An Introduction To Special Relativity For Radiation And Plasma Physics

This textbook introduces the topic of special relativity, with a particular emphasis upon light-matter interaction and the production of light in plasma. The physics of special relativity is intuitively developed and related to the radiative processes of light. The book reviews the underlying theory of special relativity, before extending the discussion to applications frequently encountered by postgraduates and researchers in astrophysics, high power laser interactions and the users of specialized light sources, such as synchrotrons and free electron lasers. A highly pedagogical approach is adopted throughout, and numerous exercises are included within each chapter to reinforce the presentation of key concepts and applications of the material.

An introduction to special relativity and its applications, with an emphasis on the interaction and production of light in plasma.

It is now nearly a century since special relativity reconciled seventeenth century dynamics and nineteenth century electromagnetism, yet physics students are almost invariably introduced to the subject as “MODERN PHYSICS” — and something of a mystery.This book, instead, treats special relativity as a useful branch of physics rather than as an astounding novelty. The emphasis is on its dynamical consequences, its effect on quantum mechanics (with all that this implies for chemistry and biology), the new insights that it provides in electromagnetism and its utility in problems such as calculating radiation from fast-moving charged particles. To avoid giving the impression that relativity somehow eliminates the distinction between time and space, 4-vector notation is not used until the latter part of the book.Since all the consequences of relativity arise from the Lorentz transformation, more than usual care is taken to show how it arises from simple notions about the uniformity of space and time, and the absence of any universal reference system at absolute rest. Recent studies in dynamics stress the critical difference between linearity and nonlinearity and so there is a proof that the transformation must be linear, something ignored by almost every other book on the subject.

Problems and answers to problems

This book presents Special Relativity in a language accessible to students while avoiding the burdens of geometry, tensor calculus, space-time symmetries, and the introduction of four vectors. The search for clarity in the fundamental questions about Relativity, the discussion of historical developments before and after 1905, the strong connection to current research topics, many solved examples and problems, and illustrations of the material in colloquial discussions are the most significant and original assets of this book. Importantly for first-time students, Special Relativity is presented such that nothing needs to be called paradoxical or apparent; everything is explained. The content of this volume develops and builds on the book Relativity Matters (Springer, 2017). However, this presentation of Special Relativity does not require 4-vector tools. The relevant material has been extended and reformulated, with additional examples and clarifications. This introduction of Special Relativity offers conceptual insights reaching well beyond the usual method of teaching relativity. It considers relevant developments after the discovery of General Relativity (which itself is not presented), and advances the reader into contemporary research fields. This presentation of Special Relativity is connected to present day research topics in particle, nuclear, and high intensity pulsed laser physics and is complemented by the current cosmological perspective. The conceptual reach of Special Relativity today extends significantly further compared even to a few decades ago. As the book progresses, the qualitative and historical introduction turns into a textbook-style presentation with many detailed results derived in an explicit manner. The reader reaching the end of this text needs knowledge of classical mechanics, a good command of elementary algebra, basic knowledge of calculus, and introductory know-how of electromagnetism.

Radiative Processes in Astrophysics: This clear, straightforward, and fundamental introduction is designed to present-from a physicist's point of view-radiation processes and their applications to astrophysical phenomena and space science. It covers such topics as radiative transfer theory, relativistic covariance and kinematics, bremsstrahlung radiation, synchrotron radiation, Compton scattering, some plasma effects, and radiative transitions in atoms. Discussion begins with first principles, physically motivating and deriving all results rather than merely presenting finished formulae. However, a reasonably good physics background (introductory quantum mechanics, intermediate electromagnetic theory, special relativity, and some statistical mechanics) is required. Much of this prerequisite material is provided by brief reviews, making the book a self-contained reference for workers in the field as well as the ideal text for senior or first-year graduate students of astronomy, astrophysics, and related physics courses. Radiative Processes in Astrophysics also contains about 75 problems, with solutions, illustrating applications of the material and methods for calculating results. This important and integral section emphasizes physical intuition by presenting important results that are used throughout the main text; it is here that most of the practical astrophysical applications become apparent.

Synchrotron radiation is the name given to the radiation which occurs when charged particles are accelerated in a curved path or orbit. Classically, any charged particle which moves in a curved path or is accelerated in a straight-line path will emit electromagnetic radiation. Various names are given to this radiation in different contexts. Thus circular particle accelerators are called synchrotrons, this is where charged particles are accelerated to very high speeds and the radiation is referred to as synchrotron radiation. Suitable for a summer short course or one term lecture series this text introduces the subject, starting with some historical background then covering basic concepts such as flux, intensity, brilliance, emittance and Liouville's theorem. The book then covers the properties of synchrotron radiation, insertion devices, beamlines and monochromators before finishing with an introduction to free electron lasers and an overview of the most common techniques and applications of this technology.

Introduction to Plasma Physics is the standard text for an introductory lecture course on plasma physics. The text’s six sections lead readers systematically and comprehensively through the fundamentals of modern plasma physics. Sections on single-particle motion, plasmas as fluids, and collisional processes in plasmas lay the groundwork for a thorough understanding of the subject. The authors take care to place the material in its historical context for a rich understanding of the ideas presented. They also emphasize the importance of medical imaging in radiotherapy, providing a logical link to more advanced works in the area. The text includes problems, tables, and illustrations as well as a thorough index and a complete list of references.