Reviews (1)

Richard Komp: physicist, historian, and social engineer
Practical Photovoltaics is one of the finest, most comprehensive guides to the world of solar energy. The book starts with a beginer's course in solid state physical devices (which taught even an Electrical Engineer such as myself new things) and leads into the history of solar cell materials and procedures over the years. Next comes an in-depth discussion of the various types of materials, and how they are suited for different applications. He makes logical predictions about the future of some of these materials, and hints around at what new techniques scientists are starting to look at today.
In the appendix, he even describes how to assemble your own array of solar cells for those who wish to try a hands-on approach to learning.
Oh, yeah, one more thing: he has a decent list of recomended readings at the end of each chapter, allowing you to select topics that interest you to continue your reading. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Fascinating
I found this book on HAARP to be fascinating and quite believable.

Most people I know have never heard of HAARP and if they have they are convinced it is some kind of weather station! They need to study the patents of Bernard Eastlund and the works of Nicola Tesla to realize the potential for such a piece of a equipment!

I have only one major criticism. Where's the index? In this day and age of computers I think it is inexcusable to publish a complex work and forget the index!

Dr. Rick

An avid reader
Very interesting material in this book, though it would be of more interest if it had greater chronology. As it is, it bounces around going forward then backward and so on, over and over. However, the information gleaned is extremely interesting and mostly credible, though they do get some of their facts wrong, e.g., they quote Newt Gingerich talking about the peace dividend in 1986, a topic that didn't even surface until the Soviet Union fell apart in 1989--it was AFTER that that the so called "peace dividend" become an idiotic topic of discussion. (Idiotic because the world is no where ready for PEACE.)

I did find the facts of the HAARP project of interest and am certain the authors are correct in their estimation of the goals of the project, though I question their ability to discern the governments awareness of the repercussions of the project.

This is a book written by warm fuzzy liberals for warm fuzzy liberals. They are so paranoid of the goals of the American government that they don't even consider that if not our government, then who? Maybe they would rather it be Iran, or North Korea, or another such country. The truth is, it will be done by someone and I for one would rather it be the American government, because I, being a realist rather than an idealist, believe our government is about as trustworthy as they come. Maybe someday it will be different, but not in my lifetime, and probably not even in my children's children's lifetime. Again, the world is just not ready for the warm fuzzy peace the liberals so lovingly refer to in their wildest anarchist dreams.

I found it frightening!
First of all, I want to state that the book was extremely well documented! I have read books that gloss over "facts" that sound so fantastic, but offer no support. The book details projects involving bouncing microwaves off the ionosphere in order to control weather patterns, to make a shield to protect the country from missiles, even for mind control...this went from fantastic to terrifying!

If you are a sci-fi fan, this is a worthwhile read. But, with all the documentation, it evolves into a potential doomsday manual.

Mind Blowing Facts on the US Gov'ts Dangerous Experiments
From a rural location in Alaska, controlled by "Big Oil", the US government is blasting billions of watts of high frequency microwave energy at our protective ionospheric shell which surrounds the earth. Their offical reason is "to see what it does". Several acres of Alaskan land have been dedicated to the construction of the HAARP array (you can actually find a picture of it online...)but it's real purpose runs from the practical (earth tomography (X-ray the earth to look for enemy submarines and secret underground bases)) through the hard to believe (transmission of electrical power without wires (Tesla's idea) through the insane (the complete disruption of global communications and mucking with weather patterns by shifting the jet stream).

This book is so well documented, often citing documents published by the US government itself, that it is absolutely convincing and frightening.

