الفيزياء الرياضية كتاب : Chaos in Atomic Physics

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اللؤلؤ المنثور
Chaos in Atomic Physics




R. Blümel, W. P. Reinhardt, "Chaos in Atomic Physics"
Cambridge University Press | 1997 | ISBN: 0521455022 | 342 pages | Djvu | 1,9 MB

The study of chaos is today one of the most active and prolific areas in atomic physics. This book describes the manifestations of chaos in atoms and molecules, and is an introduction to this fascinating area. The first part of the book deals with the theory and principles of classical chaos, which are then applied to actual atomic and molecular physics systems in the second part of the book. The book covers microwave-driven surface state electrons, the hydrogen atom in a strong microwave field, the kicked hydrogen atom, chaotic scattering with CsI molecules and the helium atom. The book contains many diagrams and a detailed reference list.



Summary: Lucid, pleasant introduction to the field
Rating: 5

If you're an atomic physicist, or someone interested in quantum physics in general which might have a chaotic classical regime, this is a fantastic light treatment of the subject. I think it's written clearly enough, a first year graduate student shouldn't have much difficulty with it. Any Ph.D. in physics should be able to read it. It is a start to finish survey of the field as current in 1997.

It starts off with a decent explanation of chaos in classical mechanics, leading up to what is probably the best brief treatment of chaos in quantum mechanical (and wave mechanical) systems I have ever read. You won't become an expert in 'quantum chaos' from reading chapter 4, but you will be well informed in the subject. From there, the book goes on to treat the standard models and experimental systems; the kicked rotor, the microwave ionization of hydrogen (as pioneered by Jim Bayfield and Peter Koch). It ends up with a nice treatment of the helium atom. There are a few experimental odds and ends I would have put in this chapter (easy for me to say), dealing with experimental reasons chaos in helium may be unobservable, but that's probably a silly complaint on my part.

I didn't really understand why they put in the chapter on CdI scattering; I figure diamagnetic hydrogen is a more important and interesting quantum chaotic system -I'm guessing this is because the authors did some work with this system. No accounting for taste, I suppose.

There are things I'd like to see included in such a book; I think Joe Ford's late contributions to the field were very important. For example, I do not think the "Ford paradox" has been adequately thought through by anyone, and I think it is a very important question. It should be one of the great challenges of science; it touches on the very roots of quantum mechanics (and dynamics) in a clear and compelling way. Of course, only a few of my chums have even heard of the Ford paradox, so I probably can't complain too much that B & R don't think it is important enough to talk about. Future editions should probably also treat the Loschmidt Echo, as that seemed to be a fertile area of research as to characterization of quantum chaos around the time I left the field.

All in all, this is a great example of clear, witty scientific writing on a very interesting subject.


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