'The four laws that do not drive the universe: elements of thermodynamics for the curious and intelligent. The second purpose of Ben-NaimaEURO (TM)s book is to explain thermodynamics and show its relationship to information theory. This explanation makes the present book worth reading in its own right. Ben-NaimaEURO (TM)s discussion of the information basis of the second law is lucid and well worth reading.'CHOICEThis book provides a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concepts in thermodynamics - probability, entropy, Helmholtz energy and Gibbs energy. It presents the concepts of entropy, free energy and various formulations of the Second Law in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.The book focuses on the Four Laws of Thermodynamics. As it is said in the dedication page, this book is addressed to readers who might have already been exposed to Atkins' book having a similar title. It challenges both the title, and the contents of Atkins' book, Four Laws That Drive The Universe. One can glean from the title of this new book that the author's views are diametrically opposed to the views of Atkins.The book is addressed to any curious and intelligent reader. It aims to tickle, and hopefully to satisfy your curiosity. It also aims to challenge your gray matter, and to enrich your knowledge by telling you some facts and ideas regarding the Four Laws of Thermodynamics.

This book presents the statistical theory of complex wave scattering and quantum transport in physical systems which have chaotic classical dynamics, as in the case of microwave cavities and quantum dots, or which possess quenched randomness, as in the case of disordered conductors - with an emphasis on mesoscopic fluctuations. The statistical regularity of the phenomena is revealed in a natural way by adopting a novel maximum-entropy approach. Shannon's information entropy is maximised, subject to the symmetries and constraints which are physically relevant, within the powerful and non-perturbative theory of random matrices; this is a most distinctive feature of the book. Aiming for a self-contained presentation, the quantum theory of scattering, set in the context of quasi-one-dimensional, multichannel systems, and related directly to scattering problems in mesoscopic physics, is introduced in chapters two and three. The linear-response theory of quantum electronic transport, adapted to the context of mesoscopic systems, is discussed in chapter four. These chapters, together with chapter five on the maximum-entropy approach and chapter eight on weak localization, have been written in a most pedagogical style, suitable for use on graduate courses. In chapters six and seven, the problem of electronic transport through classically chaotic cavities and quasi-one-dimensional disordered systems is discussed. Many exercises are included, most of which are worked through in detail, aiding graduate students, teachers, and research scholars interested in the subject of quantum transport through disordered and chaotic systems.

This book is the distilled essence of the author teaching statistical mechanics to juniors, seniors and graduate students for over 50 years in various course settings. It uses a unique approach that leads naturally into the development of all possible ensembles. Much of the later chapters on polymers has previously been available only in the literature. Throughout the book, the assumption is made that the reader is still relatively raw, and mathematical detail is provided that other books leave to the abilities of the reader. While this produces a plethora of equations that mature scientists would regard as unnecessary, it is intended to help those just coming into the field and who want to get the idea without suffering hours of agony wondering, 'where did that come from?'.

This book is the distilled essence of the author teaching statistical mechanics to juniors, seniors and graduate students for over 50 years in various course settings. It uses a unique approach that leads naturally into the development of all possible ensembles. Much of the later chapters on polymers has previously been available only in the literature. Throughout the book, the assumption is made that the reader is still relatively raw, and mathematical detail is provided that other books leave to the abilities of the reader. While this produces a plethora of equations that mature scientists would regard as unnecessary, it is intended to help those just coming into the field and who want to get the idea without suffering hours of agony wondering, 'where did that come from?'.

In this new textbook, a number of unusual applications are discussed in addition to the usual topics covered in a course on Statistical Physics. Examples are: statistical mechanics of powders, Peierls instability, graphene, Bose-Einstein condensates in a trap, Casimir effect and the quantum Hall effect. Superfluidity and super-conductivity (including the physics of high-temperature superconductors) have also been discussed extensively.The emphasis on the treatment of these topics is pedagogic, introducing the basic tenets of statistical mechanics, with extensive and thorough discussion of the postulates, ensembles, and the relevant statistics. Many standard examples illustrate the microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles, as well as the Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics.A special feature of this text is the detailed presentation of the theory of second-order phase transitions and the renormalization group, emphasizing the role of disorder. Non-equilibrium statistical physics is introduced via the Boltzmann transport equation. Additional topics covered here include metastability, glassy systems, the Langevin equation, Brownian motion, and the Fokker-Planck equation.Graduate students will find the presentation readily accessible, since the topics have been treated with great deal of care and attention to detail.

This book focuses on Creep in Ceramics. The book consists of two parts. In part A general knowledge of creep in ceramics is considered, while part B specifies creep in technologically important ceramics, namely creep in oxide ceramics, carnides and nitrides. While covering all relevant information regarding raw materials and characterization of creep in ceramics, the book also summarizes most recent innovations and developments in this field as a result of extensive literature search.

