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Asymptotic Analysis in General Relativity
by Thierry Daudé Dietrich Häfner Jean-Philippe NicolasThis volume compiles notes from four mini courses given at the summer school on asymptotic analysis in general relativity, held at the Institut Fourier in Grenoble, France. It contains an up-to-date panorama of modern techniques in the asymptotic analysis of classical and quantum fields in general relativity. Accessible to graduate students, these notes gather results that were not previously available in textbooks or monographs and will be of wider interest to researchers in general relativity. The topics of these mini courses are: the geometry of black hole spacetimes; an introduction to quantum field theory on curved spacetimes; conformal geometry and tractor calculus; and microlocal analysis for wave propagation.
Asymptotic Analysis of Spatial Problems in Elasticity (Advanced Structured Materials #99)
by Magomed F. MekhtievThe book presents homogeneous solutions in static and dynamical problems of anisotropic theory of elasticity, which are constructed for a hollow cylinder. It also offers an asymptotic process for finding frequencies of natural vibrations of a hollow cylinder, and establishes a qualitative study of several applied theories of the boundaries of applicability.Further the authors develop a general theory for a transversally isotropic spherical shell, which includes methods for constructing inhomogeneous and homogeneous solutions that allow the characteristic features of the stress–strain state of an anisotropic spherical shell to be revealed. Lastly, the book introduces an asymptotic method for integrating the equations of anisotropic theory of elasticity in variable thickness plates and shells. Based on the results of the author and researchers at Baku State University and the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics, ANAS, the book is intended for specialists in the field of theory of elasticity, theory of plates and shells, and applied mathematics.
Asymptotic Approximations for the Sound Generated by Aerofoils in Unsteady Subsonic Flows (Springer Theses)
by Lorna AytonThis thesis investigates the sound generated by solid bodies in steady subsonic flows with unsteady perturbations, as is typically used when determining the noise generated by turbulent interactions. The focus is predominantly on modelling the sound generated by blades within an aircraft engine, and the solutions are presented as asymptotic approximations. Key analytical techniques, such as the Wiener-Hopf method, and the matched asymptotic expansion method are clearly detailed. The results allow for the effect of variations in the steady flow or blade shape on the noise generated to be analysed much faster than when solving the problem numerically or considering it experimentally.
Asymptotic Diffraction Theory and Nuclear Scattering
by Roy J. Glauber Per OslandScattering theory provides a framework for understanding the scattering of waves and particles. This book presents a simple physical picture of diffractive nuclear scattering in terms of semi-classical trajectories, illustrated throughout with examples and case studies. Trajectories in a complex impact parameter plane are discussed, and it stresses the importance of the analytical properties of the phase shift function in this complex impact plane in the asymptotic limit. Several new rainbow phenomena are also discussed and illustrated. Written by Nobel Prize winner Roy J. Glauber, and Per Osland, an expert in the field of particle physics, the book illustrates the transition from quantum to classical scattering, and provides a valuable resource for researchers using scattering theory in nuclear, particle, atomic and molecular physics.
Asymptotic methods in mechanics of solids (International Series of Numerical Mathematics #167)
by Svetlana M. Bauer Sergei B. Filippov Andrei L. Smirnov Petr E. Tovstik Rémi VaillancourtThe construction of solutions of singularly perturbed systems of equations and boundary value problems that are characteristic for the mechanics of thin-walled structures are the main focus of the book. The theoretical results are supplemented by the analysis of problems and exercises. Some of the topics are rarely discussed in the textbooks, for example, the Newton polyhedron, which is a generalization of the Newton polygon for equations with two or more parameters. After introducing the important concept of the index of variation for functions special attention is devoted to eigenvalue problems containing a small parameter. The main part of the book deals with methods of asymptotic solutions of linear singularly perturbed boundary and boundary value problems without or with turning points, respectively. As examples, one-dimensional equilibrium, dynamics and stability problems for rigid bodies and solids are presented in detail. Numerous exercises and examples as well as vast references to the relevant Russian literature not well known for an English speaking reader makes this a indispensable textbook on the topic.
