This book is an introduction to the computational methods used in physics, but also in other scientific fields. It is addressed to an audience that has already been exposed to the introductory level of college physics, usually taught during the first two years of an undergraduate program in science and engineering. It assumes no prior knowledge of numerical analysis, programming or computers and teaches whatever is necessary for the solution of the problems addressed in the text. It can be used as a textbook in introductory computational physics or scientific computing classes. The book starts with very simple problems in particle motion and ends with an in-depth discussion of advanced techniques used in Monte Carlo simulations in statistical mechanics. The level of instruction rises slowly, while discussing problems like the diffusion equation, electrostatics on the plane, quantum mechanics and random walks. All the material can be taught in two semesters, but a selection of topics can form the material of a one semester course. The book aims to provide the students with the background and the experience needed in order to advance to high performance computing projects in science and engineering. It puts emphasis on hands--on programming of numerical code but also on the production, analysis and interpretation of data. But it also tries to keep the students motivated by considering interesting applications in physics, like chaos, quantum mechanics, special relativity and the physics of phase transitions. There is a C++ and a Fortran edition for the core programming. Data analysis is performed using the powerful tools of the GNU/Linux environment. All the necessary software is open source and freely available. The book and the accompanying software are given under a Creative Commons License/GNU public License as a service to the community. It can be used freely as a whole, or any part of it, in any form, by anyone. There is no official distribution of hard copies, but you can use the printing service of your preference in order produce any number of copies you need for you and/or your students. For the lazy ones, a very nice and cheap paperback can be purchaced from lulu.com, amazon.com and conventional bookstores. The ebook can be read in most electronic devices like your PC, tablet or favorite ebook reader and it is freely available from the book's website.
The medical applications of physics are not typically covered in introductory physics courses. Introduction to Physics in Modern Medicine fills that gap by explaining the physical principles behind technologies such as surgical lasers or computed tomography (CT or CAT) scanners. Each chapter includes a short explanation of the scientific background, making this book highly accessible to those without an advanced knowledge of physics. It is intended for medicine and health studies students who need an elementary background in physics, but it also serves well as a non-mathematical introduction to applied physics for undergraduate students in physics, engineering, and other disciplines.
This book provides a brief exposition of the principles of beam physics and particle accelerators with an emphasis on numerical examples employing readily available computer tools. However, it avoids detailed derivations, instead inviting the reader to use general high-end languages such as Mathcad and Matlab, as well as specialized particle accelerator codes (e.g. MAD, WinAgile, Elegant, and others) to explore the principles presented. This approach allows readers to readily identify relevant design parameters and their scaling. In addition, the computer input files can serve as templates that can be easily adapted to other related situations. The examples and computer exercises comprise basic lenses and deflectors, fringe fields, lattice and beam functions, synchrotron radiation, beam envelope matching, betatron resonances, and transverse and longitudinal emittance and space charge. The last chapter presents examples of two major types of particle accelerators: radio frequency linear accelerators (RF linacs) and storage rings. Lastly, the appendix gives readers a brief description of the computer tools employed and concise instructions for their installation and use in the most popular computer platforms (Windows, Macintosh and Ubuntu Linux). Hyperlinks to websites containing all relevant files are also included. An essential component of the book is its website (actually part of the author's website at the University of Maryland), which contains the files that reproduce results given in the text as well as additional material such as technical notes and movies.
Provides an accessible introduction to practical medical physics within a hospital environment Maps to the course content of the Scientist Training Programme in the NHS Acts as a complement to the academic books often recommended for medical physics courses
The underlying physics of magnetic resonance imaging is a topic of considerable importance since a basic understanding is necessary to accurately interpret and generate high quality MR images. Yet it can be a challenging topic in spite of the best efforts of both teachers and students of the subject. Practical MR Physics reviews the basic principles of MR using familiar language and explains the causes of common imaging artifacts and pitfalls. The book will also be a helpful guide during review of clinical cases since the reader can look up specific imaging artifacts or pitfalls in the index. Featuring over 375 high quality images, numerous case examples, and concise, clinically oriented discussion of the physics behind the images, Practical MR Physics is an ideal resource for anyone who works in the field of MR imaging.
This is a book about the physics of stars and starlight. The story of starlight is truly fascinating. Astronomers analyze and interpret the light from stars using photometry and spectroscopy, then inspirational detective work combines with the laws of physics to reveal the temperatures, masses, luminosities and outer structure of these far away points of light. The laws of physics themselves enable us to journey to the very center of a star and to understand its inner structure and source of energy! Starlight provides an in-depth study of stellar astrophysics that requires only basic high school mathematics and physics, making it accessible to all amateur astronomers. Starlight teaches amateur astronomers about the physics of stars and starlight in a friendly, easy-to-read way. The reader will take away a profoundly deeper understanding of this truly fascinating subject – and find his practical observations more rewarding and fulfilling as a result.
This account of sources of ionizing radiation and methods of radiation protection describes units of radiation protection, measurement techniques, biological effects, environmental radiation and many applications. Each chapter contains problems with solutions.