A must for all who are concerned about their planet.
I found this book very well written. The research and bibliography was excellent. All the information is very well documented. This is a must for those who really want to know what is happening on this planet. My one major comment: If you do not like documented and verified information,you problably will not be able to get thru this book. I would refer you to Dr. Begich's next book, 'EARTH RISING' It is a sequal and very readable for the non technical person. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A physicist's review of the subject.
In my ongoing review of the literature in this subject area, I had this book pulled by the library. Let me get the negative aspects of this review out of the way first. The writing style clearly suggests that the book may have been collated from course lecture notes and material. In lectures, material is presented as a part of a lecture, with a lot of spoken words to add explanation and feeling to densely written notes. In this case, the book is densely packed with information, and a little extra text to help explain things would have made things more readable. This is a typical sin in specialized-subject graduate-level texts.

On the positive side, this book covers a good amount of ground in a lot of theoretical detail. To give an idea as to what is covered, here are the chapter titles:

1. Introduction
2. The Origin of Atomic Moments
3. Paramagnetism of Free Ions
4. The Magnetically Ordered State
5. Crystal Fields
6. Diamagnetism
7. Itinerant-Electron Magnetism
8. Some Basic Concepts and Units
9. Measurement Techniques
10. Caloric Effects in Magnetic Materials
11. Magnetic Anisotropy
12. Permanent Magnets
13. High-Density Recording Materials
14. Soft Magnetic Materials
15. Invar Alloys
16. Magnetostrictive Materials

Given what my field is, I was pleasantly surprised to find notes on the manufacturing process for NdFeB permanent magnets. The discussions on domain phenomena seemed complete and helpful. All in all, the theoretical approach to the subject matter gives the book much more of a physicist's feel, rather than the more practical feel of an engineer.

This seems to be a good reference on the subject matter. ... Read more

Book Description

Magnetic fields are routinely used in industry to heat, pump, stir and levitate liquid metals. There is the terrestrial magnetic field that is maintained by fluid motion in the earth's core, the solar magnetic field, which generates sunspots and solar flares, and the galactic field that influences the formation of stars. This introductory text on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (the study of the interaction of magnetic fields and conducting fluids) is intended to serve as an introductory text for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physics, applied mathematics and engineering. The material in the text is heavily weighted toward incompressible flows and to terrestrial (as distinct from astrophysical) applications. The final sections of the text, which outline the latest advances in the metallurgical applications of MHD, make the book of interest to professional researchers in applied mathematics, engineering and metallurgy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction to physics behind the MHD equations
If you want a really well written explanation of what is a physical meaning of the MHD equations, what are the fundamental ideas behind them with examples from solar spots to metallurgical applications, nicely and clearly illustrated, this is the book for you.

Congratulations to the author! ... Read more

Book Description

A systematic treatment of the finite element method
"Anyone interested in the state of the art in finite element formulations will find this book an interesting read. In particular, I would strongly recommend it to those members of the electromagnetic community who are involved in high-frequency applications."
-Measurement Science and Technology
The finite element method is one of the preeminent simulation techniques for obtaining solutions to boundary-value problems in mathematical physics. It has applications in a variety of engineering and scientific studies, such as antennas, radar, microwave engineering, high-speed/high-frequency circuits, wireless communication, electro-optical engineering, remote sensing, bioelectromagnetics, and geoelectromagnetics. This Second Edition of an essential text teaches the finite element method for electromagnetic analysis. It offers engineers a methodical way to quickly master this very powerful technique for solving practical, often complicated, engineering problems.
This book provides the first systematic treatment of this numerical analysis technique for electromagnetics, including a brief overview of the two classic methods-the Ritz variational method and Galerkin's method-which form the foundation of the finite element function. Employing an example to introduce the concept of the finite element method and describe the essential steps of the technique, the author lays the groundwork for a broad-based understanding of the finite element method's usefulness. He completes his coverage by describing the finite element analysis of one-, two-, and three-dimensional problems, developing for each problem a rigorous finite element solution in general form from which solutions to specific problems can be deduced.
Carefully updated to include the most recent developments, the Second Edition now includes new coverage of:
* Absorbing boundary conditions
* A hybrid technique for pen-region scattering and radiation problems
* Eigenfunction expansions on elliptical boundaries
* Time-domain analysis of transient electromagnetic problems
* The method of moments and its fast solvers ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The most comprehensive and up-to-date FEM book in EM
The book covers all the basic theory of FEM in electromagnetics, which is perfect for those beginners in FEM. The book also has lots of materials on the most recent developments such as hybrid techniques, method of moments and its fast solver, etc. So it is very good choice for researchers in the area of computational electromagnetics. Nicely written and easy to read. If you want to know anythhing about FEM in EM, this is the book. Go for it.

