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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Relativity physics
This is a physics textbook for first-year undergraduates. Among the
subjects covered are Newtonian mechanics and the Galilean
transformations, Lorentz transformations, the principle of
constancy, velocity transformations, relativistic mechanics,
relativistic electromagnetism and the clock paradox. The book
contains a number of worked examples and also offers extra coverage
of the subject in sections containing more advanced material. Each
chapter closes with problems and answers.
This book deals with diffraction radiation, which implies the
boundary problems of electromagnetic radiation theory. Diffraction
radiation is generated when a charged particle moves near a target
edge at a distance ( - Lorentz factor, - wave length). Diffraction
radiation of non-relativistic particles is widely used to design
intense emitters in the cm wavelength range. Diffraction radiation
from relativistic charged particles is important for noninvasive
beam diagnostics and design of free electron lasers based on
Smith-Purcell radiation which is diffraction radiation from
periodic structures. Different analytical models of diffraction
radiation and results of recent experimental studies are presented
in this book. The book may also serve as guide to classical
electrodynamics applications in beam physics and electrodynamics.
It can be of great use for young researchers to develop skills and
for experienced scientists to obtain new results.
First published in 1922, this book represents the first attempt to
popularise the more accessible aspects of Albert Einstein's general
theory of relativity. Eschewing the mathematical components that
put the theory beyond many people's grasp, the author employs
metaphorical examples and thought experiments to convey the
fundamental ideas and assertions of one of physics' most famous
principles - which remains the accepted description of gravitation
more than a century after its first publication. This book will of
interest to students of physics as an introductory basis to aid
further study.
This book is the first all-encompassing exploration of the role of
demons in philosophical and scientific thought experiments. In Part
I, the author explains the importance of thought experiments in
science and philosophy. Part II considers Laplace's Demon, whose
claim is that the world is completely deterministic. Part III
introduces Maxwell's Demon, who - by contrast - experiences a world
that is probabilistic and indeterministic. Part IV explores
Nietzsche's thesis of the cyclic and eternal recurrence of events.
In each case a number of philosophical consequences regarding
determinism and indeterminism, the arrows of time, the nature of
the mind and free will are said to follow from the Demons's
worldviews. The book investigates what these Demons - and others -
can and cannot tell us about our world.
This book presents the basic fundamentals of descriptive
archaeoastronomy and its application to the astronomical
descriptions found in ancient Indian scriptures. Archaeoastronomy
is a branch of positional astronomy that helps to determine the
epochs of ancient astronomical alignments and special astronomical
events. In this book, only the descriptions of special stellar
alignments and events found in ancient texts can identify the
antiquity of the descriptions. India possesses a large volume of
ancient scriptures like Vedas and Puranas which contain many
astronomical descriptions as in ancient India positional astronomy
was well developed. The antiquities of these texts are determined
through archaeoastronomical techniques. Major events like
Mahabharata War are dated and using these dates a chronology of
ancient India is determined. The astronomically determined
chronology is compared with the results from various
archaeological, palaeoclimatological, geological and genealogical
investigations of ancient India. This introductory book interests
readers interested in unveiling the mystery involved with the
protohistory of this ancient civilization.
The Constraint Equations.- The Penrose Inequality.- The Global
Existence Problem in General Relativity.- Smoothness at Null
Infinity and the Structure of Initial Data.- Status Quo and Open
Problems in the Numerical Construction of Spacetimes.- The
Einstein-Vlasov System.- Future Complete U(1) Symmetric Einsteinian
Spacetimes, the Unpolarized Case.- Future Complete Vacuum
Spacetimes.- The Cauchy Problem on Spacetimes That Are Not Globally
Hyperbolic.- Cheeger-Gromov Theory and Applications to General
Relativity.- Null Geometry and the Einstein Equations.- Group
Actions on Lorentz Spaces, Mathematical Aspects: A Survey.- Gauge,
Diffeomorphisms, Initial-Value Formulation, Etc.
