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This book focuses on quantum groups, i.e., continuous deformations of Lie groups, and their applications in physics. These algebraic structures have been studied in the last decade by a growing number of mathematicians and physicists, and are found to underlie many physical systems of interest. They do provide, in fact, a sort of common algebraic ground for seemingly very different physical problems. As it has happened for supersymmetry, the q-group symmetries are bound to play a vital role in physics, even in fundamental theories like gauge theory or gravity. In fact q-symmetry can be considered itself as a generalization of supersymmetry, evident in the q-commutator formulation. The hope that field theories on q-groups are naturally reguralized begins to appear founded, and opens new perspectives for quantum gravity. The topics covered in this book include: conformal field theories and quantum groups, gauge theories of quantum groups, anyons, differential calculus on quantum groups and non-commutative geometry, poisson algebras, 2-dimensional statistical models, (2+1) quantum gravity, quantum groups and lattice physics, inhomogeneous q-groups, q-Poincaregroup and deformed gravity and gauging of W-algebras. ... Read more

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This book is specially concerned with fundamental theoretical and experimental aspects of relativistic beam physics, recoil, and cooling phenomena in atomic and ion beams and traps, with emphasis on coherence and collective effects. The central theme is the physics of atomic laser and free electron laser, and the development of a bridge between them through the mechanism of the so-called recoil induced gain mechanism. The links between relativistic beam physics and atomic laser physics are explored. This book will be directed to an audience of non specialists or to specialists in only one of the fields mentioned above. It addresses the following topics: - Fundamentals of laser cooling and trapping of atoms: theory and experiments; - Quantum optics and atomic coherence effects; - Laser cooling of trapped ions; from single ion to ion crystal; - Spatio-temporal instabilities in optical systems; - Coherence in atom optics; atomic diffraction and interferometry; - Optical lattices; nonlinear effects in laser-cooled atoms; - Coherent population trapping; - Two-level gain and collective recoil-induced effects; - Fundamental physics of relativistic particles beams; - High-gain free electron laser: theory, experiments and projects; - Cooling of ion beams in a storage ring; - Experiments on dense laser-cooled stored ion beams. ... Read more

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This volume addresses a number of both experimental techniques and methods for the data treatment introduced in the last ten years or so in different fields of the atmospheric sciences. Considerable emphasis has been given since their introduction to the use of satellites or spaceborne measurements with a recent example being the important results obtained with UARS. Of particular interest are the airborne instruments developed for the stratospheric measurement campaign organized by the NASA since 1976 to study the ozone hole and followed later by similar experiments to study the high-latitude ozone depletion in the northern hemisphere. The results of these experiments have helped clarify the role of chlorine-bearing compounds in the ozone depletion and the effect of the heterogeneous processes. The book is organized in four chapters: the first three divide the different techniques according to the location of the measuring instrumentation (ground, air and space) with the fourth chapter dealing with theory and analysis. ... Read more

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Nonlinear optical materials play a pivotal role in the future evolution of nonlinear optics in general and its impact in technology and industrial applications in particular. The progress in nonlinear optics has been tremendous since the first demonstration of an all-optical nonlinear effect in the early sixties, but until recently the main visible emphasis was on the physical aspects of the nonlinear radiation matter interaction. In the last decade, however, this effort has also brought its fruits in applied aspects of nonlinear optics. This can be essentially traced to the improvement of the performances of the nonlinear optical materials. Our understanding of the nonlinear polarization mechanisms and their relation to the structural characteristics of the materials has been considerably improved. In addition, the new development of techniques for the fabrication and growth of artificial materials has dramatically contributed to this evolution. The goal is to find and develop materials presenting large nonlinearities and satisfying at the same time all the technological requirements for applications such as wide transparency range, fast response, high damage threshold but also processability, adaptability and interfacing with other materials. Improvements, besides rendering possible the implementation of nonlinear effects in devices, open the way to the study of new nonlinear optical effects and the introduction of new concepts. This book describes new concepts which are emerging in the field of nonlinear optical materials, concentrating the attention on materials which seem more promising for applications in the technology of information transmission and processing. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Fermi Remembered-A magical time for 20th Century Physics
This book is based on a symposium held at the University of Chicagoto commemorate the 100th anniversary of Enrico Fermi's birth on September 29, 2001.The editor, James Cronin, was principal organizer of the symposium.A distinguished list of speakers was assembled, and written versions of their reports are included in the book. Extensive research in the U of C archives produced many interesting documents, including letters to Fermi and by Fermi, andnotes written in Fermi's hand on a wide range of topics.The results of this archival search are also included in the book.
The decade immediately after World War II was a magical time for physics.The success of the Manhattan Project, Radar, and many other defence applications of physical science attracted much talent to the field.It seemed that almost everyone wanted a PhD in physics, and graduate schools like Chicago were mobbed.Fermi was the center of attention, and the students that he trained, both individually and in classes, went on to illustrious careers.
This book covers many aspects of this exciting time.Space limitations in this review restrict my comments to only a few specifics.Fermi's computer program to calculate charged particle orbits in the cyclotron, written for the Los Alamos Maniac computer, is wonderful.It should be read by every programmer.The review talks by Fermi's colleagues, Richard Garwin, Murray Gell-Mann, and Marvin Goldberger, are not to be missed.The reading public interested in the history of 20th century science, in particular the period 1945-1954 when government support of peacetime research came into being, will find this book full of information not easily obtained elsewhere. ... Read more

