This book presents contributions to the topics of materials for energy infrastructure with a focus on data and informatics for materials. This spectrum of topics has been chosen because challenges in terms of materials are identified to lie in transport and storage of energy, adequate supply of food and water, well-working infrastructure, materials for medical application and health, efficient use of scarce resources or elements and alternate materials solutions as well as recycling. The contributions were invited at the 4th WMRIF Young Materials Scientist Workshop held at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, USA during September 8-10, 2014.

This book explains modern and interesting physics in heavy-fermion (HF) compounds to graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics. It presents a theory of heavy-fermion (HF) compounds such as HF metals, quantum spin liquids, quasicrystals and two-dimensional Fermi systems. The basic low-temperature properties and the scaling behavior of the compounds are described within the framework of the theory of fermion condensation quantum phase transition (FCQPT). Upon reading the book, the reader finds that HF compounds with quite different microscopic nature exhibit the same non-Fermi liquid behavior, while the data collected on very different HF systems have a universal scaling behavior, and these compounds are unexpectedly uniform despite their diversity. For the reader's convenience, the analysis of compounds is carried out in the context of salient experimental results. The numerous calculations of the non-Fermi liquid behavior, thermodynamic, relaxation and transport properties, being in good agreement with experimental facts, offer the reader solid grounds to learn the theory's applications. Finally, the reader will learn that FCQPT develops unexpectedly simple, yet completely good description of HF compounds.

The present volume 45 of Advances in Solid-State Physics contains the written versions of selected invited lectures from the spring meeting of the Arbeitskreis Festk rperphysik of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft in the World Year of Physics 2005, the Einstein Year, which was held from 4 - 11 March 2005 in Berlin, Germany. Many topical talks given at the numerous symposia are included. Most of these were organized collaboratively by several of the divisions of the Arbeitskreis.

The book presents, to some extent, the status of the field of solid-state physics in 2005 not only in Germany but also internationally. It is ''nanoscience'', namely the physics of quantum dots and wires, electrical transport, optical properties, spin transport in nanostructures, and magnetism on the nanoscale, that is of central interest to the physics community. Also, soft matter and biological systems are covered.

This status report features the most recent developments in the field, spanning a wide range of topical areas in the computer simulation of condensed matter/materials physics. Both established and new topics are included, ranging from the statistical mechanics of classical magnetic spin models to electronic structure calculations, quantum simulations, and simulations of soft condensed matter.

This thesis provides deep insights into currently controversial questions in laser filamentation, a highly complex phenomenon involving nonlinear optical effects and plasma physics. First, based on the concrete picture of a femtosecond laser beam which self-pinches its radial intensity distribution, the thesis delivers a novel explanation for the remarkable and previously unexplained phenomenon of pulse self-compression in filaments. Moreover, the work addresses the impact of a non-adiabatic change of both nonlinearity and dispersion on such an intense femtosecond pulse transiting from a gaseous dielectric material to a solid one. Finally, and probably most importantly, the author presents a simple and highly practical theoretical approach for quantitatively estimating the influence of higher-order nonlinear optical effects in optics. These results shed new light on recent experimental observations, which are still hotly debated and may completely change our understanding of filamentation, causing a paradigm change concerning the role of higher-order nonlinearities in optics.

The book focuses on the main physical ideas and mathematical methods of the microscopic theory of fluids, starting with the basic principles of statistical mechanics. The detailed derivation of results is accompanied by explanation of their physical meaning. The same approach refers to several specialized topics of the liquid state, most of which are recent developments, such as: a perturbation approach to the surface tension, an algebraic perturbation theory of polar nonpolarizable fluids and ferrocolloids, a semi-phenomenological theory of the Tolman length and some others. The book addresses researchers as well as graduate students in physics and chemistry with research interests in the statistical physics of fluids.

This symposium focused on new superconductors, electronics, magnet technology, energy and new applications. Recent discoveries in HTc, with transition temperatures over 90 K, have spawned a search for practical new applications. These applications extend from current uses such as that of the medical MRI to future applications, represented by research on new high-temperature materials. They span from microcircuit applications to the proposed SMES and fusion reactor applications.

This volume presents the current knowledge of magnetic fields in diffuse astrophysical media. Starting with an overview of 21st century instrumentation to observe astrophysical magnetic fields, the chapters cover observational techniques, origin of magnetic fields, magnetic turbulence, basic processes in magnetized fluids, the role of magnetic fields for cosmic rays, in the interstellar medium and for star formation. Written by a group of leading experts the book represents an excellent overview of the field. Nonspecialists will find sufficient background to enter the field and be able to appreciate the state of the art.

