Ettore Majorana: Unpublished Research Notes on Theoretical Physics

ISBN-13: 9789048180738 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 452 str.

Salvatore Esposito; E. Recami; Alwyn Van Der Merwe

Opis

Without listing his works, all of which are highly notable both for the originality of the methods utilized as well as for the importance of the results achieved, we limit ourselves to the following: Inmodernnucleartheories, thecontributionmadebythisresearcher to the introduction of the forces called 'Majorana forces' is universally recognized as the one, among the most fundamental, that permits us to theoretically comprehend the reasons for nuclear stability. The work of Majorana today serves as a basis for the most important research in this ?eld. In atomic physics, the merit of having resolved some of the most - tricate questions on the structure of spectra through simple and elegant considerations of symmetry is due to Majorana. Lastly, he devised a brilliant method that permits us to treat the positive and negative electron in a symmetrical way, ?nally elimin- ing the necessity to rely on the extremely arti?cial and unsatisfactory hypothesis of an in?nitely large electrical charge di?used in space, a question that had been tackled in vain by many other scholars 4].

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"The topics covered in the Quaderni range from classical physics to quantum field theory. ... The editors inserted a minimal number of words to facilitate the reading of the calculations. I find this book extremely useful, because it signifies the importance of mathematics as a unifying tool for science as a whole. Even research physicists working in elementary particle physics will find this book of value in their pursuits." (Gert Roepstorff, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1194, 2010)

Spis treści

I.- Dirac Theory.- Quantum Electrodynamics.- II.- Atomic Physics.- Molecular Physics.- Statistical Mechanics.- III.- The Theory of Scattering.- Nuclear Physics.- IV.- Classical Physics.- Mathematical Physics.

O autorze

Erasmo Recami is a Retired Professor at Bergamo State University, Italy, and Senior Associate at INFN-Milan, Italy. His current research includes the structure of leptons, tunneling times, the application of the General Relativity methods to strong interactions, extended Special Relativity, and, in particular, the superluminal group velocities associated with evanescent waves and with the localized solutions to Maxwell Equations.

Blurb

The editors of this volume bring to life a major part of Ettore Majorana’s work that up to now was not accessible to the general audience. These are the contents of the Quaderni (notebooks) of Ettore Majorana, edited and translated in English.
Ettore Majorana had an astounding talent for Physics that made an impression on all the colleagues who had the opportunity to know him. Enrico Fermi, who took him in his group when he was a student, ranked him with Galilei and Newton. Ettore Majorana’s career was cut short in 1938, as he mysteriously disappeared at the age of 32, leaving many unpublished works.
This book reveals an interesting perspective over the points of view, the interests, the approach to physical problems of this great physicist and it shows that he had advanced his comprehension of physics to levels that were only reached by other physicists ten years after, or even later. The editors have inserted minimal text, in order to leave the original calculations by Majorana intact, and at the same time help the reader when the formalism had been left unexplained. The preface to this book provides fascinating reflections on the life and pioneering work of this exceptional physicist, placing it in the context of the physical discoveries of the following years. This book will have considerable interests to all those interested in the development of the history of Physics.

Audience:
Theoretical physicists and scholars interested in the history of Physics