The fundamental goal of physics is an understanding of the forces of nature in their simplest and most general terms. Yet there is much more involved than just a basic set of equations which eventually has to be solved when applied to specific problems. We have learned in recent years that the structure of the ground state of field theories (with which we are generally concerned) plays an equally funda­ mental role as the equations of motion themselves. Heisenberg was probably the first to recognize that the ground state, the vacuum, could acquire certain prop­ erties (quantum numbers) when he devised a theory of ferromagnetism. Since then, many more such examples are known in solid state physics, e. g. supercon­ ductivity, superfluidity, in fact all problems concerned with phase transitions of many-body systems, which are often summarized under the name synergetics. Inspired by the experimental observation that also fundamental symmetries, such as parity or chiral symmetry, may be violated in nature, it has become wide­ ly accepted that the same field theory may be based on different vacua. Practical­ ly all these different field phases have the status of more or less hypothetical models, not (yet) directly accessible to experiments. There is one magnificent ex­ ception and this is the change of the ground state (vacuum) of the electron-posi­ tron field in superstrong electric fields.

Quantum Electrodynamics of Strong Fields: With an Introduction into Modern Relativistic Quantum Mechanics (Texts & Monographs in Physics)

Science & Math

GREINER, WALTER

Rafelski, Johann

Müller, Berndt

Physics

Springer, Verlag

Quantum Dynamics is a major survey of quantum theory based on Walter Greiner's long-running and highly successful course at the University of Frankfurt. The key to understanding in quantum theory is to reinforce lecture attendance and textual study by working through plenty of representative and detailed examples. Firm belief in this principle led Greiner to develop his unique course and to transform it into a remarkable and comprehensive text. The text features a large number of examples and exercises involving many of the most advanced topics in quantum theory. These examples give practical and precise demonstrations of how to use the often subtle mathematics behind quantum theory. The text is divided into five volumes: Quantum Mechanics I - An Introduction, Quantum Mechanics II - Symmetries, Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Electrodynamics, Gauge Theory of Weak Interactions. These five volumes take the reader from the fundamental postulates of quantum mechanics up to the latest research in particle physics. Volume 1, Quantum Mechanics I - An Introduction, lays the foundation for the rest of the course. Starting from black-body radiation, the photo-electric effect and wave-particle duality, Greiner goes on to discuss the uncertainty relations, spin and many-body systems, then discusses applications to the hydrogen atom and the Stern-Gerlach and Einstein-de Haas experiments. The mathematics of representation theory, S-matrices, perturbation theory, eigenvalues and hypergeometric differential equations are presented in detail, with 84 fully and carefully worked examples and exercises to consolidate the material. Volume 2 presents a particularly appealing and successful theme in advanced quantum mechanics - symmetries. After a brief introduction to symmetries in classical mechanics, the text turns to their relevance in quantum mechanics, the consequences of rotation symmetry and the general theory of Lie groups. The Isospin group, hypercharge, SU (3) and their applications are all dealt with in depth before a chapter on charm and SU (3) leads to the frontiers of research in particle physics. Almost a hundred detailed, worked examples and problems make this a truly unique text on a fascinating side of modern physics.

Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction

"Quantum Dynamics" is a major survey of quantum theory based on Walter Greiner's long-running and highly successful courses at the University of Frankfurt. The key to understanding in quantum theory is to reinforce lecture attendance and textual study by working through plenty of representative and detailed examples. Firm belief in this principle led Greiner to develop his unique course and to transform it into a remarkable and comprehensive text. The text features a large number of examples and exercises involving many of the most advanced topics in quantum theory. These examples give practical and precise demonstrations of how to use the often subtle mathematics behind quantum theory. The text is divided into five volumes: Quantum Mechanics I - An Introduction, Quantum Mechanics II - Symmetries, Relativistic Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Electrodynamics, Gauge Theory of Weak Interactions. These five volumes take the reader from the fundamental postulates of quantum mechanics up to the latest research in particle physics. Volume 2 presents a particularly appealing and successful theme in advanced quantum mechanics - symmetries. After a brief introduction to symmetries in classical mechanics, the text turns to their relevance in quantum mechanics, the consequences of rotation symmetry and the general theory of Lie groups. The Isospin group, hypercharge, SU (3) and their applications are all dealt with in depth before a chapter on charm and SU (3) leads to the frontiers of research in particle physics. Almost a hundred detailed, worked examples and problems make this a truly unique text on a fascinating side of modern physics.

