Turbulence, dynamos, accretion disks, pulsars and collective plasmas processes

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Heinz-Peter Breuer, Francesco Petruccione (eds

This book treats modern aspects of open systems, measurement, and decoherence in relativistic quantum theory. It starts with a comprehensive introduction to the problems related to measuring local and nonlocal observables and the constraints imposed by the causality principle. In the articles that follow, the emphasis lies on new theoretical models. Quantum dynamical semigroups and stochastic processes in Hilbert space are introduced, as are dynamical reduction models. Further topics include relativistic generalizations of the continuous spontaneous localization model and of the quantum state diffusion model and decoherence and the dynamical selection of preferred basis sets in the framework of continuous measurement theory and of the decoherent histories approach. Mathematical aspects of quantum measurement theory and dynamical entropies are also studied from the viewpoint of the operational approach to quantum mechanics.

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Christian Kassel

This book provides an introduction to the theory of quantum groups with emphasis on the spectacular connections with knot theory and on Drinfeld's recent fundamental contributions. The first part presents in detail the quantum groups attached to SL2 as well as the basic concepts of the theory of Hopf algebras. Part Two focuses on Hopf algebras that produce solutions of the Yang-Baxter equation, and on Drinfeld's quantum double construction. In the following part we construct isotopy invariants of knots and links in the three-dimensional Euclidean space, using the language of tensor categories. The last part is an account of Drinfeld's elegant treatment of the monodromy of the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations, culminating in the construction of Kontsevich's universal knot invariant.

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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.