Physical (A)Causality

Physical (A)Causality PDF Author: Karl Svozil
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781013269837
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 214

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Book Description
This book addresses the physical phenomenon of events that seem to occur spontaneously and without any known cause. These are to be contrasted with events that happen in a (pre-)determined, predictable, lawful, and causal way.All our knowledge is based on self-reflexive theorizing, as well as on operational means of empirical perception. Some of the questions that arise are the following: are these limitations reflected by our models? Under what circumstances does chance kick in? Is chance in physics merely epistemic? In other words, do we simply not know enough, or use too crude levels of description for our predictions? Or are certain events "truly", that is, irreducibly, random? The book tries to answer some of these questions by introducing intrinsic, embedded observers and provable unknowns; that is, observables and procedures which are certified (relative to the assumptions) to be unknowable or undoable. A (somewhat iconoclastic) review of quantum mechanics is presented which is inspired by quantum logic. Postulated quantum (un-)knowables are reviewed. More exotic unknowns originate in the assumption of classical continua, and in finite automata and generalized urn models, which mimic complementarity and yet maintain value definiteness. Traditional conceptions of free will, miracles and dualistic interfaces are based on gaps in an otherwise deterministic universe. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Physical (A)Causality

Physical (A)Causality PDF Author: Karl Svozil
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781013269837
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 214

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book addresses the physical phenomenon of events that seem to occur spontaneously and without any known cause. These are to be contrasted with events that happen in a (pre-)determined, predictable, lawful, and causal way.All our knowledge is based on self-reflexive theorizing, as well as on operational means of empirical perception. Some of the questions that arise are the following: are these limitations reflected by our models? Under what circumstances does chance kick in? Is chance in physics merely epistemic? In other words, do we simply not know enough, or use too crude levels of description for our predictions? Or are certain events "truly", that is, irreducibly, random? The book tries to answer some of these questions by introducing intrinsic, embedded observers and provable unknowns; that is, observables and procedures which are certified (relative to the assumptions) to be unknowable or undoable. A (somewhat iconoclastic) review of quantum mechanics is presented which is inspired by quantum logic. Postulated quantum (un-)knowables are reviewed. More exotic unknowns originate in the assumption of classical continua, and in finite automata and generalized urn models, which mimic complementarity and yet maintain value definiteness. Traditional conceptions of free will, miracles and dualistic interfaces are based on gaps in an otherwise deterministic universe. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

Pre-equilibrium Nuclear Reactions

Pre-equilibrium Nuclear Reactions PDF Author: Ettore Gadioli
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 546

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Book Description
While we have attempted to mention at least the most important developments in the theory of pre-equilibrium reactions, the volume of work in this area over the last few years has been so immense that it is not possible to give a comprehensive account of all that has been done. Our aim is to describe as clearly as we can the main physical ideas and to sketch the mathematical formulations that have been developed to enable practical calculations to be made. We attach particular importance to the detailed comparisons between theory and experiment because only in this way is it possible to assess the usefulness and validity of the theories that have been proposed.

Physics of Radioactive Beams

Physics of Radioactive Beams PDF Author: Carlos A. Bertulani
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781590331415
Category : Nuclear structure
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Contents: Secondary beams of rare isotopes; Nucleus-nucleus scattering at high energies; Sizes and energies of exotic nuclei; Break-up reactions and momentum distributions; Borromean nuclei; Coulomb excitation; Coulomb excitation of exotic nuclei; Elastic and inelastic scattering; Pion production; Tests of fundamental interactions; Nuclear astrophysics; Fusion reactions; Formation of heavy and superheavy elements; Subject index.

Momentum Distributions

Momentum Distributions PDF Author: Richard N. Silver
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1489925546
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
This volume presents the proceedings of the Workshop on Momentum Distributions held on October 24 to 26, 1988 at Argonne National Laboratory. This workshop was motivated by the enormous progress within the past few years in both experimental and theoretical studies of momentum distributions, by the growing recognition of the importance of momentum distributions to the characterization of quantum many-body systems, and especially by the realization that momentum distribution studies have much in common across the entire range of modern physics. Accordingly, the workshop was unique in that it brought together researchers in nuclear physics, electronic systems, quantum fluids and solids, and particle physics to address the common elements of momentum distribution studies. The topics dis cussed in the workshop spanned more than ten orders of magnitude range in charac teristic energy scales. The workshop included an extraordinary variety of interactions from Coulombic to hard core repulsive, from non-relativistic to extreme relativistic.

