Physicists, when modelling physical systems with a large number of degrees of freedom, and statisticians, when performing data analysis, have developed their own concepts and methods for making the best' inference. But are these methods equivalent, or not? What is the state of the art in making inferences? The physicists want answers. More: neural computation demands a clearer understanding of how neural systems make inferences; the theory of chaotic nonlinear systems as applied to time series analysis could profit from the experience already booked by the statisticians; and finally, there is a long-standing conjecture that some of the puzzles of quantum mechanics are due to our incomplete understanding of how we make inferences. Matter enough to stimulate the writing of such a book as the present one. But other considerations also arise, such as the maximum entropy method and Bayesian inference, information theory and the minimum description length. Finally, it is pointed out that an understanding of human inference may require input from psychologists. This lively debate, which is of acute current interest, is well summarized in the present work.

This topical volume reviews applications of continuum mechanics to systems in geophysics and the environment. Part of the text is devoted to numerical simulations and modeling. The topics covered include soil mechanics and porous media, glacier and ice dynamics, climatology and lake physics, climate change as well as numerical algorithms. The book, written by well-known experts, addresses researchers and students interested in physical aspects of our environment.

Temperature and heat, entropy and order or disorder are key classical concepts of physics. These are challenged by searching matter under extreme conditions, such as high (relativistic) energy, strong acceleration or gravitation, or unusual complexity due to long range correlations. In our quest for quark matter all these conditions might occur simultaneously. This book, strongly motivated by the authors' everyday research experiences in the field of high-energy heavy-ion collisions, aims to bundle these challenges to modern physics.

The main topic is at the heart of thermodynamics --the very concept of temperature, its use and extensions. New developments on this issue are both applications and foundations of non-extensive statistics, as well as concepts borrowed from gravity and string theory to describe the surprisingly statistical behavior of elementary matter at the highest accelerator energies of the world.

The reader will benefit from bringing these new developments in one book together, by having the view of classical and modern concepts at the heart of physics across the problems related to high-energy, high acceleration and high complexity.

After reviewing the classical approaches, the author discusses the dual-gravity and non-extensive statistical aspects of heavy-ion collisions, describing these experimental findings with the use of the concept of temperature."

The present work reflects a multi-disciplinary effort to address the topic of confined hydrosystems developed with a cross-fertilization panel of physics, chemists, biologists, soil and earth scientists. Confined hydrosystems include all situations in natural settings wherein the extent of the liquid phase is limited so that the solid-liquid and/or liquid-air interfaces may be critical to the properties of the whole system. Primarily, this so-called "residual" solution is occluded in pores/channels in such a way that decreases its tendency to evaporation, and makes it long-lasting in arid (Earth deserts) and hyper-arid (Mars soils) areas. The associated physics is available from domains like capillarity, adsorption and wetting, and surface forces. However, many processes are still to understand due to the close relationship between local structure and matter properties, the subtle interplay between the host and the guest, the complex intermingling among static reactivity and migration pathway. Expert contributors from Israel, Russia, Europe and US discuss the behaviour of water and aqueous solutes at different scale, from the nanometric range of carbon nanotubes and nanofluidics to the regional scale of aquifers reactive flow in sedimentary basins. This scientific scope allowed the group of participants with very different background to tackle the confinement topic at different scales. The book is organized according to four sections that include: i) flow, from nano- to mega-scale; ii) ions, hydration and transport; iii) in-pores/channels cavitation; iv) crystallization under confinement. Most of contributions relates to experimental works at different resolution, interpreted through classic thermodynamics and intermolecular forces. Simulation techniques are used to explore the atomic scale of interfaces and the migration in the thinnest angstrom-wide channels.

I am very pleased and privileged to write a short foreword for the monograph of Dean Driebe: Fully Chaotic Maps and Broken Time Symmetry. Despite the technical title this book deals with a problem of fundamental importance. To appreciate its meaning we have to go back to the tragic struggle that was initiated by the work of the great theoretical physicist Ludwig Boltzmann in the second half of the 19th century. Ludwig Boltzmann tried to emulate in physics what Charles Darwin had done in biology and to formulate an evolutionary approach in which past and future would play different roles. Boltzmann's work has lead to innumerable controversies as the laws of classical mechanics (as well as the laws of quan tum mechanics) as traditionally formulated imply symmetry between past and future. As is well known, Albert Einstein often stated that "Time is an illusion." Indeed, as long as dynamics is associated with trajectories satisfy ing the equations of classical mechanics, explaining irreversibility in terms of trajectories appears, as Henri Poincare concluded, as a logical error. After a long struggle, Boltzmann acknowledged his defeat and introduced a probabil ity description in which all microscopic states are supposed to have the same a priori probability. Irreversibility would then be due to the imperfection of our observations associated only with the "macroscopic" state described by temperature, pressure and other similar parameters. Irreversibility then appears devoid of any fundamental significance. However today this position has become untenable."

