High-Pressure Equations of State

Scientists have been working during the last three centuries on the unification of the forces in nature. However, the understanding and the unification of all the basic forces of nature does not necessarily explain the behaviour of a large system of "strongly coupled particles". For example, phase transitions in general and strongly coupled plasmas in particular are described by the equations of state of matter. In particular, the knowledge of pressure, energy and entropy as a function of temperature, density and chemical context is necessary in order to understand the behaviour and the development of a star or any other complex system in local thermodynamic equilibrium. Equations of State are used in chemistry, astrophysics, geophysics, nuclear physics, high energy physics, plasma physics and shock wave studies. This book aims to bring all these fields together through the Equations of State, thus unifying a major part of physics.
 
Scientists have been working during the last three centuries on the unification of the forces in nature. However, the understanding and the unification of all the basic forces of nature does not necessarily explain the behaviour of a large system of "strongly coupled particles". For example, phase transitions in general and strongly coupled plasmas in particular are described by the equations of state of matter. In particular, the knowledge of pressure, energy and entropy as a function of temperature, density and chemical context is necessary in order to understand the behaviour and the development of a star or any other complex system in local thermodynamic equilibrium. Equations of State are used in chemistry, astrophysics, geophysics, nuclear physics, high energy physics, plasma physics and shock wave studies. This book aims to bring all these fields together through the Equations of State, thus unifying a major part of physics.