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The ideal one-semester astrophysics introduction for science undergraduates-now expanded and fully updatedWinner of the American Astronomical Society's Chambliss Award, Astrophysics in a Nutshell has become the text of choice in astrophysics courses for science majors at top universities in North America and beyond. In this expanded and fully updated second edition, the book gets even better, with a new chapter on extrasolar planets; a greatly expanded chapter on the interstellar medium; fully updated facts and figures on all subjects, from the observed properties of white dwarfs to the latest results from precision cosmology; and additional instructive problem sets. Throughout, the text features the same focused, concise style and emphasis on physics intuition that have made the book a favorite of students and teachers.Written by Dan Maoz, a leading active researcher, and designed for advanced undergraduate science majors, Astrophysics in a Nutshell is a brief but thorough introduction to the observational data and theoretical concepts underlying modern astronomy. Generously illustrated, it covers the essentials of modern astrophysics, emphasizing the common physical principles that govern astronomical phenomena, and the interplay between theory and observation, while also introducing subjects at the forefront of modern research, including black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and gravitational lensing.In addition to serving as a course textbook, Astrophysics in a Nutshell is an ideal review for a qualifying exam and a handy reference for teachers and researchers.The most concise and current astrophysics textbook for science majors-now expanded and fully updated with the latest research resultsContains a broad and well-balanced selection of traditional and current topicsUses simple, short, and clear derivations of physical resultsTrains students in the essential skills of order-of-magnitude analysisFeatures a new chapter on extrasolar planets, including discovery techniquesIncludes new and expanded sections and problems on the physics of shocks, supernova remnants, cosmic-ray acceleration, white dwarf properties, baryon acoustic oscillations, and moreContains instructive problem sets at the end of each chapterSolutions manual (available only to professors)

The latest title from the In a Nutshell series, 100 Things to Know About Architecture is a fascinating introduction to amazing architecture from throughout history, with key terms, concepts and buildings all explored in 100 words.

This graduate-level physics textbook provides a comprehensive treatment of the basic principles and phenomena of classical electromagnetism. While many electromagnetism texts use the subject to teach mathematical methods of physics, here the emphasis is on the physical ideas themselves. Anupam Garg distinguishes between electromagnetism in vacuum and that in material media, stressing that the core physical questions are different for each. In vacuum, the focus is on the fundamental content of electromagnetic laws, symmetries, conservation laws, and the implications for phenomena such as radiation and light. In material media, the focus is on understanding the response of the media to imposed fields, the attendant constitutive relations, and the phenomena encountered in different types of media such as dielectrics, ferromagnets, and conductors. The text includes applications to many topical subjects, such as magnetic levitation, plasmas, laser beams, and synchrotrons. Classical Electromagnetism in a Nutshell is ideal for a yearlong graduate course and features more than 300 problems, with solutions to many of the advanced ones. Key formulas are given in both SI and Gaussian units; the book includes a discussion of how to convert between them, making it accessible to adherents of both systems. Offers a complete treatment of classical electromagnetism Emphasizes physical ideas Separates the treatment of electromagnetism in vacuum and material media Presents key formulas in both SI and Gaussian units Covers applications to other areas of physics Includes more than 300 problems

A concise, modern textbook on group theory written especially for physicistsAlthough group theory is a mathematical subject, it is indispensable to many areas of modern theoretical physics, from atomic physics to condensed matter physics, particle physics to string theory. In particular, it is essential for an understanding of the fundamental forces. Yet until now, what has been missing is a modern, accessible, and self-contained textbook on the subject written especially for physicists.Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists fills this gap, providing a user-friendly and classroom-tested text that focuses on those aspects of group theory physicists most need to know. From the basic intuitive notion of a group, A. Zee takes readers all the way up to how theories based on gauge groups could unify three of the four fundamental forces. He also includes a concise review of the linear algebra needed for group theory, making the book ideal for self-study.Provides physicists with a modern and accessible introduction to group theoryCovers applications to various areas of physics, including field theory, particle physics, relativity, and much moreTopics include finite group and character tables; real, pseudoreal, and complex representations; Weyl, Dirac, and Majorana equations; the expanding universe and group theory; grand unification; and much moreThe essential textbook for students and an invaluable resource for researchersFeatures a brief, self-contained treatment of linear algebraAn online illustration package is available to professorsSolutions manual (available only to professors)

