This book explains the physics of nuclear battery operation. It provides a comprehensive background that allows readers to understand all past and future developments in the field. The supply and cost of radioisotopes for use in applications (focused on nuclear batteries) are covered in the initial sections of the text. The interaction of ionizing radiation with matter is discussed as applied to nuclear batteries. The physics of interfacing the radioisotopes to the transducers which repres...

This book focuses on Nuclear-Pumped Laser (NPL) technology and provides the reader with a fundamental understanding of NPLs, a review of research in the field and exploration of large scale NPL system design and applications.Early chapters look at the fundamental properties of lasers, nuclear-pumping and nuclear reactions that may be used as drivers for nuclear-pumped lasers. The book goes on to explore the efficient transport of energy from the ionizing radiation to the laser medi...

Nonproliferation Issues for Weapons of Mass Destruction provides an understanding of WMD proliferation risks by bridging complex technical and political issues. The text begins by defining the world conditions that foster proliferation, followed by an analysis of characteristics of various classes of WMDs, including nuclear, biological, and chemica

Traditionally, resources on terrorism and counterterrorism tend to focus on the social, behavioral, and legal aspects of the subject, with minimal emphasis on the scientific and technological aspects. Taking into account these practical considerations, the second edition of Science and Technology of Terrorism and Counterterrorism discusses the natu

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. It covers: basic physics of semiconductors in photovoltaic devices; physical models of solar cell operation; characteristics and design of common types of solar cell; and approaches to increasing solar cell efficiency. The text explains the terms and concepts of solar cell device physics and shows the reader how to ...

Spectroscopy is the principal tool used in astronomy to investigate the Universe beyond Earth's atmosphere. Through the analysis of electromagnetic radiation, spectrographs enable observers to assess the chemical composition, kinematics and local physical properties of distant stars, nebulae and galaxies. Thoroughly illustrated and clearly written, this handbook offers a practical and comprehensive guide to the different spectroscopic methods used in all branches of astronomy, at all wavel...

This book reviews up-to-date ideas of how the luminescence radiation in semiconductors originates and how to analyze it experimentally. The book fills a gap between general textbooks on optical properties of solids and specialized monographs on luminescence. It is unique in its coherent treatment of the phenomenon of luminescence from the very introductory definitions, from light emission in bulk crystalline and amorphous materials to the advanced chapters that deal with semiconductor nano...

This book is a complete update of the classic 1981 FAST BREEDER REACTORS textbook authored by Alan E. Waltar and Albert B. Reynolds, which , along with the Russian translation, served as a major reference book for fast reactors systems. Major updates include transmutation physics (a key technology to substantially ameliorate issues associated with the storage of high-level nuclear waste ), advances in fuels and materials technology (including metal fuels and cladding materials capable of h...

Diseases, the second volume in the four volume set, The Mouse in Biomedical Research, departs from the first edition, by discussing specific disease causing microorganisms, rather than the format used in the first edition which discussed infectious diseases affecting specific organs and tissues. As such, the volume consists of 26 chapters subdivided into RNA viruses and DNA viruses, as well as bacterial, mycotic, and parasitic infections. These chapters not only provide updates on pathogen...

This second edition of the book, initially written as an introductory text dealing with how electric currents behave at the nanometer scale, begins with a general description of electric currents at the macroscale. Then by considering the physical length scales relevant to electron flow, it is observed how the behavior of currents varies as they approach the nanoscale. A quantum description of electric current is covered as well as its relevance, with particular reference to defects, grain...

Featuring chapters written by leading experts in magnetometry, this book provides comprehensive coverage of the principles, technology and diverse applications of optical magnetometry, from testing fundamental laws of nature to detecting biomagnetic fields and medical diagnostics. Readers will find a wealth of technical information, from antirelaxation-coating techniques, microfabrication and magnetic shielding to geomagnetic-field measurements, space magnetometry, detection of biomagnetic...

This new edition presents the essential theoretical and analytical methods needed to understand the recent fusion research of tokamak and alternate approaches. The author describes magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic theories of cold and hot plasmas in detail. The book covers new important topics for fusion studies such as plasma transport by drift turbulence, which depend on the magnetic configuration and zonal flows. These are universal phenomena of microturbulence. They can modify the onset...