Physics and Astronomy

• Emphasizes biomedical imaging and sensing;
• Describes new computational approaches with examples;
• Provides detailed descriptions of novel instrumentation.

This book contains contributions presented at the 13th International Conference on Complex Networks (CompleNet), April 19–22, 2022. CompleNet is an international conference on complex networks that brings together researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplines—from sociology, biology, physics, and computer science—who share a passion to better understand the interdependencies within and across systems.  CompleNet is a venue to discuss ideas and findings about all types of networks, from biological to technological and to informational and social. It is this interdisciplinary nature of complex networks that CompleNet aims to explore and celebrate.

This book systematically discusses the algorithms and principles for achieving stable and optimal beam (or products of the beam) parameters in particle accelerators. A four-layer beam control strategy is introduced to structure the subsystems related to beam controls, such as beam device control, beam feedback, and beam optimization. This book focuses on the global control and optimization layers. As a basis of global control, the beam feedback system regulates the beam parameters against disturbances and stabilizes them around the setpoints. The global optimization algorithms, such as the robust conjugate direction search algorithm, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization algorithm, are at the top layer, determining the feedback setpoints for optimal beam qualities.

In addition, the authors also introduce the applications of machine learning for beam controls. Selected machine learning algorithms, such as supervised learning based on artificial neural networks and Gaussian processes, and reinforcement learning, are discussed. They are applied to configure feedback loops, accelerate global optimizations, and directly synthesize optimal controllers. Authors also demonstrate the effectiveness of these algorithms using either simulation or tests at the SwissFEL. With this book, the readers gain systematic knowledge of intelligent beam controls and learn the layered architecture guiding the design of practical beam control systems.

This book analyzes the policies and space economy programs of major space-faring nations and explores whether the present institutional set-up in Europe is adequate to address the challenges. At the core of the discussion are the relative roles of governments and markets in a highly dynamic panorama that involves advancements in science, modifications in technology and organization, and the introduction of new rules of behavior. After a close examination of the history of development of the space economy, and the shift from the centralized model to deregulation and the opening up of space activities to commercial companies, a wide-ranging overview of global space governance is provided. National and regional perspectives are discussed, and the current role of commercial actors in the global space system is elucidated. The various challenges faced by Europe are then examined, including the threat posed by institutional and market fragmentation to the emergence of European companies able to compete with companies of nations such as the USA. The final part of the book analyzes proposals for reforming of the space system in Europe and offers a vision for future European space policy.

This book gives a detailed discussion of the initial enthusiasm triggered by the discovery of x-rays and radioactive radiation which later turned into fear and repulsion in a significant part of the global population up to the 21^st century.

The author concludes that low doses of radiation are safe and can even be beneficial (as known from medical radiation treatment); and also that the natural radiation background is necessary for the normal growth and development and well-being of a living organism. The author also discusses cases and effects of large doses, arguing, however, that dangerous doses of radiation are very unlikely. 

This book challenges radio-phobia. It not only offers arguments helping to overcome an unreasonable fear but, based on the latest understanding of science, argues to gradually move back, not to the former radio-euphoria, but to a new, conscious attitude towards radiation.

This book presents a comprehensive exploration of unresolved mysteries in particle physics, delving into cutting-edge research aimed at unraveling the enigmatic facets of the Standard Model (SM). It tackles fundamental questions surrounding neutrino masses, flavor physics, and the strong CP problem, shedding light on the universe's underlying structure. The insightful analysis takes readers on a journey that begins with probing the mechanisms behind neutrino mass generation, including the existence of heavy neutral leptons and their implications for collider experiments. The book then navigates the intricate landscape of flavor physics, elucidating rare B-meson decays and their role as a window to new physics beyond the SM. Additionally, it investigates axions as potential hot dark matter candidates, offering valuable insights into their interactions with pions and cosmological implications. This work not only addresses current theoretical puzzles but also paves the way for future advancements in particle physics. Aimed at researchers, graduate students, and professionals in the field, this book serves as an indispensable resource for those seeking to delve deeper into the forefront of particle physics research. 

This book offers a tour of “the known galaxy”, here defined as the region of interstellar space closest to Earth. The phrase “the known galaxy” has a particular resonance in science fiction, as it refers to the part of the Milky Way that from the perspective of a point in time centuries from now may have been explored and settled by human beings. In the known galaxy, there are gloomy ocean worlds illuminated by the light of exploding stars. There are worlds where precious gems could be as common as pebbles. There are planets eternally wandering between the stars like the Flying Dutchman. There are lava worlds, steam worlds, hot Jupiters, cold Jupiters and maybe even worlds like our Earth. The purpose of the book is to begin to give this region a sense of place, in the same way that Mars is now starting to be appreciated as a location rather than just a planet. In doing so, the book merges our current scientific knowledge of the known galaxy with speculative fiction and with older legends and myths.