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The last ten years have witnessed considerable developments in new materials and in experimental techniques for their preparation, characterization and study. Various new fundamental phenomena have been discovered and new directions for applications have come to life - e.g. quantum wells and superlattices, high T- c superconductors, scanning tunnelling microscopy and the various techniques involving the use of sources of synchrotron radiation. This book reviews main areas of current interest in the study of the physical properties of materials, from basic concepts and analytical laboratory techniques to developments in technical applications and is directed to solid-state physicists and chemists, materials scientists and materials and device engineers. ... Read more

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The main fields presented at this school were mesoscale and large scale flows, and nonlinear wave dynamics. The resulting proceedings present the latest developments in these fields. ... Read more

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This work covers Pound-Overhauser double resonance, cross-relaxation and spin coherence double resonance together with spin decoupling dynamics and other fundamental concepts. Equal attention is given to several applications of liquids and solids, but first applications of double resonances to space-resolved double NMR like heteronuclear imaging, proton-electron double-resonance imaging, etc. receive special attention. ... Read more

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FROM THE REVIEWS:

"Webb offers coherent, understandable, and sometimes humorous coverage of a diverse range of topics. He provides readers with non-trivial insights into research fields they may not have encountered previously . . . I think everyone who has ever considered the possibility that other intelligent civilizations exist elsewhere within our galaxy will enjoy Where Is Everybody? They will find much to agree with, and much to argue about, in this very accessible volume."-SCIENCE

"WHERE IS EVERYBODY? is a delightful mental romp. With a light-hearted, enthusiastic tone, Webb offers lively coverage of UFOs, crop circles, and the books of Erich von Däniken, the infamous proponent of the idea that aliens visited the Earth in the distant past. Science-fiction fans will enjoy the frequent references to Star Trek, and science buffs will appreciate mention of the ideas of Carl Sagan, Fred Hoyle, Frank Drake, and Freeman Dyson. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever pondered the question, "Are we alone?"-ASTRONOMY

"[Webb] is a polymath, able to write informatively - even authoritatively - on an exceedingly wide range of subjects, including physics, astronomy, biology, and neurobiology. His writing is encyclopedic in scope, lucid, often poetic - and in the end it is both enormously inspiring and a little sad if he's right, as I'm afraid he might be, in concluding that we are the only advanced civilization in the Galaxy. Readers are free to differ with Webb's conclusion, but they will be surprised to learn how convincing it is. I have read a good number of astronomy books this past year; but this is the one I regard as indispensable. If I were Robinson Crusoe - shipwrecked and lonely on an island in space - I would want this book with me."-MERCURY

During a Los Alamos lunchtime conversation that took place more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations simply had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling question: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, "Where IS everybody?"

In this lively and thought-provoking book, Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermi's famous question, divided into three distinct groups:

- Aliens are already here among us. Here are answers ranging from Leo Szilard's suggestion that they are already here, and we know them as Hungarians, to the theorists who claim that aliens built Stonehenge and the Easter Island statues.

- Aliens exist, but have not yet communicated. The theories in this camp range widely, from those who believe we simply don't have the technologies to receive their signals, to those who believe the enormities of space and time work against communication, to those who believe they're hiding from us.

- Aliens do not exist. Here are the doubters' arguments, from the Rare Earth theory to the author's own closely argued and cogently stated skepticism.

The proposed solutions run the gamut from the crackpot to the highly serious, but all deserve our consideration. The varieties of arguments -- from first-rate scientists, philosophers and historians, and science fiction authors -- turn out to be astonishing, entertaining, and vigorous intellectual exercises for any reader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking.

