In a Nutshell (Princeton University Press)

Christopher G. Tully is professor of physics at Princeton University. A leading expert in the Standard Model Higgs boson search, he has made major contributions to high-energy collider programs at CERN and Fermilab. An introduction to high-energy physics that prepares students to understand the experimental frontier The new experiments underway at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland may significantly change our understanding of elementary particle physics and, indeed, the universe. This textbook provides a cutting-edge introduction to the field, preparing first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates to understand and work in LHC physics at the dawn of what promises to be an era of experimental and theoretical breakthroughs. Christopher Tully, an active participant in the work at the LHC, explains some of the most recent experiments in the field. But this book, which emerged from a course at Princeton University, also provides a comprehensive understanding of the subject. It explains every elementary particle physics process-whether it concerns nonaccelerator experiments, particle astrophysics, or the description of the early universe-as a gauge interaction coupled to the known building blocks of matter. Designed for a one-semester course that is complementary to a course in quantum field theory, the book gives special attention to high-energy collider physics, and includes a detailed discussion of the state of the search for the Higgs boson. • Introduces elementary particle processes relevant to astrophysics, collider physics, and the physics of the early universe • Covers experimental methods, detectors, and measurements • Features a detailed discussion of the Higgs boson search • Includes many challenging exercises Professors: A supplementary Instructor's Manual which provides solutions for Chapters 1-3 of the textbook, is available as a PDF. It is restricted to teachers using the text in courses. To obtain a copy, please email your request to: Ingrid_Gnerlich "at" press.princeton.edu. "{T}he book is a valuable and important addition to libraries, personal and institutional. It would serve as an excellent textbook to students taking up research in elementary particle physics and also as a reference volume."---B. Ananthanarayan, Current Science "This is a remarkable book in its breadth and depth, with many beautiful and useful things in it. It provides a very timely introduction to the physics of the LHC era with clarity and sophistication."-Henry J. Frisch, University of Chicago "Tully's book provides a new perspective on elementary particle physics as the era of the LHC begins. Elementary Particle Physics in a Nutshell gives the starting student or seasoned practitioner the substance and style of LHC physics while also giving the development of the Standard Model its due. The author has been painstaking in the exposition of paradoxes that are not normally discussed in texts at this level. A superb book."-Peter Fisher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gerald D. Mahan is Distinguished Professor of Physics at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of two previous physics textbooks, Many-Particle Physics and Applied Mathematics. Covering the fundamentals as well as many special topics of current interest, this is the most concise, up-to-date, and accessible graduate-level textbook on quantum mechanics available. Written by Gerald Mahan, a distinguished research physicist and author of an acclaimed textbook on many-particle physics, Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell is the distillation of many years' teaching experience. Emphasizing the use of quantum mechanics to describe actual quantum systems such as atoms and solids, and rich with interesting applications, the book proceeds from solving for the properties of a single particle in potential; to solving for two particles (the helium atom); to addressing many-particle systems. Applications include electron gas, magnetism, and Bose-Einstein Condensation; examples are carefully chosen and worked; and each chapter has numerous homework problems, many of them original. Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell expertly addresses traditional and modern topics, including perturbation theory, WKBJ, variational methods, angular momentum, the Dirac equation, many-particle wave functions, Casimir Force, and Bell's Theorem. And it treats many topics--such as the interactions between photons and electrons, scattering theory, and density functional theory--in exceptional depth. A valuable addition to the teaching literature, Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell is ideally suited for a two-semester course. • The most concise, up-to-date, and accessible graduate textbook on the subject • Contains the ideal amount of material for a two-semester course • Focuses on the description of actual quantum systems, including a range of applications • Covers traditional topics, as well as those at the frontiers of research • Treats in unprecedented detail topics such as photon-electron interaction, scattering theory, and density functional theory • Includes numerous homework problems at the end of each chapter "Praises in no way can do full justice to the strength and detail of Mahan's well crafted and superb nutshell book. I found the book fascinating, stimulating and convincing and one can easily observe that the book is bursting with intellectual energy and ambition. I am not a rated scientist but as a student and follower of science and scientific projects since the beginning of my academic career, I have come across several books of topical interest but this time I enjoyed Quantum Mechanics in A Nutshell as a whole for its intelligence and manner of treatment of topics. All said and done, it is a book that can be enjoyed by any science student interested in quantum mechanics."---Uwe C. Tauber, Current Engineering Practice "{A} comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of quantum mechanics." "This book, in spite of 11 chapters densely written, consists of a quick and very readable presentation of basic principles and an impressive number of applications of quantum mechanics. It can be profitably used in courses for beginning, intermediate and, in some cases, advanced students of physics."---Valter Moretti, Zentralblatt MATH "This is an excellent textbook, written in a very readable style, and it should be perfectly accessible to beginning and intermediate physics graduate students. Gerald Mahan, the author of an acclaimed textbook on many-particle theory, has taught quantum mechanics extensively, and his thorough knowledge and deep understanding of the material is evident in every chapter of Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell. Its examples are excellently worked out and it has many interesting homework problems."-Uwe C. Tauber, Virginia Tech "This book compares well with other graduate textbooks on quantum mechanics, and I will seriously consider adopting it the next time I teach the