This book presents an overview of the most recent advances in nonlinear science. It provides a unified view of nonlinear properties in many different systems and highlights many new developments. While volume 1 concentrates on mathematical theory and computational techniques and challenges, which are essential for the study of nonlinear science, this second volume deals with nonlinear excitations in several fields. These excitations can be localized and transport energy and matter in the form of breathers, solitons, kinks or quodons with very different characteristics, which are discussed in the book. They can also transport electric charge, in which case they are known as polarobreathers or solectrons. Nonlinear excitations can influence function and structure in biology, as for example, protein folding. In crystals and other condensed matter, they can modify transport properties, reaction kinetics and interact with defects. There are also engineering applications in electric lattices, Josephson junction arrays, waveguide arrays, photonic crystals and optical fibers. Nonlinear excitations are inherent to Bose-Einstein Condensates, constituting an excellent benchmark for testing their properties and providing a pathway for future discoveries in fundamental physics.

Solid-State Imaging with Charge-Coupled Devices covers the complete imaging chain: from the CCD's fundamentals to the applications. The book is divided into four main parts: the first deals with the basics of the charge-coupled devices in general. The second explains the imaging concepts in close relation to the classical television application. Part three goes into detail on new developments in the solid-state imaging world (light sensitivity, noise, device architectures), and part four rounds off the discussion with a variety of applications and the imager technology. The book is a reference work intended for all who deal with one or more aspects of solid- state imaging: the educational, scientific and industrial world. Graduates, undergraduates, engineers and technicians interested in the physics of solid-state imagers will find the answers to their imaging questions. Since each chapter concludes with a short section Worth Memorizing', reading this short summary allows readers to continue their reading without missing the main message from the previous section.

High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the properties of these fascinating materials. The essential properties of high-temperature cuprate superconductors are reviewed on the background of their theoretical interpretation. The experimental results for structural, magnetic, thermal, electric, optical and lattice properties of various cuprate superconductors are presented with respect to relevant theoretical models. A critical comparison of various theoretical models involving strong electron correlations, antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, phonons and excitons provides a background for understanding of the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Recent achievements in their applications are also reviewed. A large number of illustrations and tables gives valuable information for specialists. A text-book level presentation with formulation of a general theory of strong-coupling superconductivity will help students and researches to consolidate their knowledge of this remarkable class of materials.

"Blurb & Contents" "The reader is treated to constantly refreshing and engaging commentary and opinion that always informs....As she depicts them, the problems of the universe are always fascinating and, most of all, they are alive and compelling." David DeVorkin, Sky & Telescope Virginia Trimble offers readers a fascinating and accessible tour of the stars. An astronomer with shared appointments in California and Maryland, the author ranges over a large portion of the universe as she discusses the search for life on other planets, how galaxies form, why stars explode and die, and the nature of the elusive dark matter in the universe. She also explains the astronomical significance of Cheeps' pyramid and leads the reader through scientific speculation about what and when the Star of Bethlehem might have been. Throughout, Trimble points to the exciting unanswered questions that still perplex the field and considers the formidable tasks to be faced by the next generation of young astronomers.

Concisely and clearly written, this book provides a self-contained introduction to the basic concepts of fractals and demonstrates their use in a range of topics in condensed matter physics and statistical mechanics. The first part outlines different fractal structures observed in condensed matter. The main part of the book is dedicated to the dynamical behaviour of fractal structures, including anomalous and percolating systems. The concept of multifractals is illustrated for the metal-insulator quantum phase transition. The authors emphasize the unified description of these different dynamic problems, thus making the book accessible to readers who are new to the field.

The idea of writing this book orIgmates from a suggestion of Bernard Sapoval: "Why don't you write it?" he asked. "Coulomb screening is a problem that everybody encounters in many different contexts, and there is no textbook that gathers the various aspects ofthe subject. " The content ofthe book, in a shorter form, was first taught for four years as a course in Dipl6me d'Etudes Approfondies Sciences des Materiaux, headed by Prof. J. -F. Petroff, at Paris VI University. The present extended version was written after discussions with Alia Margolina-Litvin. An essential feature of screening is its role in many different scientific areas. For that reason, the book is intended for use by a multidisciplinary readership. Reading it requires only a basic knowledge ofelectromagnetism, elementary quantum mechanics, and thermal physics. The spirit of the pre sentation is "simplicity first": new concepts (e. g. , dielectric function) are first introduced in their most elementary form and are progressively extended to more generality. The book stays at a basic level, and additional abstract developments that might have been included have been either omitted, rele gated to an appendix, or summarized in a qualitative manner. Apart from these restrictions, care has been taken to keep the presentation as rigorous as possible: the topics addressed are dealt with quantitatively, the results are given in mathematical form, and the interested reader should be able to fol low the algebra all the way through.