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKS IN FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
Enrichs the first edition by the latest development in the finite element method in electromagnetics. Documents for the first time higher-order vector finite elements, perfectly matched layer as the absorbing boundary condition, hybrid finite-element and asymptotic methods, advanced finite-element boundary-integral method in conjunction with the fast integral solvers such as FMM, and finite element method in time domain. A state-of-the-art as well as a systematic treatment of finite element method. Though the complexity in nature, the author's writing is so good that one could have a hard time in putting it down once he opened it. None of the finite element books ever published in electromagnetics can be its parallel in depth, completeness, and reader-friendliness. If you are a beginner who wants to learn finite element method, this book is the choice. If you are an expertise who wants to know more about finite element method, so it is.

Excellent Finite Element book for Electrical Engineers.
A good book for learning about Finite Element methods for electrical engineers. The emphasis is on electromagentics and the author develops FEM from first principles. Numerous examples supplement the theory and show the power and utility of FEM. ... Read more

Book Description

This new edition of a well-received introduction to solid-state physics provides a comprehensive overview of the basic theoretical and experimental concepts of materials science. Experimental aspects and laboratory details are highlighted in separate panels that enrich text and emphasize recent developments.

Notably, new material in the third edition includes sections on important devices, aspects of non- periodic structures of matter, phase transitions, defects, superconductors and nanostructures.

Students will benefit significantly from solving the exercises given at the end of each chapter. This book is intended for undergraduate students in physics, materials science, and electrical engineering. This edition has been thoroughly updated to maintain its usefulness as modern text and reference. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Seems very incomplete
We used this text in an introductory solid state course. Overall, it seems that the text is far too brief and doesn't thoroughly explain the material enough for an introductory course. There are very few examples/applications. The problems in the chapter require research outside of what is in the text. It leaves out a lot of important details. I would really suggest looking elsewhere for a good solid state introduction.

Limited audience
I used this book in a course which was supposed to be an introduction to solid state. Know some basic ideas in crystal structure, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, advanced and partial differential equations and Fourier anlysis and then you'll begin to be ready to understand this text. Kittel's Solid State text is slightly more helpful (but only slightly). The book is completely devoid of examples, yet there are sections at the end of each chapter involving current applications and experiments in condensed matter physics and materials science. Exercises require a leap of understanding from the contents of the chapter before them. Some experience with a computer language may also be necessary. I wouldn't recommend this book for most undergrads. ... Read more

Book Description

The Frequency-Resolved Optical-Gating (FROG) technique has revolutionized our ability to measure and understand ultrashort laser pulses. This book contains everything you need to know to measure even the shortest, weakest, or most complex ultrashort laser pulses. Whether you're an undergrad or an advanced researcher, you'll find easy-to-understand descriptions of all the key ideas behind all the FROG techniques, all the practical details of pulse measurement, and many new directions of research. This book is not like any other scientific book. It is a lively discussion of the basic concepts. It is an advanced treatment of research-level issues. It includes a CD containing several polished PowerPoint lectures (in English and French) suitable for a graduate course. The CD also contains both PC and MAC versions of the FROG code, ready to retrieve pulses in the lab or just to learn how FROG works. It also contains several additional chapters by the world's leading experts on ultrashort pulse measurement, including a detailed description of measurements of the shortest pulse ever created. The image on the front cover of the book is a FROG trace of one of the shortest events ever created, a 4.5-fs laser pulse, measured by Baltuska, et al; JQE, 459 (1999) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good overview of magnetism
This book is an easy to read overview of the subject. It's a good book to review the fundamentals (para/dia/ferro/anti magnetism,
exchange interaction, etc.). I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the price is a bit high, and sometimes the treatments lacks depth. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A lot of review
I found this book easy to follow with lots of examples. My teacher wasn't the greatest, but the book made the class easier.

