Concepts of Modern Physics (Int'l Ed)

"Modern Physics" is the most up-to-date, accessible presentation of modern physics available. The book is intended to be used in a one-semester course covering modern physics for students who have already had basic physics and calculus courses. The balance of the book leans more toward ideas than toward experimental methods and practical applications because the beginning student is better served by a conceptual framework than by a mass of details. The sequence of topics follows a logical, rather than strictly historical, order. Relativity and quantum ideas are considered first to provide a framework for understanding the physics of atoms and nuclei. The theory of the atom is then developed, and followed by a discussion of the properties of aggregates of atoms, which includes a look at statistical mechanics. Finally atomic nuclei and elementary particles are examined.

Table of Contents:
1 Relativity2 Particle Properties of Waves3 Waves Properties of Particles4 Atomic Structure5 Quantum Mechanics6 Quantum Theory of the Hydrogen Atom7 Many-Electron Atoms8 Molecules9 Statistical Mechanics10 The Solid State11 Nuclear Structure12 Nuclear Transformations13 Elementary ParticlesAppendix Atomic Masses

About the Author :
Arthur Beiser, a native of New York City, received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in physics from New York University, where he later served as Associate Professor of Physics. He then was a Senior Research Scientist at the Lamont Geo- logical Observatory of Columbia University. His research interests were chiefly in cosmic rays and in magnetohydrodynamics as applied to geophysics and astrophys- ics. In addition to theoretical work, he participated in a cosmic-ray expedition to an Alaskan peak and directed a search for magnetohydrodynamic waves from space in various Pacific locations. A Fellow of The Explorers Club, Dr. Beiser was the first chairman of its Committee on Space Exploration. He is the author or coauthor of 36 books, mostly college texts on physics and mathematics, 14 of which have been translated into a total of 27 languages. Two of his books are on sailing, The Proper Yacht and The Sailors World. Figure 13-21 is a photograph of Dr. Beiser at the helm of his 58-ft sloop; he and his wife Germaine have sailed over 150,000 miles, includ- ing two Atlantic crossings and a rounding of Cape Horn. Germaine Beiser, who has degrees in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University, is the author or coauthor of seven books on various aspects of physics and has contributed to The Physical Universe. For a number of years she was the editor of a cruising guide to the Adriatic Sea.