Quantum Mechanics Symmetries (Greiner, Walter//Theoretical Physics)

Bromley d a

From the reviews: "This book excels by its variety of modern examples in solid state physics, magnetism, elementary particle physics [ . . . ] I can recommend it strongly as a valuable source, especially to those who are teaching basic statistical physics at our universities" Physicalia

Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (Classical Theoretical Physics)

Neise, Ludwig

Stöcker, Horst

Reference

Springer

This reference and workbook provides not only a complete survey of classical electrodynamics, but also an enormous number of worked examples and problems to show the reader how to apply abstract principles to realistic problems. The book will prove useful to graduate students in electrodynamics needing a practical and comprehensive treatment of the subject.

Classical Electrodynamics (Classical Theoretical Physics)

Intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students, this text is based on the highly successful course given by Walter Greiner at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. The two volumes on classical mechanics provide not only a complete survey of the topic but also an enormous number of worked examples and problems to show students clearly how to apply the abstract principles to realistic problems.

Classical Mechanics: Point Particles and Relativity (Classical Theoretical Physics)

Astronomy & Space Science

The NATO Advanced Study Institute on Physios of St~ong Fields was held at Maratea/Italy from 1-14 June, 1986. The school was devoted to the advances, theoretical and experimental, in physics of strong fields made during the past five years. The topic of the first week was almost exclusively quantum electrodynamics, with dis cussions of symmetry breaking in the ground state, of the physics of strong fields in heavy ion collisions and of precision tests of perturba tive quantum electrodynamics. The famous positron lines found at GSI (Darmstadt) and the related question "new particle versus vacuum decay" - (yes or no or both) - constituted the center of experimental advances. This was followed in the second week by the presentation of a broad range of other areas where strong fields occur, reaching from nuclear physics over quantum chromodynamics to gravitation theory and astrophysics. We were fortunate to be able to calIon a body of lecturers who not only made considerable personal contributions to this research but who are also noted for their lecturing skills. Their enthusiasm and dedication for their work was readily transmitted to the students resulting in a very suc cessful school.

Physics of Strong Fields (NATO Science Series B:, 153)

This book explores the role of singularities in general relativity (GR): The theory predicts that when a sufficient large mass collapses, no known force is able to stop it until all mass is concentrated at a point. The question arises, whether an acceptable physical theory should have a singularity, not even a coordinate singularity. The appearance of a singularity shows the limitations of the theory. In GR this limitation is the strong gravitational force acting near and at a super-massive concentration of a central mass. First, a historical overview is given, on former attempts to extend GR (which includes Einstein himself), all with distinct motivations. It will be shown that the only possible algebraic extension is to introduce pseudo-complex (pc) coordinates, otherwise for weak gravitational fields non-physical ghost solutions appear. Thus, the need to use pc-variables. We will see, that the theory contains a minimal length, with important consequences. After that, the pc-GR is formulated and compared to the former attempts. A new variational principle is introduced, which requires in the Einstein equations an additional contribution. Alternatively, the standard variational principle can be applied, but one has to introduce a constraint with the same former results. The additional contribution will be associated to vacuum fluctuation, whose dependence on the radial distance can be approximately obtained, using semi-classical Quantum Mechanics. The main point is that pc-GR predicts that mass not only curves the space but also changes the vacuum structure of the space itself. In the following chapters, the minimal length will be set to zero, due to its smallness. Nevertheless, the pc-GR will keep a remnant of the pc-description, namely that the appearance of a term, which we may call "dark energy", is inevitable. The first application will be discussed in chapter 3, namely solutions of central mass distributions. For a non-rotating massive object it is the pc-Schwarzschild solution, for a rotating massive object the pc-Kerr solution and for a charged massive object it will be the Reissner-Nordström solution. This chapter serves to become familiar on how to resolve problems in pc-GR and on how to interpret the results. One of the main consequences is, that we can eliminate the event horizon and thus there will be no black holes. The huge massive objects in the center of nearly any galaxy and the so-called galactic black holes are within pc-GR still there, but with the absence of an event horizon! Chapter 4 gives another application of the theory, namely the Robertson-Walker solution, which we use to model different outcomes of the evolution of the universe. Finally the capability of this theory to predict new phenomena is illustrated.

Pseudo-Complex General Relativity (FIAS Interdisciplinary Science Series)

Hess, Peter O.

Schäfer, Mirko

The third edition of this outstanding volume has been extensively revised and enlarged to cover all new aspects in Quantum chromodynamics. It first reviews relativistic quantum field theory and details scattering theory in the framework of scalar quantum electrodynamics. The book then introduces the gauge theory of quarks and gluons. In addition, more advanced chapters present a through discussion of perturbative and nonperturbative techniques in state-of-the-art QCD. Throughout, worked-out examples provide hands-on experience for students in theoretical physics. Research scientists will also find the book an ideal reference.

Quantum Chromodynamics

Quantum electrodynamics (Theoretical physics)

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