Differentilil Geometry and Relativity Theory: An Introduction
approaches relativity asa geometric theory of space and time in
which gravity is a manifestation of space-timecurvature, rathe1
than a force. Uniting differential geometry and both special and
generalrelativity in a single source, this easy-to-understand text
opens the general theory of relativityto mathematics majors having
a backgr.ound only in multivariable calculus and linearalgebra.The
book offers a broad overview of the physical foundations and
mathematical details ofrelativity, and presents concrete physical
interpretations of numerous abstract concepts inRiemannian
geometry. The work is profusely illustrated with diagrams aiding in
the understandingof proofs and explanations. Appendices feature
important material on vectoranalysis and hyperbolic
functions.Differential Geometry and Relativity Theory: An
Introduction serves as the ideal textfor high-level undergraduate
couues in mathematics and physics, and includes a solutionsmanual
augmenting classroom study. It is an invaluable reference for
mathematicians interestedin differential and IUemannian geometry,
or the special and general theories ofrelativity
This book provides a completely revised and expanded version of the
previous classic edition 'General Relativity and Relativistic
Astrophysics'. In Part I the foundations of general relativity are
thoroughly developed, while Part II is devoted to tests of general
relativity and many of its applications. Binary pulsars - our best
laboratories for general relativity - are studied in considerable
detail. An introduction to gravitational lensing theory is included
as well, so as to make the current literature on the subject
accessible to readers. Considerable attention is devoted to the
study of compact objects, especially to black holes. This includes
a detailed derivation of the Kerr solution, Israel's proof of his
uniqueness theorem, and a derivation of the basic laws of black
hole physics. Part II ends with Witten's proof of the positive
energy theorem, which is presented in detail, together with the
required tools on spin structures and spinor analysis. In Part III,
all of the differential geometric tools required are developed in
detail. A great deal of effort went into refining and improving the
text for the new edition. New material has been added, including a
chapter on cosmology. The book addresses undergraduate and graduate
students in physics, astrophysics and mathematics. It utilizes a
very well structured approach, which should help it continue to be
a standard work for a modern treatment of gravitational physics.
The clear presentation of differential geometry also makes it
useful for work on string theory and other fields of physics,
classical as well as quantum.
In Synchronicity Paul Halpern tells the little-known story of the
unlikely friendship between the Nobel-prize-winning quantum
physicist Wolfgang Pauli and the father of psychoanalysis, Carl
Jung. In the 1930s, Pauli and Jung began collaborating on a unified
theory of quantum and the mind, the result of which was Jung's
synchronicity principle-the idea that events connected by meaning
need not be explained by causality. Pauli's work on entanglement
theory, which allowed for instantaneous cause and effect
relationships, was particularly appealing to Jung, as it seemed to
give weight to his controversial theory of a collective
unconscious. Casting their relationship within a larger
intellectual history of entanglement theory, Halpern poses a
question that has mystified physicists and philosophers alike since
the times of Aristotle: Is the speed of light finite, as Einstein
posited, or is it, as Pauli and the proponents of entanglement
theory asserted, variable across time and dimensions? As Halpern
works his way through the history of the physics of cause and
effect, he shows that this centuries-old debate is not only
relevant at the smallest scales of particle physics but also at the
largest scales of the cosmos itself.
In these inspiring lectures David Bohm explores Albert Einstein's
celebrated Theory of Relativity that transformed forever the way we
think about time and space. Yet for Bohm the implications of the
theory were far more revolutionary both in scope and impact even
than this. Stepping back from dense theoretical and scientific
detail in this eye-opening work, Bohm describes how the notion of
relativity strikes at the heart of our very conception of the
universe, regardless of whether we are physicists or philosophers.
The world would be a very different place if it were not for Albert
Einstein. Like Newton and Galileo before him, this remarkable
scientist changed forever mankind's understanding of the universe.
