From the first time they were dimly sighted through Galileo's telescope to the recent spectacular pictures beamed back by Voyager, Saturn's rings have fascinated generations of observers. The scientific problems associated with them have also attracted the attention of successive generations of theoreticians.  James Clerk Maxwell's 1856 Adams Prize Essay, "On the Stability of the Motion of Saturn's Rings," forms the central body of this book and is the work that first established his reputation as one of the greatest mathematical physicists of any generation. It is surrounded by previously unpublished materials written both before and after the essay was completed. The former group consists of sixteen letters - to William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin), George Gabriel Stokes, Peter Guthrie Tait, and other friends and colleagues - written while Maxwell was working out the problems and preparing the essay for publication, and they reveal both the sureness of his approach and false starts and errors. The post-essay documents include a review of the work by George Biddell Airy, the Astronomer Royal, and correspondence with the Harvard astronomer George Bond in 1863. Here Maxwell attempts to extend his analysis to include the effects of collisions among the particles of the ring, employing his own newly developed kinetic theory of gases. The editors' introduction provides a historical context for Maxwell's contribution.

Maxwell on Saturn's Rings

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Maxwell, James Clerk

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A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism; Volume 2

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A Treatise On Electricity and Magnetism; Volume 2

Albert Einstein characterized the work of James Clerk Maxwell as the "most profound and the most fruitful that physics has experienced since the time of Newton." Max Planck went even further, declaring that "he achieved greatness unequalled," and Richard Feynman asserted that "From a long view of the history of mankind — seen from, say, ten thousand years from now — there can be little doubt that the most significant event of the nineteenth century will be judged as Maxwell's discovery of the laws of electrodynamics." Maxwell made numerous other contributions to the advancement of science, but the greatest work of his life was devoted to electricity. An Elementary Treatise on Electricity appeared at a time when very few books on electrical measurements were available to students, and its compact treatment not only elucidates the theory of electricity but also serves to develop electrical ideas in readers' minds. The author describes experiments that demonstrate the principal facts relating an electric charge as a quantity capable of being measured, deductions from these facts, and the exhibition of electrical phenomena. This volume, published posthumously from Maxwell's lecture notes at the Cavendish Laboratory — which he founded at the University of Cambridge — is supplemented by a selection of articles from his landmark book, Electricity and Magnetism. A classic of science, this volume is an eminently suitable text for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.

An Elementary Treatise on Electricity: Second Edition (Dover Books on Physics)

Peter Pesic

Physics

Dover Publications

"Maxwell is without a peer … this printing is an opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the thought of the greatest of our electrical scientists." — School Science and Math.Here is the final elaboration of Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, including the systematic and rigorous derivation of his general equations of field theory. These equations continue to occupy a central position in the modern physicist's view of the physical world. They are a magnificent summary of the fundamental advances in electricity and magnetism, and later inspired the theories of Lorentz on the electron and Einstein on relativity. Einstein himself has said that "The formulation of these equations is the most important event in physics since Newton's time" — The Evolution of Physics.Volume I, Part I, "Electrostatics," describes electrostatic phenomena and develops a mathematical theory of electricity. Maxwell discusses electrical work and energy in a system of conductors, mechanical action between two electrical systems, forms of equipotential surfaces and lines of flow, spherical harmonics, the theory of electric images, and other topics. Part II, "Electrokinematics," deals with electric current, conduction and resistance, electromotive force between bodies in contact, electrolysis, the mathematical theory of the distribution of electric currents, and other topics.Volume 2, Part III, "Magnetism," develops a theory of magnetism through the study of solenoids and shells, magnetic induction, methods of observation, and terrestrial magnetism. Part IV, "Electromagnetism," covers the mutual action of electric currents, the equations of motion of a connected system, Maxwell's dynamical theory of electromagnetism, the equations of the electromagnetic field, dimensions of electric units, parallel and circular currents, coils, and the electromagnetic theory of light and foundation of the theory of relativity.

Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

One of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 19th century, James Clerk Maxwell is best known for his studies of the electromagnetic field. The 101 scientific papers of this two-volume set, arranged chronologically, testify to Maxwell's profound scientific legacy and include the preliminary explorations that culminated in his most famous work, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. One of the nineteenth century's most significant papers, "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field," appears here, along with similarly influential expositions of Maxwell's dynamical theory of gases. The author's extensive range of interests is well represented, from his discussions of color blindness and the composition of Saturn's rings to his essays on geometrical optics, ether, and protecting buildings from lightning. His less technical writings are featured as well, including items written for the Encyclopedia Britannica and Nature magazine, book reviews, and popular lectures. Striking in their originality, these papers offer a wealth of stimulating and inspiring reading to modern students of mathematics and physics.

The Scientific Papers of James Clerk Maxwell, Vol. 1 (Dover Phoenix Editions)

One of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 19th century, James Clerk Maxwell is best known for his studies of the electromagnetic field. These 101 scientific papers, arranged chronologically in two volumes, testify to Maxwell's scientific legacy and offer modern students of mathematics and physics stimulating reading. 197 figures. 39 tables. 1890 edition.

The Scientific Papers of James Clerk Maxwell, Vol. II (Dover Phoenix Editions)

"Maxwell is without peer. This printing is an opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the thoughts of the greatest of our electrical scientists." — School Science and Math Here is the final elaboration of Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, including the systematic and rigorous derivation of his general equations of field theory. These equations continue to occupy a central position in the modern physicist's view of the physical world. They are a magnificent summary of the fundamental advances in electricity and magnetism, and later inspired the theories of Lorentz on the electron and Einstein on relativity. Einstein himself has said that "The formulation of these equations is the most important event in physics since Newton's time." (The Evolution of Physics.) Volume 1, Part 1, "Electrostatics," describes electrostatic phenomena and develops a mathematical theory of electricity. Maxwell discusses electrical work and energy in a system of conductors, mechanical action between two electrical systems, forms of equipotential surfaces and line of flow, spherical harmonics, the theory of electric images, and other topics. Part II, "Electrokinematics," deals with electric current conduction and resistance, electromotive force between bodies in contact, electrolysis, the mathematical theory of the distribution of electric currents, and other topics.

Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, Vol. 1

One of the greatest theoretical physicists of the 19th century, James Clerk Maxwell is best known for his studies of the electromagnetic field. The 101 scientific papers of this two-volume set, arranged chronologically, testify to Maxwell's profound scientific legacy and include the preliminary explorations that culminated in his most famous work, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism. One of the nineteenth century's most significant papers, "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field," appears here, along with similarly influential expositions of Maxwell's dynamical theory of gases. The author's extensive range of interests is well represented, from his discussions of color blindness and the composition of Saturn's rings to his essays on geometrical optics, ether, and protecting buildings from lightning. His less technical writings are featured as well, including items written for the Encyclopedia Britannica and Nature magazine, book reviews, and popular lectures. Striking in their originality, these papers offer a wealth of stimulating and inspiring reading to modern students of mathematics and physics.

The Scientific Papers of James Clerk Maxwell, Vol. I

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