Attilio Rigamonti – författare

This textbook, now in its third edition, provides a formative introduction to the structure of matter that will serve as a sound basis for students proceeding to more complex courses, thus bridging the gap between elementary physics and topics pertaining to research activities. The focus is deliberately limited to key concepts of atoms, molecules and solids, examining the basic structural aspects without paying detailed attention to the related properties. For many topics the aim has been to start from the beginning and to guide the reader to the threshold of advanced research. This edition includes four new chapters dealing with relevant phases of solid matter (magnetic, electric and superconductive) and the related phase transitions. The book is based on a mixture of theory and solved problems that are integrated into the formal presentation of the arguments. Readers will find it invaluable in enabling them to acquire basic knowledge in the wide and wonderful field of condensed matter and to understand how phenomenological properties originate from the microscopic, quantum features of nature.

This textbook, now in its third edition, provides a formative introduction to the structure of matter that will serve as a sound basis for students proceeding to more complex courses, thus bridging the gap between elementary physics and topics pertaining to research activities. The focus is deliberately limited to key concepts of atoms, molecules and solids, examining the basic structural aspects without paying detailed attention to the related properties. For many topics the aim has been to start from the beginning and to guide the reader to the threshold of advanced research. This edition includes four new chapters dealing with relevant phases of solid matter (magnetic, electric and superconductive) and the related phase transitions. The book is based on a mixture of theory and solved problems that are integrated into the formal presentation of the arguments. Readers will find it invaluable in enabling them to acquire basic knowledge in the wide and wonderful field of condensed matter and to understand how phenomenological properties originate from the microscopic, quantum features of nature.

This textbook, now in its third edition, provides a formative introduction to the structure of matter that will serve as a sound basis for students proceeding to more complex courses, thus bridging the gap between elementary physics and topics pertaining to research activities. The focus is deliberately limited to key concepts of atoms, molecules and solids, examining the basic structural aspects without paying detailed attention to the related properties. For many topics the aim has been to start from the beginning and to guide the reader to the threshold of advanced research. This edition includes four new chapters dealing with relevant phases of solid matter (magnetic, electric and superconductive) and the related phase transitions. The book is based on a mixture of theory and solved problems that are integrated into the formal presentation of the arguments. Readers will find it invaluable in enabling them to acquire basic knowledge in the wide and wonderful field of condensed matter and to understand how phenomenological properties originate from the microscopic, quantum features of nature.

Intended Audience, Approach and Presentation This text is intended for a course of about fifteen weeks for undergraduate students. It arises from the adaptation and the amendments to a text for a full-year course in Structure of Matter, written by one of the authors (A.R.) about thirty years ago. At that time only a few (if any) textbooks having the suited form for introduction to basic quantum properties of atoms, molecules and crystals in a comprehensive and interrelated way, were available. Along the last twenty years many excellent books pursuing the aforementioned aim have been published (some of them are listed at the end of this preface). Still there are reasons, in our opinion, to attempt a further text devoted to the quantum roots of condensed matter properties. A practical aspect in this regard involves the organization of the studies in Physics, after the huge scien­ tific outburst of the various topics of fundamental and technological character in recent decades. In most Universities there is now a first period of three or four years, common to all the students and devoted to elementary aspects, followed by a more advanced program in rather specialized fields of Physics.

Intended Audience, Approach and Presentation This text is intended for a course of about four months for undergraduate students. Itarisesfromtheadaptationandtheamendmentstoatextforafu- yearcourseinStructureofMatter,writtenbyoneoftheauthors(A. R. )about thirty years ago. At that time only a few (if any) textbooks having the suited formforintroductiontothebasicquantumpropertiesofatoms,moleculesand crystalsinacomprehensiveandinterrelatedway,wereavailable. Alongthelast twentyyearsmanyexcellentbookspursuingtheaforementionedaimhavebeen published (some of them are listed at the end of this preface). Still there are reasons,inouropinion,toattemptafurthertextdevotedtothequantumroots of condensed matter properties. A practical aspect in this regard involves the organization of the studies in Physics, after the huge scienti?c outburst of the varioustopicsoffundamentalandtechnologicalcharacterinrecentdecades. In most Universities there is now a ?rst period of three or four years, common to all the students and devoted to elementary aspects, followed by an advanced program in more specialized ?elds of Physics. The di?cult task is to provide a common and formative introduction in the ?rst period suitable as a basis for buildingupmoreadvancedcoursesandtobridgetheareabetweenelementary physics and topics pertaining to the research activities. The present attempt towards a readable book, hopefully presenting those desired characteristics, essentially is based on a mixture of simpli?ed institutional theory with solved problems. The hope, in this way, is to provide physical insights, basic culture and motivation, without deteriorating the possibility of advanced subsequent learning. Organization Structure of Matter is such a wide ?eld involving so many subjects that a ?rsttaskisto?ndawaytocon?neanintroductorytext. Thepresentstatusofthat VI Preface discipline represents a key construction of the scienti?c knowledge, possibly equated only by the unitary description of the electromagnetic phenomena.

Why do rivers meander? How do you make a glass sing? What laws govern the shape of drops and bubbles? What happens when we cook a roast? All of these questions, and many more, are answered in this book.A true invitation to wonder about aspects of our daily lives, this book investigates the physics that underlies these observations. The authors relate this to the most recent advances in the discipline, and even provide an introduction to the mysteries of quantum mechanics and superconductivity, while detailing the countless resulting applications, from MRI to quantum cryptography.In each chapter, the reader will discover the innumerable facets of a kaleidoscope of phenomena where ground-breaking results, rewarded by Nobel Prizes, are presented side by side with seemingly insignificant experiments.