Superconductivity
A Very Short Introduction
Published on 28. May 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-0-19-954090-7 (ISBN)
Description
Superconductivity is one of the most exciting areas of research in physics today. Outlining the history of its discovery, and the race to understand its many mysterious and counter-intuitive phenomena, this Very Short Introduction explains in accessible terms the theories that have been developed, and how they have influenced other areas of science, including the Higgs boson of particle physics and ideas about the early Universe. It is an engaging and informative account of a fascinating scientific detective story, and an intelligible insight into some deep and beautiful ideas of physics.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Readers of popular science, and physics students.
Illustrations
20 B&W halftones & line drawings
Dimensions
Height: 174 mm
Width: 111 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
147 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-954090-7 (9780199540907)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Stephen Blundell did his undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at Peterhouse, Cambridge and his Ph. D. in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge. He moved to the Clarendon Laboratory at Oxford to take up an SERC research fellowship, followed by a Junior Research Fellowship at Merton College, where he began research in organic magnets and superconductors using muon-spin rotation. In 1997 he was appointed to a University Lectureship in the Physics Department and a Tutorial Fellowship at Mansfield College, Oxford, and was subsequently promoted to Reader and then Professor. He was a joint winner of the Daiwa-Adrian Prize in 1999 for his work on organic magnets. He has previously published Magnetism in Condensed Matter, (OUP 2001); and Concepts in Thermal Physics, (OUP 2006, with K.M. Blundell).
Content
1. What is superconductivity? ; 2. The quest for low temperatures ; 3. The discovery of superconductivity ; 4. Expulsion ; 5. Pairing up ; 6. Symmetry ; 7. Before the breakthrough ; 8. High-temperature superconductivity ; 9. The making of the new superconductors ; 10. What have superconductors ever done for us? ; Dramatis personae ; Further Reading ; Index