To understand phenomena in nature, it is important to focus not only on properties of stationary states, but also their changes in time, that is, the dynamics between bistable states. This book reviews the mechanics of first-order phase transitions and discusses relaxation and collapses of metastable states from various viewpoints, including Kramers' method for the lifetime of metastability, Langer’s analysis on the singularity, effects of thermal fluctuation studied by Néel and Brown, and eigenvalue structures of the transfer-matrix for the phase transitions. The book also goes into the mechanics of metastability in quantum systems from the viewpoints of the eigenvalue problem of the Hamiltonian and the Liouvillian for a dynamical process and discusses relations between quantum tunneling processes and metastability therein. Lastly, the coercivity of magnets consisting of an ensemble of grains is reviewed. The book is beneficial for those new in the field as a primer on first-order phase transition from modern perspectives. The comprehensive content offers overviews of related topics and allows readers to quickly catch up with developments in the field.

To understand phenomena in nature, it is important to focus not only on properties of stationary states, but also their changes in time, that is, the dynamics between bistable states. This book reviews the mechanics of first-order phase transitions and discusses relaxation and collapses of metastable states from various viewpoints, including Kramers' method for the lifetime of metastability, Langer's analysis on the singularity, effects of thermal fluctuation studied by Néel and Brown, and eigenvalue structures of the transfer-matrix for the phase transitions. The book also goes into the mechanics of metastability in quantum systems from the viewpoints of the eigenvalue problem of the Hamiltonian and the Liouvillian for a dynamical process and discusses relations between quantum tunneling processes and metastability therein. Lastly, the coercivity of magnets consisting of an ensemble of grains is reviewed. The book is beneficial for those new in the field as a primer on first-order phase transition from modern perspectives. The comprehensive content offers overviews of related topics and allows readers to quickly catch up with developments in the field.

This book, written by experts in the fields of atomic physics and nonlinear science, covers the important developments in a special aspect of Bose-Einstein condensation, namely nonlinear phenomena in condensates. Topics covered include bright, dark, gap and multidimensional solitons; vortices; vortex lattices; optical lattices; multicomponent condensates; mathematical methods/rigorous results; and the beyond-the-mean-field approach.

Folded card: Identification and description of soils; and, Identification and description of rocks / designed by Environmental Services Group Limited 2007 in accordance with BS EN ISO 14689-1 and BS EN ISO 14688-1 respectively; and designed to be taken into the field during the walk-over survey.

Random Number Generators, Principles and Practices has been written for programmers, hardware engineers, and sophisticated hobbyists interested in understanding random numbers generators and gaining the tools necessary to work with random number generators with confidence and knowledge. Using an approach that employs clear diagrams and running code examples rather than excessive mathematics, random number related topics such as entropy estimation, entropy extraction, entropy sources, PRNGs, randomness testing, distribution generation, and many others are exposed and demystified. If you have ever Wondered how to test if data is really random Needed to measure the randomness of data in real time as it is generated Wondered how to get randomness into your programs Wondered whether or not a random number generator is trustworthy Wanted to be able to choose between random number generator solutions Needed to turn uniform random data into a different distribution Needed to ensure the random numbers from your computer will work for your cryptographic application Wanted to combine more than one random number generator to increase reliability or security Wanted to get random numbers in a floating point format Needed to verify that a random number generator meets the requirements of a published standard like SP800-90 or AIS 31 Needed to choose between an LCG, PCG or XorShift algorithm Then this might be the book for you.

Collapsing engineering soils are a formidable hazard around the world. These difficult materials also include some of the world's most fertile agricultural soils, fostering dense human populations which are therefore increasingly at risk. Despite an impressive literature on the engineering aspects of collapsing soils, these materials are coming under increasing scrutiny by scientists in other fields. This is most evidently the case with soil scientists, stratigraphers and sedimentologists. Past earth surface conditions have a direct influence on the detailed behaviour of collapsible soils: as a complement, these materials also provide detailed data on changing global climates. The selected papers presented here highlight the common ground between three scientific groups with a vested interest in a better understanding of collapsible soils.

Mechanics of Particulate Materials