The book presents a chronological exploration of pivotal discoveries in physics from 1895 to 2001, structured into 100 self-contained episodes. Each episode narrates the story of the scientists, their contributions, and the historical context of their work. Complemented by approximately 600 illustrations, including portraits and photographs, it offers a visually engaging and informative journey through the evolution of physics as the leading science of the twentieth century.
The book serves as a comprehensive user guide for INTERQUANTA (IQ), an interactive program designed to teach quantum mechanics. It offers a summary of various quantum mechanics topics and includes numerous exercises for hands-on learning. Users can engage with the program through exercises that simulate computer experiments or by exploring ready-made demonstrations that combine explanatory texts with graphics. No programming knowledge is necessary, as users can easily navigate the program using simple commands and extensive help resources.
The aim of this book is to explain the basic concepts and phenomena of quantum mechanics by means of visualization. Computer-generated illustrations are used extensively throughout the text, helping to establish the relation between quantum mechanics-wave functions, interference, atomic structure, and so forth-and classical physics-point mechanics, statistical mechanics, and wave optics. Even more important, by studying the pictures in parallel with the text, readers develop an intuition for such notoriously abstract phenomena as • the tunnel effect • excitation and decay of metastable states • wave packet motion within a well • systems of distinguishable and indistinguishable particles • free wave packets and scattering in three dimensions • angular momentum decomposition • stationary bound states in various three-dimensional potentials • Kepler motion of wave packets in the Coulomb field • spin and magnetic resonance Illustrations from experiments in a variety of fields, including chemistry, and molecular, atomic, nuclear, and particle physics, underline the basic as well as the practical importance of quantum mechanics. This third edition includes a CD-ROM with all illustrations from the book in full color, suitable for direct display or for printing out as posters or teaching aids. It also includes a new chapter on quantile motion and tunneling time, as well as some additional phenomena and examples.
Focusing on statistical and numerical methods, this book serves as a thorough introduction to evaluating empirical and experimental data. It features practical example programs and provides solutions to programming challenges, all implemented in Java, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to enhance their data analysis skills through hands-on coding experience.
Interactive Quantum Mechanics allows students to perform their own quantum-physics experiments on their computer, in vivid 3D color graphics. An enclosed CD-ROM contains INTERQUANTA, an innovative program created by the authors and designed to illustrate a wide range of quantum-mechanical concepts. Sections on special functions of mathematical physics, coordinate systems and units, over 300 class-tested problems with hints for solutions, and a complete user's guide to the INTERQUANTA program are also included. Book jacket.