Asymptotic Methods in the Theory of Plates with Mixed Boundary Conditions
by Igor Andrianov Jan Awrejcewicz Vladyslav Danishevs'kyy Andrey IvankovAsymptotic Methods in the Theory of Plates with Mixed Boundary Conditions comprehensively covers the theoretical background of asymptotic approaches and their use in solving mechanical engineering-oriented problems of structural members, primarily plates (statics and dynamics) with mixed boundary conditions. The first part of this book introduces the theory and application of asymptotic methods and includes a series of approaches that have been omitted or not rigorously treated in the existing literature. These lesser known approaches include the method of summation and construction of the asymptotically equivalent functions, methods of small and large delta, and the homotopy perturbations method. The second part of the book contains original results devoted to the solution of the mixed problems of the theory of plates, including statics, dynamics and stability of the studied objects. In addition, the applicability of the approaches presented to other related linear or nonlinear problems is addressed. Key features: • Includes analytical solving of mixed boundary value problems • Introduces modern asymptotic and summation procedures • Presents asymptotic approaches for nonlinear dynamics of rods, beams and plates • Covers statics, dynamics and stability of plates with mixed boundary conditions • Explains links between the Adomian and homotopy perturbation approaches Asymptotic Methods in the Theory of Plates with Mixed Boundary Conditions is a comprehensive reference for researchers and practitioners working in the field of Mechanics of Solids and Mechanical Engineering, and is also a valuable resource for graduate and postgraduate students from Civil and Mechanical Engineering.
Asymptotic Multiple Scale Method in Time Domain: Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Stationary and Nonstationary Dynamics
by Jan Awrejcewicz Roman Starosta Grażyna Sypniewska-KamińskaThis book offers up novel research which uses analytical approaches to explore nonlinear features exhibited by various dynamic processes. Relevant to disciplines across engineering and physics, the asymptotic method combined with the multiple scale method is shown to be an efficient and intuitive way to approach mechanics. Beginning with new material on the development of cutting-edge asymptotic methods and multiple scale methods, the book introduces this method in time domain and provides examples of vibrations of systems. Clearly written throughout, it uses innovative graphics to exemplify complex concepts such as nonlinear stationary and nonstationary processes, various resonances and jump pull-in phenomena. It also demonstrates the simplification of problems through using mathematical modelling, by employing the use of limiting phase trajectories to quantify nonlinear phenomena. Particularly relevant to structural mechanics, in rods, cables, beams, plates and shells, as well as mechanical objects commonly found in everyday devices such as mobile phones and cameras, the book shows how each system is modelled, and how it behaves under various conditions. It will be of interest to engineers and professionals in mechanical engineering and structural engineering, alongside those interested in vibrations and dynamics. It will also be useful to those studying engineering maths and physics.
Asymptotic Perturbation Methods: For Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics
by Attilio MaccariAsymptotic Perturbation Methods Cohesive overview of powerful mathematical methods to solve differential equations in physics Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics addresses nonlinearity in various fields of physics from the vantage point of its mathematical description in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations and presents a unified view on nonlinear systems in physics by providing a common framework to obtain approximate solutions to the respective nonlinear partial differential equations based on the asymptotic perturbation method. Aside from its complete coverage of a complicated topic, a noteworthy feature of the book is the emphasis on applications. There are several examples included throughout the text, and, crucially, the scientific background is explained at an elementary level and closely integrated with the mathematical theory to enable seamless reader comprehension. To fully understand the concepts within this book, the prerequisites are multivariable calculus and introductory physics. Written by a highly qualified author with significant accomplishments in the field, Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics covers sample topics such as: Application of the various flavors of the asymptotic perturbation method, such as the Maccari method to the governing equations of nonlinear system Nonlinear oscillators, limit cycles, and their bifurcations, iterated nonlinear maps, continuous systems, and nonlinear partial differential equations (NPDEs) Nonlinear systems, such as the van der Pol oscillator, with advanced coverage of plasma physics, quantum mechanics, elementary particle physics, cosmology, and chaotic systems Infinite-period bifurcation in the nonlinear Schrodinger equation and fractal and chaotic solutions in NPDEs Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics is ideal for an introductory course at the senior or first year graduate level. It is also a highly valuable reference for any professional scientist who does not possess deep knowledge about nonlinear physics.
Asymptotic Safety and Black Holes (Springer Theses)
by Kevin FallsOne of the open challenges in fundamental physics is to combine Einstein's theory of general relativity with the principles of quantum mechancis. In this thesis, the question is raised whether metric quantum gravity could be fundamental in the spirit of Steven Weinberg's seminal asymptotic safety conjecture, and if so, what are the consequences for the physics of small, possibly Planck-size black holes? To address the first question, new techniques are provided which allow, for the first time, a self-consistent study of high-order polynomial actions including up to 34 powers in the Ricci scalar. These novel insights are then exploited to explain quantum gravity effects in black holes, including their horizon and causal structure, conformal scaling, evaporation, and the thermodynamics of quantum space-time. Results indicate upper limits on black hole temperature, and the existence of small black holes based on asymptotic safety for gravity and thermodynamical arguments.
