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Physics and Mathematics of Quantum Many-Body Systems (Graduate Texts in Physics)
by Hal TasakiThis book is a self-contained advanced textbook on the mathematical-physical aspects of quantum many-body systems, which begins with a pedagogical presentation of the necessary background information before moving on to subjects of active research, including topological phases of matter. The book explores in detail selected topics in quantum spin systems and lattice electron systems, namely, long-range order and spontaneous symmetry breaking in the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model in two or higher dimensions (Part I), Haldane phenomena in antiferromagnetic quantum spin chains and related topics in topological phases of quantum matter (Part II), and the origin of magnetism in various versions of the Hubbard model (Part III). Each of these topics represents certain nontrivial phenomena or features that are invariably encountered in a variety of quantum many-body systems, including quantum field theory, condensed matter systems, cold atoms, and artificial quantum systems designed for future quantum computers. The book’s main focus is on universal properties of quantum many-body systems. The book includes roughly 50 problems with detailed solutions. The reader only requires elementary linear algebra and calculus to comprehend the material and work through the problems. Given its scope and format, the book is suitable both for self-study and as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate classes.
Physics and Mechanics of Amorphous Polymers
by Jo PerezTopics covered in this text include: structural aspects of polymers; molecular mobility in amorphous solid polymers; non-elastic deformation of solid amorphous polymers; mechanical experiments; interpretation of results; physical ageing of amorphous polymers; and glass transition.
Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications: Proceedings of the International Conference PHENMA 2020 (Springer Proceedings in Materials #10)
by Ivan A. Parinov Shun-Hsyung Chang Yun-Hae Kim Nao-Aki NodaThis book presents selected peer-reviewed contributions from the 2020 International Conference on “Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications”, PHENMA 2020 (26–29 March 2021, Kitakyushu, Japan), focusing on processing techniques, physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials. The book describes a broad spectrum of promising nanostructures, crystal structures, materials, and composites with unique properties. It presents nanotechnological design approaches, environmental-friendly processing techniques, and physicochemical as well as mechanical studies of advanced materials. The selected contributions describe recent progress in computational materials science methods and algorithms (in particular, finite-element and finite-difference modelling) applied to various technological, mechanical, and physical problems. The presented results are important for ongoing efforts concerning the theory, modelling, and testing of advanced materials. Other results are devoted to promising devices with higher accuracy, increased longevity, and greater potential to work effectively under critical temperatures, high pressure, and in aggressive environments.
Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications: Proceedings of the International Conference PHENMA 2023 (Springer Proceedings in Materials #41)
by Ivan A. Parinov Shun-Hsyung Chang Erni Puspanantasari PutriThis book presents 60 selected peer-reviewed contributions from the international conference Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications, PHENMA 2023 (3-8 October, 2023, Surabaya, Indonesia), focusing on processing techniques, physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials. The book describes a broad spectrum of promising nanostructures, crystal structures, materials, and composites with unique properties. It presents nanotechnological design approaches, environmental-friendly processing techniques, and physicochemical as well as mechanical studies of advanced materials. The selected contributions describe recent progress in energy harvesting and piezoelectric materials optimization, electromagnetoelastic actuators for nanotechnology research, impedance spectroscopy and study of ceramic materials, catalyst synthesis and control of morphological characteristics, synthesis and study of electrocatalysts for fuel cells. The presented results are important forongoing efforts concerning the theory, modelling, and testing of advanced materials. Other results are devoted to the analysis of technogenic raw materials and different material applications in science, technique and industry.
Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications: Proceedings of the International Conference PHENMA 2021-2022 (Springer Proceedings in Materials #20)
by Ivan A. Parinov Shun-Hsyung Chang Arkady N. SolovievThis book presents 50 selected peer-reviewed contributions from the 10th Anniversary International Conference on “Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications”, PHENMA 2021-2022 (23-27 May, 2022, Divnomorsk, Russia), focusing on processing techniques, physics, mechanics, and applications of advanced materials. The book describes a broad spectrum of promising nanostructures, crystal structures, materials, and composites with unique properties. It presents nanotechnological design approaches, environmental-friendly processing techniques, and physicochemical as well as mechanical studies of advanced materials. The selected contributions describe recent progress in computational materials science methods and algorithms (in particular, finite-element and finite-difference modelling) applied to various technological, mechanical, and physical problems. The presented results are important for ongoing efforts concerning the theory, modelling, and testing of advanced materials. Other results are devoted to promising devices with higher accuracy, increased longevity, and greater potential to work effectively under critical temperatures, high pressure, and in aggressive environments.
