Contemporary Compendium of Modern Physics

A Contemporary Compendium of Modern Physics equips physics, astronomy, and astrophysics students with the essential knowledge they need to achieve success within their respective majors. The text is specifically written for upper-division students, but also well prepares readers from lower-division classes for more advanced elective courses and can be adopted in graduate-level courses within the disciplines.


The book features particular emphasis on the theory of special relativity; wave-particle duality; the theory of quantum mechanics; the structure of the periodic table and atoms, and application to astronomy and astrophysics; an introduction to quantum computation and quantum information theory; and an overview of particle physics. While each chapter is self-contained, connections between topics are consistently made throughout the book to demonstrate the innate interrelation between many core concepts in physics. Each chapter features an introduction to the material; a discussion of the topical area, including step-by-step calculations and salient examples throughout; a chapter review; and practice problems to help students test their knowledge.


Designed to help students cultivate their base knowledge in the discipline and better understand the interconnections between key concepts and theories, A Contemporary Compendium of Modern Physics is an ideal resource for courses and programs in physics, astronomy, and astrophysics.