The past decade has seen a considerable surge of interest in historical and philo sophical studies of gravitation and relativity, due not only to the tremendous amount of world-wide research in general relativity and its theoretical and observational consequences, but also to an increasing awareness that a collaboration between working scientists, historians and philosophers of science is, in this field, partic ularly promising for all participants. The expanding activity in this field is well documented by recent volumes in this Einstein Studies series on the History of General Relativity as well as by a series of international conferences on this topic at Osgood Hill (1986), Luminy (1988), and Pittsburgh (1991). The fourth of these conferences, hosted by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, was held in Berlin from 31 July to 3 August 1995, with a record attendance of some 80 historians and philosophers of science, physicists, mathematicians, and as tronomers. Based on presentations at the Berlin conference, this volume provides an overview of the present state of research in this field, documenting not only the increasing scope of recent investigations in the history of relativity and gravitation but also the emergence of several key issues that will probably remain at the focus of debate in the near future. RELATIVITY IN THE MAKING The papers of this section deal with the origins and genesis of relativity theory."

Kinetic Theory: Classical, Quantum, and Relativistic Descriptions goes beyond the scope of other works in the field with its thorough treatment of applications in a wide variety of disciplines. Its clear exposition and emphasis on concrete examples will make it not only an excellent graduate text but also a valuable resource for researchers in such disciplines as aerospace, mechanical, and chemical engineering; astrophysics, solid state and laser physics and devices, plasma physics, and controlled and thermonuclear fusion. Among the topics covered are: - The Liouville equation and analyses of the Liouville equation, including two independent derivations - The Boltzmann equation and Boltzmann's H-theorem - Analysis of the linearized collision operator - Fluid dynamics and irreversibility - Assorted kinetic equations with applications to plasmas and neutral fluids - Elements of quantum kinetic theory, including the Green's-function formalism and the Wigner-Moyal equation - Relativistic kinetic theory and Lorentz invariants - Kinetic properties of metals and amorphous media - Monte-Carlo analysis in kinetic theory - Kinetic study of shock waves This third revised edition features a new section on constants of motion and symmetry and a new appendix on the Lorentz-Legendre expansion. Each chapter concludes with a variety of problems, many of which provide self-contained descriptions of related topics; lists of such "topical problems" are included in the Table of Contents. Numerous appendices supply vector formulas and tensor notation, properties of special functions, physical constants, references, and a historical time chart.

This book tackles quantum gravity via the so-called background field method and its effective action functional. The author presents an explicitly covariant and effective technique to calculate the de Witt coefficients and to analyze the Schwinger-de Wit asymptotic expansion of the effective action. He also investigates the ultraviolet behaviour of higher-derivative quantum gravity.The book addresses theoretical physicists, graduate students as well as researchers, but should also be of interest to physicists working in mathematical or elementary particle physics.

There exist essentially two levels of investigation in theoretical physics. One is primarily descriptive, concentrating as it does on useful phenomenological approaches toward the most economical classifications of large classes of experimental data on particular phenomena. The other, whose thrust is explanatory, has as its aim the formulation of those underlying hypotheses and their mathematical representations that are capable of furnishing, via deductive analysis, predictions - constituting the particulars of universals (the asserted laws)- about the phenomena under consideration. The two principal disciplines of contemporary theoretical physics - quantum theory and the theory of relativity - fall basically into these respective categories. General Relativity and Matter represents a bold attempt by its author to formulate, in as transparent and complete a way as possible, a fundamental theory of matter rooted in the theory of relativity - where the latter is viewed as providing an explanatory level of understanding for probing the fundamental nature ofmatter indomainsranging all the way fromfermis and lessto light years and more. We hasten to add that this assertion is not meant to imply that the author pretends with his theory to encompass all ofphysics or even a tiny part of the complete objective understanding of our accessible universe. But he does adopt the philosophy that underlying all natural phenomena there is a common conceptualbasis, and then proceeds to investigate how far such a unified viewcan take us at its present stage of development

Each of this book's 32 essays discusses a chosen topic, at a level that is generally within that of a four-year degree course in Physics. The essays supplement (indeed sometimes correct) treatments usually given, or supplies reasoning that tends to fall through the cracks. The author uses his life long experience of tutorial teaching at Oxford to know what topics often need such discussion, for clarification, or for avoidance of common confusions. The book contains accounts of even-standard topics, accounts that offer an unusual emphasis, or a fresh insight, or more than customary rigour, or a cross-link to apparently unrelated material. The student (and their teachers) who really wants to understand physics will find this book indispensable. Often the outcome of tutorial discussion has been an understanding that lies a little to the side of what is presented in standard texts. Such understanding is presented here in the essays. The topics covered are diverse and have something useful to say across most areas of a physics degree.