Stephen Webb is a physicist working at the Open University in England and the author of Measuring the Universe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

Interesting book, flawed logic
This book discusses the existence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence from a scientific perspective. Basically, it asks if there are ETs out there, why have not heard from them (this is known as Fermi's Paradox). The book is very well researched and it makes for a great read. However, I thought at times the reasoning was flawed. Most of the explanations for the paradox are so speculative that they barely hold any validity when you start to dissect them. Any explanation of how an ET civilization _might_ behave, act, or react, is a moot point and has no scientific and/or logical validity. Also, our knowledge of Planetary Science and our technology to detect planets is still in its infancy. I think the author of the book and perhaps most of the scientific community are too quick to come to a conclusion on the basis of 95% of totally unreliable proof and evidence. Other than this, this is a very interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the speculative subject of ET civilizations. Just don't expect to find anything new in this book. After reading the book and making your own analysis, you come to the ONLY logical conclusion:

We simply do not know. We still don't have the scientific knowledge and/or the technology to find out for sure.

Don't Beam Me Down Scotty, There's No Intelligent Life Anywhere
I enjoy reading about a diverse number of science topics and this book visits some of my favorites: geology (plate tectonics), astronomy (Jupiter, asteroids, particle horizon, singularities), biochemistry (structure of DNA, RNA, proteins, etc.) and paleontology (mass extinctions, snowball earth).Webb is a good writer and explains things fairly well, but I was still thankful for a background in most of the subjects or I may have been a bit lost at times.Some readers might struggle with the lengthy section on biochemistry, but it was brave of Webb to even try to explain as much as he did.He might have explained some astronomy terms better.I would have liked him to have delved a bit more into the differences between star types, e.g., red dwarf, white dwarf, neutron stars, quasars, etc., but that's minor criticism.The Notes and Further Reading section is an organizational highlight of the book and it gave me many excellent ideas for further study because, unlike a simple bibliography, he sometimes enthusiastically recommended a book.More than 1/3 of the book, the entire 5th chapter, is devoted to summarizing and restating, in Webb's own words, the book Rare Earth, one of my favorite science books of all time.I couldn't have been more pleased with the discussion.The concluding chapter is interesting because Webb cranks some numbers through the Drake equation to show why he thinks we are alone in the whole universe, or at least alone on this side of the particle horizon.

My only gripe, which I extend to most popular science books, is that the index is poor and it is difficult to reference topics that one may want to revisit.But the number of drawings are more numerous than contained in most books--better than Rare Earth by far and I gave that book a 5 star review.

I don't really care that Webb inserted his own opinions for each of the solutions to the Fermi Paradox, because at this point in our primitive understanding of astronomy, chemistry and physics, most things having to do with cosmology are pure speculation.I know that Webb's opinions really bugged a lot of readers, but they didn't phase me at all.The science of this complex subject matter will change radically as new knowledge is obtained in the coming millenniums.

This was a fun book to read, a page turner.I highly recommended it for the science buff looking for eclectic subject matter and the state of current SETI research (as of 2002).

A mastery of many fields
Stephen Webb's book is truly a joy, and very thought provoking. He can discuss competently fields as varied as evolution, probability theory, the electromagnetic spectrum, cell structures, relativity, and many more.

I appreciated his reminders that each solution for why life is improbable cannot be the only solution to the Fermi paradox, as a seemingly infinite universe certainly does not have no other planets within a habitable orbit or with the right elements to make life work. But when you add each improbable step one after another, you begin to appreciate how truly amazing it is that life evolved on our planet at all.

Seven solutions to Fermi's paradox
1. The aliens were here in the past. Unfortunately, the good people of Sodom had some pretty original ideas about hospitality, so the aliens left, never to return. They wrote about Earth in "The Hitch-hikers REAL Guide to the Galaxy", available all through the Milky Way, warning other aliens about our planet. It says: "Avoid that place like the plague on Rigel 3".

2. The aliens were here in the past. Their kids just loved the woolly mammoths. They still haven't gotten over that Palaeolithic killing spree of ours, so they won't be back any time soon. Cloning a woolly mammoth might do the trick, though.

3. The aliens are already here! However, they are body snatchers and shape shifters. They can't be distinguished from humans, not even under microscope. Their DNA is identical to ours, too. They have MELDED. "They" control the government. "They" control the media. "They" control FEMA. You get the drift. They also build subterranean tunnels under the Pacific to invade California with Hong Kong police officers. Only people with THE GIFT can recognize the aliens. Here are some sure signs: they are hook-nosed, have last names like Cohen and Dershowitz, speak English with a strangely foreign accent, and avoid beef sandwiches. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, CITIZEN. I have personally seen ADL operatives shape shift into pink-colored reptilians, vaguely resembling the lizard whose scientific name is Lacerta agilis. They had those yellow triangles, too. THEY ARE HERE.

