Photons In Natural And Life Sciences

The book describes first the principle photon generation processes from nuclear reactions, electron motion and from discrete quantum transitions. It then focuses on the use of photons in various selected fields of modern natural and life sciences. It bridges disciplines such as physics, chemistry, earth- and materials science, proteomics, information technology, photoelectrochemistry, photosynthesis and spintronics. Advanced light sources and their use in natural and life sciences are emphasized and the effects related to the quantum nature of photons (quantum computing, teleportation) are described. The content encompasses among many other examples the role of photons on the origin of life and on homochirality in biology, femtosecond laser slicing, photothermal cancer therapy, the use of gamma rays in materials science, photoelectrochemical surface conditioning, quantum information aspects and photo-spintronics. The book is written for scientists and graduate students from all related disciplines who are interested in the science beyond their immediate research field. It is meant to encourage interdisciplinary research and development in an age where nanoscience results in a convergence of formerly more disparate science.

To honour W C R”ntgen and review the entire area of X-ray development in the various fields of natural, technical, and life sciences, his successors at the Physikalisches Institut of the Universit„t Wrzburg organized a conference, named ?R”ntgen Centennial?. It took place at the new ?Physikalisches Institut? not far from the historical site shortly before the actual 100th anniversary of the discovery. Over forty renowned scientists were invited as representative speakers in the various subfields of X-ray activities. They reviewed the development, gave examples, and described the present status. Most of them provided survey articles, which are gathered in this book. Since most X-ray-related activities are somehow represented, an almost complete overview of the entire field is provided. This book thus represents the enormous breadth of X-ray activities and allows one to recognize the potential and quality of today's X-ray research.

Includes Proceedings Vol. 7821

Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior-concepts familiar to physicists and chemists-are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior. Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment. This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions-and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies.

Optics--a field of physics focusing on the study of light--is also central to many areas of biology, including vision, ecology, botany, animal behavior, neurobiology, and molecular biology. The Optics of Life introduces the fundamentals of optics to biologists and nonphysicists, giving them the tools they need to successfully incorporate optical measurements and principles into their research. Sönke Johnsen starts with the basics, describing the properties of light and the units and geometry of measurement. He then explores how light is created and propagates and how it interacts with matter, covering topics such as absorption, scattering, fluorescence, and polarization. Johnsen also provides a tutorial on how to measure light as well as an informative discussion of quantum mechanics. The Optics of Life features a host of examples drawn from nature and everyday life, and several appendixes that offer further practical guidance for researchers. This concise book uses a minimum of equations and jargon, explaining the basic physics of light in a succinct and lively manner. It is the essential primer for working biologists and for anyone seeking an accessible introduction to optics.

The new edition of this authoritative text provides an interdisciplinary treatise of all aspects of the interactions between light and the living world. It starts with a description of the physics of light, and how to deal with it in experiments and observations. The phenomena described in the rest of the book covers all organisms: how light is used by organisms for obtaining energy for life processes, for gathering information about the environment, and for communicating with others of the same or other species. The book also describes "bad" effects of light in causing disease or contributing to formation of environmental toxins. New techniques used by scientists to investigate life processes using light are also explored in the volume. Written by experts in the field, Photobiology: The Science of Life and Light, 3e is a valuable and accessible resource for both advanced undergraduates and established researchers.

A richly illustrated undergraduate textbook on the physics and biology of light Students in the physical and life sciences, and in engineering, need to know about the physics and biology of light. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that an understanding of the quantum nature of light is essential, both for the latest imaging technologies and to advance our knowledge of fundamental life processes, such as photosynthesis and human vision. From Photon to Neuron provides undergraduates with an accessible introduction to the physics of light and offers a unified view of a broad range of optical and biological phenomena. Along the way, this richly illustrated textbook builds the necessary background in neuroscience, photochemistry, and other disciplines, with applications to optogenetics, superresolution microscopy, the single-photon response of individual photoreceptor cells, and more. With its integrated approach, From Photon to Neuron can be used as the basis for interdisciplinary courses in physics, biophysics, sensory neuroscience, biophotonics, bioengineering, or nanotechnology. The goal is always for students to gain the fluency needed to derive every result for themselves, so the book includes a wealth of exercises, including many that guide students to create computer-based solutions. Supplementary online materials include real experimental data to use with the exercises. Assumes familiarity with first-year undergraduate physics and the corresponding math Overlaps the goals of the MCAT, which now includes data-based and statistical reasoning Advanced chapters and sections also make the book suitable for graduate courses An Instructor's Guide and illustration package is available to professors

Biophoton emission now belongs to a topical field of modern science: It concerns a weak light emision from biological systems. Such molecular events are clearly compatible with collective phenomena as shown by recent developments in the life sciences such as the chaos theory. This book is concerned with the ?optical window? of biological interactions and in view of their correlations to many biological functions they provide a powerful, non-invasive tool of analysing biological systems. Topics include food science, pollution, efficacy of drugs including the treatment of cancer and immune diseases, and communication phenomena such as consciousness.The collection of articles in this book covers the historical background, the physics of biophoton emission, those biological phenomena which show evidence of a ?holistic? character, and finally discusses applications and biological evolution. This volume serves to bring researchers up-to-date on the subject and draws attention to the many exciting findings that are widely scattered in the scientific literature.

Over the past decade biophotonics has appeared as a new department within the academic structure across the globe. With experimental work going back for more than a century, application of the scientific method has shown the importance of biophotonics within biological and medical practice. At the same time, a new mathematical description of physics and biophysics has emerged. Self-Field Theory (SFT) describes the role of photon as a binding agent between an electron and a proton within atomic structures. SFT is being rapidly accepted by the physics community as a distinct physical theory. This is now an alternative view, in addition to classical electromagnetics and the quantum theories, that forms the basis of a chemical bond. Atomic chemistry underpins biochemistry, the pharmaceutical approach to medical therapy, and has been a staple of biological and medical knowledge over the 20th century. The biophoton within SFT provides another layer of structural organization that sits underneath atomic chemistry. This book is the first to describe SFTs role within biophotonics and as such provides a theory of biophotonics capable of describing a wide range of experimental biophotonic phenomena. Inside the Photon: A Journey towards Health describes the newly discovered layer of biophotonics underlying all atomic chemistry and biochemistry. As with the variety of snowflakes, the range in biological species within flora for instance is dependent on this biophotonic layer of interaction within atomic and biomolecular structures. A new range of energies that can be balanced only within the biophotonic states are responsible for these innumerable varieties of biological species. The phonon, the quantum of acoustic, or vibrational, energy is also described and given status alongside the photon. Hence the ‘biophonon’ sits aside the biophoton as an element within biological structures. Sounds can create structure in the same way biophotons can use structure to communicate. Therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicines are given fresh impetus including putative understanding of mechanism. Mitosis is understood via the cell cycle and how electric, acoustic, and magnetic fields can induce changes at the biophotonic level. The possibility arises of medical therapy without invasive surgery and without the side effects of drug-based therapies.