This volume presents a selection of 434 letters from and to the Dutch physicist and Nobel Prize winner Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853-1928), covering the period from 1883 until a few months before his death in February 1928. The sheer size of the available correspondence (approximately 6000 letters from and to Lorentz) preclude a full publication. The letters included in this volume have been selected according to various criteria, the most important of which is scientific importance. A second criterion has been the availability of letters both from and to Lorentz, so that the reader can follow the exchange between Lorentz and his correspondent. Within such correspondences a few unimportant items, dealing with routine administrative or organizational matters, have been omitted. An exception to the scientific criterion is the exchange of letters between Lorentz and Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Woldemar Voigt, and Wilhelm Wien during World War I: these letters have been included because they shed important light on the disruption of the scientific relations during the war and on the political views of these correspondents as well as of Lorentz. similar reasons the letters exchanged with Einstein and Planck on post-war political issues have been included. Biographical sketch Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was born on July 18, 1853 in the Dutch town of Arnhem. He was the son of a relatively well-to-do owner of a nursery.

These Lecture Notes focus on the physics of relativistic jet sources in the universe, from galactic microquasars to active galactic nuclei (AGN). The early 21st century is an epoch in which a large number of high-energy astronomical missions are underway (RossiXTE, Chandra, XMM-Newton, INTEGRAL, Swift, Suzaku). The wealth of X-ray and gamma-ray data, coupled with ground-based observations in the optical/IR/radio bands, provides an increasing amount of information on microquasars, allowing the investigation of the physical processes for the formation and the evolution of relativistic jets, as well as their relation to the accretion process. The information obtained from galactic relativistic jet systems is particularly important in that it can be compared with that from active galactic nuclei. The comparative study of these two classes of objects allows us to overcome their separate intrinsic limitations and is the only way to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the accretion/ejection phenomenon.

This book covers the topic of accretion/ejection in relativistic jet sources with a broad approach, from microquasars to AGN, discussing both observational and theoretical aspects. The aim is to present a broad view of the field and the current standpoint now that the first comparative studies have opened the way to a global study at a mass scale. Written in a pedagogical lecture notes style, the book benefits students and newcomers to jet astrophysics as well as lecturers and researchers.

Sidney Coleman (1937-2007) earned his doctorate at Caltech under Murray Gell-Mann. Before completing his thesis, he was hired by Harvard and remained there his entire career. A celebrated particle theorist, he is perhaps best known for his brilliant lectures, given at Harvard and in a series of summer school courses at Erice, Sicily. Three times in the 1960s he taught a graduate course on Special and General Relativity; this book is based on lecture notes taken by three of his students and compiled by the Editors.

This book offers an alternative to other textbooks on the subject, providing a more specific discussion of numerous general relativistic effects for readers who have knowledge of classical mechanics and electrodynamics, including special relativity. Coverage includes in particular gravitational lensing, signal retardation in the gravitational field of the Sun, the Reissner-NordstrAm solution, selected spin effects, the resonance transformation of an electromagnetic wave into a gravitational one, and the entropy and temperature of black holes. The book includes numerous problems at various levels of difficulty, making it ideal also for independent study by a broad readership of advanced students and researchers.

I.B. Khriplovich is Chief Researcher, Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk, and Chair of Theoretical Physics at Novosibirsk University. Dr. Khriplovich is a Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has been awarded the Dirac Medal For the advancement of theoretical physics'' by University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and the Pomeranchuk Prize For outstanding contribution to the understanding the properties of the standard model, especially for illuminating work on weak and strong interactions of quarks'' by the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Moscow, Russia.

This work investigates the theoretical and cosmological implications of modifying Einstein's theory of general relativity. It explores two classes of modifications to gravity: those in which the graviton is given a small mass, and those in which Lorentz invariance is spontaneously broken. It elucidates the nature of cosmological perturbations in theories of massive bimetric gravity, including a potentially deadly instability. Theories of gravity beyond general relativity could explain why the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, obviating the need for a dark energy, and can also affect the evolution of the early Universe. Next, it investigates the nature of spacetime in massive gravity theories that contain two different spacetime metrics. Lastly, the strongest constraints to date are placed on the size of Lorentz-violating effects in the gravity sector during inflation.

