The work presented in this thesis involves a number of sophisticated experiments highlighting novel applications of the Pixel Imaging Mass Spectrometry (PImMS) camera in the field of photoinduced molecular dynamics. This approach represents the union of a new enabling technology (a multiple memory register, CMOS-based pixel detector) with several modern chemical physics approaches and represents a significant leap forward in capabilities. Applications demonstrated include three-dimensional imaging of photofragment Newton spheres, simultaneous electron-ion detection using a single sensor, and ion-ion velocity correlation measurements that open the door to novel covariance imaging experiments. When combined with Coulomb explosion imaging, such an approach is demonstrated to allow the measurement of molecular structure and motion on a femtosecond timescale. This is illustrated through the controlled photoexcitation of torsional motion in biphenyl molecules and the subsequent real-time measurement of the torsional angle.

This edition of the private and scientific correspondence of Sir Rudolf Peierls gives a unique insight into the life and work of one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 20th century. Rudolf Peierls' scientific work contributed to the early developments in quantum mechanics, and he is well known and much appreciated for his contributions to various disciplines, including solid state physics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. As an enthusiastic and devoted teacher, he passed on his knowledge and understanding and inspired the work of collaborators and students alike. As an effective administrator he was responsible, almost single-handedly, for the establishment of an outstanding successful centre of theoretical physics in Birmingham, and later contributed much to theoretical physics in Oxford.A meticulous collector of correspondence, Sir Rudolf left a fascinating collection of letters, in some cases spanning more than seven decades. This collection includes correspondence with his parents, his wife, the Russian-born physicist Genia Kannegieser, life-long friends such as Hans Bethe, and many great physicists, including Wolfgang Pauli, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Lev Landau, and George Placzek, to name but a few.The second volume, which covers the years 1945 to 1995, contains fascinating documents from the early postwar period, when Peierls, like many of his colleagues elsewhere, attempted to rebuild academic life in the aftermath of the Second World War. Materials from the 1950s provide evidence for the significance of the research undertaken by Peierls' group at Birmingham, and for the positive impact of his determined implementation of international exchange on the development of theoretical physics. Later documents illustrate the role played by Peierls in nuclear disarmament, and as a link between East and West through his own personal contacts and within international organisations such as the Pugwash Movement. The extensive apparatus provides an invaluable background which allows the reader to put the documents into their multi-faceted social, political and scientific context.

In recent years there have been great advances in the fields of laboratory and astronomical spectroscopy. These have been equally matched by large-scale computations using state-of-the-art theoretical methods. The accurate atomic opacities that are available today play a great role in the field of biomedical research using nanotechnology.

The proceedings of the "International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy: Theoretical, Experimental and Astrophysical Perspectives" contain both invited and contributory papers, which give the most recent results by the peers in the areas of theoretical and experimental atomic physics as well as observational astrophysics.

The development of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project is one of the most significant scientific events of the twentieth century. This revised and updated 3rd edition explores the challenges that faced the scientists and engineers of the Manhattan Project. It gives a clear introduction to fission weapons at the level of an upper-year undergraduate physics student by examining the details of nuclear reactions, their energy release, analytic and numerical models of the fission process, how critical masses can be estimated, how fissile materials are produced, and what factors complicate bomb design. An extensive list of references and a number of exercises for self-study are included. Links are given to several freely-available spread sheets which users can use to run many of the calculations for themselves.

This thesis deals with the problem of ion confinement in thermonuclear fusion devices. It is a topic of general interest, as it helps to understand via numerical simulations the ion confinement properties in complex geometries, in order to predict their behavior and maximize the performance of future fusion reactors. The main work carried out in this thesis is the improvement and exploitation of an existing simulation code called ISDEP. This code solves the so-called ion collisional transport in arbitrary plasma geometry, improving in this sense other existing codes. Additionally, it presents outstanding portability and scalability in distributed computing architectures, such as Grid or Volunteer Computing. The main physical results can be divided into two blocks. First, the study of 3D ion transport in ITER is presented. ITER is the largest fusion reactor (under construction) and most of the simulations so far assume the axis-symmetry of the device. Unfortunately, this symmetry is only an approximation because of the discrete number of magnetic coils used. ISDEP has shown, using a simple model of the 3D magnetic field, how the ion confinement is affected by this symmetry breaking. Secondly, ISDEP has been applied successfully to the study of fast ion dynamics in fusion plasmas. The fast ions, with energies much larger than the thermal energy, are a product of the device's heating system. Thus, a numerical predictive tool can be used to improve the heating efficiency. ISDEP has been combined with the FAFNER2 code to study such ions in stellarator (TJ-II, LHD) and tokamak (ITER) geometries. It has also been validated by experimental results. In particular, comparisons with the CNPA diagnostic in the TJ-II stellarator are remarkable.