This textbook introduces thermodynamics with a modern approach, starting from four fundamental physical facts (the atomic nature of matter, the indistinguishability of atoms and molecules of the same species, the uncertainty principle, and the existence of equilibrium states) and analyzing the behavior of complex systems with the tools of information theory, in particular with Shannon's measure of information (or SMI), which can be defined on any probability distribution. SMI is defined and its properties and time evolution are illustrated, and it is shown that the entropy is a particular type of SMI, i.e. the SMI related to the phase-space distribution for a macroscopic system at equilibrium. The connection to SMI allows the reader to understand what entropy is and why isolated systems follow the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Second Llaw is also formulated for other systems, not thermally isolated and even open with respect to the transfer of particles. All the fundamental aspects of thermodynamics are derived and illustrated with several examples in the first part of the book. The second part addresses important applications of thermodynamics, covering phase transitions, mixtures and solutions (including the Kirkwood-Buff approach and solvation thermodynamics), chemical equilibrium, and the outstanding properties of water.This textbook is unique in two aspects. First, thermodynamics is introduced with a novel approach, based on information theory applied to macroscopic systems at equilibrium. It is shown that entropy is a particular case of Shannon's measure of information (SMI), and the properties and time evolution of the SMI are used to explain the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This represents a real breakthrough, as classical thermodynamics cannot explain entropy, nor clarify why systems should obey the Second Law. Second, this textbook offers the reader the possibility to get in touch with important and advanced applications of thermodynamics, to address the topics discussed in the second part of the book. Although they may go beyond the content of a typical introductory course on thermodynamics, some of them can be important in the curriculum chosen by the student. At the same time, they are of appealing interest to more advanced scholars.

'Ben-Naim convincingly argues that SMI not only gives a simpler and more broadly applicable definition of entropy, but also clears up much of the historical and modern confusion surrounding the second law. This book will interest any individual who wants to understand how SMI gives a clear definition of entroy.'CHOICE ConnectThis book discusses the proper definitions of entropy, the valid interpretation of entropy and some useful applications of the concept of entropy. Unlike many books which apply the concept of entropy to systems for which it is not even defined (such as living systems, black holes and the entire universe), these applications will help the reader to understand the meaning of entropy. It also emphasizes the limitations of the applicability of the concept of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As with the previous books by the author, this book aims at a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concept in thermodynamics - the entropy.In this book, the concepts of entropy and the Second Law are presented in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.

'Ben-Naim convincingly argues that SMI not only gives a simpler and more broadly applicable definition of entropy, but also clears up much of the historical and modern confusion surrounding the second law. This book will interest any individual who wants to understand how SMI gives a clear definition of entroy.'CHOICE ConnectThis book discusses the proper definitions of entropy, the valid interpretation of entropy and some useful applications of the concept of entropy. Unlike many books which apply the concept of entropy to systems for which it is not even defined (such as living systems, black holes and the entire universe), these applications will help the reader to understand the meaning of entropy. It also emphasizes the limitations of the applicability of the concept of entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As with the previous books by the author, this book aims at a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concept in thermodynamics - the entropy.In this book, the concepts of entropy and the Second Law are presented in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.

This book is a compilation of selected reviews by Professor Michael E Fisher. Fisher's major contributions to physics have been in equilibrium statistical mechanics, and have spanned the entire range of that subject. He has been credited with bringing together, and teaching a common language to chemists and physicists working on diverse problems of phase transitions.About the Book by the AuthorTalking informally in a clear way came naturally once intrigued by a field of science; that helped me accept the invitation to publish a collection of review articles. And working actively in an area has led me to express what is new in basic terms, with lots of figures framed, typically, via two- or three-dimensional images. Also encouraging was that my reviews - with crucial references - were recognized in 1983 by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences through their James Murray Luck Award for 'excellence in scientific reviewing.'However, the first article in this collection is by my postdoctoral mentor, Cyril Domb, whose inaugural lecture at King's College London was entitled: 'Statistical Physics and its Problems.' This provides readers with a context for some of the topics later reviewed in greater depth. Among the aspects then explained, are the various critical exponents: , , , and - the special exponents and for the correlation functions, and the scaling relations. Phase diagrams are examined thoroughly along with tricritical and bicritical points, Kosterlitz-Thouless points, protocriticality, etc. Random walks along with vicious walkers and their reunions are introduced. Biophysics is touched upon. The final article: 'Statistical Physics in the Oeuvre of Chen Ning Yang,' stems from the 2015 Conference on 60 Years of Yang-Mills Gauge Field Theories.In conclusion, it is hoped that a wide range of readers (and some experts also!) will enjoy dipping into the variety of reviews collected here.

