Classical mechanics is the study of the motion of bodies based upon Isaac Newton's famous laws of mechanics.There are no new physical concepts in classical mechanics that are not already extant in other areas of physics.What classical mechanics does is mathematically reformulate Newtonian physics to address a huge range of problems ranging from molecular dynamics to the motion of celestial bodies.As one of the oldest branches of physics,it has been displaced long ago in many fields of study by newer theories,but classical mechanics is far from being obsolete.Classical mechanics is very useful for analyzing problems in which quantum and relativistic effects are negligible,and its principles and mathematics are the foundation upon which numerous branches of modemn physics are founded.And finally.it is a fascinating field of study unto itself-or at least some people think so.Maybe you'll be a fan of classical mechanics too,after having studied it.Statistical mechanics provides a framework for describing how well-defined higher-level pattems or behaviour may result from the nondirected activity of a multitude of interacting lower-level individual entities.The subject was developed for.and has had its greatest success so far in,relating mesoscopic and macroscopic thermal phenomena to the microscopic world of atoms and molecules.Fortunately,many important properties of objects containing very many atoms-such as the boiling and freezing of water-can be obtained from simplified models of the structure of atoms and the laws governing their interactions.This book presents the basics of classic and statistical mechanics to the beginner.and at the same time develops the subject with well-chosen examples and worked-out problems right up to the point where the student can take up an advanced course with confidence.

Preface vii

1. Classical Light and Photoelectric Effect 1

2. Angular Momentum and Acceleration 38

3. Elementary Orbital Mechanics 90

4. Speed of Light 127

5. Laser 179

6. Quantum Equilibrium 222

7. Relativistic Dynamics 261

Bibliography 283

Index 287

Josef Carter is Associate Professor of Classical and Statistical Mechanics.He obtained his Ph.D.in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics.His areas of research are:Condensed matter theory.Magnetic and transport properties of nanostructures,Strongly correlated electron systems.Molecular magnetism,Feynman-Kac path integrals,Electronic structure of materials,Positrons in solids,Spintronics.Nano-optics, Electron paramagnetic resonance,Auger and Gamma spectroscopies

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