This book highlights a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the fundamental principles related to nuclear engineering. As one of the most popular choices of future energy, nuclear energy is of increasing demand globally. Due to the complexity of nuclear engineering, its research and development as well as safe operation of its facility requires a wide scope of knowledge, ranging from basic disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics to applied subjects such as reactor theory and radiation protection. The book covers all necessary knowledge in an illustrative and readable style, with a sufficient amount of examples and exercises. It is an easy-to-read textbook for graduate students in nuclear engineering and a valuable handbook for nuclear facility operators, maintenance personnel and technical staff.

This book presents the derivation of the fluctuation theorems with divergent entropy production and their application to fundamental problems in statistical physics. It explores the two basic aspects of the fluctuation theorems: i) Applicability in extreme situations with divergent entropy production, concluding that the fluctuation theorems remain valid under the notion of absolute irreversibility, and ii) utility in the investigation of classical enigmas in the framework of statistical physics, i.e., Gibbs and Loschmidt paradoxes. The book offers readers an overview of the research in fundamental statistical physics. Firstly it briefly but skillfully reviews the modern development of fluctuation theorems to found the key theme of the book. Secondly it concisely discusses historical issues of statistical physics in chronological order, along with the key literature in the field. They help readers easily follow the key developments in the fundamental research of statistical physics.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Propagation of Correlations in Constrained Systems, Cargese, Corsica, France, July 2-14, 1990"

This textbook aims to briefly outline the main directions in which the geometrization of thermodynamics has been developed in the last decades. The textbook is accessible to people trained in thermal sciences but not necessarily with solid formation in mathematics. For this, in the first chapters a summary of the main mathematical concepts is made. In some sense, this makes the textbook self-consistent. The rest of the textbook consists of a collection of results previously obtained in this young branch of thermodynamics. The manner of presentation used throughout the textbook is adapted for ease of access of readers with education in natural and technical sciences.

This book, in the broadest sense, is an application of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics to the field o magnetism. The microscopic theory of many electron systems which provide the physical understanding of magnetism, is presented in detail. Emphasis is given on how to solve the equations numerically by means of suitable computer programmes, and how to apply them to practical problems arising in mechanical engineering or material sciences.

This contributed volume explores innovative research in the modeling, simulation, and control of crowd dynamics. Chapter authors approach the topic from the perspectives of mathematics, physics, engineering, and psychology, providing a comprehensive overview of the work carried out in this challenging interdisciplinary research field. After providing a critical analysis of the current state of the field and an overview of the current research perspectives, chapters focus on three main research areas: pedestrian interactions, crowd control, and multiscale modeling. Specific topics covered in this volume include: crowd dynamics through conservation laws recent developments in controlled crowd dynamics mixed traffic modeling insights and applications from crowd psychology Crowd Dynamics, Volume 2 is ideal for mathematicians, engineers, physicists, and other researchers working in the rapidly growing field of modeling and simulation of human crowds.

In this study Arun Bala examines the implications that Niels Bohr's principle of complementarity holds for fields beyond physics. Bohr, one of the founding figures of modern quantum physics, argued that the principle of complementarity he proposed for understanding atomic processes has parallels in psychology, biology, and social science, as well as in Buddhist and Taoist thought. But Bohr failed to offer any explanation for why complementarity might extend beyond physics, and his claims have been widely rejected by scientists as empty speculation. Scientific scepticism has only been reinforced by the naive enthusiasm of postmodern relativists and New Age intuitionists, who seize upon Bohr's ideas to justify anti-realist and mystical positions. Arun Bala offers a detailed defence of Bohr's claim that complementarity has far-reaching implications for the biological and social sciences, as well as for comparative philosophies of science, by explaining Bohr's parallels as responses to the omnipresence of grown properties in nature.

How is free will possible in the light of the physical and chemical underpinnings of brain activity and recent neurobiological experiments? How can the emergence of complexity in hierarchical systems such as the brain, based at the lower levels in physical interactions, lead to something like genuine free will? The nature of our understanding of free will in the light of present-day neuroscience is becoming increasingly important because of remarkable discoveries on the topic being made by neuroscientists at the present time, on the one hand, and its crucial importance for the way we view ourselves as human beings, on the other. A key tool in understanding how free will may arise in this context is the idea of downward causation in complex systems, happening coterminously with bottom up causation, to form an integral whole. Top-down causation is usually neglected, and is therefore emphasized in the other part of the book 's title. The concept is explored in depth, as are the ethical and legal implications of our understanding of free will.