This book is a compilation of selected reviews by Professor Michael E Fisher. Fisher's major contributions to physics have been in equilibrium statistical mechanics, and have spanned the entire range of that subject. He has been credited with bringing together, and teaching a common language to chemists and physicists working on diverse problems of phase transitions.About the Book by the AuthorTalking informally in a clear way came naturally once intrigued by a field of science; that helped me accept the invitation to publish a collection of review articles. And working actively in an area has led me to express what is new in basic terms, with lots of figures framed, typically, via two- or three-dimensional images. Also encouraging was that my reviews - with crucial references - were recognized in 1983 by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences through their James Murray Luck Award for 'excellence in scientific reviewing.'However, the first article in this collection is by my postdoctoral mentor, Cyril Domb, whose inaugural lecture at King's College London was entitled: 'Statistical Physics and its Problems.' This provides readers with a context for some of the topics later reviewed in greater depth. Among the aspects then explained, are the various critical exponents: , , , and - the special exponents and for the correlation functions, and the scaling relations. Phase diagrams are examined thoroughly along with tricritical and bicritical points, Kosterlitz-Thouless points, protocriticality, etc. Random walks along with vicious walkers and their reunions are introduced. Biophysics is touched upon. The final article: 'Statistical Physics in the Oeuvre of Chen Ning Yang,' stems from the 2015 Conference on 60 Years of Yang-Mills Gauge Field Theories.In conclusion, it is hoped that a wide range of readers (and some experts also!) will enjoy dipping into the variety of reviews collected here.

Statistical mechanics is concerned with defining the thermodynamic properties of a macroscopic sample in terms of the properties of the microscopic systems of which it is composed. The previous book Introduction to Statistical Mechanics provided a clear, logical, and self-contained treatment of equilibrium statistical mechanics starting from Boltzmann's two statistical assumptions, and presented a wide variety of applications to diverse physical assemblies. An appendix provided an introduction to non-equilibrium statistical mechanics through the Boltzmann equation and its extensions. The coverage in that book was enhanced and extended through the inclusion of many accessible problems. The current book provides solutions to those problems. These texts assume only introductory courses in classical and quantum mechanics, as well as familiarity with multi-variable calculus and the essentials of complex analysis. Some knowledge of thermodynamics is also assumed, although the analysis starts with an appropriate review of that topic. The targeted audience is first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates, in physics, chemistry, and the related physical sciences. The goal of these texts is to help the reader obtain a clear working knowledge of the very useful and powerful methods of equilibrium statistical mechanics and to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the more advanced texts.

The book summarizes the state-of-the-art of research on control of self-organizing nonlinear systems with contributions from leading international experts in the field. The first focus concerns recent methodological developments including control of networks and of noisy and time-delayed systems. As a second focus, the book features emerging concepts of application including control of quantum systems, soft condensed matter, and biological systems. Special topics reflecting the active research in the field are the analysis and control of chimera states in classical networks and in quantum systems, the mathematical treatment of multiscale systems, the control of colloidal and quantum transport, the control of epidemics and of neural network dynamics.

This latest edition enhances the material of the first edition with a derivation of the value of the action for each of the Harrington-Shepard calorons/anticalorons that are relevant for the emergence of the thermal ground state. Also included are discussions of the caloron center versus its periphery, the role of the thermal ground state in U(1) wave propagation, photonic particle-wave duality, and calculational intricacies and book-keeping related to one-loop scattering of massless modes in the deconfining phase of an SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. Moreover, a derivation of the temperature-redshift relation of the CMB in deconfining SU(2) Yang-Mills thermodynamics and its application to explaining an apparent early re-ionization of the Universe are given. Finally, a mechanism of mass generation for cosmic neutrinos is proposed.

The aim of this book is to give a physical treatment of the kinetic theory of gases and magnetoplasmas, covering the standard material in as simple a way as possible, using mean-free-path arguments when possible and identifying problem areas where received theory has either failed or has fallen short of expectations. Examples are provided by strong shock waves, ultrasonic waves (high Knudsen numbers), and transport across strong magnetic fields. Examples of problem areas provided by strong shock waves, ultrasonic waves (high Knudsen numbers), and transport across strong magnetic fields. One of the paradoxes arising in kinetic theory concerns the fluid pressure. Collisions are necessary for a fluid force to result, yet standard kinetic theory does not entail this, being satisfied to bypass Newton's equations by defining pressure as a momentum flux. This omission usually has no adverse consequences, but with increasing Knudsen number, it leads to errors. This text pays particular attention to pressure, explaining the importance of allowing for its collisional nature from the outset in developing kinetic theory.

This book establishes the foundations of non-equilibrium quantum statistical mechanics in order to support students and academics in developing and building their understanding. The formal theory is derived from first principles by mathematical analysis, with concrete physical interpretations and worked examples throughout. It explains the central role of entropy; its relation to the probability operator and the generalisation to transitions, as well as providing first principles derivation of the von Neumann trace form, the Maxwell-Boltzmann form and the Schroedinger equation.