In 1921, five years after proclaiming his general theory of
relativity, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in
recognition of his remarkable achievements. In the same year he
travelled to the United States to give four lectures that
consolidated his theory and sought to explain its meaning to a new
audience. These lectures were published the following year as The
Meaning of Relativity, which he revised with each new edition until
his death. It remains a key work for anyone wishing to discover at
first hand the workings of one of the most inspiring minds of the
twentieth century.
First published in 1925, Bertrand Russell's ABC of Relativity was
considered a masterwork of its time, contributing significantly to
the mass popularisation of science. Authoritative and accessible,
it provides a remarkable introductory guide to Einstein's theory of
Relativity for a general readership. One of the most definitive
reference guides of its kind, and written by one of the twentieth
century's most influential philosophers, ABC of Relativity
continues to be as relevant today as it was on first publication.
A very attractive feature of the theory of general relativity is
that it is a
perfectexampleofa"falsi?able"theory:notunableparameterispresentinthe
theory and therefore even a single experiment incompatible with a
prediction of the theory would immediately lead to its inevitable
rejection, at least in the physical regime of application of the
aforementioned experiment. This fact provides additional scienti?c
value to one of the boldest and most fascinating achievements of
the human intellect ever, and motivates a wealth of e?orts in
designing and implementing tests aimed at the falsi?cation of the
theory. The ?rst historical test on the theory has been the
de?ection of light gr- ing the solar surface (Eddington 1919): the
compatibility of the theory with this ?rst experiment together with
its ability to explain the magnitude of the perihelion advance of
Mercury contributed strongly to boost acceptance and
worldwideknowledge.However,technologicallimitations
preventedphysicists from setting up more constraining tests for
several decades after the formu- tion of the theory. In fact, a
relevant problem with experimental general r- ativity is that the
predicted deviations from the Newtonian theory of gravity
areverysmallwhentheexperimentsarecarriedoutinterrestriallaboratories.
Albert Einstein, one of the most prolific scientists of the
twentieth century, developed the theory of relativity which was
crucial for the advancement of modern physics. Young Einstein
identified a paradox between Newtonian Mechanics and Maxwell's
equations which pointed to a flawed understanding of space and time
by the scientists of the day. In Relativity, Einstein presents his
findings using a minimal amount of mathematical language, but the
text can still be challenging for readers who lack an extensive
scientific background. The Routledge Guidebook to Einstein's
Relativity expands on and supplements this seminal text, by
exploring: the historical context of Einstein's work and the
background to his breakthroughs details of experimental
verification of special and general relativity the enduring legacy
of Einstein's theories and their implications for future scientific
breakthroughs. This is an essential introduction for students of
physics, philosophy and history in understanding the key elements
of the work and the importance of this classic text to society
today.
Differential Forms and the Geometry of General Relativity provides
readers with a coherent path to understanding relativity. Requiring
little more than calculus and some linear algebra, it helps readers
learn just enough differential geometry to grasp the basics of
general relativity. The book contains two intertwined but distinct
halves. Designed for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate
students in mathematics or physics, most of the text requires
little more than familiarity with calculus and linear algebra. The
first half presents an introduction to general relativity that
describes some of the surprising implications of relativity without
introducing more formalism than necessary. This nonstandard
approach uses differential forms rather than tensor calculus and
minimizes the use of "index gymnastics" as much as possible. The
second half of the book takes a more detailed look at the
mathematics of differential forms. It covers the theory behind the
mathematics used in the first half by emphasizing a conceptual
understanding instead of formal proofs. The book provides a
language to describe curvature, the key geometric idea in general
relativity.
