Einstein's Physics: Atoms, Quanta, and Relativity - Derived, Explained, and Appraised

by Ta-Pei Cheng

Overview

Many regard Albert Einstein as the greatest physicist since Newton. What exactly did he do that is so important in physics? We provide an introduction to his physics at a level accessible to an undergraduate physics student. All equations are worked out in detail from the beginning. Einstein's doctoral thesis and his Brownian motion paper were decisive contributions to our understanding of matter as composed of molecules and atoms. Einstein was one of the founding fathers of quantum theory: his photon proposal through the investigation of blackbody radiation, his quantum theory of photoelectric effect and specific heat, his calculation of radiation fluctuation giving the first statement of wave-particle duality, his introduction of probability in the description of quantum radiative transitions, and finally the quantum statistics and Bose-Einstein condensation. Einstein's special theory of relativity gave us the famous E=mc² relation and the new kinematics leading to the idea of the 4-dimensional spacetime as the arena in which physical events take place. Einstein's geometric theory of gravity, general relativity, extends Newton's theory to time-dependent and strong gravitational fields. It laid the ground work for the study of black holes and cosmology. This is a physics book with material presented in the historical context. We do not stop at Einstein's discovery, but carry the discussion onto some of the later advances: Bell's theorem, quantum field theory, gauge theories and Kaluza-Klein unification in a spacetime with an extra spatial dimension. Accessibility of the material to a modern-day reader is the goal of our presentation. Although the book is written with primarily a physics readership in mind (it can also function as a textbook), enough pedagogical support material is provided that anyone with a solid background in introductory physics can, with some effort, understand a good part of this presentation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191648779
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	01/31/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ta-Pei Cheng is a particle physics theorist. He received a PhD from Rockefeller University with the noted physicist and Einstein biographer Abraham Pais. He is now Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, and an Adjunct Professor at Portland State University in Oregon. He is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society. Among many concurrent appointments, he was at the Institute for Advanced study (Princeton), the University of Minnesota, and the Lawrence Berkeley Lab. Professor Cheng is the co-author (with Ling-Fong Li) of the book Gauge Theory of Elementary Particle Physics (Oxford, 1984) that has introduced the subject to several generations of particle physics students. Its companion book GTEPP: Problems and Solutions was published in 2000. He is also the author of Relativity, Gravitation, and Cosmology: A basic introduction, (Oxford 2005, 2nd ed. 2010). It is among the first books adopting a 'physics-first approach' to the pedagogy of general relativity.

Table of Contents

Part I : Atomic nature of matter1. Molecular size from classical fluid2. The Brownian motionPart II : Quantum theory3. Blackbody radiation: From Kirchhoff to Planck4. Einstein's proposal of light quanta5. Quantum theory of specific heat6. Waves, particles, and quantum jumps7. Bose-Einstein statistics and condensation8. Local reality and the Einstein-Bohr debatePart III : Special relativity9. Prelude to special relativity10. The new kinematics and E = mc211. Geometric formulation of relativityPart IV : General relativity12. Towards a general theory of relativity13. Curved spacetime as gravitational field14. The Einstein field equation15. CosmologyPart V : Walking in Einstein's steps16. Internal symmetry and gauge interactions17. The Kaluza-Klein theory and extra dimensionsAppendix A: Mathematics supplements

Editorial Reviews

"What a wonderful book! Cheng explains the monumental achievements of Einstein, and relates them to developments in physics since his time. All this is done in detail, yet with a minimum of pre-requisites. Physicists and physics students alike will appreciate this book: whereas most books about Einstein, whether popular or academic, make no attempt to properly explain his physics, Cheng succeeds admirably. The book brings the reader up to date with short but lucid accounts of more recent developments based on the great Albert's work, such as dark energy in modern cosmology, gauges in quantum theory, and Kaluza-Klein theory." — Jeremy Butterfield, Trinity College, University of Cambridge

"This far-reaching and fascinating textbook covers Einstein's work in depth and in context. The conscientious reader will be amply rewarded." — Alan Heavens, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh

"Einstein's contributions to modern theoretical physics are both profound and pervasive. Cheng takes a look at the full range of the famous physicist's work and sets out to explain Einstein's achievements from our modern understanding of the subject matter. The project succeeds. Cheng's explanations combine conceptual clarity with mathematical detail and historical sensitivity." — Tilman Sauer, Einstein Papers Project, California Institute of Technology

From the Publisher