This book aims to introduce readers to the study of complex systems with the help of simple computational models. After showing how difficult it is to define complexity, the author explains that complex systems are an idealisation of naturally occurring phenomena in which the macroscopic structures and patterns generated are not directly controlled by processes at the macroscopic level but arise instead from dynamical interactions at the microscopic level. This kind of behaviour characterises a range of natural phenomena, from avalanches to earthquakes, solar flares, epidemics and ant colonies.
In each chapter the author introduces a simple computer-based model for one such complex phenomenon. As the author himself states, such simplified models wouldn’t be able to reliably foresee the development of a real natural phenomenon, thus they are to be taken as complementary to conventional approaches for studying such systems.
Meant for undergraduate students, the book does not require previous experience in programming and each computational model is accompanied by Python code and full explanations. Nevertheless, students are expected to learn how to modify the code to tackle the problems included at the end of each chapter. Three appendices provide a review of Python programming, probability density functions and other useful mathematical tools.
The well-known mathematician and theoretical physicist Roger Penrose has produced another popular book, in which he gives a critical overview of contemporary fundamental physics. The main theme is that modern theoretical physics is afflicted by an overdose of fashion, faith and fantasy, which supposedly has led recent research astray.
There are three major parts of the book to which these three f-words relate, corresponding one-to-one with some of the most popular research areas in fundamental physics. The first part, labelled “fashion”, deals with string theory. “Faith” refers to the general belief in the correctness of quantum mechanics, while “fantasy” is the verdict for certain scenarios of modern cosmology.
The book starts with an overview of particle physics as a motivation for string theory and quickly focuses on its alleged shortcomings, most notably extra dimensions. Well-known criticisms, for instance linked to the multitude of solutions (“landscape of vacua”) of string theory or the postulate of supersymmetry, follow in due course. This material is mostly routine, but there are also previously unheard of concerns such as the notion of “too much functional freedom” or doubts about the decoupling of heavy string states (supposedly excitable, for example from the orbital kinetic energy of Earth).
Next the book turns to quantum mechanics and gives an enjoyable introduction to some of the key notions, such as superposition, spin, measurement and entanglement. The author emphasises, with great clarity, some subtle points such as how to understand the quantum mechanical superposition of space–times. In doing so, he raises some concerns and argues – quite unconventionally – that, to resolve them, it is necessary to modify quantum mechanics. In particular he asks that the postulate of linearity should be re-assessed in the presence of gravity.
The fantasy section gives an exposition of the key ideas of cosmology, in particular of all sorts of scenarios of inflation, big bang, cyclic universes and multiverses. This is all very rewarding to read, and particularly brilliant is the presentation of cosmological aspects of entropy, the second law of thermodynamics and the arrow of time. I consider this third section as the highlight of the book. The author does not hide his suspicion that many of these scenarios should not be trusted and dismisses them as crazy – while saying, as if with a twinkle in the eye: not crazy enough!
There is a brief, additional, final section that has a more personal and historical touch, and which tries to make a case for Penrose’s own pet theory: twistor theory. One cannot but feel that some of his resentment against string theory stems from a perceived under-appreciation of twistor theory. In particular, the author admits that his aversion to string theory comes almost entirely from its purported extra dimensions, whereas twistors work primarily in four dimensions.
This touches upon a weak point of the book: the author argues entirely from the direction of classical geometry, and so shares a fixation with extra dimensions in string theory with many other critics. What Penrose misses, however, is that these provide an elegant way to represent certain internal degrees of freedom (needed matter fields). But this is by no means generic – on the contrary, most string backgrounds are non-geometric. For example, some are better described by a bunch of Ising models with no identifiable classical geometry at all, so the agony of how to come to grips with such “compactified” dimensions turns into a non-issue. The point is that due to quantum dualities, there is, in general, no unambiguous objective reality of string “compactification” spaces, and criticism that does not take this “stringy quantum geometry” properly into account is moot.
Somewhat similar in spirit is the criticism of quantum mechanics, which according to Penrose should be modified due to an alleged incompatibility with gravity. Today most researchers would take the opposite point of view and consider quantum mechanics as fundamental, while gravity is a derived, emergent phenomenon. This viewpoint is strongly supported by the gauge-gravity duality and its recent offspring in terms of space–time geometry arising via quantum entanglement.
