and to his identification (in 1962) of a new layer in the structure of matter ("quarks"). Yoram Kirsh was awarded the Aharon Katzir Prize for popular science writing in 1975.

The need for this handbook is a direct consequence of a very large accumulation of new theoretical and experimental data on nucleur properties. The first five chapters are devoted to the presentation of experimental and theoretical aspects of the following topics: atomic masses of stable and radioactive nuclides; an intuitive way to understand the empirical trends of masses, based on a microscopic theory; Penning traps used as a modern mass spectrometer of high resolving power, accuracy and sensitivity; basic theoretical concepts and experimental techniques used to measure the nucleur shape parameters; new decay modes by hadron and cluster emission; the proton (p), and the beta-delayed particle emissions: neutron (n), 2n, 3n, 4n, p, 2p, 3p, d, t, etc. This book is intended for students and professionals in nuclear physics, radioactivity, astrophysics, high- energy physics and elementary particles. Also industrial applications of nuclear radiation, nuclear medicine, and environmental science.

This publication addresses the sustainability of all aspects of a national nuclear security regime, including those relating to nuclear material and nuclear facilities, other radioactive material and associated facilities, and nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control. The publication is relevant for States that have established a nuclear security regime as well as for States that are in the process of establishing one. It includes guidance on how to address challenges in sustaining a nuclear security regime over time. It also addresses the initial development and implementation of the regime, particularly where sustainability can be built into it as part of its design.

Expanding upon the ideas first proposed in his seminal book Cosmical Magnetic Fields, Eugene N. Parker here offers the first in-depth treatment of the magnetohydrodynamic theory of spontaneous magnetic discontinuities. In detailing his theory of the spontaneous formation of tangential discontinuities (current sheets) in a magnetic field embedded in highly conducting plasma, Parker shows how it can be used to explain the activity of the external magnetic fields of planets, stars, interstellar gas clouds, and galaxies, as well as the magnetic fields in laboratory plasmas. Provocative and fascinating, Spontaneous Current Sheets in Magnetic Fields presents a bold new theory that will excite interest and discussion throughout the space physics community.

With his knack for translating science into understandable, anecdotal prose and his trademark dry humor, award-winning science writer Charles Seife presents the first narrative account of the history of fusion for general readers in more than a decade. Tracing the story from its beginning into the twenty-first century, Sun in a Bottle reveals fusion's explosive role in some of the biggest scientific scandals of all time. Throughout this journey, he introduces us to the daring geniuses, villains, and victims of fusion science. With the giant international fusion project ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) now under construction, it's clear that the science of wishful thinking is as strong as ever. This book is our key to understanding why.

This book provides an up-to-date account of the precise experiments used to explore the nature of universal gravitation that can be performed in a terrestrial laboratory. The experiments required are at the limits of sensitivity of mechanical measurements. The problems of experiment design are discussed, and critical accounts given of the principal experiments testing the inverse square law and the principle of equivalence, and measuring the constant of gravitation. An analysis of the effects of noise and other disturbances is also provided, further highlighting the care that is needed in experimental design and performance. The motivation for undertaking such experiments is also discussed. The book will be of value to graduate students, researchers and teachers who are engaged in either theoretical or experimental studies of gravitation, and who wish to understand the nature and problems of laboratory experiments in this field.

The interacting boson-fermion model has become in recent years the standard model for the description of atomic nuclei with an odd number of protons and/or neutrons. This book describes the mathematical framework on which the interacting boson-fermion model is built and presents applications to a variety of situations encountered in nuclei. The book addresses both the analytical and the numerical aspects of the problem. The analytical aspect requires the introduction of rather complex group theoretic methods, including the use of graded (or super) Lie algebras. The first (and so far only) example of supersymmetry occurring in nature is also discussed. The book is the first comprehensive treatment of the subject and will appeal to both theoretical and experimental physicists. The large number of explicit formulas for level energies, electromagnetic transition rates and intensities of transfer reactions presented in the book provide a simple but detailed way to analyse experimental data. This book can also be used as a textbook for advanced graduate students.

Fundamentals of Nuclear Physics is a textbook on nuclear physics aimed at undergraduates in their final year, designed to give the student a thorough understanding of the principal features of nuclei, nuclear decays and nuclear reactions. The book covers the elementary concepts of the subject necessary for introductory courses and also explores more advanced topics, suitable for graduate courses. Initially several models are described and used to explain nuclear properties with many illustrative examples. Sections follow on a-, B- and y-decay, fission, thermonuclear fusion, reactions, nuclear forces and nuclear collective motion. In each case many examples are discussed, and the student should gain a thorough grounding in knowledge of the nucleus. The presentation is quantitative and short derivations are given in full to enable the student to make predictions about nuclear phenomena. This book will be of value to all undergraduates studying nuclear physics, as well as to first-year graduates. The level of the presentation bridges the gap between introductory undergraduate and the more advanced graduate textbooks.