This book reviews recent progress in our understanding of tokamak physics related to steady state operation, and addresses the scientific feasibility of a steady state tokamak fusion power system. It covers the physical principles behind continuous tokamak operation and details the challenges remaining and new lines of research towards the realization of such a system. Following a short introduction to tokamak physics and the fundamentals of steady state operation, later chapters cover parallel and perpendicular transport in tokamaks, MHD instabilities in advanced tokamak regimes, control issues, and SOL and divertor plasmas. A final chapter reviews key enabling technologies for steady state reactors, including negative ion source and NBI systems, Gyrotron and ECRF systems, superconductor and magnet systems, and structural materials for reactors. The tokamak has demonstrated an excellent plasma confinement capability with its symmetry, but has an intrinsic drawback with its pulsed operation with inductive operation. Efforts have been made over the last 20 years to realize steady state operation, most promisingly utilizing bootstrap current. Frontiers in Fusion Research II: Introduction to Modern Tokamak Physics will be of interest to graduate students and researchers involved in all aspects of tokamak science and technology.

The second edition deals with all essential aspects of non-relativistic quantum physics up to the quantisation of fields. In contrast to common textbooks of quantum mechanics, modern experiments are described both for the purpose of foundation of the theory and in relation to recent applications. Links are made to important research fields and applications such as elementary particle physics, solid state physics and nuclear magnetic resonance in medicine, biology and material science. Special emphasis is paid to quantum physics in nanoelectronics such as resonant tunnelling, Coulomb blockade and the realisation of quantum bits. This second edition also considers quantum transport through quantum point contacts and its application as charge detectors in nanoelectronic circuits. Also the realization and the study of electronic properties of an artificial quantum dot molecule are presented. Because of its recent interest a brief discussion of Bose-Einstein condensation has been included, as well as the recently detected Higgs particle. Another essential new addition to the present book concerns a detailed discussion of the particle picture in quantum field theory. Counterintuitive aspects of single particle quantum physics such as particle-wave duality and the Einstein-Podolski-Rosen (EPR) paradox appear more acceptable to our understanding if discussed on the background of quantum field theory. The non-locality of quantum fields explains non-local behaviour of particles in classical Schroedinger quantum mechanics. Finally, new problems have been added. The book is suitable as an introduction into quantum physics, not only for physicists but also for chemists, biologists, engineers, computer scientists and even for philosophers as far as they are interested in natural philosophy and epistemology.

Neutrinos can arguably be labeled as the most fascinating elementary particles known as their small but non-zero rest mass points to new mass generating mechanisms beyond the Standard Model, and also assigns primordial neutrinos from the Big Bang a distinct role in shaping the evolution of large-scale structures in the universe. The open question of the absolute neutrino mass scale will be addressed by the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, currently under construction. This thesis reports major contributions to developing and implementing new laser-spectroscopic precision tools to continuously monitor the isotope content of the windowless gaseous tritium source of KATRIN. The method of choice, Raman spectroscopy, is ideally suited for in-situ monitoring of all six hydrogen isotopologues. In a series of beautiful experiments the author obtained two independent novel calibration methods, first based on a comparison of experimental Raman depolarization ratios with corresponding quantum-chemical calculations, and second on a gas sampling technique. Both methods yield consistent cross-calibration results and, as well as yielding improvements in precision, will be of major importance in reducing systematic effects in long-term neutrino mass measurements. The methods developed in this thesis also have great potential to further broaden the applications of Raman spectroscopy to study extended sources such as in atmospheric physics.