This thesis addresses two of the central processes which underpin the formation of galaxies: the formation of stars and the injection of energy into the interstellar medium from supernovae, called feedback. In her work Claudia Lagos has completely overhauled the treatment of these processes in simulations of galaxy formation. Her thesis makes two major breakthroughs, and represents the first major steps forward in these areas in more than a decade. Her work has enabled, for the first time, predictions to be made which can be compared against new observations which probe the neutral gas content of galaxies, opening up a completely novel way to constrain the models. The treatment of feedback from supernovae, and how this removes material from the interstellar medium, is also likely to have a lasting impact on the field. Claudia Lagos Ph.D. thesis was nominated by the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University as an outstanding Ph.D. thesis 2012.

These notes are a transcript of lectures delivered by Oyvind Gron during the spring of 1997 at the University of Oslo. The present version of this document is an extended and corrected version of a set of Lecture Notes which were typesetted by S. Bard, Andreas O. Jaunsen, A Frode Hansen and Ragnvald J. Irgens using LT X2 . Svend E. Hjelmeland has made E many useful suggestions which have improved the text. I would also like to thank Jon Magne Leinaas and Sigbjorn Hervik for contributing with problems, and Gorm Krogh Johnsen for help with nishing the manuscript. I also want to thank prof. Finn Ravndal for inspiring lectures on general relativity. While we hope that these typeset notes are of bene t particularly to students of general relativity and look forward to their comments, we welcome all interested readers and accept all feedback with thanks. All comment may be sent to the author by e-mail."

This book discusses searches for Dark Matter at the CERN's LHC, the world's most powerful accelerator. It introduces the relevant theoretical framework and includes an in-depth discussion of the Effective Field Theory approach to Dark Matter production and its validity, as well as an overview of the formalism of Simplified Dark Matter models. Despite overwhelming astrophysical evidence for Dark Matter and numerous experimental efforts to detect it, the nature of Dark Matter still remains a mystery and has become one of the hottest research topics in fundamental physics. Two searches for Dark Matter are presented, performed on data collected with the ATLAS experiment. They analyze missing-energy final states with a jet or with top quarks. The analyses are explained in detail, and the outcomes and their interpretations are discussed, also in view of the precedent analysis of theoretical approaches. Given its depth of coverage, the book represents an excellent reference guide for all physicists interested in understanding the theoretical and experimental considerations relevant to Dark Matter searches at the LHC.

This proceedings covers topics from chemical abundances in the different components of the Milky Way and in local group galaxies, via observational and theoretical papers on mixing in stars to big bang nucleosynthesis and galaxy formation and evolution. Like all volumes in the series ESO Astrophysics Symposia, this one gives a comprehensive overview of the forefront of research in this subject. It is a valuable reference for both students and researchers.

This book is a collection of articles from several world-class researchers, and is inspired by Sir Roger Penrose's work. It gives an overview of the interaction between geometry and physics, from which many important developments have emerged. The volume collects together ideas from across the physical sciences, and indicates the many applications of geometrical ideas and techniques across mathematics and mathematical physics.

In retrospect, the first edition of this book now seems like a mere sketch for a book. The present version is, if not the final product, at least a closer approximation to it. The table of contents may show little change. But that is simply because the original organization of the material has been found satisfactory. Also the basic purpose of the book remains the same, and that is to make relativity come alive conceptually. I have always felt much sym pathy with Richard Courant's maxim (as reported and exemplified by Pascual Jordan) that, ideally, proofs should be reached by comprehension rather than computation. Where computations are necessary, I have tried to make them as transparent as possible, so as not to hinder the progress of comprehension. Among the more obvious changes, this edition contains a new section on Kruskal space, another on the plane gravitational wave, and a third on linearized general relativity; it also contains many new exercises, and two appendices: one listing the curvature components for the diagonal metric (in a little more generality than the old" Dingle formulas "), and one syn thesizing Maxwell's theory in tensor form. But the most significant changes and additions have occurred throughout the text. Many sections have been completely rewritten, many arguments tightened, many "asides" added, and, of course, recent developments taken into account."