Asymptotics of Elliptic and Parabolic PDEs: And Their Applications In Statistical Physics, Computational Neuroscience, And Biophysics (Applied Mathematical Sciences #199)
by Zeev Schuss David HolcmanThis is a monograph on the emerging branch of mathematical biophysics combining asymptotic analysis with numerical and stochastic methods to analyze partial differential equations arising in biological and physical sciences. In more detail, the book presents the analytic methods and tools for approximating solutions of mixed boundary value problems, with particular emphasis on the narrow escape problem. Informed throughout by real-world applications, the book includes topics such as the Fokker-Planck equation, boundary layer analysis, WKB approximation, applications of spectral theory, as well as recent results in narrow escape theory. Numerical and stochastic aspects, including mean first passage time and extreme statistics, are discussed in detail and relevant applications are presented in parallel with the theory. Including background on the classical asymptotic theory of differential equations, this book is written for scientists of various backgrounds interested in deriving solutions to real-world problems from first principles.
At Day's Close: Night In Times Past
by A. Roger EkirchBringing light to the shadows of history through a "rich weave of citation and archival evidence" (Publishers Weekly), scholar A. Roger Ekirch illuminates the aspects of life most often overlooked by other historians--those that unfold at night. In this "triumph of social history" (Mail on Sunday), Ekirch's "enthralling anthropology" (Harper's) exposes the nightlife that spawned a distinct culture and a refuge from daily life. Fear of crime, of fire, and of the supernatural; the importance of moonlight; the increased incidence of sickness and death at night; evening gatherings to spin wool and stories; masqued balls; inns, taverns, and brothels; the strategies of thieves, assassins, and conspirators; the protective uses of incantations, meditations, and prayers; the nature of our predecessors' sleep and dreams--Ekirch reveals all these and more in his "monumental study" (The Nation) of sociocultural history, "maintaining throughout an infectious sense of wonder" (Booklist).
At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime
by A. Roger EkirchA fascinating and colourful social history of the nighttime in the pre-Industrial era.AT DAY'S CLOSE charts a fresh realm of Western culture, nocturnal life from the late medieval period to the Industrial revolution. The book focuses on the cadences of daily life, investigating nighttime in its own right and resurrecting a rich and complex universe in which persons passed nearly half of their lives - a world, long-lost to historians, of blanket fairs, night freaks, and curtain lectures, of sun-suckers, moon-cursers and night-kings. It is not only the vocabulary that has disappeared, AT DAY'S CLOSE will restitute many facts which have been either lost or forgotten. It is a significant and newsworthy contribution to social history, filled with substantial research, stories and new discoveries.Ekirch uses a wide range of sources to reconstruct how the night was lived in the past : travel accounts, memoirs, letters, poems, plays, court records, coroner's reports, depositions and laws dealing with curfews, crime and lighting. He has analysed working-class autobiographies, proverbs, nursery rhymes, ballads and sermons, and folklore, as well as consulting medical, psychological and anthropological papers.
At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime
by Professor A. Roger EkirchA fascinating and colourful social history of the nighttime.'A wonderful revelation of a vanished age of darkness' SPECTATOR'Fascinating' SUNDAY TIMES'A splendid book ... great entertainment' Sir Patrick Moore'A triumph of social history. Almost every page contains something to surprise the reader ... one of the most enjoyable literary experiences of the year' MAIL ON SUNDAYFrom blanket fairs to night kings, curfews to crime, At Day's Close is an intriguing and captivating investigation into the night. Until now, this rich and complex universe in which we spend nearly half of our lives was a world long-lost to historians. Here, Ekirch explores how the night was lived in the past, through travel accounts, memoirs, letters, folklore, poems, court records and coroner's reports. More than this, it is a passionate argument in the case for less artificial light in an increasingly bright world.
At Home in Nature: Modern Homesteading and Spiritual Practice in America
by Rebecca Kneale GouldThis study of homesteading in America from the late nineteenth century to the present examines the lives and beliefs of those who have ascribed to the homesteading philosophy, placing their experiences within the broader context of the changing meanings of nature and religion in modern American culture.
