The galaxies of the Local Group

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Dany Page, Jorge G. Hirsch (eds

The enormous advances in observational techniques over the last two decades has produced a wealth of data and unexpected discoveries which have helped to reshape astrophysics as a field with well-formulated theories and sophisticated numerical calculations. In nuclear particle physics, plasma physics, as well as in general relativity, the Universe has become a laboratory for cutting-edge research. The courses collected in the book are intended to provide students with this insight, giving a general background on each topic such as cosmic rays, nuclear and neutrino astrophysics, solar physics and strong fields, as well as a presentation of the current research and open problems. The book is aimed at graduate students in physics and astrophysics, as well as researchers, bridging a gap between the specialized reviews and the comprehensive books.

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Edgard Elbaz

This textbook represents a new approach in the teaching of quantum physics. The first seven chapters present nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and its interpretation as well as perturbations and scattering theory. They include Dirac's and Feynman's formalisms. The chapter on symmetry treats gauge transformations, too. The quantum theory of angular momentum includes the isospin of leptons and quarks. It uses as a new tool the graphical spin algebra. The second part of the book is devoted to quantum fields: Boson fields including Higgs fields, Dirac's theory of Fermion fields, quantum electrodynamic and quantum chromodynamics. A brief review is appended to raise the students' interests in quantum cosmology. The readers will also find many detailed worked examples and many problems to test their own understanding.

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Joseph Silk

"Archeology is the science that probes the past few thousand years. Geology takes us back two or even three billion years. Beyond that is the realm of cosmology: the study of the beginnings of the Universe around us.". So begins a journey deep into the origins of time, the birth of galaxies, and all the way to the farthest realm, beyond the end of it all. The tour starts at the beginning, the very early Universe - with Silk's masterful account of the Big Bang Theory, culminating in the 1965 discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. "This whisper of creation is the greatly faded relic of the primordial fireball..."

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Dale Carlson and Kishore Khairnar

Outlines in graphic novel format the origins of life and the evolution of mankind, including basic brain functions, genetics and mutations within evolution, and human intellect.