The Concept of Matter: A Journey from Antiquity to Quantum Physics

ISBN-13: 9783031365577 / Angielski

Florestano Evangelisti

Opis

Our current concept of matter, one of scientific research's greatest successes, represents a long journey, from questions posed during the birth of philosophy in Ancient Greece to recent advances in physics and chemistry, including Quantum Physics. This book outlines that journey. The book has three parts, each detailing a phase of the journey. The first saw the development of a conception based on "classical" physics; the second saw the construction of the "old" quantum theory attempting to explain the mysterious properties of matter, resulting in formulation of the "new" quantum theory; the third saw the formation of the modern conception of matter, based on quantum mechanics. Along the way, various topics are discussed, including: rediscovery and appropriation of antiquity by Western culture in the modern era; the subsequent revision process in the 16th and 17th centuries and the new experiments and theories of the 18th; attempts to understand the mysterious properties of matter that could not be explained by classical physics; the first quantization hypotheses; discovery of new purely "quantum-mechanical" properties of matter; and the ultimate clarification of atomic structure. This book is aimed at anyone who wants a clear picture of how we arrived at the modern conception of matter.

Spis treści

Chapter 1. Introduction.- PART I. Matter and Classical Science.- Chapter 2. The legacy of antiquity.- Chapter 3. Matter at the beginning of the scientific revolution.- Chapter 4. Matter in the seventeenth century.- Chapter 5. Matter in the eighteenth century.- Chapter 6. Matter and Electricity.- Chapter 7. Chemistry and matter in the nineteenth century.- Chapter 8. Physics and  matter in the nineteenth century.-  PART II: Matter and Old Quantum Theory.- Chapter 9. The Apperance of Quanta.- Chapter 10. Bohr' s atom.- Chapter 11. Electrons and atoms.-  PART III: Quantum Mechanical Representation of Matter.-  Chapter 12. Quantum atoms and molecules.- chapter 13. Solid matter.- Chapter 14. Semiconductors.- Appendix A. On Gases and water.- Appendix B. On nineteenth century Physics.- Appendix C. On old quantum theory.- Appendix D. On matter and quantum mechanics.-  Index.

O autorze

Florestano Evangelisti is a retired professor of condensed matter physics. He taught at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" until 1992, when he moved to the University of Rome TRE, of which he was one of the founders. His research activity dealt with different topics of both basic and applied research, mainly devoted to electronic, optical and structural properties of semiconductors. He is co-author of more than 180 articles published in international physics journals.