Based on a lecture course in physics and astrophysics. Ginzburg treats certain problems and methods that are not rigorously treated in most texts. These are associated with microscopic and macroscopic electrodynamics and material concerning the theory of transition radiation and transition scattering. He discusses recent ideas and results, such as the problem of toroidal dipole moments. Book club price, $42. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Treats certain problems and methods of theoretical physics and astrophysics which are associated with microscopic and macroscopic electrodynamics and material concerning the theory of transition radiation and transition scattering.

The aim of this book is to present, on the one hand various topics in theoretical physics in depth - especially topics related to electrodynamics - and on the other hand to show how these topics find applications in various aspects of astrophysics. The first text on theoretical physics and astrophysical applications, it covers many recent advances including those in X-ray, &ggr;-ray and radio-astronomy, with comprehensive coverage of the literature

Modern electrodynamics in different media is a wide branch of electrodynamics which combines the exact theory of electromagnetic fields in the presence of electric charges and currents with statistical description of these fields in gases, plasmas, liquids and solids; dielectrics, conductors and superconductors. It is widely used in physics and in other natural sciences (such as astrophysics and geophysics, biophysics, ecology and evolution of terrestrial climate), and in various technological applications (radio electronics, technology of artificial materials, laser-based technological processes, propagation of bunches of charges particles, linear and nonlinear electromagnetic waves, etc.). Electrodynamics of matter is based on the exact fundamental (microscopic) electrodynamics but is supplemented with specific descriptions of electromagnetic fields in various media using the methods of statistical physics, quantum mechanics, physics of condensed matter (including theory of superconductivity), physical kinetics and plasma physics. This book presents in one unique volume a systematic description of the main electrodynamic phenomena in matter: - A large variety of theoretical approaches used in describing various media - Numerous important manifestations of electrodynamics in matter (magnetic materials, superconductivity, magnetic hydrodynamics, holography, radiation in crystals, solitons, etc.) - A description of the applications used in different branches of physics and many other fields of natural sciences - Describes the whole complexity of electrodynamics in matter including material at different levels. - Oriented towards 3-4 year bachelors, masters, and PhD students, as well as lectures, and engineers and scientists working in the field. - The reader will need a basic knowledge of general physics, higher mathematics, classical mechanics and microscopic (fundamental) electrodynamics at the standard university level - All examples and problems are described in detail in the text to help the reader learn how to solve problems - Advanced problems are marked with one asterisk, and the most advanced ones with two asterisks. Some problems are recommended to be solved first, and are are marked by filled dots; they are more general and important or contain results used in other problems.

This book provides an understanding of the theoretical foundations for the calculation of electromagnetic processes. Photon production processes are particularly important in astrophysics, since almost all of our knowledge of distant astronomical objects comes from the detection of radiation from these sources. Further, the conditions therein are extremely varied and a wide variety of naturally occurring electromagnetic phenomena can be described by limiting forms of the basic theory. The first chapter reviews some basic principles that are the underpinnings for a general description of electromagnetic phenomena, such as special relativity and, especially, relativistic covariance. Classical and quantum electrodynamics (QED) are then formulated in the next two chapters, followed by applications to three basic processes (Coulomb scattering, Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung). These processes are related to other phenomena, such as pair production, and the comparisons are discussed. A unique feature of the book is its thorough discussion of the nonrelativistic limit of QED, which is simpler than the relativistic theory in its formulation and applications. The methods of the relativistic theory are introduced and applied through the use of notions of covariance, to provide a shorter path to the more general theory. The book will be useful for graduate students working in astrophysics and in certain areas of particle physics.

This book addresses the theoretical foundations and the main physical consequences of electromagnetic interaction, generally considered to be one of the four fundamental interactions in nature, in a mathematically rigorous yet straightforward way. The major focus is on the unifying features shared by classical electrodynamics and all other fundamental relativistic classical field theories. The book presents a balanced blend of derivations of phenomenological predictions from first principles on the one hand, and concrete applications on the other. Further, it highlights the internal inconsistencies of classical electrodynamics, and addresses and resolves often-ignored critical issues, such as the dynamics of massless charged particles, the infinite energy of the electromagnetic field, and the limits of the Green’s function method. Presenting a rich, multilayered, and critical exposition on the electromagnetic paradigm underlying the whole Universe, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students in theoretical physics alike.