With this volume, Methods of Experimental Physics becomes Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences, a name change which reflects the evolution of todays science. This volume is the first of three which will provide a comprehensive treatment of the key experimental methods of atomic, molecular, and optical physics; the three volumes as a set will form an excellent experimental handbook for the field. The wide availability of tunable lasers in the pastseveral years has revolutionized the field and lead to the introduction of many new experimental methods that are covered in these volumes. Traditional methods are also included to ensure that the volumes will be a complete reference source for the field.

A variety of plasmas include molecules rather than only ions or atoms. Examples are ionospheres of the Earth and other planets, stellar atmospheres, gaseous discharges for use in various devices and processes, and fusion plasmas in the edge region. This book describes the role of molecules in those plasmas by showing elementary collision processes involving those molecules.

Over the last quarter of this century, revolutionary advances have been made both in kind and in precision in the application of particle traps to the study of thephysics of charged particles, leading to intensi?ed interest in, and wide proliferation of, this topic. This book is intended as a timely addition to the literature, providing a systematic uni?ed treatment of the subject, from the point of view of the application of these devices to fundamental atomic and particle physics. Thetechniqueofusingelectromagnetic?eldstocon?neandisolateatomic particles in vacuo, rather than by material walls of a container, was initially conceivedbyW.Paulintheformofa3Dversionoftheoriginalrfquadrupole mass ?lter, for which he shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in physics [1], whereas H.G. Dehmelt who also shared the 1989 Nobel Prize [2] saw these devices (including the Penning trap) as a way of isolating electrons and ions, for the purposes of high resolution spectroscopy. These two broad areas of appli- tion have developed more or less independently, each attaining a remarkable degree of sophistication and generating widespread interest and experimental activity.

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics publishes reviews of recent developments in a field which is in a state of rapid growth, as new experimental and theoretical techniques are used on many old and new problems. Topics covered include related applied areas, such as atmospheric science, astrophysics, surface physics and laser physics. Articles are written by distinguished experts, and contain both relevant review material and detailed descriptions of important recent developments. International experts Comprehensive articles New developments

The goals of atomic, molecular, and optical physics (AMO physics) are to elucidate the fundamental laws of physics, to understand the structure of matter and how matter evolves at the atomic and molecular levels, to understand light in all its manifestations, and to create new techniques and devices. AMO physics provides theoretical and experimental methods and essential data to neighboring areas of science such as chemistry, astrophysics, condensed-matter physics, plasma physics, surface science, biology, and medicine. It contributes to the national security system and to the nation's programs in fusion, directed energy, and materials research. Lasers and advanced technologies such as optical processing and laser isotope separation have been made possible by discoveries in AMO physics, and the research underlies new industries such as fiber-optics communications and laser-assisted manufacturing. These developments are expected to help the nation to maintain its industrial competitiveness and its military strength in the years to come. This report describes the field, characterizes recent advances, and identifies current frontiers of research.

Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics publishes reviews of recent developments in a field which is in a state of rapid growth, as new experimental and theoretical techniques are used on many old and new problems. Topics covered include related applied areas, such as atmospheric science, astrophysics, surface physics and laser physics. Articles are written by distinguished experts, and contain both relevant review material and detailed descriptions of important recent developments. - International experts - Comprehensive articles - New developments

This book provides an introduction and guide to modern advances in charged particle (and antiparticle) confinement by electromagnetic fields. Confinement in different trap geometries, the influence of trap imperfections, classical and quantum mechanical description of the trapped particle motion, different methods of ion cooling to low temperatures, and non-neutral plasma properties (including Coulomb crystals) are the main subjects. They form the basis of such applications of charged particle traps as high-resolution optical and microwave spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, atomic clocks, and, potentially, quantum computing.

Comprises a comprehensive reference source that unifies the entire fields of atomic molecular and optical (AMO) physics, assembling the principal ideas, techniques and results of the field. 92 chapters written by about 120 authors present the principal ideas, techniques and results of the field, together with a guide to the primary research literature (carefully edited to ensure a uniform coverage and style, with extensive cross-references). Along with a summary of key ideas, techniques, and results, many chapters offer diagrams of apparatus, graphs, and tables of data. From atomic spectroscopy to applications in comets, one finds contributions from over 100 authors, all leaders in their respective disciplines. Substantially updated and expanded since the original 1996 edition, it now contains several entirely new chapters covering current areas of great research interest that barely existed in 1996, such as Bose-Einstein condensation, quantum information, and cosmological variations of the fundamental constants. A fully-searchable CD- ROM version of the contents accompanies the handbook.

This book offers a comprehensive and cohesive overview of transport processes associated with all kinds of charged particles, including electrons, ions, positrons, and muons, in both gases and condensed matter. The emphasis is on fundamental physics, linking experiment, theory and applications. In particular, the authors discuss: The kinetic theory of gases, from the traditional Boltzmann equation to modern generalizations A complementary approach: Maxwell’s equations of change and fluid modeling Calculation of ion-atom scattering cross sections Extension to soft condensed matter, amorphous materials Applications: drift tube experiments, including the Franck-Hertz experiment, modeling plasma processing devices, muon catalysed fusion, positron emission tomography, gaseous radiation detectors Straightforward, physically-based arguments are used wherever possible to complement mathematical rigor. Robert Robson has held professorial positions in Japan, the USA and Australia, and was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at several universities in Germany. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Ronald White is Professor of Physics and Head of Physical Sciences at James Cook University, Australia. Malte Hildebrandt is Head of the Detector Group in the Laboratory of Particle Physics at the Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland.

Many areas of physics research depend upon a good physical understanding of charged particle transport processes in gases, a statement which is as true now as it was in the early part of the last century, when modern physics was taking shape. Gas lasers, multi-wire drift chambers used in high energy particle detectors, muon-catalysed fusion in hydrogen and its isotopes and low-temperature plasma processing technology are just a few examples of experiments and processes in which electrons, ions or muons play a key role. The macroscopic properties of these non-equilibrium systems can best be found by averaging microscopic collision properties over a velocity distribution function, calculated from solution of Boltzmann's kinetic equation, using recently developed techniques. This is the realm of the modern kinetic theory of gases, and is the theme of this book.