Physics and Mechanics of Soil Liquefaction
by Poul V. Lade Jerry A. YamamuroThe workshop aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the liquefaction process, necessary to the enhancement of liquefaction prediction. The contributions are divided into eight sections, which include: factors affecting liquefaction susceptibility and field studies of liquefaction.
Physics and Psychics: The Occult and the Sciences in Modern Britain (Science in History)
by Richard NoakesThis is the first systematic exploration of the intriguing connections between Victorian physical sciences and the study of the controversial phenomena broadly classified as psychic, occult and paranormal. These phenomena included animal magnetism, spirit-rapping, telekinesis and telepathy. Richard Noakes shows that psychic phenomena interested far more Victorian scientists than we have previously assumed, challenging the view of these scientists as individuals clinging rigidly to a materialistic worldview. Physicists, chemists and other physical scientists studied psychic phenomena for a host of scientific, philosophical, religious and emotional reasons, and many saw such investigations as exciting new extensions to their theoretical and experimental researches. While these attempted extensions were largely unsuccessful, they laid the foundations of modern day explorations of the connections between physics and psychic phenomena. This revelatory study challenges our view of the history of physics, and deepens our understanding of the relationships between science and the occult, and science and religion.
Physics and Techniques of Ceramic and Polymeric Materials: Proceedings of Chinese Materials Conference 2018 (Springer Proceedings in Physics #216)
by Yafang HanThis book gathers selected papers from the Chinese Materials Conference 2018 (CMC2018) held in Xiamen City, Fujian, China, on July 12–16, 2018. The Chinese Materials Conference (CMC) is the Chinese Materials Research Society’s most important conference series and has been held annually since the early 1990s. The 2018 edition consisted of 32 domestic symposia, 2 international symposia and 1 international materials forum. This proceedings book covers the fields of advanced ceramic materials and polymer materials, and presents recent original research results from more than 300 research groups in various universities and research institutes.
Physics and Technology for Engineers: Understanding Materials and Sustainability
by R. PrasadThis textbook covers the physics of engineering materials and the latest technologies used in modern engineering projects. It has been designed for use as a reference book and course material for undergraduate engineering students. The book was born out of the need for a comprehensive, balanced, and up-to-date guide for teaching physics to beginning undergraduate engineering students and creating examination papers for technical boards and institutes. The text is divided into ten chapters, each with its specific objectives and features. The topics covered include the classification of engineering materials, atomic structure, electrical and magnetic behavior of solids, quantum mechanics, laser technology, nanomaterials, and sustainable development.Authored by a physicist with over 40 years of teaching experience, this richly-illustrated textbook features an abundance of self-assessment questions, solved examples, and a variety of chapter-end questions with detailed answers. The textbook starts from the very basics and is developed to the desired level, thus making it ideal as standalone course material.
