Problems in Classical and Quantum Mechanics: Extracting the Underlying Concepts

ISBN-13: 9783319466620 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 368 str.

J. Daniel Kelley; Jacob J. Leventhal

Opis

This book is a collection of problems that are intended to aid students in graduate and undergraduate courses in Classical and Quantum Physics. It is also intended to be a study aid for students that are preparing for the PhD qualifying exam. Many of the included problems are of a type that could be on a qualifying exam. Others are meant to elucidate important concepts. Unlike other compilations of problems, the detailed solutions are often accompanied by discussions that reach beyond the specific problem.The solution of the problem is only the beginning of the learning process--it is by manipulation of the solution and changing of the parameters that a great deal of insight can be gleaned. The authors refer to this technique as "massaging the problem," and it is an approach that the authors feel increases the pedagogical value of any problem.

Recenzje

"The book under review is a collection of problems in classical and quantum mechanics. ... The problems in the book are stated clearly and sometimes illustrated by graphs and sketches of the problem at hand, in particular in the part on classical mechanics. ... Students preparing for an exam in classical mechanics or quantum mechanics will certainly find this book useful." (Monika Winklmeier, zbMATH 1391.81001, 2018)

Spis treści

Classical Mechanics.- Newtonian Physics.- Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Dynamics.- Central Forces and Orbits.- Normal Modes and Coordinates.- Quantum Mechanics.- Introductory Concepts.- Bound States in One Dimension.- Ladder Operators for the Harmonic Oscillator.- Angular Momentum.- Bound states in Three Dimensions.- Approximation Methods.- The Variational Method.- Non-degenerate Time Independent Perturbation Theory.- Degenerate Time Independent Perturbation Theory.- Time Dependent Perturbation Theory.

O autorze

J. Daniel Kelley received a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Georgetown University, and then joined Brookhaven National Laboratory, studying molecular collision theory. He next joined the McDonnell Douglas/Boeing Research Laboratory, working on projects ranging from analytical chemistry to laser development, and simultaneously served as an Adjunct Professor in the Chemistry and Physics Departments at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After retirement as a Boeing Technical Fellow in 2001, Dr. Kelley spent two years as a Visiting Scholar in the Thermosciences Division at Stanford University, and has been a consultant to Boeing, NASA and the University of Minnesota.

Jacob J. Leventhal received his Ph.D. in 1965 from the University of Florida, after which he became a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He joined the faculty at the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 1968 where he taught physics and conducted a research program in experimental atomic and molecular physics. He retired to Emeritus Status in 2015. During his career he published more than 100 research papers and is a co-author of Topics in Atomic Physics (Springer 2005) and Foundations of Quantum Physics (Springer 2008).

Blurb

This book is a collection of problems intended to aid students in their graduate courses in physics and in preparing for the PhD qualifying exam. Thus, the included problems are of the type that could be on a qualifying exam or are problems that are meant to elucidate a principle that is important for the exam. Unlike other compilations of problems, the problems in this text are placed in the broader context of the subject.
The goal of the book is to develop the problem solving skills of the reader to insure a complete understanding of the physics. Problems and solutions are presented in detail, and, additionally, their significance is discussed within the context of the physical principle(s) that they illustrate. The solution of the problem is only the beginning of the learning process--it is in manipulating the solution and changing the parameters that a great deal of insight can be gleaned. This technique is referred to by the authors as "massaging the problem," and it is a technique that the authors have found to considerably increase the pedagogical value of any problem.