This book arises out of a workshop held in California in April of 2007, which was chaired by Dr. Christof Koch. It was unusual in terms of the breadth of people involved: they included physicists, neuroscientists, psychiatrists, philosophers, and theologians. This enabled the meeting, and hence the resulting book, to attain a rather broader perspective on the issue than is often attained at academic symposia. The book includes contributions by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, George F. R. Ellis, Christopher D. Frith, Mark Hallett, David Hodgson, Owen D. Jones, Alicia Juarrero, J. A. Scott Kelso, Christof Koch, Hans K ng, Hakwan C. Lau, Dean Mobbs, Nancey Murphy, William Newsome, Timothy O Connor, Sean A.. Spence, and Evan Thompson.

This is the first biography of Julian Schwinger, one of the great theoretical physicists of the twentieth century. A long-time colleague and collaborator of Richard Feynman, he was the joint winner with Feynman of the 1965 Nobel Prize for Physics for their work on quantum electrodynamics. However his contribution extended far beyond this, and his life and achievements are chronicled in this book.

* Materials are presented to guide the reader with ease through a difficult subject by providing extra help whenever needed to overcome the more demanding technical and conceptual aspects * Active reading strategies (conceptual problems, discussion questions, worked examples with comments, end of chapter problems, further reading etc.) to stimulate engagement with the text through active, critical thought * Well-balanced textbook design (including introductions, illustrations, keywords defined, highlights, notes in margins, summary of key ideas and concepts, boxes with additional topics that complement the materials presented in the main text)

Rational extended thermodynamics (RET) is the theory that is applicable to nonequilibrium phenomena out of local equilibrium. It is expressed by the hyperbolic system of field equations with local constitutive equations and is strictly related to the kinetic theory with the closure method of the hierarchies of moment equations. The book intends to present, in a systematic way, new results obtained by RET of gases in both classical and relativistic cases, and it is a natural continuation of the book "Rational Extended Thermodynamics beyond the Monatomic Gas" by the same authors published in 2015. However, this book addresses much wider topics than those of the previous book. Its contents are as follows: RET of rarefied monatomic gases and of polyatomic gases; a simplified RET theory with 6 fields being valid far from equilibrium; RET where both molecular rotational and vibrational modes exist; mixture of gases with multi-temperature. The theory is applied to several typical topics (sound waves, shock waves, etc.) and is compared with experimental data. From a mathematical point of view, RET can be regarded as a theory of hyperbolic symmetric systems, of which it is possible to conduct a qualitative analysis. The book represents a valuable resource for applied mathematicians, physicists, and engineers, offering powerful models for many potential applications such as reentering satellites into the atmosphere, semiconductors, and nanoscale phenomena.

Capitalism is under attack. Defenders say that capitalism has raised billions of people from poverty. But a central activity of capitalism today, Wall Street style, is speculation (gambling), using other people's money, and privatizing the profits while socializing the debts. Skeptics argue that capitalism has redistributed the wealth of the planet in favor of a very few, meanwhile leaving the planet in bad shape and leaving billions of people out in the cold. Wealth is now extremely mal-distributed, opportunity is far from equal, and upward social mobility has declined significantly in recent decades. This book reviews the evidence and arguments pro and con in considerable detail. The evidence is mixed. The main virtue of capitalism is its emphasis on competition as a driver of innovation and, thus, of economic growth. It is true that economic growth has accelerated in recent centuries, and it is true that billions of people have been lifted from poverty. But it is not necessarily true that intense "winner take all" competition in the marketplace is the explanation for growth. Neoclassical economic theory posits that self-interest is the primary motive for all economic decisions, leaving little room for cooperation and even less for altruism. The theory applies to an unrealistic "model" of human behavior, known as Homo economicus or "economic man", whose characteristic activity is buying or selling. The reason for using the adjective word "social" - as in socialism" or "social service" or "social democracy" -- is, essentially, to deny those postulates of standard economic theory. Real humans are not rational utility maximizers (whatever that is) and very often do things that are not in their own personal best interests. This can happen because other interests, such as family loyalty, professional, religious, or patriotic duty, may take precedence. Real people rarely behave like Homo economicus, who has rivals but no friends. He (or she) does not trust anyone, hence cannot cooperate with others, and can never create, or live in, a viable social system (or marriage). Yet social systems, ranging from families and tribes to firms, cities, and nations do (and must) exist or civilization cannot exist. A viable social system must not allow "winner takes all". It must reallocate some of the societal wealth being created by competitive activities to support the young, the old and the weak, because all of those people have equal rights, if not the same luck or the same skills. Both competition and cooperation have important roles to play. A hybrid capitalism involving both is the only viable solution. The book ends with a specific suggestion, namely Universal Basic Income, or UBI.