Although the fission of heavy nuclei was discovered over 75 years ago, many problems and questions still remain to be addressed and answered. The reader will be presented with an old, but persistent problem of this field: The contradiction between Prompt Fission Neutron (PFN) spectra measured with differential (microscopic) experiments and integral (macroscopic and benchmark) experiments (the Micro-Macro problem). The difference in average energy is rather small ~3% but it is stable and we cannot explain the difference due to experimental uncertainties. Can we measure the PFN spectrum with high accuracy? How may we compare results of different experiments to provide better accuracy? Are our traditional theoretical models correct? What can be done to solve the Micro-Macro problem in future? These questions are discussed in this monograph for the reader. The current work will be of interest to graduate students and researchers, particularly those working in nuclear and neutron physics.

In this work the question whether noncommutative geometry allows for supersymmetric theories is addressed. Noncommutative geometry has seen remarkable applications in high energy physics, viz. the geometrical interpretation of the Standard Model, however such a question has not been answered in a conclusive way so far.The book starts with a systematic analysis of the possibilities for so-called almost-commutative geometries on a 4-dimensional, flat background to exhibit not only a particle content that is eligible for supersymmetry, but also have a supersymmetric action. An approach is proposed in which the basic `building blocks' of potentially supersymmetric theories and the demands for their action to be supersymmetric are identified. It is then described how a novel kind of soft supersymmetry breaking Lagrangian arises naturally from the spectral action. Finally, the above formalism is applied to explore the existence of a noncommutative version of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model.This book is intended for mathematical/theoretical physicists with an interest in the applications of noncommutative geometry to supersymmetric field theories.

This book provides a thorough account of the current status of achievements made in the area of soft X-Ray laser source development and of the increasingly diverse applications being demonstrated using such radiation sources. There is significant effort worldwide to develop very bright, short duration radiation sources in the X-Ray spectral region - driven by the multitude of potential applications in all branches of science. This book contains updates on several different approaches for comparative purposes but concentrates on developments in the area of laser-produced plasmas, whereby transient population inversion and gain between ion states is pumped by optical lasers interacting with pre-formed plasmas. Topics covered will include Laser-driven XRLs, Collisional XRLs, Recombination XRLs, Transient Inversion Collisional XRLs, Optical Field Ionization XRLs, Alternative XRL, pumping schemes Theory and simulations of XRL gain media and beam properties High order harmonic sources of XUV radiation, Free-electron lasers and other accelerator based X-Ray sources, X-Ray Laser drives, X-Ray optics and instrumentation Spectroscopy, and other diagnostics of laser media Applications of XRLs.

Before any kind of new physics discovery could be made at the LHC, a precise understanding and measurement of the Standard Model of particle physics' processes was necessary. The book provides an introduction to top quark production in the context of the Standard Model and presents two such precise measurements of the production of top quark pairs in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV that were observed with the ATLAS Experiment at the LHC. The presented measurements focus on events with one charged lepton, missing transverse energy and jets. Using novel and advanced analysis techniques as well as a good understanding of the detector, they constitute the most precise measurements of the quantity at that time.

State-of-the-art survey by leading experts in the field. Major foci are superheavy nuclei and neutron-rich exotic nuclei. In addition new developments in nuclear fission and nuclear cluster decay are shown. Finally developments in relativistic heavy ion collisions and the physics of supercritical fields are detailed.

In this festschrift dedicated to Professor Eluvathingal D. Jemmis on the occasion of his 60th birthday, selected researchers in theoretical chemistry present research highlights on major developments in the field. Originally published in the journal Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, these outstanding contributions are now available in a hardcover print format. This volume will be of benefit in particular to those research groups and libraries that have chosen to have only electronic access to the journal. It also provides valuable content for all researchers in theoretical chemistry.

This second edition was updated to include some of the recent developments, such as "increased-valence" structures for 3-electron-3-centre bonding, benzene, electron conduction and reaction mechanisms, spiral chain O4 polymers and recoupled-pair bonding. The author provides qualitative molecular orbital and valence-bond descriptions of the electronic structures for primarily electron-rich molecules, with strong emphasis given to the valence-bond approach that uses "increased-valence" structures. He describes how "long-bond" Lewis structures as well as standard Lewis structures are incorporated into "increased-valence" structures for electron-rich molecules. "Increased-valence" structures involve more electrons in bonding than do their component Lewis structures, and are used to provide interpretations for molecular electronic structure, bond properties and reactivities. Attention is also given to Pauling "3-electron bonds", which are usually diatomic components of "increased-valence" structures for electron-rich molecules.