This book contains the courses given at the Third School on Statistical Physics and Cooperative Systems held at Santiago, Chile, from 14th to 18th December 1992. The main idea of this periodic school was to bring together scientists work with recent trends in Statistical Physics. More precisely ing on subjects related related with non linear phenomena, dynamical systems, ergodic theory, cellular au tomata, symbolic dynamics, large deviation theory and neural networks. Scientists working in these subjects come from several areas: mathematics, biology, physics, computer science, electrical engineering and artificial intelligence. Recently, a very important cross-fertilization has taken place with regard to the aforesaid scientific and technological disciplines, so as to give a new approach to the research whose common core remains in statistical physics. Each contribution is devoted to one or more of the previous subjects. In most cases they are structured as surveys, presenting at the same time an original point of view about the topic and showing mostly new results. The expository text of Fran"

This work reports on the generation of artificial magnetic fields with ultracold atoms in optical lattices using laser-assisted tunneling, as well as on the first Chern-number measurement in a non-electronic system. It starts with an introduction to the Hofstadter model, which describes the dynamics of charged particles on a square lattice subjected to strong magnetic fields. This model exhibits energy bands with non-zero topological invariants called Chern numbers, a property that is at the origin of the quantum Hall effect. The main part of the work discusses the realization of analog systems with ultracold neutral atoms using laser-assisted-tunneling techniques both from a theoretical and experimental point of view. Staggered, homogeneous and spin-dependent flux distributions are generated and characterized using two-dimensional optical super-lattice potentials. Additionally their topological properties are studied via the observation of bulk topological currents. The experimental techniques presented here offer a unique setting for studying topologically non-trivial systems with ultracold atoms.

This book is the second edition of Numerical methods for diffusion phenomena in building physics: a practical introduction originally published by PUCPRESS (2016). It intends to stimulate research in simulation of diffusion problems in building physics, by providing an overview of mathematical models and numerical techniques such as the finite difference and finite-element methods traditionally used in building simulation tools. Nonconventional methods such as reduced order models, boundary integral approaches and spectral methods are presented, which might be considered in the next generation of building-energy-simulation tools. In this reviewed edition, an innovative way to simulate energy and hydrothermal performance are presented, bringing some light on innovative approaches in the field.

This volume is a substantially revised new edition of the earlier book of the same title. Six new chapters (14-19) deal with topics of current interest: multi-component convection diffusion, convection in a compressible fluid, convenction with temperature dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity, penetrative convection, nonlinear stability in ocean circulation models, and numerical solution of eigenvalue problems. The book presents convection studies in a variety of fluid and porous media contexts. It begins at an elementary level and should be accessible to a wide audience of applied mathematicians, physicists, and engineers.

The sub series Ternary Alloy Systems of the Landolt Boernstein New Series provides reliable and comprehensive descriptions of the materials constitution, basedo ncritical intellectual evaluationso fall data available at the time and it critically weights the different findings, also with respect to their compatibility with today's edge binary phase diagrams. Selected are ternary systems of importance to alloy development and systems which gained in the recent years otherwise scie ntific interest. In one ternary materials system, however, one may find alloys for various applications , depending on the chosen composition. Reliable phase diagrams provide scientists and engineers with basic information of eminent importance for fundamental research and for the developmentand optimization of materials. So collections of such diagrams are extremely useful, if the data on which they are based have been subjected to critical evaluation, like in these volumes. Critical evaluation means: there where contradictory information is published data and conc lusions are being analyzed, broken down to the firm facts and re interpreted in the light of all present knowledge. Depending on the information available this can be a very difficult task to achieve. Criticaleval uations establish descripti ons of reliably known phase configurations and related data.

Non-Destructive Testing and Condition Monitoring Techniques in Wind Energy looks at the complex and critical components of energy assets and the importance of inspection and maintenance to ensure their high availability and uninterrupted operation. Presenting the main concepts, state-of-the-art advances and case studies, this book approaches the topic by considering it as an integral part of the overall operation of any wind energy project. Linking the essential NDT subject with its sub disciplines, the book uses computational techniques, dynamic analysis, probabilistic methods, and mathematical optimization techniques to support analysis of prognostic problems with defined constraints and requirements. This book is the first of its kind and will provide useful insights to industrial engineers and scientists, academics and students in the possibilities that NDT and condition monitoring technologies can offer.