Physics and Technology for Future Presidents: An Introduction to the Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know
by Richard A. MullerPhysics and Technology for Future Presidentscontains the essential physics that students need in order to understand today's core science and technology issues, and to become the next generation of world leaders. From the physics of energy to climate change, and from spy technology to quantum computers, this is the only textbook to focus on the modern physics affecting the decisions of political leaders and CEOs and, consequently, the lives of every citizen. How practical are alternative energy sources? Can satellites really read license plates from space? What is the quantum physics behind iPods and supermarket scanners? And how much should we fear a terrorist nuke? This lively book empowers students possessing any level of scientific background with the tools they need to make informed decisions and to argue their views persuasively with anyone--expert or otherwise. Based on Richard Muller's renowned course at Berkeley, the book explores critical physics topics: energy and power, atoms and heat, gravity and space, nuclei and radioactivity, chain reactions and atomic bombs, electricity and magnetism, waves, light, invisible light, climate change, quantum physics, and relativity. Muller engages readers through many intriguing examples, helpful facts to remember, a fun-to-read text, and an emphasis on real-world problems rather than mathematical computation. He includes chapter summaries, essay and discussion questions, Internet research topics, and handy tips for instructors to make the classroom experience more rewarding. Accessible and entertaining,Physics and Technology for Future Presidentsgives students the scientific fluency they need to become well-rounded leaders in a world driven by science and technology. Professors: A supplementary Solutions Manual is available for this book. It is restricted to teachers using the text in courses. For information on how to obtain a copy, refer to: http://press. princeton. edu/class_use/solutions. html
Physics and Technology of Crystalline Oxide Semiconductor CAAC-IGZO: Application to Displays
by Tetsuo Tsutsui Shunpei YamazakiThis book highlights the display applications of c-axis aligned crystalline indium-gallium-zinc oxide (CAAC-IGZO), a new class of oxide material that challenges the dominance of silicon in the field of thin film semiconductor devices. It is an enabler for displays with high resolution and low power consumption, as well as high-productivity manufacturing. The applications of CAAC-IGZO focus on liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with extremely low power consumption for mobile applications, and high-resolution and flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, and present a large number of prototypes developed at the Semiconductor Energy Laboratory. In particular, the description of LCDs includes how CAAC-IGZO enables LCDs with extremely low refresh rate that provides ultra-low power consumption in a wide range of use cases. Moreover, this book also offers the latest data of IGZO. The IGZO has recently achieved a mobility of 65.5 cm2?}V-s, and it is expected to potentially exceed 100 cm2?}V-s as high as that of LTPS. A further two books in the series will describe the fundamentals of CAAC-IGZO, and the application to LSI devices. Key features: * Introduces different oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor designs and their impact on the reliability and performance of LCDs and OLED displays, both in pixel and panel-integrated driving circuits. * Reviews fundamentals and presents device architectures for high-performance and flexible OLED displays, their circuit designs, and oxide semiconductors as an enabling technology. * Explains how oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors drastically can improve resolution and lower power consumption of LCDs.
Physics and Technology of Crystalline Oxide Semiconductor CAAC-IGZO: Application to LSI
by Shunpei Yamazaki Masahiro FujitaThis book describes the application of c-axis aligned crystalline In-Ga-Zn oxide (CAAC-IGZO) technology in large-scale integration (LSI) circuits. The applications include Non-volatile Oxide Semiconductor Random Access Memory (NOSRAM), Dynamic Oxide Semiconductor Random Access Memory (DOSRAM), central processing unit (CPU), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), image sensors, and etc. The book also covers the device physics (e.g., off-state characteristics) of the CAAC-IGZO field effect transistors (FETs) and process technology for a hybrid structure of CAAC-IGZO and Si FETs. It explains an extremely low off-state current technology utilized in the LSI circuits, demonstrating reduced power consumption in LSI prototypes fabricated by the hybrid process. A further two books in the series will describe the fundamentals; and the specific application of CAAC-IGZO to LCD and OLED displays. Key features: * Outlines the physics and characteristics of CAAC-IGZO FETs that contribute to favorable operations of LSI devices. * Explains the application of CAAC-IGZO to LSI devices, highlighting attributes including low off-state current, low power consumption, and excellent charge retention. * Describes the NOSRAM, DOSRAM, CPU, FPGA, image sensors, and etc., referring to prototype chips fabricated by a hybrid process of CAAC-IGZO and Si FETs.
