Physics and Astronomy (R0)

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 presents fused deposition modeling (FDM) which is an additive manufacturing (AM) process to fabricate 3D parts from a build-up of 2D layers. The chapters present an experimental analysis of fatigue characteristics of FDM-processed PLA samples. The results indicate that the concentric build orientation provides highest cycles of fatigue, ultimate strength, and impact energy. The effect of layer orientation on the fatigue behavior of 3D-printed PLA samples is investigated in this case study.

This textbook offers an introduction to statistical mechanics, special relativity, and quantum physics, developed from lecture notes for the "Quantum Physics" course at the University of Padua. Beginning with a brief review of classical statistical mechanics in the first chapter, the book explores special and general relativity in the second chapter. The third chapter delves into the historical analysis of light quantization, while the fourth chapter discusses Niels Bohr's quantization of energy levels and electromagnetic transitions. The Schrödinger equation is investigated in the fifth chapter. Chapter Six covers applications of quantum mechanics, including the quantum particle in a box, quantum particle in harmonic potential, quantum tunneling, stationary perturbation theory, and time-dependent perturbation theory. Chapter Seven outlines the basic axioms of quantum mechanics. Chapter Eight focuses on quantum atomic physics, emphasizing electron spin and utilizing the Dirac equation for theoretical justification. The ninth chapter explains quantum mechanics principles for identical particles at zero temperature, while Chapter Ten extends the discussion to quantum particles at finite temperature. Chapter Eleven provides insights into quantum information and entanglement, and the twelfth chapter explains the path integral approach to quantum mechanics.

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.

This book is in honor of the late Professor Wolfgang Dreyer from the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) in Berlin.

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.