4. The aliens are already here! However, we can't see them because they are spiritual beings. They have reached a higher level of existence than ourselves. If you meditate like crazy every day for 15 years, and open up your Third, Fourth and Fifth Eyes, you will eventually see them. Taking acid or LSD might help, too. Or reading George Adamski's books. You will then see the aliens of the fourth globe on the sixth round, the third globe on the second round, and the sixth globe on the fifth round. You might even get a glimps of Paul the Venetian! This is ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE known only to REAL ADEPTS OF THE LIGHT.

5. We are the aliens. No kidding. But, you see, there was this galactic emperor named Xenu who had a penchant for ice cubes on top of volcanoes, and...

6. The aliens did exist once, but have all died. It's our fault. A cheeseburger accidentally got onboard a long-distance comet. I mean, how do you think that plague on Rigel 3 got started???

7. They aren't here - yet. You have no idea how long it takes to organize a million-alien invasion space fleet. Or the logistical problems involved. Not to mention those cheeseburgers. BUT THEY WILL ARRIVE ONE DAY, MR. FERMI.

Where is everybody? Great question.
If your level of concsiousness is high and you posess a fair knowledge of science then you are going to enjoy this book. Are we the norm or the exception? Sure enough, both possibilities are thrilling. This book provides you with the most educated guesses that can be made, with the present knowledge of science, about this fascinating question. Furthermore, in this book you'll find arguments both in favor and against your favorite view, be it norm or exception. But what I enjoyed the most was the fact that the author, after so much time of entertaining the question himself, shares with you his own insight.
This is a great book, one of a kind. ... Read more

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This digital document, covering the life and work of Enrico Fermi, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 2820 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Richard Feynman, Niels Bohr, John Von Neumann, Enrico Fermi, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Teller, Glenn T. Seaborg, Vannevar Bush, Felix Bloch, Stanislaw Ulam, Leó Szilárd, Ernest Lawrence, Klaus Fuchs, Leslie Groves, Richard Hamming, Edwin Mcmillan, Theodore Hall, James Chadwick, John Archibald Wheeler, Luis Walter Alvarez, Hans Bethe, David Bohm, Maurice Wilkins, Louis Slotin, Lyman James Briggs, William Penney, Baron Penney, Joseph Rotblat, Samuel Cohen, Leo Brewer, Mark Oliphant, John I. Yellott, Alvin M. Weinberg, Herbert L. Anderson, John Gofman, John R. Dunning, Arthur Compton, George Kistiakowsky, G. N. Glasoe, William L. Laurence, Philip Abelson, Francis G. Slack, Chien-Shiung Wu, Joan Hinton, Eugene T. Booth, Karl Taylor Compton, Rudolf Peierls, David Greenglass, Raziuddin Siddiqui, John T. Hayward, Otto Robert Frisch, Jean Tatlock, Alfred O. C. Nier, Hugh Bradner, Robert R. Wilson, Piara Singh Gill, Harold Urey, Dieter Gruen, Geoffrey Ingram Taylor, Walter Kauzmann, Morris Cohen, James Franck, Emilio G. Segrè, Nicholas Metropolis, Bruno Pontecorvo, Lona Cohen, Kenneth Bainbridge, Clarence Hiskey, Henry Margenau, John George Kemeny, Frank Oppenheimer, William Sterling Parsons, Berlyn Brixner, George Cowan, Philip Morrison, Roy J. Glauber, Victor Frederick Weisskopf, Alan Nunn May, Robert Serber, Ernest William Titterton, Bruno Rossi, Edward Condon, Jacob Beser, Hans Von Halban, Paul L. Kirk, Paul Nemenyi, Philip J. Dolan, Charles D. Coryell, Arthur Jeffrey Dempster, Tom Dowd, Edgar Sengier, Wilhelm D. Styer, Stan Frankel, Dale R. Corson, Owen Chamberlain, William E. Wallace, Samuel Abraham Goudsmit, Joseph Gilbert Hamilton, Herbert York, Richard Davisson, William Perl, Norman Foster Ramsey, Jr., Thomas Farrell, Arthur Widmer, Charles Christian Lauritsen, Walter G. Rom... ... Read more