Launched in 1942, the Manhattan Project was a well-funded, secret effort by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada to develop an atomic bomb before the Nazis. The results-the bombs named "Little Boy" and "Fat Man"-were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. A vast state within a state, the Manhattan Project employed 130,000 people and cost the United States and its allies 2 billion dollars, but its contribution to science as a prestigious investment was invaluable. After the bombs were dropped, states began allocating unprecedented funds for scientific research, leading to the establishment of many of twentieth century's major research institutions. Yet the union of science, industry, and the military did not start with the development of the atomic bomb; World War II only deepened the relationship. This absorbing history revisits the interactions among science, the national interest, and public and private funding that was initiated in World War I and flourished in WWII. It then follows the Manhattan Project from inception to dissolution, describing the primary influences that helped execute the world's first successful plan for nuclear research and tracing the lineages of modern national nuclear agencies back to their source.

Handbook of Radioactivity Analysis: Radiation Physics and Detectors, Volume One, and Radioanalytical Applications, Volume Two, Fourth Edition, is an authoritative reference on the principles, practical techniques and procedures for the accurate measurement of radioactivity - everything from the very low levels encountered in the environment, to higher levels measured in radioisotope research, clinical laboratories, biological sciences, radionuclide standardization, nuclear medicine, nuclear power, and fuel cycle facilities, and in the implementation of nuclear forensic analysis and nuclear safeguards. It includes sample preparation techniques for all types of matrices found in the environment, including soil, water, air, plant matter and animal tissue, and surface swipes. Users will find a detailed discussion of our current understanding of the atomic nucleus, nuclear stability and decay, nuclear radiation, and the interaction of radiation with matter relating to the best methods for radionuclide detection and measurement.

The development of linear-scaling density functional theory (LS-DFT) has made ab initio calculations on systems containing thousands of atoms possible. These systems range from nanostructures to biomolecules. These methods rely on the use of localized basis sets, which are optimised for the representation of occupied Kohn-Sham states but do not guarantee an accurate representation of the unoccupied states. This is problematic if one wishes to combine the power of LS-DFT with that of theoretical spectroscopy, which provides a direct link between simulation and experiment. In this work a new method is presented for optimizing localized functions to accurately represent the unoccupied states, thus allowing theoretical spectroscopy of large systems. Results are presented for optical absorption spectra calculated using the ONETEP code, but the method is equally applicable to other spectroscopies and LS formulations. Other topics covered include a study of some simple one dimensional basis sets and the presentation of two methods for band structure calculation using localized basis sets, both of which have important implications for the use of localized basis sets within LS-DFT.

This monograph presents a systematic treatment of the theory for hyperbolic conservation laws and their applications to vehicular traffics and crowd dynamics. In the first part of the book, the author presents very basic considerations and gradually introduces the mathematical tools necessary to describe and understand the mathematical models developed in the following parts focusing on vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The book is a self-contained valuable resource for advanced courses in mathematical modeling, physics and civil engineering. A number of examples and figures facilitate a better understanding of the underlying concepts and motivations for the students. Important new techniques are presented, in particular the wave front tracking algorithm, the operator splitting approach, the non-classical theory of conservation laws and the constrained problems. This book is the first to present a comprehensive account of these fundamental new mathematical advances.

This thesis investigates the transitions from one electronically excited state to another. Such processes - the fastest of events in chemistry - can be studied with femtosecond resolution, and Thomas S. Kuhlman approaches the question both with experimental and theoretical methods. His approach contributes to explain processes of high importance to all scientific fields concerned with the interaction between light and matter: the deactivation of the electronically excited states after excitation. Thomas S. Kuhlman concludes in this thesis that the electronic transition proceeds before the entire set of available degrees of freedom are active - 'It is as simple as that' !