The aim of this book is to provide the fundamentals of statistical physics and its application to condensed matter. The combination of statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics has provided an understanding of properties of matter leading to spectacular technological innovations and discoveries in condensed matter which have radically changed our daily life.The book gives the steps to follow to understand fundamental theories and to apply these to real materials.

The aim of this book is to provide the fundamentals of statistical physics and its application to condensed matter. The combination of statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics has provided an understanding of properties of matter leading to spectacular technological innovations and discoveries in condensed matter which have radically changed our daily life.The book gives the steps to follow to understand fundamental theories and to apply these to real materials.

The study of network theory is a highly interdisciplinary field, which has emerged as a major topic of interest in various disciplines ranging from physics and mathematics, to biology and sociology. This book promotes the diverse nature of the study of complex networks by balancing the needs of students from very different backgrounds. It references the most commonly used concepts in network theory, provides examples of their applications in solving practical problems, and clear indications on how to analyse their results. In the first part of the book, students and researchers will discover the quantitative and analytical tools necessary to work with complex networks, including the most basic concepts in network and graph theory, linear and matrix algebra, as well as the physical concepts most frequently used for studying networks. They will also find instruction on some key skills such as how to proof analytic results and how to manipulate empirical network data. The bulk of the text is focused on instructing readers on the most useful tools for modern practitioners of network theory. These include degree distributions, random networks, network fragments, centrality measures, clusters and communities, communicability, and local and global properties of networks. The combination of theory, example and method that are presented in this text, should ready the student to conduct their own analysis of networks with confidence and allow teachers to select appropriate examples and problems to teach this subject in the classroom.

'Hugely readable and entertaining' JIM AL-KHALILI 'An accessible and crystal-clear portrait of this discipline's breadth, largely told through its history' PHIL BALL, PHYSICS WORLD Einstein's Fridge tells the story of how scientists uncovered the least known and yet most consequential of all the sciences, and learned to harness the power of heat and ice. The laws of thermodynamics govern everything from the behaviour of atoms to that of living cells, from the engines that power our world to the black hole at the centre of our galaxy. Not only that, but thermodynamics explains why we must eat and breathe, how the lights come on, and ultimately how the universe will end. The people who decoded its laws came from every branch of the sciences - they were engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, cosmologists and mathematicians. Their discoveries, set over two hundred years, kick-started the industrial revolution, changed the course of world wars and informed modern understanding of black holes. This book captures the thrill of discovery and the power of revolutionary science to change the world forever.

Providing a comprehensive introduction to quantum field theory, this textbook covers the development of particle physics from its foundations to the discovery of the Higgs boson. Its combination of clear physical explanations, with direct connections to experimental data, and mathematical rigor make the subject accessible to students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. Assuming only an undergraduate-level understanding of quantum mechanics, the book steadily develops the Standard Model and state-of-the-art calculation techniques. It includes multiple derivations of many important results, with modern methods such as effective field theory and the renormalization group playing a prominent role. Numerous worked examples and end-of-chapter problems enable students to reproduce classic results and to master quantum field theory as it is used today. Based on a course taught by the author over many years, this book is ideal for an introductory to advanced quantum field theory sequence or for independent study.

This book aims to provide a lively working knowledge of the thermodynamic control of microscopic simulations, while summarizing the historical development of the subject, along with some personal reminiscences. Many computational examples are described so that they are well-suited to learning by doing. The contents enhance the current understanding of the reversibility paradox and are accessible to advanced undergraduates and researchers in physics, computation, and irreversible thermodynamics.

This book comprises select proceedings of the International Conference on Future Learning Aspects of Mechanical Engineering (FLAME 2018). The book gives an overview of recent developments in the field of thermal and fluid engineering, and covers theoretical and experimental fluid dynamics, numerical methods in heat transfer and fluid mechanics, different modes of heat transfer, multiphase transport and phase change, fluid machinery, turbo machinery, and fluid power. The book is primarily intended for researchers and professionals working in the field of fluid dynamics and thermal engineering.

This second part of Continuum Thermodynamics is designed to match almost one-to-one the chapters of Part I. This is done so that the reader studying thermodynamics will have a deepened understanding of the subjects covered in Part I. The aims of the book are in particular: the illustration of basic features of some simple thermodynamical models such as ideal and viscous fluids, non-Newtonian fluids, nonlinear solids, interactions with electromagnetic fields, and diffusive porous materials. A further aim is the illustration of the above subjects by examples and simple solutions of initial and boundary problems as well as simple exercises to develop skills in the construction of interdisciplinary macroscopic models.