All-in-all, this book excels by covering a huge range of concepts from particle physics to quantum mechanics to cosmology, presented in a beautifully clear and coherent way (spiced up with many drawings), by an independent and truly deep-thinking master of the field. It also sports a considerable number of formulae and uses mathematical concepts (like complex analysis) that a general audience would probably find difficult to deal with; there are a number of helpful appendices for non-experts, though.
Thus, Fashion, Faith and Fantasy in the New Physics of the Universe seems to be suitable for both physics students and experienced physicists alike, and I believe that either group will profit from reading it, if taken with a pinch of salt. This is because the author criticises contemporary fundamental theories through his personal view as a classical relativist, and in doing so falls short when taking certain modern viewpoints into account.
This new textbook of nuclear physics aims to provide a review of the foundations of this branch of physics as well as to present more modern topics, including the important developments of the last 20 years. Even though well-established textbooks exist in this field, the authors propose a more comprehensive essay for students who want to go deeper both in understanding the basic principles of nuclear physics and in learning about the problems that researchers are currently addressing. Indeed, a renewed interest has lately revitalised this field, following the availability of new experimental facilities and increased computational resources.
Another objective of this book, which is based on the lectures and teaching experience of the authors, is to clarify, at each step, the relationship between theoretical equations and experimental observables, as well as to highlight useful methods and algorithms from computational physics.
The last few chapters cover topics not normally included in standard courses of nuclear physics, and reflect the scientific interests – and occasionally the point of view – of the authors. Many problems are also provided at the end of each chapter, and some of them are fully solved.
This book provides an introduction to various methods developed in string theory to tackle problems in condensed-matter physics. This is the field where string theory has been most largely applied, thanks to the use of the correspondence between anti-de Sitter spaces (AdS) and conformal field theories (CFT). Formulated as a conjecture 20 years ago by Juan Maldacena of the Institute for Advanced Study, the AdS/CFT correspondence relates string theory, usually in its low-energy version of supergravity and in a curved background space–time, to field theory in a flat space–time of fewer dimensions. This correspondence is holographic, which means in some sense that the physics in the higher dimension is projected onto a flat surface without losing information.
The book is articulated in four parts. In the first, the author introduces modern topics in condensed-matter physics from the perspective of a string theorist. Part two gives a basic review of general relativity and string theory, in an attempt to make the book as self-consistent as possible. The other two parts focus on the applications of string theory to condensed-matter problems, with the aim of providing the reader with the tools and methods available in the field. Going into more detail, part three is dedicated to methods already considered as standard – such as the pp-wave correspondence, spin chains and integrability, AdS/CFT phenomenology and the fluid-gravity correspondence – while part four deals with more advanced topics that are still in development, including Fermi and non-Fermi liquids, the quantum Hall effect and non-standard statistics.
Aimed at graduate students, this book assumes a good knowledge of quantum field theory and solid-state physics, as well as familiarity with general relativity.
This book is a collection of articles dedicated to topics within the field of Standard Model physics, authored by some of the main players in both its theory and experimental development. It is edited by Luciano Maiani and Luigi Rolandi, two well-known figures in high-energy physics.
The volume has 21 chapters, most of them devoted to very specific subjects. The first chapters take the reader through a fascinating tour of the history of the field, starting from the earliest days, around the time when CERN was established. I particularly enjoyed reading some recollections of Gerard ’t Hooft, such as: “Asymptotic freedom was discovered three times before 1973 (when Politzer, Gross and Wilczek published their results), but not recognised as a new discovery. This is just one of those cases of miscommunication. The ‘experts’ were so sure that asymptotic freedom was impossible, that signals to the contrary were not heard, let alone believed. In turn, when I did the calculation, I found it difficult to believe that the result was still not known.”
In chapter three, K Ellis reviews the evolution of our understanding of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and deep-inelastic scattering. Among many things, he shows how the beta function depends on the strong coupling constant, αS, and explains why many perturbative calculations can be made in QCD, when the interactions take place at high-enough energies. At the hadronic scale, however, αS is too large and the perturbative expansion tool no longer works, so alternative methods have to be used. Many non-perturbative effects can be studied with the lattice QCD approach, which is addressed in chapter five. The experimental status regarding αS is reviewed in the following chapter, where G Dissertori shows the remarkable progress in measurement precision (with LHC values reaching per-cent level uncertainties and covering an unprecedented energy range), and how the data is in excellent agreement with the theoretical expectations.