An ideal introduction to Einstein's general theory of relativityThis unique textbook provides an accessible introduction to Einstein's general theory of relativity, a subject of breathtaking beauty and supreme importance in physics. With his trademark blend of wit and incisiveness, A. Zee guides readers from the fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics to the most exciting frontiers of research today, including de Sitter and anti-de Sitter spacetimes, Kaluza-Klein theory, and brane worlds. Unlike other books on Einstein gravity, this book emphasizes the action principle and group theory as guides in constructing physical theories. Zee treats various topics in a spiral style that is easy on beginners, and includes anecdotes from the history of physics that will appeal to students and experts alike. He takes a friendly approach to the required mathematics, yet does not shy away from more advanced mathematical topics such as differential forms. The extensive discussion of black holes includes rotating and extremal black holes and Hawking radiation. The ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, Einstein Gravity in a Nutshell also provides an essential resource for professional physicists and is accessible to anyone familiar with classical mechanics and electromagnetism. It features numerous exercises as well as detailed appendices covering a multitude of topics not readily found elsewhere.Provides an accessible introduction to Einstein's general theory of relativityGuides readers from Newtonian mechanics to the frontiers of modern researchEmphasizes symmetry and the Einstein-Hilbert actionCovers topics not found in standard textbooks on Einstein gravityIncludes interesting historical asidesFeatures numerous exercises and detailed appendicesIdeal for students, physicists, and scientifically minded lay readersSolutions manual (available only to teachers)

Quirky illustrations with easily digestible information, this book is a compilation of 100 amazing inventions you need to know about.

Beautifully illustrated and with easily digestible information, this book is a compilation of 100 words summing up the United States in a nut shell, with the intention of starting conversations and sparking exploration.

Statistical mechanics is one of the most exciting areas of physics today, and it also has applications to subjects as diverse as economics, social behavior, algorithmic theory, and evolutionary biology. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell offers the most concise, self-contained introduction to this rapidly developing field. Requiring only a background in elementary calculus and elementary mechanics, this book starts with the basics, introduces the most important developments in classical statistical mechanics over the last thirty years, and guides readers to the very threshold of today's cutting-edge research. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell zeroes in on the most relevant and promising advances in the field, including the theory of phase transitions, generalized Brownian motion and stochastic dynamics, the methods underlying Monte Carlo simulations, complex systems--and much, much more. The essential resource on the subject, this book is the most up-to-date and accessible introduction available for graduate students and advanced undergraduates seeking a succinct primer on the core ideas of statistical mechanics. Provides the most concise, self-contained introduction to statistical mechanics Focuses on the most promising advances, not complicated calculations Requires only elementary calculus and elementary mechanics Guides readers from the basics to the threshold of modern research Highlights the broad scope of applications of statistical mechanics

The new experiments underway at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland may significantly change our understanding of elementary particle physics and, indeed, the universe. This textbook provides a cutting-edge introduction to the field, preparing first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates to understand and work in LHC physics at the dawn of what promises to be an era of experimental and theoretical breakthroughs. Christopher Tully, an active participant in the work at the LHC, explains some of the most recent experiments in the field. But this book, which emerged from a course at Princeton University, also provides a comprehensive understanding of the subject. It explains every elementary particle physics process--whether it concerns nonaccelerator experiments, particle astrophysics, or the description of the early universe--as a gauge interaction coupled to the known building blocks of matter. Designed for a one-semester course that is complementary to a course in quantum field theory, the book gives special attention to high-energy collider physics, and includes a detailed discussion of the state of the search for the Higgs boson. Introduces elementary particle processes relevant to astrophysics, collider physics, and the physics of the early universe Covers experimental methods, detectors, and measurements Features a detailed discussion of the Higgs boson search Includes many challenging exercises Professors: A supplementary Instructor's Manual which provides solutions for Chapters 1-3 of the textbook, is available as a PDF. It is restricted to teachers using the text in courses. To obtain a copy, please email your request to: Ingrid_Gnerlich "e;at"e; press.princeton.edu.