During the last decades a considerable effort has been made on the computation of the isothermal flow of viscoelastic fluids. In fact the activities related to this particular field of non-Newtonian fluid mechanics have focused on the following questions: which type of constitutive equation describes non-Newtonian fluid behaviour; how to measure fluid parameters; and what type of computational scheme leads to reliable, stable and cost-effective computer programs. During the same period, typical non-Newtonian fluid phenomena have been experimentally examined, such as the flow through a four-to-one' contraction, the flow around a sphere or separation flow, providing fresh challenges for numerical modellers. Apart from momentum transport, however, fluid flow is strongly influenced by heat treansport in most real industrial operations in which non-Newtonian fluids are processed. The IUTAM Symposium on Numerical Simulation of Nonisothermal Flow of Viscoelastic Liquids' held at Rolduc Abbey in Kerkrade, the Netherlands, November 1--3, 1993, was organised to monitor the state of affairs in regard to the influence of nonisothermal effects on the flow of a viscoelastic liquid. The present collection of papers gives an overview of what has been achieved so far. It is a milestone in the rapidly emerging and exciting new field in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics.

Recent years have witnessed a resurgence in the kinetic approach to dynamic many-body problems. Modern kinetic theory offers a unifying theoretical framework within which a great variety of seemingly unrelated systems can be explored in a coherent way. Kinetic methods are currently being applied in such areas as the dynamics of colloidal suspensions, granular material flow, electron transport in mesoscopic systems, the calculation of Lyapunov exponents and other properties of classical many-body systems characterised by chaotic behaviour. The present work focuses on Brownian motion, dynamical systems, granular flows, and quantum kinetic theory.

This monograph presents an integrated perspective of the wide range of phenomena and processes applicable to the study of transport of species in porous materials. In order to formulate the entire range of porous media and their uses, this book gives the basics of continuum mechanics, thermodynamics, seepage and consolidation and diffusion, including multiscale homogenization methods. The particular structure of the book has been chosen because it is essential to be aware of the true properties of porous materials particularly in terms of nano, micro and macro mechanisms. This book is of pedagogical and practical importance to the fields covered by civil, environmental, nuclear and petroleum engineering and also in chemical physics and geophysics as it relates to radioactive waste disposal, geotechnical engineering, mining and petroleum engineering and chemical engineering.

Airbreathing Propulsion covers the physics of combustion, fluid and thermo-dynamics, and structural mechanics of airbreathing engines, including piston, turboprop, turbojet, turbofan, and ramjet engines. End-of-chapter exercises allow the reader to practice the fundamental concepts behind airbreathing propulsion, and the included PAGIC computer code will help the reader to examine the relationships between the performance parameters of different engines. Large amounts of data have on many different piston, turbojet, and turboprop engines have been compiled for this book and are included as an appendix. This textbook is ideal for senior undergraduate and graduate students studying aeronautical engineering, aerospace engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Researchers in plasma fusion labs; also graduate students in plasma physics, high-energy physics, and libraries

In the decades the of the formation of structures past subject spontaneous in far from has into a branch of - systems equilibrium major physics grown search with ties to It has become evident that strong neighboring disciplines. a diverse of can be understood within a common mat- phenomena range matical framework which has been called nonlinear of continuous dynamics This name the close to the field of nonlinear systems. emphasizes relationship of with few of freedom which has evolved into a dynamics systems degrees mature in the recent features mathematically subject past. Many dynamical of continuous be described reduction few can a to a systems actually through of freedom and of the latter of continue to degrees properties type systems of continuous the inspire study systems. The of this book is to demonstrate the numerous goal through examples that exist for the of nonlinear the opportunities study phenomena through tools of mathematical and use of common analyses dynamical interpretations. Instead of overview of the a providing comprehensive rapidly evolving field, the contributors to this book are to communicate to a wide scientific trying audience the of what have learnt about the formation of essence they spon- neous structures in continuous and about the dissipative systems competition between order and chaos that characterizes these It is that systems. hoped the book will be even to those scientists whose not helpful are disciplines the authors.

This volume of the Handbook is the first of a two-volume set of reviews devoted to the rare-earth-based high-temperature oxide superconductors (commonly known as hiTC superconductors). The history of hiTC superconductors is a few months short of being 14 years old when Bednorz and Muller published their results which showed that (La, BA)2CuO4 had a superconducting transition of ~30 K, which was about 7K higher than any other known superconducting material. Within a year the upper temperature limit was raised to nearly 100K with the discovery of an ~90K superconducting transition in YBa2Cu3O7-&dgr;. The announcement of a superconductor with a transition temperature higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen set-off a frenzy of research on trying to find other oxide hiTC superconductors. Within a few months the maximum superconducting transition reached 110 K (Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3010, and then 122K (TlBa2Ca3Cu4O11. It took several years to push TC up another 11 K to 133 K with the discovery of superconductivity in HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8, which is still the record holder today.