Physics and Technology of Crystalline Oxide Semiconductor CAAC-IGZO: Fundamentals
by Shunpei Yamazaki Noboru KimizukaElectronic devices based on oxide semiconductors are the focus of much attention, with crystalline materials generating huge commercial success. Indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) transistors have a higher mobility than amorphous silicon transistors, and an extremely low off-state current. C-axis aligned crystalline (CAAC) IGZO enables aggressive down-scaling, high reliability, and process simplification of transistors in displays and LSI devices. This original book introduces the CAAC-IGZO structure, and describes the physics and technology of this new class of oxide materials. It explains the crystallographic classification and characteristics of crystalline oxidesemiconductors, their crystallographic characteristics and physical properties, and how this unique material has made a major contribution to the field of oxide semiconductor thin films. Two further books in this series describe applications of CAAC-IGZO in flat-panel displays and LSI devices. Key features: Introduces the unique and revolutionary, yet relatively unknown crystalline oxide semiconductor CAAC-IGZO Presents crystallographic overviews of IGZO and related compounds. Offers an in-depth understanding of CAAC-IGZO. Explains the fabrication method of CAAC-IGZO thin films. Presents the physical properties and latest data to support high-reliability crystalline IGZO based on hands-on experience. Describes the manufacturing process the CAAC-IGZO transistors and introducesthe device application using CAAC-IGZO.
The Physics and Technology of Laser Resonators
by Denis Hall P.E. JacksonComprehensive yet concise, The Physics and Technology of Laser Resonators presents both the fundamentals and latest developments in laser resonator technology, including specific case studies. The book covers various types of resonators, including unstable, ring laser, and multifold laser. It also discusses numerical resonator calculations and laser beam analysis. This reference will be of value and interest both to newcomers to the field and to professional engineers wishing to update their knowledge.
The Physics Behind Semiconductor Technology
by Albrecht WinnackerThis textbook teaches the physics and technology of semiconductors, highlighting the strong interdependence between the engineering principles and underlying physical fundamentals. It focuses on conveying a basic understanding of the physics, materials, and processes involved in semiconductor technology without relying on detailed derivations. The book features separate comments on the key physical principles covered, allowing the reader to quickly grasp the take-home message. Chapter-end questions and answers round out this compact book, making it a helpful and dependable resource for physicists, electrical engineers, and materials scientists working with electronic materials. Aimed at upper-level undergraduate students and written by an author with extensive experience in both industry and academia, this textbook gives physicists the opportunity to learn about the materials and technology behind semiconductors, while providing engineers and materials scientists a deeper understanding of the physics behind the technology.
The Physics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained (DK Big Ideas)
by DKExplore the laws and theories of physics in this accessible introduction to the forces that shape our universe, our planet, and our everyday lives.Using a bold, graphics-led approach, The Physics Book sets out more than 80 of the key concepts and discoveries that have defined the subject and influenced our technology since the beginning of time. With the focus firmly on unpacking the thought behind each theory—as well as exploring when and how each idea and breakthrough came about—five themed chapters examine the history and developments in specific areas such as Light, Sound, and Electricity. Eureka moments abound: from Archimedes' bathtub discoveries about displacement and density, and Galileo's experiments with spheres falling from the Tower of Pisa, to Isaac Newton's apple and his conclusions about gravity and the laws of motion. You'll also learn about Albert Einstein's revelations about relativity; how the accidental discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation confirmed the Big Bang theory; the search for the Higgs boson particle; and why most of the universe is missing. If you've ever wondered exactly how physicists formulated—and proved—their abstract concepts, The Physics Book is the book for you.Series Overview: Big Ideas Simply Explained series uses creative design and innovative graphics along with straightforward and engaging writing to make complex subjects easier to understand. With over 7 million copies worldwide sold to date, these award-winning books provide just the information needed for students, families, or anyone interested in concise, thought-provoking refreshers on a single subject.
Physics class 9 - MIE
by Mauritius Institute of EducationThe textbook offers a comprehensive overview of Grade 9 Physics from the Mauritius Institute of Education, specifically focusing on the Measurement in Science unit. It includes information on contributors involved in the textbook's creation and review, curriculum alignment with national standards, and an emphasis on incremental content development and scientific skills from previous grades. Learning tools provided encompass inquiry-based activities, summaries, "Find out" features, "Did you know?" sections, project work suggestions, unit summaries, and concept maps for effective learning and assessment. The unit itself covers the measurement of physical quantities such as length, volume, mass, time, and temperature, offering detailed explanations, error avoidance techniques, and practical activities to aid comprehension.
