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Differential-geometric methods are gaining increasingimportance in the understanding of a wide range of fundamental naturalphenomena. Very often, the starting point for such studies is avariational problem formulated for a convenient Lagrangian. From aformal point of view, a Lagrangian is a smooth real function definedon the total space of the tangent bundle to a manifold satisfying someregularity conditions. The main purpose of this book is to present:(a) an extensive discussion of the geometry of the total space of avector bundle; (b) a detailed exposition of Lagrange geometry; and (c)a description of the most important applications. New methods aredescribed for construction geometrical models for applications.
The various chapters consider topics such as fibre and vector bundles,the Einstein equations, generalized Einstein--Yang--Mills equations,the geometry of the total space of a tangent bundle, Finsler andLagrange spaces, relativistic geometrical optics, and the geometry oftime-dependent Lagrangians. Prerequisites for using the book are agood foundation in general manifold theory and a general background ingeometrical models in physics.
For mathematical physicists and applied mathematicians interested inthe theory and applications of differential-geometric methods.
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The Physics of Solar and Stellar Coronae provides thefirst comprehensive summary of the physical processes and phenomenaoccurring in solar and stellar coronae as observed at X-ray and otherwavelengths. The book provides an early summary of the spectacular newsolar X-ray observations being obtained with the Yohkoh satellite thatare dramatically changing our understanding of the dynamics of thesolar corona. With the perspective of two years' observations at X-rayand extreme ultraviolet wavelengths by the ROSAT satellite, manyauthors present new insights into the basic physical processesoccurring in the coronae of stars across the Hertzsprung--RussellDiagram including both pre-main sequence and post-main sequencestars.
Detailed models for the hot plasmas typically contained in magneticloops in both stellar and solar coronae are presented to explain X-raydata obtained with the earlier X-ray instruments on Skylab, SMM,Einstein, and EXOSAT. The book includes papers on coronal observationsobtained at other wavelengths and papers of the history of PalermoAstronomical Observatory.
The Physics of Solar and Stellar Coronae is intended forresearchers in the fields of solar physics and stellar astrophysicsand will be a useful resource book for graduate level astrophysicscourses.


(ABSTRACT)
This is the first comprehensive summary of the physical processes andphenomena occurring in solar and stellar coronae. Spectacular newsolar X-ray observations by the Yohkoh satellite and stellarobservations by ROSAT are highlighted, together with theoreticalpapers and detailed analyses of earlier data from Skylab, SMM,Einstein, and EXOSAT. Included are papers on coronal observations atother wavelengths and on the history of Palermo AstronomicalObservatory.
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This book discusses in detail the concept of light quanta (photons) and presents a historical survey of the ideas involved. It analyses critically the principles of complementarity and correspondence as well as the quantization procedure. The work of Wigner, Newton and Wightman on localized states is discussed. The author presents many new ideas and gives a new way of defining the position operator. He invites physicists to look in new directions and aims to convince the reader that light quanta are not compatible with our present concept of space in quantum physics. The book should be of interest to students as well as to researchers in modern physics and should revive the discussion of the foundations of modern physics. ... Read more

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The main topics of the book are the analysis of reactions in the atmosphere-ionosphere system and the influence of natural and technogenic processes on them. The book also examines a range of related research from an international field. In all, five sections of the volume cover the dynamics of atmospheric aerosols; the dynamics of an ionosphere and atmosphere and their communication through an ionosphere; elementary processes in the upper atmosphere and an ionosphere; electromagnetic and optical phenomena in atmosphere, including long-lived and plasma objects; and Information systems of environment monitoring and prevention of incidents.

The primary goals of the text are to reveal the interrelations of the dynamics of various atmospheric layers, as well as discovering the parameters of the atmosphere and ionosphere and establishing the role of various physical factors in the phenomena. The aim is to forecast the dynamics of environment in the development of external perturbations.

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The scattering of electromagnetic radiation by nonspherical particles has become an increasingly important research topic over the past 20 years. Instead of handling anisotropic particles of arbitrary shape, the authors consider the more amenable problem of aggregates of spherical particles. This is often a very satisfactory approach as the optical response of nonspherical particles depends more on their general symmetry and the quantity of refractive material than on the precise details of their shape. The book addresses a wide spectrum of applications, ranging from scattering properties of water droplets containing pollutants, atmospheric aerosols and ice crystals to the modeling of cosmic dust grains as aggregates.

