Short Historical Overview In the 1940s, two phenomena in the ?eld of cosmic rays (CR) forced scientists to think that the Sun is a powerful source of high-energy particles. One of these was discovered because of the daily solar variation of CR, which the maximum number of CR observed near noon (referring to the existence of continuous ?ux of CR from the direction of the Sun); this became the experimental basis of the theory that CR’s ´ originate from the Sun (or, for that matter, from with...

This is a comprehensive and richly illustrated textbook on the astrophysics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium--the gas and dust, as well as the electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, and magnetic and gravitational fields, present between the stars in a galaxy and also between galaxies themselves.Topics include radiative processes across the electromagnetic spectrum; radiative transfer; ionization; heating and cooling; astrochemistry; interstellar dust; fluid dynamics, in...

Graphene is the thinnest known material, a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal cells a single atom thick, and yet stronger than diamond. It has potentially significant applications in nanotechnology, 'beyond-silicon' electronics, solid-state realization of high-energy phenomena and as a prototype membrane which could revolutionise soft matter and 2D physics. In this book, leading graphene research theorist Mikhail Katsnelson presents the basic concepts of graphene physics. Topics c...

This volume provides an overview of current research and recent advances in the area of energetic materials, focusing on decomposition, crystal and molecular properties. The contents and format reflect the fact that theory, experiment and computation are closely linked in this field. Since chemical decomposition is of fundamental importance in energetic performance, this volume begins with a survey of the decomposition processes of a variety of energetic compounds. This is followed by deta...

The physics of neutrinos--uncharged elementary particles that are key to helping us better understand the nature of our universe--is one of the most exciting frontiers of modern science. This book provides a comprehensive overview of neutrino physics today and explores promising new avenues of inquiry that could lead to future breakthroughs.The Physics of Neutrinos begins with a concise history of the field and a tutorial on the fundamental properties of neutrinos, and goe...

This book accompanies another book by the same authors, and presents the theory of the evolution of density perturbations and relic gravity waves, theory of cosmological inflation and post-inflationary reheating. Written in a pedagogical style, the main chapters give a detailed account of the established theory, with derivation of formulas. Being self-contained, it is a useful textbook for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Essential materials from General Relativity, t...

The second edition of Nanochemistry covers the main studies of nanoparticle production, reactions, and compounds, and reviews the work of leading scientists from around the world. This book is the first monograph on nanochemistry, giving perspectives on the present status and future possibilities in this rapidly advancing discipline. It provides the solid fundamentals and theory of nanoscience, and progress through topics including synthesis and stabilization of nanoparticles, cryochemistr...

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...

Molecular surface science has made enormous progress in the past 30 years. The development can be characterized by a revolution in fundamental knowledge obtained from simple model systems and by an explosion in the number of experimental techniques. The last 10 years has seen an equally rapid development of quantum mechanical modeling of surface processes using Density Functional Theory (DFT). Chemical Bonding at Surfaces and Interfaces focuses on phenomena and concepts rather than on expe...

The inner magnetosphere plasma is a very unique composition of different plasma particles and waves. It covers a huge energy plasma range with spatial and time variations of many orders of magnitude. In such a situation, the kinetic approach is the key element, and the starting point of the theoretical description of this plasma phenomena which requires a dedicated book to this particular area of research.

This two-part book is devoted to classic fundamentals and current practices and perspectives of modern plasma astrophysics. This second part discusses the physics of magnetic reconnection and flares of electromagnetic origin in space plasmas in the solar system, single and double stars, relativistic objects, accretion disks and their coronae. More than 25% of the text is updated from the first edition, included the additions of new figures, equations and entire sections on topics such as t...

Since the discovery by the author and collaborators of superconductivity in the first truly layered compound, TaS2(pyridine)1/2, there have been many types of layered superconductors. These include the graphite intercalation compounds, the transition metal dichalcogenides, the intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides, the organic layered superconductors, the high-temperature cuprates, the various types of artificial multilayers, strontium ruthenate, magnesium diboride, the ternary int...