These seven lectures are intended to serve as an introduction for beginning graduate students to the spectra of small molecules. The author succeeds in illustrating the concepts by using language and metaphors that capture and elegantly convey simple insights into dynamics that lie beyond archival molecular constants. The lectures can simultaneously be viewed as a collection of interlocking special topics that have fascinated the author and his students over the years. Though neither a textbook nor a scholarly monograph, the book provides an illuminating perspective that will benefit students and researchers alike.

Michael Schenk evaluates new technologies and methods, such as cryogenic read-out electronics and a UV laser system, developed to optimise the performance of large liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPC). Amongst others, the author studies the uniformity of the electric field produced by a Greinacher high-voltage generator operating at cryogenic temperatures, measures the linear energy transfer (LET) of muons and the longitudinal diffusion coefficient of electrons in liquid argon. The results are obtained by analysing events induced by cosmic-ray muons and UV laser beams. The studies are carried out with ARGONTUBE, a prototype LArTPC in operation at the University of Bern, Switzerland, designed to investigate the feasibility of drift distances of up to five metres for electrons in liquid argon.

This book is based upon a part of the invited and contributing talks at the 25th International Symposium on Ion-Atom Collisions, ISIAC (biennial), held on July 23-25, 2017 in Palm Cove, Queensland, Australia. To aid the general reader, all the authors tried to present their chapters in the context of the development of the addressed particular themes and the underlying major ideas and intricacies. Some chapters contain new results that have not been previously published elsewhere. Whenever possible, the authors made their attempts to connect the basic research in atomic and molecular collision physics with some important applications in other branches of physics as well as across the physics borders. It is hoped that the material presented in this book will be interesting and useful to the beginners and specialists alike. The contents and expositions are deemed to be helpful to the beginners in assessing the potential overlap of some of the presented material with their own research themes and this might provide motivations for possible further upgrades. Likewise, specialists could take advantage of these reviews to see where the addressed themes were and where they are going, in order to acknowledge the fruits of the efforts made thus far and actively contribute to tailoring the directions of future research. Overall, this book is truly interdisciplinary. It judiciously combines experiments and theories within particle collision physics on atomic and molecular levels. It presents state-of-the-art fundamental research in this field. It addresses the possibilities for significant and versatile applications outside standard atomic and molecular collision physics ranging from astrophysics, surface as well as cluster physics/chemistry, hadron therapy in medicine and to the chemical industry. It is then, as Volume 2, fully in the spirit of the 'Aims and Scope' of this book series by reference to its 'Mission Statement'.

Tutorials on Moessbauer Spectroscopy Since the discovery of the Moessbauer Effect many excellent books have been published for researchers and for doctoral and master level students. However, there appears to be no textbook available for final year bachelor students, nor for people working in industry who have received only basic courses in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, chemistry and materials science. The challenge of this book is to give an introduction to Moessbauer Spectroscopy for this level. The ultimate goal of this book is to give this audience not only a scientific introduction to the technique, but also to demonstrate in an attractive way the power of Moessbauer Spectroscopy in many fields of science, in order to create interest among the readers in joining the community of Moessbauer spectroscopists. This is particularly important at times where in many Moessbauer laboratories succession is at stake. This book will be used as a textbook for the tutorial sessions, organized at the occasion of the 2011 International Conference on the Application of Moessbauer Spectroscopy (ICAME2011) in Tokyo.

A concise description of models and quantitative parameters in structural chemistry and their interrelations, with 280 tables and >3000 references giving the most up-to-date experimental data on energy characteristics of atoms, molecules and crystals (ionisation potentials, electron affinities, bond energies, heats of phase transitions, band and lattice energies), optical properties (refractive index, polarisability), spectroscopic characteristics and geometrical parameters (bond distances and angles, coordination numbers) of substances in gaseous, liquid and solid states, in glasses and melts, for various thermodynamic conditions. Systems of metallic, covalent, ionic and van der Waals radii, effective atomic charges and other empirical and semi-empirical models are critically revised. Special attention is given to new and growing areas: structural studies of solids under high pressures and van der Waals molecules in gases. The book is addressed to researchers, academics, postgraduates and advanced-course students in crystallography, materials science, physical chemistry of solids.