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Cosmogenic radionuclides are radioactive isotopes which are produced by natural processes and distributed within the Earth system. With a holistic view of the environment the authors show in this book how cosmogenic radionuclides can be used to trace and to reconstruct the history of a large variety of processes. They discuss the way in which cosmogenic radionuclides can assist in the quantification of complex processes in the present-day environment. The book aims to demonstrate to the reader the strength of analytic tools based on cosmogenic radionuclides, their contribution to almost any field of modern science, and how these tools may assist in the solution of many present and future problems that we face here on Earth.The book provides a comprehensive discussion of the basic principles behind the applications of cosmogenic (and other) radionuclides as environmental tracers and dating tools. The second section of the book discusses in some detail the production of radionuclides by cosmic radiation, their transport and distribution in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, their storage in natural archives, and how they are measured. The third section of the book presents a number of examples selected to illustrate typical tracer and dating applications in a number of different spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, solar physics and astronomy). At the same time the authors have outlined the limitations of the use of cosmogenic radionuclides.Written on a level understandable by graduate students without specialist skills in physics or mathematics, the book addresses a wide audience, ranging from archaeology, biophysics, and geophysics, to atmospheric physics, hydrology, astrophysics and space science. ... Read more

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This book contains the Proceedings of the second "Rencontres de l'Observatoire" devoted to Physics of Space: Growth Points and Problems, held at the Paris Observatory at Meudon, on January 10--14, 2000. The last quarter of the century has seen the vertiginous growth of space achievements and the exploration of much of the heliosphere with beautifully instrumented space probes. Even though the heliosphere is merely one particular cosmic environment, it is presently the only one accessible to in situ measurements and hence plays a unique role as a natural laboratory for physics and astrophysics. In this spirit, the conference highlighted recent achievements which have changed our view of the physics of space, with emphasis on the bridges between space plasma physics and other disciplines.The contributions include the physics of collisionless plasmas -- in particular particle acceleration and dissipation, dusty plasmas, cosmic winds and jets, the environments of planetary bodies and pulsars, novel space detection techniques, and some landmarks of space physics history and possible futures. ... Read more

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Physics of the Inner Heliosphere gives for the first time a comprehensive and complete summary of our knowledge of the inner solar system. Using data collected over more than 11 years by the HELIOS twin solar probes, one of the most successful ventures in unmanned space exploration, the authors have compiled 10 extensive reviews of the physical processes of the inner heliosphere and their connections to the solar atmosphere. Researchers and advanced students in space and plasma physics, astronomy, and solar physics will be surprised to see just how closely the heliosphere is tied to the sun and how sensitively it depends on our star. The four chapters of Volume I of the work deal with large-scale phenomena: - observations of the solar corona - the structure of the interplanetary medium - the interplanetary magnetic field - interplanetary dust. ... Read more

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This monograph is devoted to the problem of the geometrizing of Lagrangians which depend on higher-order accelerations.It presents a construction of the geometry of the total space of the bundle of the accelerations of order k>=1. A geometrical study of the notion of the higher-order Lagrange space is conducted, and the old problem of prolongation of Riemannian spaces to k-osculator manifolds is solved. Also, the geometrical ground for variational calculus on the integral of actions involving higher-order Lagrangians is dealt with. Applications to higher-order analytical mechanics and theoretical physics are included as well.Audience: This volume will be of interest to scientists whose work involves differential geometry, mechanics of particles and systems, calculus of variation and optimal control, optimization, optics, electromagnetic theory, and biology. ... Read more

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Dusty or complex plasmas are plasmas containing solid or liquid charged particles referred to as dust. Naturally occurring in space, they are present in planetary rings and comet tails, as well as clouds found in the vicinity of artificial satellites and space stations. On a more earthly level, dusty plasmas are now being actively researched as dust plays a key role in technological plasma applications associated with etching technologies in microelectronics, as well as with production of thin films and nanoparticles.

Complex and Dusty Plasmas: From Laboratory to Space provides a balanced and consistent picture of the current status of the field by covering new developments in experimental and theoretical research. Drawing from research performed across the earth and even beyond by an internationally diverse group of pioneering researchers, this book covers a wealth of topics. It delves into —

• Major types of complex plasmas in ground-based and microgravity experiments
• Properties of the magnetized, thermal, cryogenic, ultraviolet, nuclear-induced complex plasmas and plasmas with nonspherical particles
• Major forces acting on the particles and features of the particle dynamics in complex plasmas, as well as basic plasma-particle interactions,
• Recent research results on phase transitions between crystalline and liquid complex plasma states
• Astrophysical aspects of dusty plasmas and numerical simulation of their properties
• Dust as a source of contamination in many applications including reactors

An important feature of this work is the detailed discussion of unique experimental and theoretical aspects of complex plasmas related to the investigations under microgravity conditions performed onboard Mir and ISS space stations. Much of what we know today would not be possible without cooperation between researchers of various nations, many of whom serve as key contributors to this book. Whether deepening their knowledge of things interstellar or developing new applications and products for use in manufacturing, energy, and communication or even fields yet dreamt of, these pages provide the knowledge, approaches, and insight that all researchers of complex plasmas need.

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This book collects extended and specialized reviews on topics linking astrophysics and particle physics at a level between a graduate student and a young researcher. The book also includes three reviews on observational techniques used in forefront astrophysics and short articles on research performed in Latin America. The reviews, updated and written by specialized researchers, describe the state of the art in the related research topics.