The extensive mathematics review in the beginning became very boring. It was reteaching everything from previous classes. Other than that, I didn't have any problems.

Complete ...
Theory wise, the book exposes things relatively well. However, I cannot get over how thoroughly maddening it is to be second-guessing the answers in the back of the book when you're trying to learn by doing. For ...sake, it's the 3rd edition and it's still full of errors! Inexcusable! There's no way to build confidence in problem solving when many of the solutions to the odd numbered problems are wrong! No matter how clear the theory, it's still a work in progress, incomplete at best. It is, quite frankly, shameful to be passing this book off as some sort of learning tool.

FULL OF ERRORS - MANY OTHER BETTER BOOKS
The solutions provided are chock full of errors (estimate at least 25% are dead wrong). Erroneous solutions are worse than no solutions for students trying to learn such difficult material. How this sorry saga can continue with the Third Edition can only be attributed to extreme incompetence and/or extreme indifference by the recipient of the $$$ royalties.

Not a terrible book
The book is well written and relatively easy to follow (for an EM book). I do have a problem with the problems at the end of each chapter. The book gives the answers to odd problems. Frequently these answers are incorrect.

Also, many of the problems do not seem to have a "simple" closed form solution. I've wasted quite a bit of time working through complex calculus to come to the realization that there is no "simple" solution. These problems would require a numerical analysis software package to come to a solution. I don't think that was the author's intent. I suspect this is another example of a professor using graduate slave labor to write and/or proof read the problems at the end of each chapter.

The number of worked-out example problems within the chapter bodies seems to be representative of that found in good text books I like. IMHO there could have been more examples though.

Overall the body of each chapter is well written but the problems at the end of each chapter have caused me quite a bit of frustration.

Littered with errors
The author states that electromagnetic theory is one of the most diffucult couses in your curriculm, but he sure doesn't make it easy on you.
The text is laced with errors, from the text itself, to missing symbols, to errors in the solutions at the end of the book.
It is extremely frustrating to work on problems only to find that the error given in the Appendix is wrong.
It is a shame that in its 3rd edition (as well as the revised 3rd edition) that errors are still present in the text ... Read more

Book Description

Boiled-down essentials of the top-selling Schaum's Outline series for the student with limited time

What could be better than the bestselling Schaum's Outline series? For students looking for a quick nuts-and-bolts overview, it would have to be Schaum's Easy Outline series. Every book in this series is a pared-down, simplified, and tightly focused version of its predecessor. With an emphasis on clarity and brevity, each new title features a streamlined and updated format and the absolute essence of the subject, presented in a concise and readily understandable form.

Graphic elements such as sidebars, reader-alert icons, and boxed highlights stress selected points from the text, illuminate keys to learning, and give students quick pointers to the essentials.

• Designed to appeal to underprepared students and readers turned off by dense text
• Cartoons, sidebars, icons, and other graphic pointers get the material across fast
• Concise text focuses on the essence of the subject
• Delivers expert help from teachers who are authorities in their fields
• Perfect for last-minute test preparation
• So small and light that they fit in a backpack! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent text on Electromagnetism!
This book is worth buying for two good reasons 1) its an excellent treatment of extremely important concepts of electricity, magnetism and interaction of light with matter and 2) because its very affordable and very readable. Its good read for physicists, and its more than useful for material and / or polymer scientists, who use light as a tool to investigate properties of matter. Basic concepts are explained quite well here, and like many other Dover texts, it is terse, cheap and yet masterful.

