Crucial Experiments In Modern Physics

A revision of the leading text on experimental physics. The feature of this book that has made it one of the most loved texts on the subject is that it goes far beyond a mere description of key experiments in physics. The author successfully provides the reader with an understanding and appreciation of the 'physics' behind the experiments. The second edition will be an extensive revision introducing many new devices, including the use of computers and software programs, that have come into use since the publication of the first edition. In addition the important areas of condensed matter physics and optical physics will be added, including two entirely new chapters on lasers and optics. Modern analysis and acquisition techniques Integration with matlab for data analysis and display New experiments include fundamentals of lasers

'The book should be an interesting read for advanced students within the field and for experts working in it.'Contemporary PhysicsIn 1887, Michelson and Morley tried to observe in laboratory the 'ether drift' by measuring a small difference in the velocity of two perpendicular light beams. The result of their measurements, however, was much smaller than the classical prediction and interpreted as a 'null result'. This was crucial to stimulate the first pioneering formulations of relativity and, as such, it represents a fundamental step in the history of science. Since then, many repetitions of that original experiment have been performed with better and better sensitivity and the standard conclusion has been always the same: no genuine ether drift has ever been detected. However, in the authors' new scheme, the small irregular residuals observed in laboratory show surprising correlations with the direct observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) with satellites in space. This opens the possibility of finally linking the CMB to a fundamental reference frame for relativity, with substantial implications for the interpretation of non-locality in the quantum theory. The importance of the issue would require new dedicated experimental tests and significant improvements in the data analysis. Otherwise, without such more stringent checks, these crucial experiments will remain forever as an enigma for physics and the history of science. The book illustrates the many facets of this research together with historical accounts on some leading scientists involved in these measurements.

Physics was the leading science of the twentieth century and the book retraces important discoveries, made between 1895 and 2001, in 100 self-contained Episodes. Each is a short story of the scientists involved, their time and their work. The book is richly illustrated by about 600 portraits, photographs and figures.

The present text is an outgrowth of such a laboratory course given by the author at the University of Rochester between 1959 and 1963. It consisted of a one-year course with two 3-hour meetings in the laboratory and two 1-hour lecture meetings weekly; the students had access to the laboratory at all

Starting with Galileo's experiments with motion, this study of 25 crucial discoveries includes Newton's laws of motion, Chadwick's study of the neutron, Hertz on electromagnetic waves, and more.

The physics that integrates the principles of quantum mechanics and Einsteinian relativity is known as modern physics. It is crucial for understanding phenomena at extreme conditions. Quantum effects are exhibited at distances comparable to the size of atoms, and relativistic effects are seen for velocities approaching the speed of light. Although relativistic and quantum effects are present across all scales, the effects are often negligible. The concepts of black-body radiation, Franck-Hertz experiment, photoelectric effect, Stern-Gerlach experiment, etc. are fundamental to the development of modern physics from a framework of quantum physics. Similarly, relativistic physics develops from an understanding of the Michelson-Morley experiment, gravitational lensing and the perihelion precession of Mercury. This book provides comprehensive insights into the field of modern physics. It elucidates the concepts and innovative models around prospective developments with respect to this field. For someone with an interest and eye for detail, this book covers the most significant topics in modern physics.