J. L. Birman – författare

Superstrings - provocative, controversial, possibly untestable, but unarguably one of the most interesting and active areas of research in current physics. Called by some, "the theory of everything", superstrings may solve a problem which has eluded physicists for the past 50 years - the final unification of the two great theories of the twentieth century, general relativity and quantum field theory. Now, here is a course-tested comprehensive introductory graduate text on superstrings which stresses the most current areas of interest, not covered in other presentation, including: - string field theory - multi loops - Teichmueller spaces - conformal field theory - four-dimensional strings The book begins with a simple discussion of point particle theory, and uses the Feynman path integral technique to unify the presentation of superstrings. Prerequisites are an aquaintance with quantum mechanics and relativity. This second edition has been revised and updated throughout.

Laser cooling is a relatively new technique that has led to insights into the behavior of atoms as well as confirming with striking detail some of the fundamental notions of quantum mechanics, such as the condensation predicted by S.N. Bose. This elegant technique, whereby atoms, molecules, and even microscopic beads of glass, are trapped in small regions of free space by beams of light and subsequently moved at will using other beams, provides a useful research tool for the study of individual atoms and clusters of atoms, for investigating the details of chemical reactions, and even for determining the physical properties of individual macromolecules such as synthetic polymers and DNA. Intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students who have some basic knowledge of optics and quantum mechanics, this text begins with a review of the relevant results of quantum mechanics, it then turns to the electromagnetic interactions involved in slowing and trapping atoms and ions, in both magnetic and optical traps.The concluding chapters discuss a broad range of applications, from atomic clocks and studies of collision processes to diffraction and interference of atomic beams at optical lattices and Bose-Einstein condensation.

The Second USA-USSR Symposium on Light Scattering in Con­ densed Matter was held in New York City 21-25 May 1979. The present volume is the proceedings of that conference, and contains all manuscripts received prior to 1 August 1979, representing scientific contributions presented. A few manus­ cripts were not received, but for completeness the corresponding abstract is printed. No record was kept of the discussion, so that some of the flavor of the meeting is missing. This is par­ ticularly unfortunate in the case of some topics which were in a stage of rapid development and where the papers presented sti­ mulated much discussion - such as the sessions on spatial dis­ persion and resonance inelastic (Brillouin or Raman) scattering in crystals, enhanced Raman scattering from molecules on metal surfaces, and the onset of turbulence in fluids. The background and history of the US-USSR Seminar-Symposia on light scattering was given in the preface to the proceedings of the First Symposium held in Moscow May 1975, published as "Theory of Light Scattering in Condensed Matter" ed. B. Bendow, J. L. Birman, V. M. Agranovich (Plenum Press, N. Y. 1976). Strong scientific interest on both sides in continuing this series resulted in a plan for the second symposium to be held in New York in 1977. For a variety of reasons it was necessary to cancel the planned 1977 event, almost at the last minute.

The Second USA-USSR Symposium on Light Scattering in Con­ densed Matter was held in New York City 21-25 May 1979. The present volume is the proceedings of that conference, and contains all manuscripts received prior to 1 August 1979, representing scientific contributions presented. A few manus­ cripts were not received, but for completeness the corresponding abstract is printed. No record was kept of the discussion, so that some of the flavor of the meeting is missing. This is par­ ticularly unfortunate in the case of some topics which were in a stage of rapid development and where the papers presented sti­ mulated much discussion - such as the sessions on spatial dis­ persion and resonance inelastic (Brillouin or Raman) scattering in crystals, enhanced Raman scattering from molecules on metal surfaces, and the onset of turbulence in fluids. The background and history of the US-USSR Seminar-Symposia on light scattering was given in the preface to the proceedings of the First Symposium held in Moscow May 1975, published as "Theory of Light Scattering in Condensed Matter" ed. B. Bendow, J. L. Birman, V. M. Agranovich (Plenum Press, N. Y. 1976). Strong scientific interest on both sides in continuing this series resulted in a plan for the second symposium to be held in New York in 1977. For a variety of reasons it was necessary to cancel the planned 1977 event, almost at the last minute.

Reissue of Encyclopedia of Physics/Handbuch der Physik, Vol. XXV/2b I am very pleased that my book is now to be reprinted and rebound in a new format which should make it accessible at a modest price to students and active researchers in condensed matter physics. In writing this book I had in mind an audience of physicists and chemists with no previous deep exposure to symmetry analysis of crystalline matter, non to the use of symmetry in simplifying and refining predictions of the results of optical experiments. Hence the book was written to explain and illustrate in all necessary detail how to: 1) describe the space group symmetry in terms of space group symmetry operations; 2) obtain irreducible representations and selection rules for optical infra-red and Raman and other transition processes. On the physical side I redeveloped the traditional theory of classical and quantum lattice dynamics, illustrating how space-time symmetry designations in the equations of motion can: 1) simplify and rationalize calculations of the classical eigenvectors of the dynamical equation; 2) permit classification of the eigenstates of the quantum lattice-dynamic pro­ blem; 3) give specific selection rules for optical infra-red and Raman lattice processes, and thus make "go, no-go" predictions including polarization of absorbed or scattered radiation; and 4) simplify the modern many-body theories of optical processes.