Physics Experiments with Arduino and Smartphones (Undergraduate Texts in Physics)
by Giovanni OrgantiniThis book on the use of Arduino and Smartphones in physics experiments, with a focus on mechanics, introduces various techniques by way of examples. The main aim is to teach students how to take meaningful measurements and how to interpret them. Each topic is introduced by an experiment. Those at the beginning of the book are rather simple to build and analyze. As the lessons proceed, the experiments become more refined and new techniques are introduced. Rather than providing recipes to be adopted while taking measurements, the need for new concepts is raised by observing the results of an experiment. A formal justification is given only after a concept has been introduced experimentally. The discussion extends beyond the taking of measurements to their meaning in terms of physics, the importance of what is learned from the laws that are derived, and their limits. Stress is placed on the importance of careful design of experiments as to reduce systematic errors and on good practices to avoid common mistakes. Data are always analyzed using computer software. C-like structures are introduced in teaching how to program Arduino, while data collection and analysis is done using Python. Several methods of graphical representation of data are used.
Physics for Anesthesiologists and Intensivists: From Daily Life to Clinical Practice
by Antonio PisanoThis book, now in its 2nd edition, discusses, explains and provides detailed, up-to-date information on physics applied to clinical practice in anesthesiology and critical care medicine, with the aid of simple examples from daily life. Almost everything that happens around us, including in the operating room and intensive care units, can be explained by physical laws. An awareness and understanding of relatively simple laws such as the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, or of slightly more complex topics such as harmonic motion and electromagnetism, to name just a few, offer anesthesiologists and intensivists fascinating insights into why they do what they do.After an introductory chapter that brushes up on all the (few) mathematics the reader will need to face the book, with many practical examples and clinical applications, each of the following 20 chapters deals with some everyday phenomena, explains them with one or more physical laws, and shows why these laws are important in anesthesia and critical care practice. Many illustrations are included for extra clarity. This enriched and updated edition of Physics for Anesthesiologists is intended for anesthesiologists, intensivists, anesthesia and intensive care medicine teachers and trainees, as well as medical students.
Physics for Particle Detectors and Particle Detectors for Physics: Timing Performance of Semiconductor Detectors with Internal Gain and Constraints on High-Scale Interactions of the Higgs Boson (Springer Theses)
by Philipp WindischhoferExperimental particle physics is a science of many scales. A large number of physical processes spanning energies from meV to TeV must be understood for modern collider experiments to be designed, built, and conducted successfully. This thesis contributes to the understanding of phenomena across this entire dynamic range. The first half of this document studies aspects of low-energy physics that govern the operation of particle detectors, limit their performance, and guide the development of novel instrumentation. To formalise these aspects, classical electrodynamics is used to derive a general description of the formation of electrical signals in detectors, and ideas from quantum mechanics are applied to the study of charge avalanche amplification in semiconductors. These results lead to a comprehensive analytical characterisation of the time resolution and the efficiency of single-photon avalanche diodes, and isolate the most important design variables. They also reveal the applicability of these devices in precision timing detectors for charged particles, which is experimentally verified in a high-energy hadron beam. Large detector systems at hadron colliders probe fundamental physics at the energy frontier. In the second half, data collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider are used to measure the cross-section for the production of a Higgs boson together with an electroweak boson as a function of the kinematic scale of the process. This measurement provides the finest granularity available to date for this process. It is highly informative of the structure of interactions beyond the direct kinematic reach of the experiment, and new limits are set on the couplings of such interactions within an effective field theory.
Physics I: 501 Practice Problems For Dummies (+ Free Online Practice)
by The Experts at DummiesOvercome your study inertia and polish your knowledge of physics Physics I: 501 Practice Problems For Dummies gives you 501 opportunities to practice solving problems from all the major topics covered you Physics I class—in the book and online! Get extra help with tricky subjects, solidify what you’ve already learned, and get in-depth walk-throughs for every problem with this useful book. These practice problems and detailed answer explanations will help you succeed in this tough-but-required class, no matter what your skill level. Thanks to Dummies, you have a resource to help you put key concepts into practice. Work through practice problems on all Physics I topics covered in school classes Step through detailed solutions to build your understanding Access practice questions online to study anywhere, any time Improve your grade and up your study game with practice, practice, practiceThe material presented in Physics I: 501 Practice Problems For Dummies is an excellent resource for students, as well as parents and tutors looking to help supplement Physics I instruction. Physics I: 501 Practice Problems For Dummies (9781119883715) was previously published as Physics I Practice Problems For Dummies (9781118853153). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.