Not for the novice, ... you need a Calculus course!
This is one of the finest books on E&M. Uses SI units, ... units cause much confusion in E&M, this book was one of the first to use SI units. As most introductory Calculus based courses now use SI units this is a good second course. Very good example using the "method of images," a topic that confused me my first time through. I had a Physics prof. that gave me good advice at this point, ... I am a good, not a gifted science student, my prof. had the modesty to tell me to move on, ... "nobody understands Physics with one reading, ... or even two, sometimes it takes years, or even a lifetime."
This book reads well and treats a few difficult topics with the simplest examples possible. You need only basic calculus and desire, and possibly more than one reading. I stick this book in my back pocket, just in case a little insight comes my way.

A very good SECOND book on EM
This is a very good book to follow the study of, say, Haliday. Slater was, in writing it, worried about teaching methods of theoretical physics, as well as of electromagnetism. The text is brief and to the point, with the elegance typical of the master Slater was. Maybe the strongest point, however, are the exercises. These are the best you will find in any book on EM.

if you're not a Ph.D., don't even bother.
If this book were written in hieroglyphics or Greek, it would be easier to understand, at least if you're not in at least your third year of physics or electrical engineering. I purchased this book after reading the other review and felt the need to add my opinion.

Excellent, matter of fact text
The books by Slater (one of the great professors at MIT) are known by the low sophistication of formalism combined with a deep physical insight, apparent in the way problems are solved, using analogies, clever simplifications, numerical estimates, etc. It's physics, Fermi style. Though the theory is very sound, it is in the problems that the book excells. If you work through them, you're done with electromagnetism, and you'll love it forever. ... Read more

Book Description

Mathematica for Theoretical Physics:

Classical Mechanics and Nonlinear Dynamics

This second edition of Baumann's Mathematica(r) in Theoretical Physics shows readers how to solve physical problems and deal with their underlying theoretical concepts while using Mathematica(r) to derive numeric and symbolic solutions. Each example and calculation can be evaluated by the reader, and the reader can change the example calculations and adopt the given code to related or similar problems.

The second edition has been completely revised and expanded into two volumes:

The first volume covers classical mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. Both topics are the basis of a regular mechanics course. The second volume covers electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and fractals and fractional calculus.

New examples have been added and the representation has been reworked to provide a more interactive problem-solving presentation. This book can be used as a textbook or as a reference work, by students and researchers alike. A brief glossary of terms and functions is contained in the appendices.

The CD-ROM accompanying each of the two volumes contains Mathematica(r)

notebooks as well as Mathematica(r) programs. The notebooks contain the entire text of the corresponding volume and can interface with Mathematica(r). The examples given in the text can also be interactively used and changed for the reader's purposes.

The Author, Gerd Baumann, is affiliated with the Mathematical Physics Division of the University of Ulm, Germany, where he is professor. He is the author of Symmetry Analysis of Differential Equations with Mathematica(r). Dr. Baumann has given numerous invited talks at universities and industry alike. He regularly hosts seminars and lectures on symbolic computing at the University of Ulm and at TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT MÜNCHEN (TUM), Munich.

Book Description

In the modern semiconductor industry, there is a growing need to understand and combat potential radiation damage problems. Space applications are an obvious case, but, beyond that, today's device and circuit fabrication rely on increasing numbers of processing steps that involve an aggressive environment where inadvertant radiation damage can occur. This book is both aimed at post-graduate researchers seeking an overview of the field, and will also be immensely useful for nuclear and space engineers and even process engineers. A background knowledge of semiconductor and device physics is assumed, but the basic concepts are all briefly summarized. Finally the book outlines the shortcomings of present experimental and modeling techniques and gives an outlook on future developments. ... Read more

Book Description

This book and software package enables readers

to design lens systems for focusing beams of

charged particles having useful characteristics.