A sense of place is the feeling that some locations have a special meaning. This emotional connection arises from a combination of cultural and environmental factors that make individuals care about a particular place. It is challenging to create a sense of place for distant locations that no human has visited and for which our current knowledge is limited. This book attempts to take a step in this direction, by dividing the known galaxy into a number of clearly described distinct regions, by providing scientific descriptions of the likely environmental conditions on the known planets of these regions, and by linking these planets to their literary and mythological context.

The book is aimed at fans of both science fact and science fiction. It combines a tour of real planets outside of our solar system with tales of their fictional counterparts. The combination of solid scientific facts and analysis with speculation and imagination will be appealing to readers who want to gain a feeling for these planets as places with a back story, rather than just as names somewhere out there in the sky.

This book provides engineers with a comprehensive understanding of nuclear reactor physics and neutronics, emphasizing the importance of simple models to validate complex computational results. It explains the rationale behind neutron slowing down and offers a straightforward method to evaluate the resonance escape probability in Fermi's 4-factors formula. The book includes exercises to assess the remaining three factors and demonstrates how to derive the diffusion approximation from the Boltzmann equation. It covers both one-group and two-group diffusion models, applying them to predict the reactivity of a nuclear reactor core. Special attention is given to the selection of the migration area. Additionally, the book addresses delayed neutrons, reactor kinetics, fission product poisoning, fuel evolution, fuel management, critical size, temperature effects, and xenon oscillations. Originally written for students, it contains 28 exercises with solutions provided in the appendix, making it an invaluable resource for both learning and practical application in the field.

Ball lightning is an enigma. These luminous objects that appear occasionally during thunderstorms and can reach several meters in diameter have been a mystery to science for about 200 years. Despite several thousands of reported observations, their nature is still unknown. In this book, well documented cases of ball lightning are described and used to unravel some aspects of this mysterious form of atmospheric electricity. Throughout the book, the author discusses the various facets of the problem in an accessible but rigorous style, delivering a readable and informative text that will captivate the curious reader. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, the author reports on groundbreaking new data on conditions under which ball lightning may form and its implications. These new discoveries are elucidated with new figures, additional case descriptions, new material on the interaction of ball lightning with humans, and a discussion of the reliability of ball lightning observations. This book presents the most up-to-date summary of the state of knowledge surrounding ball lightning.

A foreword by Earle Williams, leading lightning researcher at MIT, introduces the book.

The book is the result of some years of teaching a course in Physics Modeling in Economics and Finance to M.Sc. students of Physics/Astrophysics and Eng. Physics. It is devoted to show economics and finance as a part of a physics system by its own right and, with that, to provide students with the basic tools to face a career in finance or in research developing physics models to a very unusual system that we call “an economy,” but made of interactions, geometry, equilibrium, and inflation. It goes from understanding the fundamental of basic mathematics to explaining complex systems where it stops working; from the physics’ meaning of money to derivative valuation; and from statistical physics to the physics of inflationary systems.

This book reflects on 8 decades of research on one of the longest-standing unsolved problems in modern astrophysics: why does the Sun form a hot corona? The authors give a critical overview of the field and offer suggestions on how to bridge the chasm between what we can measure, and what we can calculate. They go back to basics to explain why the problem is difficult, where we have made progress and where we have not, to help the next generation of scientists devise novel techniques to crack such a long-lasting problem. A way forward is formulated centered around refutation, using Bayesian methods to propose and to try to reject hypotheses and models, and avoiding seduction by ``confirmation bias’’.

This book is aimed at physicists, students and researchers interested in understanding, learning from and solving the coronal heating problem, in an era of new dedicated facilities such as the Parker Solar Probe and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.   

Thebook will appeal to those interested in understanding research methods and how they are changing in the modern academic environment, particular in astrophysics and Earth sciences where remote sensing is essential.

This open access book is a compilation of enlightening tutorial essays, showcasing the forefront of research by exceptional female scientists. This invaluable collection provides graduate students and researchers in the field with an engaging and pedagogical introduction to a wide range of compelling topics. Delve into the depths of theoretical and observational realms, exploring intriguing subjects including modified gravity models, quantum gravity, fields in curved space-time, particle dynamics, gravitational waves, and enigmatic black holes.
Embracing both the theoretical foundations and the practical applications, this comprehensive edited volume offers an accessible and all-encompassing panorama of gravity and cosmology. Moreover, it shines a much-needed spotlight on the significant contributions made by remarkable women across the globe, fostering recognition and admiration for their indispensable role in shaping this ever-evolving field.