Through the other chapters we can find a large diversity of topics, including a review of global fits of electroweak observables, presently aimed at probing the internal consistency of the Standard Model and constraining its possible extensions given the measured masses of the Higgs boson and of the top quark. Two chapters focus specifically on the W-boson and top-quark masses. Also discussed in detail are flavour physics, rare decays, neutrino masses and oscillations, as is the production of W and Z bosons, in particular in a chapter by M Mangano.
The Higgs boson is featured in many pages: after a chapter by J Ellis, M Gaillard and D Nanopoulos covering its history (and pre-history), its experimental discovery and the measurement of its properties fill two further chapters. An impressive amount of information is condensed in these pages, which are packed with many numbers and (multi-panel) figures. Unfortunately, the figures are printed in black and white (with only two exceptions), which severely affects the clarity of many of them. A book of this importance deserved a more colourful destiny.
The editors make a good point in claiming the time has come to upgrade the Standard Model into the “Standard Theory” of particle physics, and I think this book deserves a place in the bookshelves of a broad community, from the scientists and engineers who contributed to the progress of high-energy physics to younger physicists, eager to learn and enjoy the corresponding inside stories.
This monograph on special relativity (SR) is presented in a form accessible to a broad readership, from pre-university level to undergraduate and graduate students. At the same time, it will also be of great interest to professional physicists.
Relativity Matters has all the hallmarks of becoming a classic with further editions, and appears to have no counterpart in the literature. It is particularly useful because at present SR has become a basic part not only of particle and space physics, but also of many other branches of physics and technology, such as lasers. The book has 29 chapters organised in 11 parts, which cover topics from the basics of four-vectors, space–time, Lorentz transformations, mass, energy and momentum, to particle collisions and decay, the motion of charged particles, covariance and dynamics.
The first half of the book derives basic consequences of the SR assumptions with a minimum of mathematical tools. It concentrates on the explanation of apparently paradoxical results, presenting and refuting counterarguments as well as debunking various incorrect statements in elementary textbooks. This is done by cleverly exploiting the Galilean method of a dialogue between a professor, his assistant and a student, to bring out questions and objections.
The importance of correctly analysing the consequences for extended and accelerating bodies is clearly presented. Among the many “paradoxes”, one notes the accelerating rocket problem that the late John Bell used to tease many of the world’s most prominent physicists with. Few of them provided a perfectly satisfactory answer.
The second half of the book, starting from part VII, covers the usual textbook material and techniques at graduate level, illustrated with examples from the research frontier. The introductions to the various chapters and subsections are still enjoyable for a broader readership, requiring little mathematics. The author does not avoid technicalities such as vector and matrix algebra and symmetries, but keeps them to a minimum. However, in the parts dealing with electromagnetism, the reader is assumed to be reasonably familiar with Maxwell’s equations.
There are copious concrete exercises and solutions. Throughout the book, indeed, every chapter is complemented by a rich variety of problems that are fully worked out. These are often used to illustrate quantitatively intriguing topics, from space travel to the laser acceleration of charged particles.
An interesting afterword concluding the book discusses how very strong acceleration becomes a modern limiting frontier, beyond which SR in classical physics becomes invalid. The magnitude of the critical accelerations and critical electric and magnetic fields are qualitatively discussed. It also briefly analyses attempts by well-known physicists to side-step the problems that arise as a consequence.
Relativity Matters is excellent as an undergraduate and graduate textbook, and should be a useful reference for professional physicists and technical engineers. The many non-specialist sections will also be enjoyed by the general, science-interested public.Torleif Ericson, CERN
As stated by the author himself, this book is the result of many years of work and has the purpose of providing a comprehensive, but concise, account of exact solutions in three-dimensional (or 2+1) Einstein gravity. It presents the theoretical frameworks and the general physical and geometrical characteristics of each class of solutions, and includes information about the researchers who discovered or studied them.
These solutions are identified and ordered on the basis of their geometrical invariant properties, their symmetries and their algebraic classifications, or according to their physical nature. They are also examined from different perspectives.
Emphasis is given to solutions to the Einstein equation in the presence of matter and fields, such as: point particle solutions, perfect fluids, dilatons, inflatons and cosmological space-times.
The second part of the book discusses solutions to vacuum topologically massive gravity with a cosmological constant.
Overall, this text serves as a thorough catalogue of exact solutions in (2+1) Einstein gravity and is a very valuable resource for graduate students, as well as researchers in gravitational physics.