The text covers the basic theory of the motion of

charged particles in electrostatic fields and

describes several methods for the calculation of

the potential and field distribution for various

electrode geometries. Two methods, the Bessel

function expansion method which was developed

by the author and his students and the nine-point

implementation of the finite difference method, are

given special emphasis because they are

particularly appropriate for implementation by the

inexperienced user. Other methods are discussed

in less detail and reference is made to WWW sites

from which demonstration programs for these

methods may be obtained. A chapter on

aberrations presents formulae which enable the

coefficients to be determined by an extension to

the ray tracing procedures and which

demonstrates optimum conditions for lens

operation.

The book is accompanied by a disk providing a

suite of computer programs (LENSYS for

MS-DOS) intended for practical use in the design

and analysis of systems using round lenses with

apertures or cylindrical elements. These

programs will be of value even to experienced

workers in the field who may be quite familiar with

much of the material in the text.. ... Read more

Book Description

Audio recordings of Feynman's famous Caltech course on which his classic textbook, Lectures on Physics, was based.

Volume 4: Electrical and Magnetic Behavior includes chapters on propagation in a crystal lattice, semiconductors, the independent particle approximation, the Schrdinger equation in a classical context, superconductivity, paramagnetism and magnetic resonance, and ferromagnetism. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

If you liked the book then try this......
If you are looking for a laymans' basic physics primer, look somewhere else! If you have a background in the material and are looking for a review or for alternative views of the subject then this is appropriate.

I first read the "Feynman Lectures" (in book form) during the first year of my physics studies. They struck me then, and still do, as offering inspired and inspiring insight from a first class brain.

To hear him speak, after reading so much of his material through the years is a real kick. At first I couldn't imagine how one could hear the lectures without the written material in support. Although I think that this material is in fact best absorbed in conjunction with the written Lectures, yet these tapes are a pleasurable and thoughtful listen all by themself.

Foir the advanced...
If you order one of the series, go for the more general of the sets. I got one which was extremely good in it's description of the structure of crystals, 'Volume 3 From Crystal Structure of Magnetism', but went into later elaborate detail on formulae, much done on a chalkboard in the longlost 1960's, which left me in the dust...

Audio edutainment doesn't get any better ...
What better way to share your enthusiasm of science and physics with your kids than with Richard Feynman's audio physics lectures. Since I started playing them for my six month old son, we have gradually gone through each of the series. In the beginning I had been a little critcal of Richard Feynman. Who was this gravelly voiced man? It's kind of like saying who's Albert Einstein? Well my knowledge grew as both my son and I listened to Richard Feynman and learned not only about this amazing man but also about his love of learning.

I can't thank the team enough who has taken the time to put this series together. It is so valuable! So predominate is Richard Feynman at bedtime now that the physics audio lectures are now referred to as Grandpa Feynman's bedtime stories. My son is now 25 months.

I highly recommend these audio physics lectures and enthusiastically encourage more physics, science, geology, astrophysics and biology.

Edutainment does not get any better than this. Discover Richard Feynman and discover the amazing world around you!

Thank you Arnie and Reid ... Read more

Book Description

Directed to advanced undergraduates in physics or electrical engineering, this comprehensive text covers electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic theory and related topics including relativity. Each section includes worked examples and 15 to 25 problems. (Solutions for odd-number problems only.) Reprint of 1975 ed.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

Cheap but good
You can't possibly get more for your money than this book. Don't let the price fool you - this is a well written book on electromagnetics.

Outstanding example of good pedagogy
Most EM texts out there are overpriced and underwritten. They use color drawings and shiny, glossy pages to make up for lack of content. Shadowitz's book is the exact opposite: it's a dover edition, which means it's cheap and doesn't look as good. But this is one of those cases in which you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
Shadowitz is everything a serious student would like: it covers 1st/2nd year electromagnetism with great detail. It covers many topics, from basic electrostatics and vector analysis, to radiation theory and special relativity. The explanations are always kept clear. A physical context is always provided. Many solved examples are scattered throughout the text. The problems are instructive and odd-numbered ones have solutions at the end of the book. I simply cannot feel sorry that not all books are as good as this one. Although with most Dover books you get what you pay for (which isn't much), this book is an exception. Even if you're studying advanced EM and are using, say, Jackson's text, Shadowitz's text makes a great companion.
I have a few minor quibbles with the book, mainly its use of SI units, but Shadowitz provides appendices which explain how to convert between the various systems.

