Emphasizing the use of quantum mechanics to describe actual quantum systems such as atoms and solids, and rich with interesting applications, the book proceeds from solving for the properties of a single particle in potential; to solving for two particles (the helium atom); to addressing many-particle systems. Applications include electron gas, magnetism, and Bose-Einstein Condensation; examples are carefully chosen and worked; and each chapter has numerous homework problems, many of them original.
Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell expertly addresses traditional and modern topics, including perturbation theory, WKBJ, variational methods, angular momentum, the Dirac equation, many-particle wave functions, Casimir Force, and Bell's Theorem. And it treats many topics--such as the interactions between photons and electrons, scattering theory, and density functional theory--in exceptional depth.
A valuable addition to the teaching literature, Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell is ideally suited for a two-semester course.
- The most concise, up-to-date, and accessible graduate textbook on the subject
- Contains the ideal amount of material for a two-semester course
- Focuses on the description of actual quantum systems, including a range of applications
- Covers traditional topics, as well as those at the frontiers of research
- Treats in unprecedented detail topics such as photon-electron interaction, scattering theory, and density functional theory
- Includes numerous homework problems at the end of each chapter