At Least Know This: Essential Science to Enhance Your Life
by Guy P. HarrisonThis primer on essential scientific literacy gives readers the basics to understand themselves and the world around them, plus a glimpse of how much more science has to offer.Science tells us a good deal about who we are, where we come from, the nature of the universe, how our brains work, and much, much more. Unfortunately, most people are largely unaware of this treasure trove of information. As a result, we are more prone to do things like aim nuclear weapons at each other, inflate the meaning of cultural differences, lay waste to the land, poison and deplete the oceans, fill the sky with carbon, and generally make poor judgments that cause needless trouble.This book seeks to remedy this situation by providing scientific answers to the most basic yet important questions about existence. Following the standard six-question list used by journalists researching a news story, critical-thinking advocate Guy P. Harrison turns to science to answer the who, what, why, when, where and how of life on Earth.How old is our planet? Where did it come from and where is it located in the universe? What is everything made of? When did life begin? Who are we as a species and what connections do we share with other life forms? Why is human culture continuously plagued by war, disease, and crime? Harrison not only offers science's best current answers to these crucial questions but shows how all of this information fits together. Going well beyond the simplistic factoids readily available on any smartphone, he reveals the wider implications and deeper meanings inherent in the scientific worldview.Both entertaining and informative, this exciting tour of the cosmos and human nature will leave readers with an accurate, up-to-date view of realities small and large, near and far.
At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters
by Piers Blaikie Terry Cannon Ian Davis Ben WisnerThe term 'natural disaster' is often used to refer to natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods. However, the phrase 'natural disaster' suggests an uncritical acceptance of a deeply engrained ideological and cultural myth. At Risk questions this myth and argues that extreme natural events are not disasters until a vulnerable group of people is exposed. The updated new edition confronts a further ten years of ever more expensive and deadly disasters and discusses disaster not as an aberration, but as a signal failure of mainstream 'development'. Two analytical models are provided as tools for understanding vulnerability. One links remote and distant 'root causes' to 'unsafe conditions' in a 'progression of vulnerability'. The other uses the concepts of 'access' and 'livelihood' to understand why some households are more vulnerable than others. Examining key natural events and incorporating strategies to create a safer world, this revised edition is an important resource for those involved in the fields of environment and development studies.
At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters
by Piers Blaikie Terry Cannon Ian Davis Ben WisnerThe term 'natural disaster' is often used to refer to natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods. However, the phrase 'natural disaster' suggests an uncritical acceptance of a deeply engrained ideological and cultural myth. At Risk questions this myth and argues that extreme natural events are not disasters until a vulnerable group of people is exposed. The updated new edition confronts a further ten years of ever more expensive and deadly disasters and discusses disaster not as an aberration, but as a signal failure of mainstream 'development'. Two analytical models are provided as tools for understanding vulnerability. One links remote and distant 'root causes' to 'unsafe conditions' in a 'progression of vulnerability'. The other uses the concepts of 'access' and 'livelihood' to understand why some households are more vulnerable than others. Examining key natural events and incorporating strategies to create a safer world, this revised edition is an important resource for those involved in the fields of environment and development studies.
At Risk of Deprivation: The Multidimensional Well-Being Impacts of Climate Migration and Immobility in Peru (Studien zur Migrations- und Integrationspolitik)
by Jonas BergmannThis open access book examines how and why various forms of climate (im)mobilities can impact people's objective and subjective well-being. Worsening climate impacts are forcing subsistence farmers worldwide to decide between staying or leaving their homes. This mixed methods study analyzes cases of climate-related migration, displacement, relocation, and immobility in Peru's coastal, highland, and rainforest regions. The results reveal that numerous farmers experienced profound and often negative well-being impacts, regardless of whether they stayed or migrated. The higher the structural constraints, such as weak governance, and the more damaging the climate impacts were, the higher the risk of well-being declines. Additionally, the affected individuals often had limited agency and ability to mitigate losses. These findings challenge the notion of "migration as adaptation" and emphasize the importance of safeguarding the human rights and security of those affected while addressing loss and damage. Without significant investments in such efforts, climate impacts could sharply diminish the well-being of numerous subsistence farmers worldwide—irrespective of whether they stay or migrate.
At the Crossroads of the Earth and the Sky: An Andean Cosmology
by Gary UrtonBased on fieldwork in Misminay, Peru, Gary Urton details a cosmology in which the Milky Way is central. This is the first study that provides a description and analysis of the astronomical and cosmological system in a contemporary community in the Americas.