Great Reference Manual at Minimum
I am a graduate student in Physics and have found this to be a wonderful reference manual to the "Jackson" graduate text. Shadowitz offers great explanations for sometimes complicated mathematical terms. Additionally, he gives valuable, indepth examples for tensors and makes no illogical or complicated jumps in his derivations of other mathematical formulae.

An unusual textbook on Electromagnetic Theory.
When it comes to a Junior-Senior textbook on electromagnetism, electrical engineers and physicists will want a different approach. However, electronics engineering is close to physics and this book comes close to pleasing both groups. Probably the best book on EM theory for electronics engineers is "Fields and Waves in Communication Electronics" by Ramo, Whinnery, and van Duzer. Ramo is the R in the company called TRW. Nonetheless, Shadowitz covers the basics of an EM text for electonics engineers, for example, transmission lines, waveguides, and antenna radiation. Sprinkled throughout the text are interesting tidbits of theoretical physics. The book is in SI units, but he adequately informs the reader about esu and emu units, a discussion of which seems to have become unfortunately banned at some American colleges.

Great exposition of material and overabundant detail.
Book goes beyond classical text(state theory, give minimal amount of related examples, move on, etc..) Author is an educator(not just an instructor) and the strengths of the book are in the extent to which he attempts(and succeeds) to illuminate the subject so that every facet of it is clearly revealed. Well Done! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great master teaches electrodynamics
Pauli, who was rated by Born to be as good as Einstein, taught theoretical physics for many years at Technische Hochschule at Zurich. This book is labored on notes taken by students from his lectures on Electrodynamics. This is the book I consult when I am not happy with the explanations in the usual books. If it happens that Pauli touches the subject, I always get what I looked for: conceptual clarity and very good algorithms. Yes, because Pauli, one of the most profound physicists ever, believed that a physicist must calculate. He even "practiced" in his spare time! I especially like, in this book, the derivation of the laws for RLC circuits, rigorously in the field theory way, and absolutely clear and elegant. This is not an introduction to electricity. It is a rather sophisticated introduction to that part of theoretical physics called electrodynamics. In this role, it is certainly among the very best. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique book presents a unified, in-depth study of phenomena in photon-matter interactions over a range of many orders of energy. It provides a thorough treatment of relativistic quantum electrodynamics from the quantum field theoretic approach, together with non-relativistic theory in both confined and unconfined geometries.The predictions of QED have been verified to a greater accuracy than any other physical theory. Moreover QED is a paradigm for other gauge theories, and it is presented in such a way that the generalization to other gauge theories is natural.Gauge and Poincare symmetry properties and the non-existence of a photon wave function are thoroughly discussed.Starting from the Dirac equation, the non-relativistic interaction of the electron with the electromagnetic field is derived as an effective Hamiltonian of multipole expansions. Succeeding chapters fully develop relativistic QED and quantum optics.The limitations of QED and the necessity of electroweak theory and quantum chromodynamics are also discussed, and the final chapters are devoted to quantum optics inside cavities, concluding with a study of highly non-classical states of the light field such as photon number, squeezed and two photon entangled states.The book includes worked examples and exercises. In addition to its wide usefulness for theoretical physicists, this volume will help workers in quantum optics to gain a deeper understanding of the foundations of their subject, and field theorists will find concrete examples of open systems, which are beginning to influence their basic approaches. ... Read more

Book Description

Superconductivity, provides a basic introduction to one of the most innovative areas in condensed matter physics today. This book includes ample tutorial material, including illustrations, chapter summaries, graded problem sets, and concise examples.This book is part of the Oxford Master Series in Condensed Matter Physics. ... Read more