Computer and communication networks are among society's most important infrastructures. The internet, in particular, is a giant global network of networks with central control or administration. It is a paradigm of a complex system, where complexity may arise from different sources: topological structure, network evolution, connection and node diversity, and /or dynamical evolution. This is the first book entirely devoted to the new and emerging field of nonlinear dynamics of TCP/IP networks. It addresses both scientists and engineers working in the general field of communication networks.

This book is part of a two volume set which presents the analysis of nonlinear phenomena as a long-standing challenge for research in basic and applied science as well as engineering. It discusses nonlinear differential and differential equations, bifurcation theory for periodic orbits and global connections. The integrability and reversibility of planar vector fields and theoretical analysis of classic physical models are sketched. This first volume concentrates on the mathematical theory and computational techniques that are essential for the study of nonlinear science, a second volume deals with real-world nonlinear phenomena in condensed matter, biology and optics.

This book provides a general formalism for the calculation of the spectral correlation function for the fluctuating electromagnetic field. The procedure is applied to the radiative heat transfer and the van der Waals friction using both the semi-classical theory of the fluctuating electromagnetic field and quantum field theory. Applications of the radiative heat transfer and non-contact friction to scanning probe spectroscopy are presented. The theory gives a tentative explanation for the experimental non-contact friction data. The book explains that radiative heat transfer and the van der Waals friction are largely enhanced at short separations between the bodies due to the evanescent electromagnetic waves. Particular strong enhancement occurs if the surfaces of the bodies can support localized surface modes like surface plasmons, surface polaritons or adsorbate vibrational modes. An electromagnetic field outside a moving body can also be created by static charges which are always present on the surface of the body due to inhomogeneities, or due to a bias voltage. This electromagnetic field produces electrostatic friction which can be significantly enhanced if on the surface of the body there is a 2D electron or hole system or an incommensurate adsorbed layer of ions exhibiting acoustic vibrations.

This book is intended to serve as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as professionals engaged in application of thermo-fluid science to the study of combustion. The relevant thermo-chemistry and thermo-physical data required for this study are provided in the 6 appendices along with appropriate curve-fit coefficients. To facilitate gradual learning, two chapters are devoted to thermodynamics of pure and gaseous mixture substances, followed by one chapter each on chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics. This material when coupled with a dedicated chapter on understanding of equations governing transport of momentum, heat and mass in the presence of chemical reactions provides adequate grounding to undertake analysis of practical combustion equipment, of premixed and diffusion flames as well as of solid particle and liquid droplet combustion. The learnings from the aforementioned chapters are taken to a uniquely strong chapter on application case studies, some of which have special relevance for developing countries.

Presents simplified but useful and practical equations that can be applied in estimating performance and design of energy-efficient systems in low-temperature systems or cryogenics Contains practical approaches and advanced design materials for insulation, shields/anchors, cryogen vessels/pipes, calorimeters, cryogenic heat switches, cryostats, current leads, and RF couplers Provides a comprehensive introduction to the necessary theory and models needed for solutions to common difficulties and illustrates the engineering examples with about 300 figures

Describing non-equilibrium "cold" plasmas through a chemical physics approach, this book uses the state-to-state plasma kinetics, which considers each internal state as a new species with its own cross sections. Extended atomic and molecular master equations are coupled with Boltzmann and Monte Carlo methods to solve the electron energy distribution function. Selected examples in different applied fields, such as microelectronics, fusion, and aerospace, are presented and discussed including the self-consistent kinetics in RF parallel plate reactors, the optimization of negative ion sources and the expansion of high enthalpy flows through nozzles of different geometries.

The book will cover the main aspects of the state-to-state kinetic approach for the description of nonequilibrium cold plasmas, illustrating the more recent achievements in the development of kinetic models including the self-consistent coupling of master equations and Boltzmann equation for electron dynamics. To give a complete portrayal, the book will assess fundamental concepts and theoretical formulations, based on a unified methodological approach, and explore the insight in related scientific problems still opened for the research community.