The study of the spontaneous formation of nanostructures in single crystals is rapidly developing into a dominant field of research in the subject area known as strongly correlated electrons. The structures appear to originate in the competition of phases. This book addresses nanoscale phase separation, focusing on the manganese oxides with colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). The text argues that nanostructures are at the heart of the CMR phenomenon. Other compounds are also addressed, such as high-temperature superconductors, where similar nanostructures exist. Brief contributions by distinguished researchers are also included. The book contains updated information directed at experts, both theorists and experimentalists. Beginning graduate students or postdocs will also benefit from the introductory material of the early chapters, and the book can be used as a reference for an advanced graduate course. 

The field of quantum and molecular simulations has experienced strong growth since the time of the early software packages. A recent study, showed a large increase in the number of people publishing papers based on ab initio methods from about 3,000 in 1991 to roughly 20,000 in 2009, with particularly strong growth in East Asia. Looking to the future, the question remains as to how these methods can be further integrated into the R&D value chain, bridging the gap from engineering to manufacturing.

Using successful case studies as a framework, Industrial Applications of Molecular Simulations demonstrates the capability of molecular modeling to tackle problems of industrial relevance. This book presents a wide range of various modeling techniques, including methods based on quantum or classical mechanics, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo simulations, etc. It also explores a wide range of materials, from soft materials such as polymeric blends widely used in the chemical industry to hard or inorganic materials such as glasses and alumina.

Features

• Demonstrates how modeling can solve everyday problems for scientists in industry
• Provides a broad overview of theoretical approaches
• Presents a wide range of applications in areas such as materials research, catalysis, pharmaceutical development and electronics
• Emphasizes the relationship between theory and experiments

This book is targeted mainly to the undergraduate students of USA, UK and other European countries, and the M. Sc of Asian countries, but will be found useful for the graduate students, Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Teachers and Tutors. This is a by-product of lectures given at the Osmania University, University of Ottawa and University of Tebrez over several years, and is intended to assist the students in their assignments and examinations. The book covers a wide spectrum of disciplines in Modern Physics, and is mainly based on the actual examination papers of UK and the Indian Universities. The selected problems display a large variety and conform to syllabi which are currently being used in various countries. The book is divided into ten chapters. Each chapter begins with basic concepts containing a set of formulae and explanatory notes for quick reference, followed by a number of problems and their detailed solutions. The problems are judiciously selected and are arranged section-wise. The so- tions are neither pedantic nor terse. The approach is straight forward and step-- step solutions are elaborately provided. More importantly the relevant formulas used for solving the problems can be located in the beginning of each chapter. There are approximately 150 line diagrams for illustration. Basic quantum mechanics, elementary calculus, vector calculus and Algebra are the pre-requisites.

In The New Superconductors, Frank J. Owens and Charles P. Poole, Jr., offer a descriptive, non-mathematical presentation of the latest superconductors and their properties for the non-specialist. Highlights of this up-to-date text include chapters on superfluidity, the latest copper oxide types, fullerenes, and prospects for future research. The book also features many examples of commercial applications; an extensive glossary that defines superconductivity terms in clear language; and a supplementary list of readings for the interested lay reader.

This book offers the reader an overview of the basic approaches to the theoretical description of low-temperature plasmas, covering numerical methods, mathematical models and modeling techniques. The main methods of calculating the cross sections of plasma particle interaction and the solution of the kinetic Boltzmann equation for determining the transport coefficients of the plasma are also presented. The results of calculations of thermodynamic properties, transport coefficients, the equilibrium particle-interaction cross sections and two-temperature plasmas are also discussed. Later chapters consider applications, and the results of simulation and calculation of plasma parameters in induction and arc plasma torches are presented. The complex physical processes in high-frequency plasmas and arc plasmas, the internal and external parameters of plasma torches, near-electrode processes, heat transfer, the flow of solid particles in plasmas and other phenomena are considered. The book is intended for professionals involved in the theoretical study of low-temperature plasmas and the design of plasma torches, and will be useful for advanced students in related areas.