Lucy Kirkwood’s play Mosquitoes is an ambitious piece of theatre. It combines the telling of an eclectic family drama with the asking of a variety of questions ranging from personal relationships to the remit of science. Mosquitoes tells the story of CERN scientist Alice (Olivia Williams), and the fractious relationship she has with her sister Jenny (Olivia Colman). After working for 11 years at CERN on the French–Swiss border, Alice is visited by Jenny just as work on discovering the Higgs boson is nearing its peak. Conflict between Jenny and Alice’s challenged son, Luke (Joseph Quinn), drives much of the plot. Domestic scenes between these three characters are interspersed with glimpses of Luke’s absent father, who momentarily turns the theatre into a planetarium while waxing lyrical over the science which the play is set against.
The spectacle of these brief moments is a highlight of the play; contrasting wonderfully with the often mundane lives of the characters. Kirkwood also makes a poignant contrast between the characters’ personal and professional lives. Alice, despite exuding a certain confidence in her professional life as a scientist, often struggles to relate personally to those around her. Chief amongst those is her son Luke who, despite showing the occasional interest in his mother’s work, is ultimately critical of it for a number or reasons. He questions the environmental impact of what she is doing, believing that the LHC poses existential risks. He also frequently bemoans his mother’s commitment to her work, which he believes comes at the expense of himself. Through the play, it becomes apparent that Luke and his mother previously lived in the UK, and that he was made to follow her to Switzerland, but he would like to go back to England.
These personal relationships are played out in front of the sisters’ ailing mother Karen (Amanda Boxer). A former physicist herself now suffering from dementia, Karen frequently laments missing out on her chances at winning a Nobel Prize. Karen’s character, who provides the audience with a glimpse of her daughter Alice’s future, adds a sense of futility to Alice’s work.
Overall, Mosquitoes – the title coming from a line of dialogue in which protons smashing in the Large Hadron Collider are compared to mosquitoes hitting each other head on – is a stunning piece of work. Not just for the way it weaves together story lines to explore a range of complex questions, but also for the immensely high quality of acting talent which it boasts. This is bettered only by the faultless light, sound, and set design, which complement each other perfectly during the play’s most dramatic moments.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its foundation, the management of Fermilab asked leading scientists and supporters, whose careers and life paths crossed at the US laboratory, to share their memories and thoughts about its past, present and future. The short essays received have been collected in this commemorative book.
Among the many prestigious contributors are Nobel laureates T D Lee, Burton Richter and Jack Steinberger; in addition to present and former Fermilab directors (Nigel Lockyer, Piermaria Oddone and John Peoples); present and former CERN Directors-General (Fabiola Gianotti and Rolf Heuer), as well as many other important physicists, scientific leaders and even politicians and businessmen.
Through the recollections of the authors, key events in Fermilab’s history are brought to life. The milestone of 50 years of research are also retraced in a rich photo gallery.
While celebrating its glorious past, Fermilab is also looking towards its future, as highlighted in the book. Many experiments are ongoing, or planned at the laboratory and its scientific programme includes research on neutrinos; accelerator science; quantum computing; dark matter and the cosmic background radiation, as well as a continuous participation in the LHC physics, especially in the CMS experiment.
A light read, this book will appeal to all the scientists who at some point in their career stepped on the floor of Fermilab. It will also appeal to those readers who are interested in discovering more about the history of the laboratory through the records of the people who participated in it, whether it was directly or indirectly.
This book, which is part of the “100 Years of General Relativity” series of monographs, aims to provide an overview of the foundations and recent developments of loop quantum gravity (LQG).
This is a theory that merges quantum mechanics and general relativity in an effort to unify gravity with the other three fundamental forces. In the approach of LQG, space–time is not a continuum, but it is quantised, and is considered as a dynamic entity. Different from string theory, loop quantum gravity is a “background-independent” theory, which aims to explain space and time instead of being plugged into an already existing space–time structure.
The book comprises eight chapters, distributed in three parts. The first is a general introduction that sets the scene and anticipates what will be discussed in detail in the following sections. The second part, comprising five chapters, introduces the conceptual, mathematical and physical foundation of LQG. In part three, the application of this theory to cosmology and black holes is discussed, also introducing predictions that might be testable in the foreseeable future.
Written by young theoretical physicists who are expert in the field, this volume is meant both to provide an introduction to the field and to offer a review of the latest developments, not discussed in many other existing books, for senior researchers. It will also appeal to scientists who do not work directly on LQG but are interested in issues at the interface of general relativity and quantum physics.
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