- New advancements of fractal analysis with applications to many scientific, engineering, and societal issues - Recent changes and challenges of fractal geometry with the rapid advancement of technology - Attracted chapters on novel theory and recent applications of fractals. - Offers recent findings, modelling and simulations of fractal analysis from eminent institutions across the world - Analytical innovations of fractal analysis - Edited collection with a variety of viewpoints

This twelfth volume in the Poincare Seminar Series presents a complete and interdisciplinary perspective on the concept of Chaos, both in classical mechanics in its deterministic version, and in quantum mechanics. This book expounds some of the most wide ranging questions in science, from uncovering the fingerprints of classical chaotic dynamics in quantum systems, to predicting the fate of our own planetary system. Its seven articles are also highly pedagogical, as befits their origin in lectures to a broad scientific audience. Highlights include a complete description by the mathematician E. Ghys of the paradigmatic Lorenz attractor, and of the famed Lorenz butterfly effect as it is understood today, illuminating the fundamental mathematical issues at play with deterministic chaos; a detailed account by the experimentalist S. Fauve of the masterpiece experiment, the von Karman Sodium or VKS experiment, which established in 2007 the spontaneous generation of a magnetic field in a strongly turbulent flow, including its reversal, a model of Earth's magnetic field; a simple toy model by the theorist U. Smilansky - the discrete Laplacian on finite d-regular expander graphs - which allows one to grasp the essential ingredients of quantum chaos, including its fundamental link to random matrix theory; a review by the mathematical physicists P. Bourgade and J.P. Keating, which illuminates the fascinating connection between the distribution of zeros of the Riemann -function and the statistics of eigenvalues of random unitary matrices, which could ultimately provide a spectral interpretation for the zeros of the -function, thus a proof of the celebrated Riemann Hypothesis itself; an article by a pioneer of experimental quantum chaos, H-J. Stoeckmann, who shows in detail how experiments on the propagation of microwaves in 2D or 3D chaotic cavities beautifully verify theoretical predictions; a thorough presentation by the mathematical physicist S. Nonnenmacher of the "anatomy" of the eigenmodes of quantized chaotic systems, namely of their macroscopic localization properties, as ruled by the Quantum Ergodic theorem, and of the deep mathematical challenge posed by their fluctuations at the microscopic scale; a review, both historical and scientific, by the astronomer J. Laskar on the stability, hence the fate, of the chaotic Solar planetary system we live in, a subject where he made groundbreaking contributions, including the probabilistic estimate of possible planetary collisions. This book should be of broad general interest to both physicists and mathematicians.

Based on the recent NATO Advanced Study Institute "Chaotic Worlds: From Order to Disorder in Gravitational N-Body Dynamical Systems", this state of the art textbook, written by internationally renowned experts, provides an invaluable reference volume for all students and researchers in gravitational n-body systems. The contributions are especially designed to give a systematic development from the fundamental mathematics which underpin modern studies of ordered and chaotic behaviour in n-body dynamics to their application to real motion in planetary systems. This volume presents an up-to-date synoptic view of the subject.

Calculations in Chemical Kinetics for Undergraduates aims to restore passion for problem solving and applied quantitative skills in undergraduate chemistry students. Avoiding complicated chemistry jargon and providing hints and step wise explanations in every calculation problem, students are able to overcome their fear of handling mathematically applied problems in physical chemistry. This solid foundation in their early studies will enable them to connect fundamental theoretical chemistry to real experimental applications as graduates. Additional Features Include: Contains quantitative problems from popular physical chemistry references. Provides step by step explanations are given in every calculation problem. Offers hints to certain problems as "points to note" to enable student comprehension. Includes solutions for all questions and exercises. This book is a great resource for undergraduate chemistry students however, the contents are rich and useful to even the graduate chemist that has passion for applied problems in physical chemistry of reaction Kinetics.

Calculations in Chemical Kinetics for Undergraduates aims to restore passion for problem solving and applied quantitative skills in undergraduate chemistry students. Avoiding complicated chemistry jargon and providing hints and step wise explanations in every calculation problem, students are able to overcome their fear of handling mathematically applied problems in physical chemistry. This solid foundation in their early studies will enable them to connect fundamental theoretical chemistry to real experimental applications as graduates. Additional Features Include: Contains quantitative problems from popular physical chemistry references. Provides step by step explanations are given in every calculation problem. Offers hints to certain problems as "points to note" to enable student comprehension. Includes solutions for all questions and exercises. This book is a great resource for undergraduate chemistry students however, the contents are rich and useful to even the graduate chemist that has passion for applied problems in physical chemistry of reaction Kinetics.

- Focuses on a very physical and specific understanding of how humans measure and interpret the measurements of the quantity of time, unlike existing books which explore qualitative, speculative theories currently entertained in physics and philosophy.