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to honor our distinguished colleague, Professor Leo Brewer, on the occasion of his sixty-fifth birth day, with this special volume of High Temperature Science. Leo and his wife, Rose, are personal friends of several generations of students and postdoctoral researchers at the University of California at Berkeley. Their concern and understanding has been important to many of us over the past forty years. Each paper in this volume has at least one author who was a gradu ate student or a postdoctoral researcher in Leo's laboratory at Berkeley. The variety of topics is indicative of the wide-ranging science done by Brewer-ites and by Leo Brewer himself. He has personally participated in the resolution of many of the classical problems of high-temperature science-from the heat of sublimation of graphite to the dissociation en ergy of nitrogen to the prediction of binary and ternary phase diagrams. He and his students have made major contributions to atomic and molec ular spectroscopy. He has made significant contributions to the develop ment of efficient systems for energy conversion and to ceramics. In addi tion to his research activities, Leo Brewer has been a long-time participant in the dynamic undergraduate teaching program of the Berkeley Chemistry Department. He has provided crucial insight for stu dents involved in those career-shaping experiences that one endures while acquiring the basics of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry with that interwoven common bond of thermodynamics."

Experiments with rubber balloons and rubber sheets have led to surprising observations, some of them hitherto unknown or not previously described in the literature. In balloons, these phenomena are due to the non-monotonic pressure-radius characteristic which makes balloons a subject of interest to physicists engaged in stability studies. Here is a situation in which symmetry breaking and hysteresis may be studied analytically, because the stress-stretch relations of rubber - and its non-convex free energy - can be determined explicitly from the kinetic theory of rubber and from non-linear elasticity. Since rubber elasticity and the elasticity of gases are both entropy-induced, a rubber balloon represents a compromise between the entropic tendency of a gas to expand and the entropic tendency of rubber to contract. Thus rubber and rubber balloons furnish instructive paradigms of thermodynamics. This monograph treats the subject at a level appropriate for post-graduate studies.

Low-Grade Thermal Energy Harvesting: Advances in Thermoelectrics, Materials, and Emerging Applications provides readers with fundamental and key concepts surrounding low-grade thermal energy conversion while also reviewing the latest research directions. The book covers the most promising and emerging technologies for low-grade heat recovery, harvesting and conversion, including wearable thermoelectrics and organic thermoelectrics. Each chapter includes key materials, principles, design and fabrication strategies for low-grade heat recovery. Special attention on emerging materials such as organic composites, 2D materials and nanomaterials are also included. The book emphasizes materials and device structures that enable the powering of wearable electronics and consumer electronics. The book is suitable for materials scientists and engineers in academia and R&D in manufacturing, industry, energy and electronics.

This volume presents a collection of protocols that describe methodologies to study thermogenic fat biology from various angles. This book is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 focuses on establishing in vitro culture systems. The chapters in this section introduce techniques on how to isolate, culture, and differentiate primary fat cells from both laboratory mice and humans. This part also presents flow cytometry methods to isolate various subpopulations of precursors within the stromal vascular fraction of the adipose tissue, which contains both preadipocytes and immune cells. Part 2 introduces multiple means to genetically manipulate and evaluate brown and beige fat in vivo. The chapters in this section explore methods on bioenergetics analyses both in vitro and in vivo. They also cover how to evaluate thermogenic fat contents and activity in humans, how to culture these cells though interdisciplinary approaches, and how to use thermogenic fat cell lines to carry out drug screens. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and cutting-edge, Thermogenic Fat: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for both experts and novices who are interested in learning assays and investigating brown and beige fat functions.

This volume records papers given at the fourteenth international maximum entropy conference, held at St John's College Cambridge, England. It seems hard to believe that just thirteen years have passed since the first in the series, held at the University of Wyoming in 1981, and six years have passed since the meeting last took place here in Cambridge. So much has happened. There are two major themes at these meetings, inference and physics. The inference work uses the confluence of Bayesian and maximum entropy ideas to develop and explore a wide range of scientific applications, mostly concerning data analysis in one form or another. The physics work uses maximum entropy ideas to explore the thermodynamic world of macroscopic phenomena. Of the two, physics has the deeper historical roots, and much of the inspiration behind the inference work derives from physics. Yet it is no accident that most of the papers at these meetings are on the inference side. To develop new physics, one must use one's brains alone. To develop inference, computers are used as well, so that the stunning advances in computational power render the field open to rapid advance. Indeed, we have seen a revolution. In the larger world of statistics beyond the maximum entropy movement as such, there is now an explosion of work in Bayesian methods, as the inherent superiority of a defensible and consistent logical structure becomes increasingly apparent in practice.