A Modern Primer in Particle and Nuclear Physics provides a cohesive introduction to the fundamentals of the field and is designed to be accessible to undergraduate students. The textbook provides an ideal entry point and presents the modern concepts, theories, and experiments that explain the elementary constituents and basic forces of the universe. Starting with the basic concepts and definitions, the textbook goes on to cover core developments, such as the links between quantum chromodynamics and nuclear physics, the Higgs Boson, and the first observation of gravitational waves. New concepts are introduced gradually and clarified by intuitive explanations, exercises, and concrete examples linking particle physics to nuclear physics, astrophysics, and gravitation. The book also includes appendices on special relativity and non-relativistic quantum mechanics for those needing a basic grounding in these areas. The text is an expert guide for undergraduate physics students wanting to expand their knowledge, and also provides fascinating insights to graduate students, junior researchers, and physics enthusiasts.

Written by a non-statistician for non-statisticians, the book emphasizes the practical approach to those problems in statistics that arise regularly in data analysis situations in nuclear and high energy physics experiments. Rather than concentrate on proofs and theorems, the author provides an abundance of simple examples that illustrate the general ideas presented. This allows the reader to obtain maximum information in the simplest manner. Possible difficulties with the various techniques, and pitfalls to be avoided, are also discussed. This commonsense approach to statistical formalism enables nuclear physicists to better understand how to do justice to their analysis and interpretation of data.

This lively well-illustrated collection of articles written by a group of particle physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory presents to the expert and non-expert alike a comprehensive overview of the major theoretical and experimental advances of the past twenty years. It explains the emergence of a profoundly new understanding of the fundamental forces of Nature. With the unification of the weak and electromagnetic interaction, physicists now stand at the brink of a complete unification of all the forces, including gravity. This achievement brought with it a rich vocabulary of names and concepts: quarks, gluons and nonabelian gauge theories. The exposition of these ideas, done on a variety of technical levels is designed to interest a broad audience ranging from the professional theorist and experimentalist to the inquisitive student. Anyone with an interest in particle physics can enjoy this book.

The interacting boson model was introduced in 1974 as an attempt to describe collective properties of nuclei in a unified way. Since 1974, the model has been the subject of many investigations and it has been extended to cover most aspects of nuclear structure. This book gives an account of the properties of the interacting boson model. In particular, this book presents the mathematical techniques used to analyze the structure of the model. It also collects in a single, easily accessible reference all the formulas that have been developed throughout the years to account for collective properties of nuclei. Suitable for both theorists and experimentalists.

This is a new edition of Paul Davies' very highly regarded text on high-energy particle physics aimed at the scientifically educated general reader. Since the appearance of the first edition in 1979 there have been many major developments in the field, and the author has taken this opportunity to bring the text completely up to date. Paul Davies includes details of one of the most significant of these developments, the experimental discovery in 1983 of the W and Z intermediate vector bosons, and discusses the implications for the eventual unification of the four forces of nature. In addition to this, the discovery of the top and bottom quarks, the details and predictions of modern grand unified theories (GUTs), and the application of the results of high-energy physics to studies of the very early universe are all included.

This authoritative work enhances the material outlined in the first volume of Concepts of Particle Physics, presenting it in far greater detail and with a higher degree of sophistication. The authors, both eminent physicists, provide an in-depth discussion of the electromagnetic interaction, explore the accuracy of the quark model by examining the excited states of baryons and mesons, and consider many other topics.

Synthesizing the theoretical and experimental advances in pion-nucleon interactions over approximately the last twelve years, the authors offer here a timely account of the hadronic interactions of pions and nucleons and of the structure of nucleons. Because of the hadronic SU3 symmetry, the book also treats the structure of baryons in general, and so contains much material external to the specific field of pion-nucleon interactions. Thus the book's subject can be stated as the hadronic structure of baryons as illustrated particularly by pion-nucleon interaction. Following an introductory discussion of isotopic spin, the authors proceed to chapters that treat low energy pion scattering by nucleons and the photoproduction of pions; forward and fixed momentum transfer dispersion relations; analytic properties of scattering amplitudes; formation of nucleon resonances; symmetries and classification of particles and resonances; current algebra, sum rules, and superconvergence relations; scattering at higher energies; pion-nucleon dynamics; pion-nucleon inelastic scattering; and the form factors of the nucleon and the pion. Each chapter is followed by abundant references to the original literature. The level of the writing is suitable for students at the graduate level, and the presentation is even and self-contained. On balance, the authors have prepared a useful consolidation and review of this difficult and changing area of investigation. Originally published in 1973. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

