This book is based on the premise that the entropy concept, a fundamental element of probability theory as logic, governs all of thermal physics, both equilibrium and nonequilibrium. The variational algorithm of J. Willard Gibbs, dating from the 19th Century and extended considerably over the following 100 years, is shown to be the governing feature over the entire range of thermal phenomena, such that only the nature of the macroscopic constraints changes. Beginning with a short history of the development of the entropy concept by Rudolph Clausius and his predecessors, along with the formalization of classical thermodynamics by Gibbs, the first part of the book describes the quest to uncover the meaning of thermodynamic entropy, which leads to its relationship with probability and information as first envisioned by Ludwig Boltzmann. Recognition of entropy first of all as a fundamental element of probability theory in mid-twentieth Century led to deep insights into both statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, the details of which are presented here in several chapters. The later chapters extend these ideas to nonequilibrium statistical mechanics in an unambiguous manner, thereby exhibiting the overall unifying role of the entropy.
In a certain sense this book has been twenty-five years in the writing, since I first struggled with the foundations of the subject as a graduate student. It has taken that long to develop a deep appreciation of what Gibbs was attempting to convey to us near the end of his life and to understand fully the same ideas as resurrected by E.T. Jaynes much later. Many classes of students were destined to help me sharpen these thoughts before I finally felt confident that, for me at least, the foundations of the subject had been clarified sufficiently. More than anything, this work strives to address the following questions: What is statistical mechanics? Why is this approach so extraordinarily effective in describing bulk matter in terms of its constituents? The response given here is in the form of a very definite point of view-the principle of maximum entropy (PME). There have been earlier attempts to approach the subject in this way, to be sure, reflected in the books by Tribus [Thermostat ics and Thermodynamics, Van Nostrand, 1961], Baierlein [Atoms and Information Theory, Freeman, 1971], and Hobson [Concepts in Statistical Mechanics, Gordon and Breach, 1971].
Introduction to Electrodynamics and Radiation introduces the reader to electrodynamics and radiation, with emphasis on the microscopic theory of electricity and magnetism. Nonrelativistic quantum electrodynamics (QED) is presented as a logical outgrowth of the classical theory, both relativistic and nonrelativistic. The advanced mathematical and diagrammatic techniques of the relativistic quantum field theory are also described in a simple and easily understood manner. Comprised of 16 chapters, this book opens with an overview of the special theory of relativity and some of its consequences. The following chapters deal with classical relativistic electrodynamics, touching on topics such as tensor analysis and Riemannian spaces; radiation from charged particles; radiation scattering from electrons; and the classical theory of charged particles. The second part of the book is entirely quantum mechanical in outlook, beginning with the quantization of the Hamiltonian formulation of classical electrodynamics. The many-body formalism leading to Fock-space techniques is also considered, along with self-energies and renormalization. The final chapter is devoted to the covariant formulation of QED as well as the validity of QED. This monograph is written primarily for graduate students in elementary classical and quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics courses.
This book provides a complete mathematical and physical description of both scalar and electromagnetic waves scattering from spherical targets. Focusing primarily on spherical radii much larger than incident wavelengths, Walter Grandy explicates and applies the mathematical tools required for developing a deep understanding of the physical processes involved. He employees common atmospheric phenomena such as the rainbow and glory to illustrate theoretical development. Grandy also provides a detailed analysis of optical resonances and extends the theory to include inhomogeneous and nonspherical particles, collections of spheres, and bubbles. This book will be of primary interest to graduate students and researchers in physics (particularly in the fields of optics, the atmospheric sciences and astrophysics), electrical engineering, physical chemistry and some areas of biology.
In this volume we continue the logical development of the work begun in Volume I, and the equilibrium theory now becomes a very special case of the exposition presented here. Once a departure is made from equilibrium, however, the problems become deeper and more subtle-and unlike the equilibrium theory, many aspects of nonequilibrium phenomena remain poorly understood. For over a century a great deal of effort has been expended on the attempt to develop a comprehensive and sensible description of nonequilibrium phenomena and irreversible processes. What has emerged is a hodgepodge of ad hoc constructs that do little to provide either a firm foundation, or a systematic means for proceeding to higher levels of understanding with respect to ever more complicated examples of nonequilibria. Although one should rightfully consider this situation shameful, the amount of effort invested testifies to the degree of difficulty of the problems. In Volume I it was emphasized strongly that the traditional exposition of equilibrium theory lacked a certain cogency which tended to impede progress with extending those considerations to more complex nonequilibrium problems. The reasons for this were adduced to be an unfortunate reliance on ergodicity and the notions of kinetic theory, but in the long run little harm was done regarding the treatment of equilibrium problems. On the nonequilibrium level the potential for disaster increases enormously, as becomes evident already in Chapter 1.
In a certain sense this book has been twenty-five years in the writing, since I first struggled with the foundations of the subject as a graduate student. It has taken that long to develop a deep appreciation of what Gibbs was attempting to convey to us near the end of his life and to understand fully the same ideas as resurrected by E.T. Jaynes much later. Many classes of students were destined to help me sharpen these thoughts before I finally felt confident that, for me at least, the foundations of the subject had been clarified sufficiently. More than anything, this work strives to address the following questions: What is statistical mechanics? Why is this approach so extraordinarily effective in describing bulk matter in terms of its constituents? The response given here is in the form of a very definite point of view-the principle of maximum entropy (PME). There have been earlier attempts to approach the subject in this way, to be sure, reflected in the books by Tribus [Thermostat ics and Thermodynamics, Van Nostrand, 1961], Baierlein [Atoms and Information Theory, Freeman, 1971], and Hobson [Concepts in Statistical Mechanics, Gordon and Breach, 1971].
The book explicates the concept of entropy, particularly its governance of all of thermal physics, over a broad range of equilibrium and nonequilibrium phenomena. Historical development and modern research are presented in the context of entropy as a fundamental element of probability theory and its relation to the notion of information.
River of Dark Dreams places the Cotton Kingdom at the center of worldwide webs of exchange and exploitation that extended across oceans and drove an insatiable hunger for new lands. This bold reaccounting dramatically alters our understanding of American slavery and its role in U.S. expansionism, global capitalism, and the upcoming Civil War.
2nd in the series. The Wainwrights wed and honeymoon in Salzberg, Austria. Wainwright makes an accidental sighting of the pair who were suspects in the killing of his partners and calls the FBI's Vienna office for help. In the middle of all the excitement, a cablegram informs the newlyweds that Wainwright's brother died in a construction accident. They return to California for the services and his bride is kidnapped. And the fun piles-on from threre.
Soul by Soul tells the story of slavery in antebellum America by moving away from the cotton plantations and into the slave market itself, the heart of the domestic slave trade. Taking us inside the New Orleans slave market, the largest in the nation, where 100,000 men, women, and children were packaged, priced, and sold, Walter Johnson transforms the statistics of this chilling trade into the human drama of traders, buyers, and slaves, negotiating sales that would alter the life of each. What emerges is not only the brutal economics of trading but the vast and surprising interdependencies among the actors involved.
One the one hand the story of a happy marriage based on mutual esteem which was able to overcome the barrier of death, this book also gives a revealing glimpse into what it may be like for the human psyche to survive the death of the material body. Walter Shepherd published some fifty factual books on various aspects of science, including the creative process and astronomy, during his lifetime. His interesting and original ideas about the nature of the universe are therefore based on strong scientific possibilities.
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