Nuclei in the Cosmos

Nuclei in the Cosmos PDF Author: Carlos A. Bertulani
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company Incorporated
ISBN: 9789814417662
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 510

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Book Description
"The book discusses how stars generate their energy through nuclear reactions, and how elements are created in stars and during the big bang. The theory of thermonuclear reactions rates and their relevance for cosmology and stellar evolution are discussed in detail. Whenever possible, the book introduces the cosmological and astrophysical concepts necessary to understand the physics context of nuclear reactions and structure theory, thermonuclear reaction rate formalism and stellar nucleosynthesis. The book discusses the topics in a self-contained way and has several end-of-chapter exercises. It can be used as a reference book for researchers working in the field of nuclear astrophysics."--Provided by publisher.

Planets and Life

Planets and Life PDF Author: Thérèse Encrenaz
Publisher: EDP Sciences
ISBN: 2759825701
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
The Earth is the only planet in the Solar System where liquid water is present on the surface, a condition that seems necessary for the development of life. Its sisters Venus and Mars are extremely different. Why did these three planets, born under fairly comparable conditions, evolve to the conditions we observe today? Understanding the physical or chemical factors that are at the origin of such divergent evolutions is a first step in an approach to the problem of the origin of life on Earth.

Modern Charge-Density Analysis

Modern Charge-Density Analysis PDF Author: Carlo Gatti
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9048138353
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 800

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Book Description
Focusing on developments from the past 10-15 years, this volume presents an objective overview of the research in charge density analysis. The most promising methodologies are included, in addition to powerful interpretative tools and a survey of important areas of research.

Compound-Nuclear Reactions

Compound-Nuclear Reactions PDF Author: Jutta Escher
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030580822
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
The Compound-Nuclear Reaction and Related Topics (CNR*) international workshop series was initiated in 2007 with a meeting near Yosemite National Park. It has since been held in Bordeaux (2009), Prague (2011), Sao Paulo (2013), Tokyo (2015), and Berkeley, California (2018). The workshop series brings together experts in nuclear theory, experiment, data evaluations, and applications, and fosters interactions among these groups. Topics of interest include: nuclear reaction mechanisms, optical model, direct reactions and the compound nucleus, pre-equilibrium reactions, fusion and fission, cross section measurements (direct and indirect methods), Hauser-Feshbach theory (limits and extensions), compound-nuclear decays, particle and gamma emission, level densities, strength functions, nuclear structure for compound-nuclear reactions, nuclear energy, nuclear astrophysics, and other topics. This peer-reviewed proceedings volume presents papers and poster summaries from the 6th International Workshop on Compound-Nuclear Reactions and Related Topics CNR*18, held on September 24-28, 2018, at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA.

The Pope of Physics

The Pope of Physics PDF Author: Gino Segrè
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1627790063
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 387

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Book Description
Enrico Fermi is unquestionably among the greats of the world's physicists, the most famous Italian scientist since Galileo. Called the Pope by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and conversely to life-saving medical interventions. This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing Fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in America's most secret project: building the atomic bomb. The last physicist who mastered all branches of the discipline, Fermi was a rare mixture of theorist and experimentalist. His rich legacy encompasses key advances in fields as diverse as comic rays, nuclear technology, and early computers. In their revealing book, The Pope of Physics, Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin bring this scientific visionary to life. An examination of the human dramas that touched Fermi’s life as well as a thrilling history of scientific innovation in the twentieth century, this is the comprehensive biography that Fermi deserves.

The Beauty of Fractals

The Beauty of Fractals PDF Author: Heinz-Otto Peitgen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9783540158516
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Now approaching its tenth year, this hugely successful book presents an unusual attempt to publicise the field of Complex Dynamics. The text was originally conceived as a supplemented catalogue to the exhibition "Frontiers of Chaos", seen in Europe and the United States, and describes the context and meaning of these fascinating images. A total of 184 illustrations - including 88 full-colour pictures of Julia sets - are suggestive of a coffee-table book. However, the invited contributions which round off the book lend the text the required formality. Benoit Mandelbrot gives a very personal account, in his idiosyncratic self-centred style, of his discovery of the fractals named after him and Adrien Douady explains the solved and unsolved problems relating to this amusingly complex set.