At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe’s First Seconds (Science Essentials #32)
by Dan HooperA new look at the first few seconds after the Big Bang—and how research into these moments continues to revolutionize our understanding of our universeScientists in the past few decades have made crucial discoveries about how our cosmos evolved over the past 13.8 billion years. But there remains a critical gap in our knowledge: we still know very little about what happened in the first seconds after the Big Bang. At the Edge of Time focuses on what we have recently learned and are still striving to understand about this most essential and mysterious period of time at the beginning of cosmic history.Taking readers into the remarkable world of cosmology, Dan Hooper describes many of the extraordinary and perplexing questions that scientists are asking about the origin and nature of our world. Hooper examines how we are using the Large Hadron Collider and other experiments to re-create the conditions of the Big Bang and test promising theories for how and why our universe came to contain so much matter and so little antimatter. We may be poised to finally discover how dark matter was formed during our universe’s first moments, and, with new telescopes, we are also lifting the veil on the era of cosmic inflation, which led to the creation of our world as we know it.Wrestling with the mysteries surrounding the initial moments that followed the Big Bang, At the Edge of Time presents an accessible investigation of our universe and its origin.
At the Edge of Uncertainty: 11 Discoveries Taking Science by Surprise
by Michael BrooksThe bestselling author of Free Radicals takes readers on a whirlwind tour of the most controversial areas of modern science The atom. The Big Bang. DNA. Natural selection. All are ideas that have revolutionized science--and all were dismissed out of hand when they first appeared. The surprises haven't stopped in recent years, and in At the Edge of Uncertainty, bestselling author Michael Brooks investigates the new wave of radical insights that are shaping the future of scientific discovery. Brooks takes us to the extreme frontiers of what we understand about the world. He journeys from the observations that might rewrite our story of how the cosmos came to be, through the novel biology behind our will to live, and on to the physiological root of consciousness. Along the way, he examines how it's time to redress the gender imbalance in clinical trials, explores how merging humans with other species might provide a solution to the shortage of organ donors, and finds out whether the universe really is like a computer or if the flow of time is a mere illusion.
At the Foundations of Bioethics and Biopolitics: Critical Essays on the Thought of H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr. (Philosophy and Medicine #125)
by Lisa M. Rasmussen Ana Iltis Mark J. CherryThis volume brings together a set of critical essays on the thought of Professor Doctor H. Tristram Engelhardt Junior, Co-Founding Editor of the Philosophy and Medicine book series. Amongst the founders of bioethics, Professor Engelhardt, Jr. looms large. Many of his books and articles have appeared in multiple languages, including Italian, Romanian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese. The essays in this book focus critically on a wide swath of his work, in the process elucidating, critiquing, and/or commending the rigor and reach of his thought. This volume compasses analyses of many different aspects of Engelhardt's work, including social and political philosophy, biopolitics, the philosophy of medicine, and bioethics. It brings together internationally known scholars to assess key elements of Engelhardt's work.
At the Frontier of Spacetime: Scalar-Tensor Theory, Bells Inequality, Machs Principle, Exotic Smoothness (Fundamental Theories of Physics #183)
by Torsten Asselmeyer-MalugaIn this book, leading theorists present new contributions and reviews addressing longstanding challenges and ongoing progress in spacetime physics. In the anniversary year of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, developed 100 years ago, this collection reflects the subsequent and continuing fruitful development of spacetime theories. The volume is published in honour of Carl Brans on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Carl H. Brans, who also contributes personally, is a creative and independent researcher and one of the founders of the scalar-tensor theory, also known as Jordan-Brans-Dicke theory. In the present book, much space is devoted to scalar-tensor theories. Since the beginning of the 1990s, Brans has worked on new models of spacetime, collectively known as exotic smoothness, a field largely established by him. In this Festschrift, one finds an outstanding and unique collection of articles about exotic smoothness. Also featured are Bell's inequality and Mach's principle. Personal memories and historical aspects round off the collection.
At the Hand of Man
by Raymond BonnerDefying conventional wisdom even as it makes an impassioned plea for moral common sense, this book by an award-winning journalist sheds a new light on the history and politics of the African conservation movement. The book will anger and inspire anyone who cares about African wildlife and the people whose future is intertwined with the fate of these animals.
At the Heart of the Coral Triangle: Celebrating Biodiversity
by Alan J Powderham Sancia van der MeijThe Coral Triangle, straddling the confluence of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, harbours the greatest biodiversity of marine life on the planet. It is home to a wondrous variety, including 75% of the world's coral species and around 2500 species of fish. The biological and environmental diversity is driven by the volcanically active and complex geology of the so called 'Ring of Fire'. Habitats range from underwater slopes of volcanic black sand to extensive coral reefs in atolls and vast calderas. While clearly vulnerable to increasing global threats such as climate change, pollution and overfishing, the Coral Triangle currently features some the richest coral reefs in the world. With stunning photography supported by an engaging and accessible text, this book highlights and celebrates this biodiversity along with the underlying message that it needs our care and protection before it is too late.