Quantum Physics: A Text for Graduate Students (Graduate Texts in Contemporary Physics) - Hardcover

Newton, Roger G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0387954732 ISBN 13: 9780387954738

Publisher: Springer, 2002

Synopsis

The combination of quantum mechanics and quantum ?eld theory cons- tutesthemostrevolutionaryandin?uentialphysicaltheoryofthetwentieth century. Itsimpactisfeltnotonlyinalmostallothersciences,butthefruits of its application are ubiquitous in everyday life. This textbook is designed to teach graduate students the underlying quantum-physical ideas, their mathematical formulations, and the basic problem-solving techniques of the discipline. It assumes they have taken at least one introductory course in quantum mechanics as undergraduates and are familiar with the history of the subject and the basic experimental evidence that led to its adoption, as well as with many of its fundamental notions. In contrast to most other authors, I am therefore not introducing the quantum theory via an hist- ical survey of its early successes. Instead, following the models of books on classsical mechanics or electromagnetism, I develop the theory from its basic assumptions, beginning with statics, followed by the dynamics and details of its speci?c areas of use as well as the needed mathematical te- niques. Although this book, inevitably, deals largely with the behavior of point particles under various conditions, I do not regard particles as the fun- mental entities of the universe: the most basic object is the quantum ?eld, with theobserved particlesarising from the?eld asitsquanta. For thisr- son I introduce quantum ?elds right from the beginning and demonstrate, in the ?rst chapter, how particles originate.

About this title

Review

From the reviews:

"I find Newton’s text comprehensive but terse... Within only 400 pages, it covers topics from such basics as the harmonic oscillator to the Dirac equation. One finds all the major areas of a standard first-year graduate curriculum... The treatments are logical and accurate, but explanations are minimal...                                                                        "The book has its high points. A section on interaction of radiation with matter is exceptionally good because the groundwork for quantization of the electromagnetic field was laid earlier. That allows for an elegant treatment of spontaneous emission. Several good exercises end each chapter, and concise, well-written appendices end the book...    "I would recommend Newton’s book more as a reference than as a general text..." PHYSICS TODAY

"There are many texts on quantum mechanics and one may ask if we need another. ... this book ... tackles the subject in a slightly different way. ... The great advantage ... is that the author has been able to tackle a wider range of topics. Realistic examples, even those familiar introductory examples, are done more carefully and precisely than is normal. ... I would strongly recommend lecturers and students of second or advanced quantum mechanics courses to take a look at this book." (T. Evans, Contemporary Physics, Vol. 45 (3), 2004)

"Roger Newton has had a distinguished career in physics, with several significant contributions to scattering theory and high-energy physics. ... His new book, Quantum Physics: A text for Graduate Students, faces stiff competition in an area already crowded with excellent texts. ... I find Newton’s text comprehensive ... . Several good exercises end each chapter, and concise, well-written appendices end the book. ... I would recommend Newton’s book ... ." (N. G. Deshpande, Physics Today, August, 2003)

"Even with the extensive amount of books and monographs on quantum mechanics, the present text has a special place. It is original and presents typical material that quite often appears in the first quantum mechanical course ... in totally different ‘light’. ... this volume should not miss in any serious library having a section on quantum mechanics and quantum field theory." (Kris Heyde, Physicalia, Vol. 25 (4), 2003)

"Newton provides a fresh approach to the foundations and interpretation of quantum physics. ... There are problems and exercises throughout the text and at the end of each chapter." (C. M. Savage, The Physicist, Vol. 40 (2), 2003)

Synopsis

This text develops quantum theory from its basic assumptions, beginning with statics, followed by dynamics and details of applications and the needed computational techniques. The discussion is based on the view that the fundamental entities of the universe are not particles but fields, with the observed particles arising as their quanta. Quantum fields are thus introduced from the beginning, with a discussion of how they produce quanta that manifest themselves as particles. Most of the book, of course, deals with particle systems, as that is where most of the applications lie; the treatment of quantum field theory is confined to fundamental ideas and their consequences. For developing quantum dynamics, the author uses the Lagrangian technique with the principle of stationary action. The roots of this approach, which includes generating the canonical commutation rules, go back to a course taught by Julian Schwinger, filtered through many years of the authors own teaching.

The text emphasizes that the wave function does not exist in physical three-dimensional space, but in configuration space, and it points out that the probabilistic features of the theory arise not from a lack of determinism but from the definition of the "state" of a system, so that many, though not all, of the counterintuitive aspects of quantum mechanics arise from its probabilistic nature and are shared by other probabilistic theories such as classical statistical mechanics.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387954732
• ISBN 13: 9780387954738
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 428