One of the most fundamental problems in elementary particle physics is the study of the interaction of the pion meson with nucleons. It is believed that the pion meson plays a fundamental role in the description of nuclear forces and it is important, therefore, to understand the interaction of these particles. The primary method of gaining information on this interaction is through scattering experiments, and this book is concerned primarily with studies of pion-nucleon scattering at high energies. Originally published in 1969. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

A clear and well-organized review of what is presently known about nuclear structure. Emphasis is less upon mathematical detail than upon the obtaining of a clear perspective which relates the various lines of approach to this complex and rapidly developing field. Particular attention is paid to nuclear models and to the several types of nuclear reactions. Originally published in 1958. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The exploration of the Universe, as conducted by physicists, astronomers, and cosmologists was one of the greatest intellectual adventures of the mid-twentieth century. This book, first published in 1971, tells the story of their achievements and the insight gained into the structure, history, working and scale of our Universe. Dr Sciama describes the major components of the Universe as understood at the beginning of the 1970s: the stars, galaxies, radio-galaxies and quasi-stellar objects. He discusses in detail the red shift of the lines in their optical spectra, which leads to the idea that the Universe is expanding. Theoretical discussion of the expanding Universe suggests the possibility that intergalactic space may contain a significant quantity of matter and be the seat of important physical activity. The issues involved are thoroughly debated. Also discussed is the discover and significance of the 3'K' cosmic microwave radiation, its relation to the hot big bang and the helium problem, to cosmic high energy processes and to questions of isotropy.

An understanding of the properties and interactions of the elementary particles is an essential prerequisite of research work in high energy physics. Much progress in the subject has been achieved with the aid of symmetry principles. In this 1980 book the concept of symmetry or invariance is employed as a unifying theme. Using a careful explanation of the mathematical formalism and with many applications to particular cases, the authors introduce the reader to the symmetry schemes which dominate the world of the particle physicist. The presentation will also appeal to mathematicians and physicists in other fields who are interested in the applications of the general principles of symmetry. After a brief survey of the particles and a review of the relevant quantum mechanics, the principal symmetries are studied in turn. Some technical points are relegated to appendices and the book contains extensive references.

This thesis addresses two important and also challenging issues in the research of chemical reaction dynamics of F+H2 system. One is to probe the reaction resonance and the other is to determine the extent of the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA) experimentally. The author introduces a state-of-the-art crossed molecular beam-scattering apparatus using a hydrogen atom Rydberg "tagging" time-of-flight method, and presents thorough state-to-state experimental studies to address the above issues. The author also describes the observation of the Feshbach resonance in the F+H2 reaction, a precise measurement of the differential cross section in the F+HD reaction, and validation of a new accurate potential energy surface with spectroscopic accuracy. Moreover, the author determines the reactivity ratio between the ground state F(2P3/2) and the excited state F*(2P1/2) in the F+D2 reaction, and exploits the breakdown of BOA in the low collision energy.

'Highly Recommended' CHOICE A fascinating account of the experimental innovations and theoretical breakthroughs in nuclear physics in the period between the two world wars told through the lives and personalities of the physicists who made them. The two decades between the first and second world wars saw the emergence of nuclear physics as the dominant field of experimental and theoretical physics, owing to the work of an international cast of gifted physicists. Prominent among them were Ernest Rutherford, George Gamow, the husband and wife team of Frederic and Irene Joliot-Curie, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, Gregory Breit and Eugene Wigner, Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch, the brash Ernest Lawrence, the prodigious Enrico Fermi, and the incomparable Niels Bohr. Their experimental and theoretical work arose from a quest to understand nuclear phenomena; it was not motivated by a desire to find a practical application for nuclear energy. In this sense, these physicists lived in an 'Age of Innocence'. They did not, however, live in isolation. Their research reflected their idiosyncratic personalities; it was shaped by the physical and intellectual environments of the countries and institutions in which they worked. It was also buffeted by the political upheavals after the Great War: the punitive postwar treaties, the runaway inflation in Germany and Austria, the Great Depression, and the intellectual migration from Germany and later from Austria and Italy. Their pioneering experimental and theoretical achievements in the interwar period therefore are set within their personal, institutional, and political contexts. Both domains and their mutual influences are conveyed by quotations from autobiographies, biographies, recollections, interviews, correspondence, and other writings of physicists and historians.

This textbook brings together nuclear and particle physics, presenting a balanced overview of both fields as well as the interplay between the two. The theoretical as well as the experimental foundations are covered, providing students with a deep understanding of the subject. In-chapter exercises ranging from basic experimental to sophisticated theoretical questions provide an important tool for students to solidify their knowledge. Suitable for upper undergraduate courses in nuclear and particle physics as well as more advanced courses, the book includes road maps guiding instructors on tailoring the content to their course. Online resources including color figures, tables, and a solutions manual complete the teaching package. This textbook will be essential for students preparing for further study or a career in the field who require a solid grasp of both nuclear and particle physics.