Quantum Fluids And Solids

The second International Symposium on Quantum Fluids and Solids came to pass during 23-27 Jan. 1977 as the fourth and con cluding part of the seventeenth consecutive running of the Sanibel Symposium Series. With approximately 120 participants from eleven countries (including, for the first time, the USSR), we found it easy to obtain a selection of papers which was fairly comprehen sive. Indeed, our problem was an embarrassment of riches; in spite of our solemn vows not to crowd the schedule, we ended up with an intense program! By far, the majority of the papers pre sented are represented in this volume. We are indebted to many persons and organizations for their contributions to the Symposia. First, we thank Prof. Per-Olov Lowdin, Director of the Quantum Theory Project and originator of the Sanibel Symposia. Without his patient, indulgent cooperation our task would have been vastly more difficult. We are grateful to Prof. F. Eugene Dunnam, Chairman of the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, for providing Departmental support of our initial or ganlzlng expenses. Approximately one-half of the total cost of the Symposium was borne by a joint grant from the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. We thank the program officers, Dr. C. Satterthwaite and Dr. D.

An important part of this book is devoted to the description of homogenous systems, such as electron gas in different dimensions, the quantum well in an intense magnetic field, liquid helium and nuclear matter. However, the most relevant part is dedicated to the study of finite systems: metallic clusters, quantum dots, the condensate of cold and diluted atoms in magnetic traps, helium drops and nuclei. The book focuses on methods of getting good numerical approximations to energies and linear response based on approximations to first-principles Hamiltonians. These methods are illustrated and applied to Bose and Fermi systems at zero and finite temperature. Modern Many-Particle Physics is directed towards students who have taken a conventional course in quantum mechanics and possess a basic understanding of condensed matter phenomena. Readership: Graduate students in condensedmatter, nuclear and semiconductor physics, as well as nuclear, quantum and theoretical chemistry.

Boojums All the Way Through is a collection of essays that deals in a variety of ways with the problem of communicating modern physics to both physicists and non-physicists. The author is Professor David Mermin, a well-known theoretical physicist, who recently won the first Julius Edgar Lileinfeld prize of the American Physical Society 'for his remarkable clarity and wit as a lecturer to nonspecialists on difficult subjects'. David Mermin's wry humour is clearly apparent in most of these articles, but even those that are more serious are characterized by a liveliness and commitment to finding startlingly simple ways of presenting ideas that are traditionally regarded as complex. This book will appeal to physicists at all levels, to mathematicians, scientists and engineers, and indeed to anyone who enjoys reading non-technical accounts of new ways of looking at modern science.

The aim of this primer is to cover the essential theoretical information, quickly and concisely, in order to enable senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students to tackle projects in topical research areas of quantum fluids, for example, solitons, vortices and collective modes. The selection of the material, both regarding the content and level of presentation, draws on the authors analysis of the success of relevant research projects with newcomers to the field, as well as of the students feedback from many taught and self-study courses on the subject matter. Starting with a brief historical overview, this text covers particle statistics, weakly interacting condensates and their dynamics and finally superfluid helium and quantum turbulence. At the end of each chapter (apart from the first) there are some exercises. Detailed solutions can be made available to instructors upon request to the authors.

The study of quantum fluids, stimulated by the discovery of superfluidity in liquid helium, has experienced renewed interest after the observation of Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in ultra-cold atomic gases and the observation a new type of quantum fluid with specific characteristics derived from its intrinsic out-of-equilibrium nature. The main objective of this book is to take a snapshot of the state-of-the-art of this fast moving field with a special emphasis on the hot topics and new trends. Bringing together the most active specialists of the two areas (atomic and polaritonic quantum fluids), we expect that this book will facilitate the exchange and the collaboration between these two communities working on subjects with very strong analogies.