Introduction to Modern Physics: Theoretical Foundations by John Dirk Walecka, World Scientific. Hardback ISBN 9789812812247, £54 ($93). Paperback ISBN 9789812812254, £40 ($69).
Like other books by John Dirk Walecka, this introduction to modern physics is a well written textbook. A first glance of the table of contents is impressive: each chapter covers subjects that could correspond to a full course. The first chapter, a summary of Newton's mechanics, statistical physics and electrodynamics, is followed by an overview of the problems that, at the end of the 19th century, motivated the formulation of quantum mechanics (chapter 4) and special relativity (chapter 8). Chapters 5–7 cover atomic and subatomic physics, while the base for high-energy physics is introduced in chapters 9 (relativistic quantum mechanics) and 12 (quantum fields). Chapter 10 is about general relativity and chapter 11 covers quantum fluids and superconductivity.
Although making some cuts is unavoidable, the author has been able to provide an almost full overview of all of the fundamentals while avoiding the risk of making only a qualitative introduction. He introduces the basic mathematical tools necessary to make the text as quantitative as possible for the typical student undertaking such a course on modern physics. To keep the size and complexity of the treatment under control, Walecka decided to delegate part of the theoretical developments to the guided exercises. This is not in contrast with his statement in the preface that he hates the phrase "it can be shown", as many of the exercises are, in practice, guided proofs of important results.
The only aspect that I can criticize is the poor quality of illustrations, which are far from the high standard of the text. However, this should not discourage readers because the illustrations are clear enough to disclose all of the information that they contain. To balance this negative aspect, I should mention the existence of several appendices, which provide an overview of useful mathematics and extra developments. This is fundamental because the typical reader may not have a deep mathematical background and it also makes the book easier for people who read it to review the basics of 20th-century physics.
Diego Casadei, New York University and CERN.
Books Received
Proceedings of the Conference in Honor of C N Yang's 85th Birthday: Statistical Physics, High Energy, Condensed Matter and Mathematical Physics edited by M-L Ge, C H Oh and K K Phua, World Scientific. Hardback ISBN 9789812794178, £99 ($122).
The Conference on Statistical Physics, High Energy, Condensed Matter and Mathematical Physics was held in honour of Chen-Ning Yang's 85th birthday in Singapore in October – November 2007. The conference paid tribute to the breadth and depth of Yang's achievements in physics and science education since he received the Nobel Prize in Physics 50 years ago. This notable birthday volume is a collection of the presentations made at the conference by many eminent scientists who had worked closely with him or who have been influenced to some extent by his work. The areas covered are: high energies and field theories; statistical physics, condensed matter and biophysics; quantum physics; and other topics, including personal recollections from colleagues and students.
Experimental Neutron Scattering by B T M Wilis and C J Carlile, Oxford University Press. Hardback ISBN 9780198519706, £45 ($90).
The first systematic experiments in neutron scattering were carried out in the late 1940s using fission reactors built for the nuclear-power programme. Crystallographers were among the first to exploit the new technique but were soon followed by condensed-matter physicists and chemists and, most recently, engineers and biologists. The aim of this book is to provide a broad survey of the experimental activities of all of these users. It should appeal to newcomers to the field of neutron scattering, who may be intimidated by the bewildering array of instruments at central facilities (such as at the Institut Laue Langevin in France, the ISIS facility in the UK and PSI in Switzerland), and who may be uncertain as to which instrument to use.