H.B.G. Casimir's life, interests and works are intertwined with the important developments that have taken place in physics during this century. This book was compiled by his friends and admirers in honour of his 80th birthday and concentrates mainly on Casimir's achievements in the field of physics, though without ignoring the peripheral areas of the history and philosophy of physics in which he was greatly interested.
The book is divided into four parts. Part I describes Casimir's teachers, Ehrenfest, Bohr and Pauli, and will be of general interest due to the key role which these physicists played in modern developments. The articles do give new facts and provide new insights into the history of modern physics.
Part II consists of essays on recent developments in various areas of physics in which Casimir has taken an active interest, such as the modern concept of time, statistical foundations of electrodynamic theory and field theory.
The subjects covered in Part III have been selected because of Casimir's efforts in the industrial research area of physics. They cover past, present and future expectations in research.
Part IV contains an essay which discusses a philosophy of physics currently under discussion, which states that phenomenological laws prevail over fundamental ones for the purpose of experimental and technical physics. A second chapter in this final part gives a critical analysis of this philosophical view.
The book is concluded by an appendix discussing Casimir's activities as a lecturer, written by a former student.
Author(s): A. Sarlemijn and M.J. Sparnaay (Eds.)
Publisher: North Holland
Year: 1989
Language: English
Pages: 363
Tags: Физика;История физики;Научные статьи и сборники
Content:
Inside Front Cover, Page ii
Front Matter, Page iii
Copyright, Page iv
Preface by the President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Pages v-vi, D. de Wied
Preface by the Editors, Pages vii-ix, A. Sarlemijn, M.J. Sparnaay
CHAPTER 1 - Factors in the Development of Modern Physics, Pages 1-27, A. Sarlemijn, P.A. Kroes, F.W. Sluijter, M.J. Sparnaay
CHAPTER 2 - Physics in the Making in Leiden: Paul Ehrenfest as Teacher, Pages 29-44, Martin J. Klein
CHAPTER 3 - Physics in the Making in Bohr's Copenhagen, Pages 45-91, Abraham Pais
CHAPTER 4 - Physics in the Making in Pauli's Zürich, Pages 93-130, Karl von Meyenn
CHAPTER 5 - The Physical Concept of Time in the 20th Century, Pages 131-165, P.T. Landsberg
CHAPTER 6 - Statistical Foundations of Electrodynamic Theory, Pages 167-194, L.G. Suttorp
CHAPTER 7 - The Role of Onsager Relations in the Development of Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes, Pages 195-216, P. Mazur
CHAPTER 8 - Dynamic Symmetries and Supersymmetries in Nuclear and Particle Physics, Pages 217-233, F. Iachello
CHAPTER 9A - The Historical Background of the Casimir Effect, Pages 235-246, M.J. Sparnaay
CHAPTER 9B - The Casimir Effect in Field Theory, Pages 247-272, Bryce DeWitt
CHAPTER 10 - The Development of Fluorescent Lamps at Philips up to 1940, Pages 273-295, J.J. Hutter
CHAPTER 11 - Approaches to Science in Industry, Pages 297-302, K. Alex Müller
CHAPTER 12 - Fundamental Laws and Physical Reality, Pages 303-328, P.A. Kroes, A. Sarlemijn
CHAPTER 13 - A Philosophy of Physics in the Making, Pages 329-339, C.F. von Weizsäcker
APPENDIX - H.B.G. Casimir's Teachings in Leiden and in Eindhoven, Pages 341-361, C.M. Hargreaves
