Condensed matter exhibits a rich variety of phases. Of these, the crystalline state has, until recently, received most attention. This is not surprising, given the geometric regularity of crystals. At the other extreme one has amorphous materials. In between there are the various types of liquid crystals, the recently discovered quasicrystals, and so on. While the absence of the high degree of regularity that characterizes the crystalline phase is certainly a problem, these noncrystalline states have nevertheless been receiving some attention over the years. However, it is only during the last few years that something like a uni fied view of all these phases has begun to emerge, through an application of various sophisticated concepts. Geometry and symmetry (and unusual realiza tions of the latter) provide a unifying thread in this new and emerging perspec tive. This book is an attempt to capture the flavour of some of these recent de velopments. The approach is substantially descriptive, being intended to be accessible not only to experimental physicists, but also to chemists, materials scientists, metallurgists and ceramicists, whose work borders on physics. The prerequisites for a study of this book are a familiarity with basic solid-state physics and, in places, the elements of group theory and statistical mechanics. A few special topics are included at the end to aid those who wish to pur sure further the subject matter treated here.
In an ethnography of the everyday practice of public policy, Dolores M. Byrnes focuses on Mi Comunidad, a job-creation programme founded in 1996 by Vicente Fox when he was governor of Guanajuato. This programme was intended to reduce migration and became an important source of empowerment for small businesses in rural Mexico. A significant aspect of the programme is the way it encourages former residents who have successfully migrated to the United States to invest in the maquilas back home. Byrnes's close look at policy implementation reveals changing relationships between families and the state.
Condensed matter exhibits a rich variety of phases. Of these, the crystalline state has, until recently, received most attention. This is not surprising, given the geometric regularity of crystals. At the other extreme one has amorphous materials. In between there are the various types of liquid crystals, the recently discovered quasicrystals, and so on. While the absence of the high degree of regularity that characterizes the crystalline phase is certainly a problem, these noncrystalline states have nevertheless been receiving some attention over the years. However, it is only during the last few years that something like a uni fied view of all these phases has begun to emerge, through an application of various sophisticated concepts. Geometry and symmetry (and unusual realiza tions of the latter) provide a unifying thread in this new and emerging perspec tive. This book is an attempt to capture the flavour of some of these recent de velopments. The approach is substantially descriptive, being intended to be accessible not only to experimental physicists, but also to chemists, materials scientists, metallurgists and ceramicists, whose work borders on physics. The prerequisites for a study of this book are a familiarity with basic solid-state physics and, in places, the elements of group theory and statistical mechanics. A few special topics are included at the end to aid those who wish to pur sure further the subject matter treated here.
This volume is devoted to one of the fascinating things about stars: how they evolve as they age. This evolution is different for stars of different masses. How stars end their lives when their supply of energy is exhausted also depends on their masses. Interestingly, astronomers conjectured about the ultimate fate of the stars even before the details of their evolution became clear. Part I of this book gives an account of the remarkable predictions made during the 1920s and 1930s concerning the ultimate fate of stars. Since much of this development hinged on quantum physics that emerged during this time, a detailed introduction to the relevant physics is included in the book. Part II is a summary of the life history of stars. This discussion is divided into three parts: low-mass stars, like our Sun, intermediate-mass stars, and massive stars. Many of the concepts of contemporary astrophysics were built on the foundation erected by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar in the 1930s. This book, written during his birth centenary, includes a brief biographical sketch of the brilliant scientist, which readers will find fascinating. Reading this book will get young students excited about the presently unfolding revolution in astronomy and the challenges that await them in the world of physics, engineering and technology. General readers will also find the book appealing for its highly accessible narrative of the physics of stars. This book is a companion volume of “What are the Stars?” by the same author. "I know of no other book on the evolution of stars of a similar scope and breadth that is so accessible for undergraduate students." E P J van den Heuvel Professor of Astrophysics Winner of the Spinoza and Descartes PrizesUniversity of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The outstanding question in astronomy at the turn of the twentieth century was: What are the stars and why are they as they are? In this volume, the story of how the answer to this fundamental question was unravelled is narrated in an informal style, with emphasis on the underlying physics. This book discusses recent developments in the context of discussing the nature of the stars, their stability and the source of the energy they radiate. Reading this book will get young students excited about the presently unfolding revolution in astronomy and the challenges that await them in the world of physics, engineering and technology. General readers will also find the book appealing for its highly accessible narrative of the physics of stars.
The Fall of Tripura weaves the magical threads of eighteen-year-old Nakul’s rollercoaster adventure as he accidentally resurrects a deadly civilization from India’s mystical past. This novel is infused with action, adventure and romance that drive its Science-Fiction and Mythological Fantasy based plot through the perils of an enchanting parallel universe. Nakul, a second generation Indian-American and Yale sophomore, had always harbored a fascination for India’s mythological origins replete with tales of exotic demigods and tyrannical demons who ruled the primordial subcontinent. However, one fated academic expedition in the hallowed soils of Tibet would change Nakul’s life forever and effectively plunge the human world into a hellish abyss. Nakul discovers a relic whose lustrous veneer conceals a deadly curse to resurrect an ancient demonic race known as the Danavas who lord over the colossal three-city flying kingdom of Tripura. These prodigious titans of the legendary Atlantean lineage would stop at nothing to seize the earth and subjugate its racially inferior human inhabitants. Nakul, as the fate anointed one, must plunge into the forbidden subterranean realm of the Danavas known as Atala to retrieve a celestial super-weapon that alone could annihilate Tripura. He must race against time in this seemingly impossible endeavor before Tripura’s rulers attain total invulnerability and unleash their unstoppable reign of terror over earth.
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