A fully updated edition of the classic text by acclaimed physicist A. Zee Since it was first published, Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell has quickly established itself as the most accessible and comprehensive introduction to this profound and deeply fascinating area of theoretical physics. Now in this fully revised and expanded edition, A. Zee covers the latest advances while providing a solid conceptual foundation for students to build on, making this the most up-to-date and modern textbook on quantum field theory available. This expanded edition features several additional chapters, as well as an entirely new section describing recent developments in quantum field theory such as gravitational waves, the helicity spinor formalism, on-shell gluon scattering, recursion relations for amplitudes with complex momenta, and the hidden connection between Yang-Mills theory and Einstein gravity. Zee also provides added exercises, explanations, and examples, as well as detailed appendices, solutions to selected exercises, and suggestions for further reading. • The most accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook available • Features a fully revised, updated, and expanded text • Covers the latest exciting advances in the field • Includes new exercises • Offers a one-of-a-kind resource for students and researchers Leading universities that have adopted this book include: • Arizona State University • Boston University • Brandeis University • Brown University • California Institute of Technology • Carnegie Mellon • College of William & Mary • Cornell • Harvard University • Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Northwestern University • Ohio State University • Princeton University • Purdue University - Main Campus • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rutgers University - New Brunswick • Stanford University • University of California - Berkeley • University of Central Florida • University of Chicago • University of Michigan • University of Montreal • University of Notre Dame • Vanderbilt University • Virginia Tech University A. Zee is professor of physics and a permanent member of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His books include Fearful Symmetry: The Search for Beauty in Modern Physics (Princeton). "A beautiful exposition of the way modern field theorists think about quantum field theory, packed with insights and physical intuition. Zee's book should be required reading for every serious student of the subject."-Nima Arkani-Hamed, Institute for Advanced Study "Every theoretical physicist and every university library should own this book." "This is quantum field theory taught at the knee of . . . one who loves the grandeur of his subject, has a keen eye for a slick argument, and is eager to share his repertoire of anecdotes about Feynman, Fermi, and all of his heroes. . . . Zee misses no opportunity to point out that an argument he gives opens the door to some deeper subject that he encourages the reader to explore. . . . {Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell} helps them love the subject and race to its frontier."---Michael E. Peskin, Classical and Quantum Gravity "{T}his is an excellent and unique introduction to quantum field theory. It takes a lot of work, and capable but less confident students would need a great deal of guidance, but it is a beautiful text written with infectious enthusiasm, and I thoroughly recommend it."---S. Virmani, Contemporary Physics "{This} is an excellent invitation to the wide area of modern quantum field theory, and even provides the mature field theoretician with interesting insights and connections. To the curious student, it is a near-perfect companion to spice up the world of quantum field theory, especially particle physics, beyond the standard presentations. . . . It is definitely highly recommendable to anyone who wants to have a bo

A comprehensive, modern introduction to electromagnetism This graduate-level physics textbook provides a comprehensive treatment of the basic principles and phenomena of classical electromagnetism. While many electromagnetism texts use the subject to teach mathematical methods of physics, here the emphasis is on the physical ideas themselves. Anupam Garg distinguishes between electromagnetism in vacuum and that in material media, stressing that the core physical questions are different for each. In vacuum, the focus is on the fundamental content of electromagnetic laws, symmetries, conservation laws, and the implications for phenomena such as radiation and light. In material media, the focus is on understanding the response of the media to imposed fields, the attendant constitutive relations, and the phenomena encountered in different types of media such as dielectrics, ferromagnets, and conductors. The text includes applications to many topical subjects, such as magnetic levitation, plasmas, laser beams, and synchrotrons. Classical Electromagnetism in a Nutshell is ideal for a yearlong graduate course and features more than 300 problems, with solutions to many of the advanced ones. Key formulas are given in both SI and Gaussian units; the book includes a discussion of how to convert between them, making it accessible to adherents of both systems. • Offers a complete treatment of classical electromagnetism • Emphasizes physical ideas • Separates the treatment of electromagnetism in vacuum and material media • Presents key formulas in both SI and Gaussian units • Covers applications to other areas of physics • Includes more than 300 problems Anupam Garg is professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern University. "This text provides a fresh, modern look at electrodynamics. It is comprehensive, chock full of interesting insights and anecdotes, and written with a clear enthusiasm."-Kenneth A. Intriligator, University of California, San Diego "Garg displays considerable wisdom and courage in writing a long-overdue, modern treatment of electromagnetism. I wish I had this book when I was a student. It contains delightful morsels of deep insight (the introduction taught me that fields are as real as a rhinoceros, or as I might extend it, 'quantum fields are as real as quantum rhinos') and interesting topics that are rarely, if ever, treated in other texts."-A. Zee, author of Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell "Garg demonstrates that while the mathematical beauty of his subject is deserving of the attention it gets, the physical implications are even more seductive. This book is a treasure trove of thoughtful and incisive nuggets. I expect to see it on the shelves of many students and professors the world over."-R. Shankar, Yale University "An outstanding text. It offers delightful insights into the physics of electromagnetism rather than treating this subject as an excuse for laborious exercises in mathematical methods. It has the best treatment of electromagnetism in material media that I know. Remarkably lucid and enjoyable, and a worthy competitor to Jackson's classic text."-Jainendra Jain, Pennsylvania State University "Classical Electromagnetism in a Nutshell is an interesting and elegant book, and an excellent text for a graduate-level course on the subject. Garg has a lively, modern writing style that will engage today's graduate students."-John D. Stack, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign "Garg's textbook is truly excellent. It goes the extra mile to provide physical insight in ways that will enhance students' understanding, and includes rarely seen topics as well. I want to compliment the author on the obvious care and expertise with which he assembled this text. If I were to teach a yearlong graduate-level electromagnetism course, I would use this book."-John W. Belcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This is a very comp