This richly annotated facsimile edition of "The Foundation of
General Relativity" introduces a new generation of readers to
Albert Einstein's theory of gravitation. Written in 1915, this
remarkable document is a watershed in the history of physics and an
enduring testament to the elegance and precision of Einstein's
thought. Presented here is a beautiful facsimile of Einstein's
original handwritten manuscript, along with its English translation
and an insightful page-by-page commentary that places the work in
historical and scientific context. Hanoch Gutfreund and Jurgen
Renn's concise introduction traces Einstein's intellectual odyssey
from special to general relativity, and their essay "The Charm of a
Manuscript" provides a delightful meditation on the varied
afterlife of Einstein's text. Featuring a foreword by John Stachel,
this handsome edition also includes a biographical glossary of the
figures discussed in the book, a comprehensive bibliography,
suggestions for further reading, and numerous photos and
illustrations throughout.
The three neutrinos are ghostly elementary particles that exist all
across the Universe. Though every second billions of them fly
through us, they are extremely hard to detect. We used to think
they had no mass, but recently discovered that in fact they have a
tiny mass. The quest for the neutrino mass scale and mass ordering
(specifying how the three masses are distributed) is an extremely
exciting one, and will open the door towards new physics operating
at energy scales we can only ever dream of reaching on Earth. This
thesis explores the use of measurements of the Cosmic Microwave
Background (the oldest light reaching us, a snapshot of the infant
Universe) and maps of millions of galaxies to go after the neutrino
mass scale and mass ordering. Neutrinos might teach us something
about the mysterious dark energy powering the accelerated expansion
of the Universe, or about cosmic inflation, which seeded the
initial conditions for the Universe. Though extremely baffling,
neutrinos are also an exceptionally exciting area of research, and
cosmological observations promise to reveal a great deal about
these elusive particles in the coming years.
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 book describes a relativistic quantum theory developed by the
author starting from the E.C.G. Stueckelberg approach proposed in
the early 40s. In this framework a universal invariant evolution
parameter (corresponding to the time originally postulated by
Newton) is introduced to describe dynamical evolution. This theory
is able to provide solutions for some of the fundamental problems
encountered in early attempts to construct a relativistic quantum
theory. A relativistically covariant construction is given for
which particle spins and angular momenta can be combined through
the usual rotation group Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. Solutions are
defined for both the classical and quantum two body bound state and
scattering problems. The recently developed quantum Lax-Phillips
theory of semi group evolution of resonant states is described. The
experiment of Lindner and coworkers on interference in time is
discussed showing how the property of coherence in time provides a
simple understanding of the results. The full gauge invariance of
the Stueckelberg-Schroedinger equation results in a 5D
generalization of the usual gauge theories. A description of this
structure and some of its consequences for both Abelian and
non-Abelian fields are discussed. A review of the basic foundations
of relativistic classical and quantum statistical mechanics is also
given. The Bekenstein-Sanders construction for imbedding Milgrom's
theory of modified spacetime structure into general relativity as
an alternative to dark matter is also studied.
This book delves into finite mathematics and its application in
physics, particularly quantum theory. It is shown that quantum
theory based on finite mathematics is more general than standard
quantum theory, whilst finite mathematics is itself more general
than standard mathematics.As a consequence, the mathematics
describing nature at the most fundamental level involves only a
finite number of numbers while the notions of limit,
infinite/infinitesimal and continuity are needed only in
calculations that describe nature approximately. It is also shown
that the concepts of particle and antiparticle are likewise
approximate notions, valid only in special situations, and that the
electric charge and baryon- and lepton quantum numbers can be only
approximately conserved.
Einstein's general theory of relativity can be a notoriously
difficult subject for students approaching it for the first time,
with arcane mathematical concepts such as connection coefficients
and tensors adorned with a forest of indices. This book is an
elementary introduction to Einstein's theory and the physics of
curved space-times that avoids these complications as much as
possible. Its first half describes the physics of black holes,
gravitational waves and the expanding Universe, without using
tensors. Only in the second half are Einstein's field equations
derived and used to explain the dynamical evolution of the early
Universe and the creation of the first elements. Each chapter
concludes with problem sets and technical mathematical details are
given in the appendices. This short text is intended for
undergraduate physics students who have taken courses in special
relativity and advanced mechanics.
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