Physics I For Dummies
by Steven HolznerAn easy-to-follow guide to introductory physics, from the Big Bang to relativity All science, technology, engineering, and math majors in college and university require some familiarity with physics. Other career paths, like medicine, are also only open to students who understand this fundamental science. But don’t worry if you find physics to be intimidating or confusing. You just need the right guide! In Physics I For Dummies, you’ll find a roadmap to physics success that walks you through every major topic in introductory physics, including motion, energy, waves, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, relativity, and more. You’ll learn the basic principles and math formulas of physics through clear and straightforward examples and instruction, and without unnecessary jargon or complicated theory. In this book, you’ll also find: Up-to-date examples and explanations appearing alongside the latest discoveries and research in physics, discussed at a level appropriate for beginning students All the info found in an intro physics course, arranged in an intuitive sequence that will give first-year students a head start in their high school or college physics class The latest teaching techniques to ensure that you remember and retain what you read and practice in the bookPhysics I For Dummies is proof that physics can fun, accessible, challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time! Whether you’re a high school or undergraduate student looking for a leg-up on basic physics concepts or you’re just interested in how our universe works, this book will help you understand the thermodynamic, electromagnetic, relativistic, and everything in between.
Physics MCQs for the Part 1 FRCR
by Tomasz Matys Nasim Sheikh-Bahaei Adam K. Yamamoto Shahzad Ilyas Martin John GravesPhysics MCQs for the Part 1 FRCR is a comprehensive and practical revision tool for the new format Part 1 FRCR examination, covering the complete physics curriculum. Key features: * Contains 300 questions that reflect the style and difficulty of the real exam * Covers basic physics, radiation legislation and all the imaging modalities included in the Royal College of Radiologists training curriculum and new FRCR examination * Includes new exam topics such as MRI and ultrasound imaging * Answers are accompanied by clear, detailed explanations giving candidates in-depth understanding of the topic * Much of the question material is based on the Radiology-Integrated Training Initiative (RITI), as recommended by the Royal College of Radiologists A must-have revision resource for all Part 1 FRCR candidates, Physics MCQs for the Part 1 FRCR is written by a team of specialist registrars who have recently successfully passed the Part 1 FRCR exam and a renowned medical physicist.
The Physics of Advanced Optical Materials: Tellurite Glasses
by Raouf El-MallawanyThis book focuses on advanced optical properties and applications of tellurite glasses and tellurite glasses doped with rare-earth nanoparticles. The initial chapter presents the current state of the art in tellurite glass development, focusing on those compositions doped with nanoparticles based on rare-earth elements such as neodymium and erbium. The book then discusses various linear and nonlinear optical properties (e.g., refractive index, absorption, optical susceptibility) of these glasses in the visible and ultraviolet spectral regions. Finally, it looks at a selection of recent technological applications of doped tellurite glasses, such as highly efficient laser glass, novel temperature sensors, and advanced optical fiber material. Featuring comprehensive and up-to-date data sets, along with a topical discussion of promising new areas of application, this book is particularly suitable for researchers and industry professionals working in the field of glass manufacturing for optics and laser applications.
Physics of Biological Oscillators: New Insights into Non-Equilibrium and Non-Autonomous Systems (Understanding Complex Systems)
by Aneta Stefanovska Peter V. E. McClintockThis book, based on a selection of invited presentations from a topical workshop, focusses on time-variable oscillations and their interactions. The problem is challenging, because the origin of the time variability is usually unknown. In mathematical terms, the oscillations are non-autonomous, reflecting the physics of open systems where the function of each oscillator is affected by its environment. Time-frequency analysis being essential, recent advances in this area, including wavelet phase coherence analysis and nonlinear mode decomposition, are discussed. Some applications to biology and physiology are described.Although the most important manifestation of time-variable oscillations is arguably in biology, they also crop up in, e.g. astrophysics, or for electrons on superfluid helium. The book brings together the research of the best international experts in seemingly very different disciplinary areas.