It is not an exaggeration to say that one of the most exciting predictions of Einstein's theory of gravitation is that there may exist "black holes" putative objects whose gravitational fields are so strong that no physical bodies or signals can break free of their pull and escape. The proof that black holes do exist, and an analysis of their properties, would have a significance going far beyond astrophysics. Indeed, what is involved is not just the discovery of yet another even if extremely remarkable, astro physical object, but a test of the correctness of our understanding of the properties of space and time in extremely strong gravitational fields. Theoretical research into the properties of black holes, and into the possible corol laries of the hypothesis that they exist, has been carried out with special vigor since the beginning of the 1970's. In addition to those specific features of black holes that are important for the interpretation of their possible astrophysical manifestations, the theory has revealed a number of unexpected characteristics of physical interactions involving black holes. By the middle of the 1980's a fairly detailed understanding had been achieved of the properties of the black holes, their possible astrophysical manifestations, and the specifics of the various physical processes involved. Even though a completely reliable detection of a black hole had not yet been made at that time, several objects among those scrutinized by astrophysicists were considered as strong candidates to be confirmed as being black holes."

This book contains the expanded lecture notes of the 32nd Saas-Fee Advanced Course. The three contributions present the central themes in modern research on the cold universe, ranging from cold objects at large distances to the physics of dust in cold clouds.

In this engaging, lyrical book, physicist Sander Bais shows how science can liberate us from our cultural straitjacket of prejudice and intolerance. We're living in a time in which technology is taken for granted, yet belief in such standard scientific facts as evolution is actually decreasing. How is it possible for cell phones and Creationism to coexist? Science-fundamental, fact-based knowledge, not the latest technological gadget-can give us the global and local perspectives we need to make the world a better place. Bais argues that turning points in the history of science have been accompanied by similar milestones in social change, deeply affecting our view of nature, our perception of the human condition, and our understanding of the universe and our place in it. After a lively description of how curiosity trumps prejudice and pseudoscience in matters ranging from lightning rods to the transmission of HIV, Bais considers what drives science and scientists, a quest that culminates in that miraculous mixture of creativity and ingenuity found in the greatest scientists. He describes what he calls the "circle of science"-the microcosm and the macrocosm as mirror images-and demonstrates unity in a dazzling sequence of topics, including the hierarchy of structures, the forces of nature, cosmological evolution, and the challenge of complexity. Finally, Bais takes on the obstacles science encounters in a world dominated by short-term political and economic interests. Science, he says, needs to get its message out. Drawing on sources that range from Charles Darwin and Karl Popper to Herbert Marcuse and Richard Feynman, with In Praise of Science, Bais does just that. Copublished with MIT Press, United States of America.

This thesis reports on the search for dark matter in data taken with the ATLAS detector at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The identification of dark matter and the determination of its properties are among the highest priorities in elementary particle physics and cosmology. The most likely candidate, a weakly interacting massive particle, could be produced in the high energy proton-proton collisions at the LHC. The analysis presented here is unique in looking for dark matter produced together with a Higgs boson that decays into its dominant decay mode, a pair of b quarks. If dark matter were seen in this mode, we would learn directly about the production mechanism because of the presence of the Higgs boson. This thesis develops the search technique and presents the most stringent production limit to date.

These proceedings celebrate the achievements of the great astronomer Zdenek Kopal, and reflect the state of the art of the dynamically evolving field of binary research, which owes so much to Kopal's pioneering work.

Special Relativity provides the foundations of our knowledge of space and time. Without it, our understanding of the world, and its place in the universe, would be unthinkable. This book gives a concise, elementary, yet exceptionally modern, introduction to special relativity. It is a gentle yet serious 'first encounter', in that it conveys a true understanding rather than purely reports the basic facts. Only very elementary mathematical knowledge is needed to master it (basic high-school maths), yet it will leave the reader with a sound understanding of the subject. Special Relativity: A First Encounter starts with a broad historical introduction and motivation of the basic notions. The central chapters are dedicated to special relativity, mainly following Einstein's historical route. Later chapters turn to various applications in all parts of physics and everyday life. Unlike other books on the subject, the current status of the experimental foundations of special relativity is accurately reported and the experiments explained. This book will appeal to anyone wanting a gentle introduction to the subject, as well as those who are interested in seriously learning about Einstein's legacy.