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Describing the physical properties of quantum materials near critical points with long-range many-body quantum entanglement, this book introduces readers to the basic theory of quantum phases, their phase transitions and their observable properties. This second edition begins with a new section suitable for an introductory course on quantum phase transitions, assuming no prior knowledge of quantum field theory. It also contains several new chapters to cover important recent advances, such as the Fermi gas near unitarity, Dirac fermions, Fermi liquids and their phase transitions, quantum magnetism, and solvable models obtained from string theory. After introducing the basic theory, it moves on to a detailed description of the canonical quantum-critical phase diagram at non-zero temperatures. Finally, a variety of more complex models are explored. This book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics and particle and string theory.

With the latest developments in fusion and x-ray astronomy research relying heavily on high-quality atomic data, the need for precise, up-to-date spectroscopic techniques is as vital now as it has ever been. This timely handbook brings together many of the techniques and ideas needed to carry out state-of-the-art research in the field. It presents light/ion sources, spectrometer, detector, and coincidence techniques and examines how atomic properties change along an isoelectronic sequence. The book also focuses on atomic structure and applications and discusses QED theory and PNC effects of highly charged ions.

The Green's function method is one of the most powerful and versatile formalisms in physics, and its nonequilibrium version has proved invaluable in many research fields. This book provides a unique, self-contained introduction to nonequilibrium many-body theory. Starting with basic quantum mechanics, the authors introduce the equilibrium and nonequilibrium Green's function formalisms within a unified framework called the contour formalism. The physical content of the contour Green's functions and the diagrammatic expansions are explained with a focus on the time-dependent aspect. Every result is derived step-by-step, critically discussed and then applied to different physical systems, ranging from molecules and nanostructures to metals and insulators. With an abundance of illustrative examples, this accessible book is ideal for graduate students and researchers who are interested in excited state properties of matter and nonequilibrium physics.

Research into active galactic nuclei (AGN) – the compact, luminous hearts of many galaxies – is at the forefront of modern astrophysics. Understanding these objects requires extensive knowledge in many different areas: accretion disks, the physics of dust and ionized gas, astronomical spectroscopy, star formation, and the cosmological evolution of galaxies and black holes. This new text by Hagai Netzer, a renowned astronomer and leader in the field, provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory underpinning our study of AGN and the ways that we observe them. It emphasizes the basic physics underlying AGN, the different types of active galaxies and their various components, and the complex interplay between them and other astronomical objects. Recent developments regarding the evolutionary connections between active galaxies and star-forming galaxies are explained in detail. Both graduate students and researchers will benefit from Netzer's authoritative contributions to this exciting field of research.

This book covers material ranging from classical hydrodynamic instability to contemporary research areas, including bluff body flow instability and mixed convection flows. It also examines applications in aerospace and other branches of engineering such as fluid mechanics. The author addresses classical material as well as new perspectives and presents comprehensive coverage of receptivity to complement the instability material. This book presents a concise, up-to-date treatment of theory and applications of viscous flow instability, providing both current knowledge and techniques.

String theory is one of the most active branches of theoretical physics and has the potential to provide a unified description of all known particles and interactions. This book is a systematic introduction to the subject, focused on the detailed description of how string theory is connected to the real world of particle physics. Aimed at graduate students and researchers working in high energy physics, it provides explicit models of physics beyond the Standard Model. No prior knowledge of string theory is required as all necessary material is provided in the introductory chapters. The book provides particle phenomenologists with the information needed to understand string theory model building and describes in detail several alternative approaches to model building, such as heterotic string compactifications, intersecting D-brane models, D-branes at singularities and F-theory.

Do the movements of animals, including humans, follow patterns that can be described quantitatively by simple laws of motion? If so, then why? These questions have attracted the attention of scientists in many disciplines, and stimulated debates ranging from ecological matters to queries such as 'how can there be free will if one follows a law of motion?' This is the first book on this rapidly evolving subject, introducing random searches and foraging in a way that can be understood by readers without a previous background on the subject. It reviews theory as well as experiment, addresses open problems and perspectives, and discusses applications ranging from the colonization of Madagascar by Austronesians to the diffusion of genetically modified crops. The book will interest physicists working in the field of anomalous diffusion and movement ecology as well as ecologists already familiar with the concepts and methods of statistical physics.

This book, edited by two of the most respected researchers in plasmonics,  gives an overview of the current state in plasmonics and plasmonic-based metamaterials, with an emphasis on active functionalities and an eye to future developments.

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) are two of the most important techniques used in radiation dosimetry. They have extensive practical applications in the monitoring of personnel radiation exposure, in medical dosimetry, environmental dosimetry, spacecraft, nuclear reactors, food irradiation etc., and in geological /archaeological dating. Thermally and Optically Stimulated Luminescence: A Simulation Approach describes these phenomena, the relevant theoretical models and their prediction, using both approximations and numerical simulation. The authors concentrate on an alternative approach in which they simulate various experimental situations by numerically solving the relevant coupled differential equations for chosen sets of parameters. Opening with a historical overview and background theory, other chapters cover experimental measurements, dose dependence, dating procedures, trapping parameters, applications, radiophotoluminescence, and effects of ionization density. Designed for practitioners, researchers and graduate students in the field of radiation dosimetry, Thermally and Optically Stimulated Luminescence provides an essential synthesis of the major developments in modeling and numerical simulations of thermally and optically stimulated processes.

The emerging field of semiconductor quantum optics combines semiconductor physics and quantum optics, with the aim of developing quantum devices with unprecedented performance. In this book researchers and graduate students alike will reach a new level of understanding to begin conducting state-of-the-art investigations. The book combines theoretical methods from quantum optics and solid-state physics to give a consistent microscopic description of light-matter- and many-body-interaction effects in low-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures. It develops the systematic theory needed to treat semiconductor quantum-optical effects, such as strong light-matter coupling, light-matter entanglement, squeezing, as well as quantum-optical semiconductor spectroscopy. Detailed derivations of key equations help readers learn the techniques and nearly 300 exercises help test their understanding of the materials covered. The book is accompanied by a website hosted by the authors, containing further discussions on topical issues, latest trends and publications on the field. The link can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521875097.