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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics
Why have scientists, engineers, and mathematicians become intrigued
by chaos? Chaos is about predictability in even the most unstable
systems, and symmetry is a pattern of predictability - a conceptual
tool to help understand complex behaviour. The Symmetry of Chaos
treats this interplay between chaos and symmetry. This graduate
textbook in physics, applied mathematics, engineering, fluid
dynamics, and chemistry is full of exciting new material,
illustrated by hundreds of figures. Non-linear dynamics and chaos
are relatively young fields, and in addition to serving textbook
markets, there is a strong interest among researchers in new
results in the field.
This book presents the SPH method (Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics)
for fluid modelling from a theoretical and applied viewpoint. It
comprises two parts that refer to each other. The first one,
dealing with the fundamentals of Hydraulics, is based on the
elementary principles of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics. The
specific laws governing a system of macroscopic particles are
built, before large systems involving dissipative processes are
explained. The continua are discussed, and a fairly exhaustive
account of turbulence is given. The second part discloses the bases
of the SPH Lagrangian numerical method from the continuous
equations, as well as from discrete variational principles, setting
out the method's specific properties of conservativity and
invariance. Various numerical schemes are compared, permanently
referring to the physics as dealt with in the first part.
Applications to schematic instances are discussed, and, ultimately,
practical applications to the dimensioning of coastal and fluvial
structures are considered.
Despite the rapid growth in the SPH field, this book is the first
to present the method in a comprehensive way for fluids. It should
serve as a rigorous introduction to SPH and a reference for
fundamental mathematical fluid dynamics. This book is intended for
scientists, doctoral students, teachers, and engineers, who want to
enjoy a rather unified approach to the theoretical bases of
Hydraulics or who want to improve their skills using the SPH
method. It will inspire the reader with a feeling of unity,
answering many questions without any detrimental formalism.
The chapters in this monograph are contributions from the Advances
in Quantum Monte Carlo symposium held at Pacifichem 2010,
International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies. The
symposium was dedicated to celebrate the career of James B.
Anderson, a notable researcher in the field. Quantum Monte Carlo
provides an ab initio solution to the Schroedinger equation by
performing a random walk through configuration space in imaginary
time. Benchmark calculations suggest that its most commonly-used
variant, "fixed-node" diffusion Monte Carlo, estimates energies
with an accuracy comparable to that of high-level coupled-cluster
calculations. These two methods, each having advantages and
disadvantages, are complementary "gold-standards" of quantum
chemistry. There are challenges facing researchers in the field,
several of which are addressed in the chapters in this monograph.
These include improving the accuracy and precision of quantum Monte
Carlo calculations; understanding the exchange nodes and utilizing
the simulated electron distribution; extending the method to large
and/or experimentally-challenging systems; and developing hybrid
molecular mechanics/dynamics and Monte Carlo algorithms.
These popular and proven workbooks help students build confidence
before attempting end-of-chapter problems. They provide short
exercises that focus on developing a particular skill, mostly
requiring students to draw or interpret sketches and graphs. New to
the Fourth Edition are exercises that provide guided practice for
the textbook's Model boxes.
Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions and New Energy is a summary of
selected experimental and theoretical research performed over the
last 19 years that gives profound and unambiguous evidence for low
energy nuclear reaction (LENR), historically known as cold fusion.
In 1989, the subject was announced with great fanfare, to the
chagrin of many people in the science community. However, the
significant claim of its discoverers, Martin Fleischmann and
Stanley Pons, excess heat without harmful neutron emissions or
strong gamma radiation, involving electrochemical cells using heavy
water and palladium, has held strong.
In recent years, LENR, within the field of condensed matter nuclear
science, has begun to attract widespread attention and is regarded
as a potential alternative and renewable energy source to confront
climate change and energy scarcity. The aim of the research is to
collect experimental findings for LENR in order to present
reasonable explanations and a conclusive theoretical and practical
working model.
The goal of the field is directed toward the fabrication of LENR
devices with unique commercial potential demonstrating an
alternative energy source that does not produce greenhouse gases,
long-lived radiation or strong prompt radiation. The idea of LENR
has led to endless discussions about the kinetic impossibility of
intense nuclear reactions with high coulomb barrier potential.
However, recent theoretical work may soon shed light on this
mystery.
Understanding this process is one of the most challenging and
perhaps important issues in the scientific world. This book
includes previously unpublished studies, new and controversial
theories to approach LENR with access to new sources and
experimental results. The book offers insight into this
controversial subject and will help readers re-evaluate their
perspective on LENR as a possible alternative energy source.
Acids and bases are ubiquitous in chemistry. Our understanding of
them, however, is dominated by their behaviour in water. Transfer
to non-aqueous solvents leads to profound changes in acid-base
strengths and to the rates and equilibria of many processes: for
example, synthetic reactions involving acids, bases and
nucleophiles; isolation of pharmaceutical actives through salt
formation; formation of zwitter- ions in amino acids; and
chromatographic separation of substrates. This book seeks to
enhance our understanding of acids and bases by reviewing and
analysing their behaviour in non-aqueous solvents. The behaviour is
related where possible to that in water, but correlations and
contrasts between solvents are also presented. Fundamental
background material is provided in the initial chapters:
quantitative aspects of acid-base equilibria, including definitions
and relationships between solution pH and species distribution; the
influence of molecular structure on acid strengths; and acidity in
aqueous solution. Solvent properties are reviewed, along with the
magnitude of the interaction energies of solvent molecules with
(especially) ions; the ability of solvents to participate in
hydrogen bonding and to accept or donate electron pairs is seen to
be crucial. Experimental methods for determining dissociation
constants are described in detail. In the remaining chapters,
dissociation constants of a wide range of acids in three distinct
classes of solvents are discussed: protic solvents, such as
alcohols, which are strong hydrogen-bond donors; basic, polar
aprotic solvents, such as dimethylformamide; and low-basicity and
low polarity solvents, such as acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran.
Dissociation constants of individual acids vary over more than 20
orders of magnitude among the solvents, and there is a strong
differentiation between the response of neutral and charged acids
to solvent change. Ion-pairing and hydrogen-bonding equilibria,
such as between phenol and phenoxide ions, play an increasingly
important role as the solvent polarity decreases, and their
influence on acid-base equilibria and salt formation is described.
This book is on inertial confinement fusion, an alternative way to
produce electrical power from hydrogen fuel by using powerful
lasers or particle beams. Two huge laser facilities are presently
under construction to show that this method works. It involves the
compression of tiny amounts (micrograms) of fuel to thousand times
solid density and pressures otherwise existing only in the centre
of stars. Thanks to advances in laser technology, it is now
possible to produce such extreme states of matter in the
laboratory. Recent developments have boosted laser intensities
again with new possibilities for laser particle accelerators, laser
nuclear physics, and fast ignition of fusion targets. This is a
reference book for those working on beam plasma physics, be it in
the context of fundamental research or applications to fusion
energy or novel ultra-bright laser sources. The book combines quite
different areas of physics: beam target interaction, dense plasmas,
hydrodynamic implosion and instabilities, radiative energy transfer
as well as fusion reactions. Particular attention is given to
simple and useful modeling, including dimensional analysis and
similarity solutions. Both authors have worked in this field for
more than 20 years. They want to address in particular those
teaching this topic to students and all those interested in
understanding the technical basis.
The book describes classical (non-quantum) optical phenomena and the instruments and technology based on them. It includes many cutting-edge areas of modern physics and its applications which are not covered in many larger and more expensive books.
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