It is widely recognized that an understanding of the optical pro perties of matter will give a great deal of important information re levant to the fundamental physical properties. This is especially true in semiconductor physics for which, due to the intrinsic low screening of these materials, the optical response is quite rich. Their spectra reflect indeed as well electronic as spin or phonon transitions. This is also in the semiconductor field that artificial structures have been recently developed, showing for the first time specific physical properties related to the low dimentionality of the electronic and vi bronic properties: with this respect the quantum and fractional quan tum Hall effects are among the most well known aspects. The associated reduced screening is also a clear manifestation of these aspects and as such favors new optical properties or at least significantly enhan ces some of them. For all these reasons, it appeared necessary to try to review in a global way what the optical investigation has brought today about the understanding of the physics of semiconductors. This volume collects the papers presented at the NATO Advanced study Inst i tut e on "Optical Properties of Semiconductors" held at the Ettore Majorana Centre, Erice, Sicily on March 9th to 20th, 1992. This school brought together 70 scientists active in research related to optical properties of semiconductors. There were 12 lecturers who pro vided the main contributions ."

Written by a distinguished plasma scientist and experienced author, this up-to-date work comprehensively covers current methods and new developments and techniques, including non-equilibrium atomic and molecular plasma states, as well as such new applications as gas lasers.
Containing numerous appendices with reference data indispensable for plasma spectroscopy, such as statistical weights and partition sums and diatomic molecules.
For plasmaphysicists, spectroscopists, materials scientists and physical chemists.
Appendix H is only available online.

In this book, the author describes the development of the experimental diffraction setup and structural analysis of non-crystalline particles from material science and biology. Recent advances in X-ray free electron laser (XFEL)-coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (CXDI) experiments allow for the structural analysis of non-crystalline particles to a resolution of 7 nm, and to a resolution of 20 nm for biological materials. Now XFEL-CXDI marks the dawn of a new era in structural analys of non-crystalline particles with dimensions larger than 100 nm, which was quite impossible in the 20th century. To conduct CXDI experiments in both synchrotron and XFEL facilities, the author has developed apparatuses, named KOTOBUKI-1 and TAKASAGO-6 for cryogenic diffraction experiments on frozen-hydrated non-crystalline particles at around 66 K. At the synchrotron facility, cryogenic diffraction experiments dramatically reduce radiation damage of specimen particles and allow tomography CXDI experiments. In addition, in XFEL experiments, non-crystalline particles scattered on thin support membranes and flash-cooled can be used to efficiently increase the rate of XFEL pulses. The rate, which depends on the number density of scattered particles and the size of X-ray beams, is currently 20-90%, probably the world record in XFEL-CXDI experiments. The experiment setups and results are introduced in this book. The author has also developed software suitable for efficiently processing of diffraction patterns and retrieving electron density maps of specimen particles based on the diffraction theory used in CXDI.

This Brief describes the influence of the different organic chelating agents on the topography, physical properties and phases of SPPS-deposited spinel ferrite splats. The author describes how by using the SPPS process, the coating is produced directly from a solution precursor and how all physical and chemical reactions such as evaporation, decomposition, crystallization and coating formation occur in a single step. The author details not only the innovative approach to liquid feeding, but also focuses on its effects on the spinel ferrite system. The results of experimentation as well as detailed explanations of the experiments are included.

-Shear-Induced Transitions and Instabilities in Surfactant Wormlike Micelles By S. Lerouge, J.-F. Berret -Laser-Interferometric Creep Rate Spectroscopy of Polymers By V. A. Bershtein, P. N. Yakushev -Polymer Nanocomposites for Electro-Optics: Perspectives on Processing Technologies, Material Characterization, and Future Application K. Matras-Postolek, D. Bogdal

Commencing with a self-contained overview of atomic collision theory, this monograph presents recent developments of R-matrix theory and its applications to a wide-range of atomic molecular and optical processes. These developments include the electron and photon collisions with atoms, ions and molecules which are required in the analysis of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, multiphoton processes required in the analysis of superintense laser interactions with atoms and molecules and positron collisions with atoms and molecules required in antimatter studies of scientific and technologial importance. Basic mathematical results and general and widely used R-matrix computer programs are summarized in the appendices.