This book covers polarization, alignment, and orientation effects in atomic collisions induced by electron, heavy particle, or photon impact. The first part of the book presents introductory chapters on light and particle polarization, experimental and computational methods, and the density matrix and state multipole formalism. Examples and exercises are included. The second part of the book deals with case studies of electron impact and heavy particle excitation, electron transfer, impact...

Modern experimental developments in condensed matter and ultracold atom physics present formidable challenges to theorists. This book provides a pedagogical introduction to quantum field theory in many-particle physics, emphasizing the applicability of the formalism to concrete problems. This second edition contains two new chapters developing path integral approaches to classical and quantum nonequilibrium phenomena. Other chapters cover a range of topics, from the introduction of many-bo...

This book is an introduction to the quantum theory of materials and first-principles computational materials modelling. It explains how to use density functional theory as a practical tool for calculating the properties of materials without using any empirical parameters. The structural, mechanical, optical, electrical, and magnetic properties of materials are described within a single unified conceptual framework, rooted in the Schrödinger equation of quantum mechanics, and powered by den...

The Fundamentals of Atomic and Molecular Physics is intended as an introduction to the field for advanced undergraduates who have taken quantum mechanics. Each chapter builds upon the previous, using the same tools and methods throughout. As the students progress through the book, their ability to use these tools will steadily increase, along with their confidence in their efficacy. The book treats the two-electron atom as the simplest example of the many-electron atom—as opposed ...

This work addresses the computation of excited-state properties of systems containing thousands of atoms. To achieve this, the author combines the linear response formulation of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with linear-scaling techniques known from ground-state density-functional theory. This extends the range of TDDFT, which on its own cannot tackle many of the large and interesting systems in materials science and computational biology. The strengths of the approach d...

One of the major experimental difficulties in studying materials at extreme temperatures is unwanted contamination of the sample through contact with the container. This can be avoided by suspending the sample through levitation. This technique also makes metastable states of matter accessible, opening up new avenues of scientific enquiry, as well as possible new materials for technological applications. This book describes several methods of levitation, the most important being aerodynami...

This text presents the two complementary aspects of thermal physics as an integrated theory of the properties of matter. Conceptual understanding is promoted by thorough development of basic concepts. In contrast to many texts, statistical mechanics, including discussion of the required probability theory, is presented first. This provides a statistical foundation for the concept of entropy, which is central to thermal physics. A unique feature of the book is the development of entropy bas...

This book concisely presents the latest trends in the physics of superconductivity and superfluidity and magnetism in novel systems, as well as the problem of BCS-BEC crossover in ultracold quantum gases and high-Tc superconductors. It further illuminates the intensive exchange of ideas between these closely related fields of condensed matter physics over the last 30 years of their dynamic development. The content is based on the author’s original findings obtained at the Kapitza Institute...

The book provides a unifying insight into fluctuation phenomena in a broad variety of vibrational systems of current interest. It consists of individual chapters written by leading experts in the field. The chapters are self-contained and complement each other. The ongoing rapid development of well-characterized mesoscopic vibrational systems has made it possible to address fundamental physics problems and to explore new approaches to quantum and classical measurements, with applications t...

The subject of this book is the Casimir effect, a manifestation of zero-point oscillations of the quantum vacuum resulting in forces acting between closely spaced bodies. For the benefit of the reader, the book assembles field-theoretical foundations of this phenomenon, applications of the general theory to real materials, and a comprehensive description of all recently performed measurements of the Casimir force with a comparison between experiment and theory. There is an urgent need for ...

This book is a compilation of selected reviews by Professor Michael E Fisher. Fisher's major contributions to physics have been in equilibrium statistical mechanics, and have spanned the entire range of that subject. He has been credited with bringing together, and teaching a common language to chemists and physicists working on diverse problems of phase transitions.About the Book by the AuthorTalking informally in a clear way came naturally once intrigued ...

There have been many significant advances in time-dependent density functional theory over recent years, both in enlightening the fundamental theoretical basis of the theory, as well as in computational algorithms and applications. This book, as successor to the highly successful volume Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (Lect. Notes Phys. 706, 2006) brings together for the first time all recent developments in a systematic and coherent way.First, a thorough pedagogical prese...