Condensed Matter in a Nutshell is the most concise, accessible, and self-contained introduction to this exciting and cutting-edge area of modern physics. This premier textbook covers all the standard topics, including crystal structures, energy bands, phonons, optical properties, ferroelectricity, superconductivity, and magnetism. It includes in-depth discussions of transport theory, nanoscience, and semiconductors, and also features the latest experimental advances in this fast-developing field, such as high-temperature superconductivity, the quantum Hall effect, graphene, nanotubes, localization, Hubbard models, density functional theory, phonon focusing, and Kapitza resistance. Rich in detail and full of examples and problems, this textbook is the complete resource for a two-semester graduate course in condensed matter and material physics. Covers standard topics like crystal structures, energy bands, and phonons Features the latest advances like high-temperature superconductivity and more Full of instructive examples and challenging problems Solutions manual (available only to teachers)

Covering the fundamentals as well as many special topics of current interest, this is the most concise, up-to-date, and accessible graduate-level textbook on quantum mechanics available. Written by Gerald Mahan, a distinguished research physicist and author of an acclaimed textbook on many-particle physics, Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell is the distillation of many years' teaching experience. Emphasizing the use of quantum mechanics to describe actual quantum systems such as atoms and solids, and rich with interesting applications, the book proceeds from solving for the properties of a single particle in potential; to solving for two particles (the helium atom); to addressing many-particle systems. Applications include electron gas, magnetism, and Bose-Einstein Condensation; examples are carefully chosen and worked; and each chapter has numerous homework problems, many of them original. Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell expertly addresses traditional and modern topics, including perturbation theory, WKBJ, variational methods, angular momentum, the Dirac equation, many-particle wave functions, Casimir Force, and Bell's Theorem. And it treats many topics--such as the interactions between photons and electrons, scattering theory, and density functional theory--in exceptional depth. A valuable addition to the teaching literature, Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell is ideally suited for a two-semester course. The most concise, up-to-date, and accessible graduate textbook on the subject Contains the ideal amount of material for a two-semester course Focuses on the description of actual quantum systems, including a range of applications Covers traditional topics, as well as those at the frontiers of research Treats in unprecedented detail topics such as photon-electron interaction, scattering theory, and density functional theory Includes numerous homework problems at the end of each chapter

A concise and authoritative introduction to one of the central theories of modern physicsFor a theory as genuinely elegant as the Standard Model-the current framework describing elementary particles and their forces-it can sometimes appear to students to be little more than a complicated collection of particles and ranked list of interactions. The Standard Model in a Nutshell provides a comprehensive and uncommonly accessible introduction to one of the most important subjects in modern physics, revealing why, despite initial appearances, the entire framework really is as elegant as physicists say.Dave Goldberg uses a "e;just-in-time"e; approach to instruction that enables students to gradually develop a deep understanding of the Standard Model even if this is their first exposure to it. He covers everything from relativity, group theory, and relativistic quantum mechanics to the Higgs boson, unification schemes, and physics beyond the Standard Model. The book also looks at new avenues of research that could answer still-unresolved questions and features numerous worked examples, helpful illustrations, and more than 120 exercises.Provides an essential introduction to the Standard Model for graduate students and advanced undergraduates across the physical sciencesRequires no more than an undergraduate-level exposure to quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, and electromagnetismUses a "e;just-in-time"e; approach to topics such as group theory, relativity, classical fields, Feynman diagrams, and quantum field theoryCouched in a conversational tone to make reading and learning easierIdeal for a one-semester course or independent studyIncludes a wealth of examples, illustrations, and exercisesSolutions manual (available only to professors)

Nuclear Physics in a Nutshell provides a clear, concise, and up-to-date overview of the atomic nucleus and the theories that seek to explain it. Bringing together a systematic explanation of hadrons, nuclei, and stars for the first time in one volume, Carlos A. Bertulani provides the core material needed by graduate and advanced undergraduate students of physics to acquire a solid understanding of nuclear and particle science. Nuclear Physics in a Nutshell is the definitive new resource for anyone considering a career in this dynamic field. The book opens by setting nuclear physics in the context of elementary particle physics and then shows how simple models can provide an understanding of the properties of nuclei, both in their ground states and excited states, and also of the nature of nuclear reactions. It then describes: nuclear constituents and their characteristics; nuclear interactions; nuclear structure, including the liquid-drop model approach, and the nuclear shell model; and recent developments such as the nuclear mean-field and the nuclear physics of very light nuclei, nuclear reactions with unstable nuclear beams, and the role of nuclear physics in energy production and nucleosynthesis in stars. Throughout, discussions of theory are reinforced with examples that provide applications, thus aiding students in their reading and analysis of current literature. Each chapter closes with problems, and appendixes address supporting technical topics.