Kategoria BISAC: Science >> Weights & Measures

What is temperature, and how can we measure it correctly? These may seem like simple questions, but the most renowned scientists struggled with them throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In Inventing Temperature, Chang examines how scientists first created thermometers; how they measured temperature beyond the reach of standard thermometers; and how they managed to assess the reliability and accuracy of these instruments without a circular reliance on the instruments themselves.

In a discussion that brings together the history of science with the philosophy of science, Chang...

The major objective of this book is to give methods for estimating errors and uncertainties of real measurements: measurements that are performed in industry, commerce, and experimental research. This book is needed because the existing theory of measurement errors was historically developed as an abstract mathematical discipline. As a result, this theory allows estimation of uncertainties of some ideal measurements only and is not applicable to most practical cases. In particular, it is not applicable to single measurements. This situation did not bother mathematicians, whereas engineers,...

The Analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) is the most pervasive block in electronic systems. With the advent of powerful digital signal processing and digital communication techniques, ADCs are fast becoming critical components for system s performance and flexibility. Knowing accurately all the parameters that characterise their dynamic behaviour is crucial, on one hand to select the most adequate ADC architecture and characteristics for each end application, and on the other hand, to understand how they affect performance bottlenecks in the signal processing chain.

Dynamic...

In June 1792, amidst the chaos of the French Revolution, two intrepid astronomers set out in opposite directions on an extraordinary journey. Starting in Paris, Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Delambre would make his way north to Dunkirk, while Pierre-Francois-Andre Mechain voyaged south to Barcelona. Their mission was to measure the world, and their findings would help define the meter as one ten-millionth of the distance between the pole and the equator--a standard that would be used "for all people, for all time."

The Measure of All Things is the astonishing tale of one of history's...

Synchrotron Techniques in Interfacial Chemistry covers the structure of the electrode--solution interface and surface films, theory of X-ray scattering at surfaces and interfaces, synchrotron radiation instrumentation, surface X-ray diffraction, X-ray reflectivity, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS and XANES), standing wave techniques, and IR spectroscopy. The use of each technique in the study of electrochemical problems is illustrated.

Nanoscale Probes of the Solid--Liquid Interface deals with the use of the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and related instrumentation to examine the phenomena occurring at the interface between solid and liquid.
Scanning probe microscopy (the collective term for such instruments as the STM, the atomic force microscope and related instrumentation) allows detailed, real space atomic or lattice scale insight into surface structures, information which is ideally correlated with surface reactivity. The use of SPM methods is not restricted to ultrahigh vacuum: the STM and AFM...

The characteristics of electrical contacts have long attracted the attention of researchers since these contacts are used in every electrical and electronic device. Earlier studies generally considered electrical contacts of large dimensions, having regions of current concentration with diameters substantially larger than the characteristic dimensions of the material: the interatomic distance, the mean free path for electrons, the coherence length in the superconducting state, etc. 110]. The development of microelectronics presented to scientists and engineers the task of studying the...

A discussion of recently developed experimental methods for noise research in nanoscale electronic devices, conducted by specialists in transport and stochastic phenomena in nanoscale physics. The approach described is to create methods for experimental observations of noise sources, their localization and their frequency spectrum, voltage-current and thermal dependences. Our current knowledge of measurement methods for mesoscopic devices is summarized to identify directions for future research, related to downscaling effects.

The directions for future research into fluctuation...

Atthiswriting the Cassini spacecraft has ?redits engine and successfully inserted itself andits precious cargoof scienti?c instruments into orbit, the ?rst step of its exploration of the Saturnian system. The suspense is not over, however. While excitingimages of therings have been captured, anexotic composition of Phoebe sensedby themapping spectrometer and unexpectedpanoply of magneticwaves andplasma dynamics encountered on the incoming trajectory andinitial orbit, the Huygensprobeisstillonboardandthe?rstclose?ybyofTitanhasnottakenplace. Not until Christmas Day will the probe...

Nearly one half of the point-like gamma-ray sources detected by EGRET instrument of the late Compton satellite are still defeating our attempts at identifying them. To establish the origin and nature of these enigmatic sources has become a major problem of current high-energy astrophysics. The second workshop on Multiwavelength Approach to Unidentified Gamma-ray Sources intends to shed new and fresh light on the problem of the nature of the unidentified gamma-ray sources.

The proceedings contain 46 contributed papers in this subject, which cover theoretical models on gamma-ray...

Scientific research involving neutrons or synchrotron radiation is performed in large experimental installations at a few sites around the world. Taking full advantage of such techniques requires a wide range of specialized expertise not found in any university course. Therefore, there is a need for reference books and training courses to introduce young scientists to the underlying principles and methods.

Neutron and X-Ray Spectroscopy delivers an up-to-date account of the principles and practice of inelastic and spectroscopic methods available at neutron and...

Civil infrastructure systems are generally the most expensive assets in any country, and these systems are deteriorating at an alarming rate. In addition, these systems have a long service life in comparison to most other commercial products. As well, the introduction of intelligent materials and innovative design approaches in these systems is painfully slow due to heavy relianceon traditional construction and maintenance practices, and the conservative nature of design codes. Feedback on the "state of the health" of constructed systems is practically nonexistent. In the quest for lighter,...

These proceedings contain the presentations and results of several discussions of the workshop on Detection and Disposal of Improvised Explosives held in St.-Petersburg, Russia, September 7-9, 2005. This Advanced Research Workshop was the fourth event concerning Detection of Explosives in connection with counter terrorism. After the first three workshops, dealing with vapor and trace detection, electronic nose detection and detection of bulk explosives, this workshop was devoted to the detection of Improvise Explosives including: Methods of detection of Improvised Explosives (IE). Methods of...

These proceedings contain the presentations and results of several discussions of the workshop on Detection and Disposal of Improvised Explosives held in St.-Petersburg, Russia, September 7-9, 2005. This Advanced Research Workshop was the fourth event concerning Detection of Explosives in connection with counter terrorism. After the first three workshops, dealing with vapor and trace detection, electronic nose detection and detection of bulk explosives, this workshop was devoted to the detection of Improvise Explosives including: Methods of detection of Improvised Explosives (IE). Methods of...

The "NATO Advanced Research Workshop on radiation detectors for medical imaging," held in Alushta (Crimea, Ukraine) in September 2005 was a unique event and I am very pleased that the proceedings are published in the prestigious NATO Security Through Science series. Since their discovery by Becquerel and Rontgen, radiation and radiation detectors have played an ever more important role in medical diagnostics and therapy. The spirit of such NATO workshops is to give an overview of the present state of the field, rather than to bring the latest research results. We have been very lucky to have...