New Books by Faculty
Modern Physics and Technology for Undergraduates
By Lorcan M. Folan and Vladimir I. Tsifrinovich (along with Gennady P Berman of Los Alamos National Laboratory)
World Scientific Publishing 2015
A huge chasm has developed between modern science and undergraduate education. The result of this chasm is that students who are graduating from college are unable to exploit the many opportunities offered by modern science and technology. Modern science and technology widely uses the methods of classical physics, but these modern applications are not reflected in the physics problems often suggested to students. Solving practical problems is a very effective way to inform students about contemporary science, to illustrate the important relationships between modern and classical physics, and to prepare them for future activity in the modern technological environment. The aim of Modern Physics and Technology for Undergraduates is to try to bridge this chasm between modern science and technology and an undergraduate course in physics.
The first part of the book gives an overview of "hot" directions in modern physics and technology. The second part includes a brief review of undergraduate physics, followed by problems which are related to those directions. These problems, which are based on some of the latest developments in science and technology, can be solved using the classical physics accessible in a standard undergraduate program. Where necessary, the problems have detailed solutions.
The second edition of Modern Physics and Technology for Undergraduates includes six new subsections dealing with the most recent developments in science, and a fully updated and expanded list of problems.
Lorcan M. Folan is an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Applied Physics at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. His research interests include the spectroscopic characterization of aerosol particles, optical properties of micro-cavities, energy transfer in condensed matter, and electron capture beta decay.
Vladimir I. Tsifrinovich is an associate industry professor of applied physics at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. He has been recognized for his work by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and has been honored by the International Biographical Center for an outstanding contribution in the field of magnetic resonance. In addition to magnetic resonance, his research interests include quantum computation and quantum measurement.
Road Traffic Congestion: A Concise Guide
By John C. Falcocchio (along with Herbert S. Levinson)
Springer 2015
This book on road traffic congestion in cities and suburbs describes congestion problems and shows how they can be relieved. The first part (Chapters 1-3) shows how congestion reflects transportation technologies and settlement patterns. The second part (Chapters 4-13) describes the causes, characteristics, and consequences of congestion. The third part (Chapters 14-23) presents various relief strategies - including supply adaptation and demand mitigation—for nonrecurring and recurring congestion. The last part (Chapter 24) gives general guidelines for congestion relief and provides a general outlook for the future.
The book will be useful for a wide audience—including students, practitioners and researchers in a variety of professional endeavors: traffic engineers, transportation planners, public transport specialists, city planners, public administrators, and private enterprises that depend on transportation for their activities.
John C. Falcocchio has been a Professor of Transportation Planning & Engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering since 1981 and the Director of the Urban Intelligent Transportation Systems Center, which he co-founded, since 1995. Until 2003, he was the Executive Director of the school’s Transportation Research Institute and was the head of its Department of Civil Engineering until 2001. He received his BCE, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Tandon (then known as the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn), and a Certificate in Traffic Engineering from the Yale University Bureau of Highway Traffic.
Professor Falcocchio’s transportation career has been shaped through a professional lifetime blend of academic and practical work experiences ranging from construction engineering to urban transportation planning for public agencies and the private sector. He was the Founding Principal of Urbitran Associates, a privately owned architecture and planning company, and for more than two decades he has been concentrating on the delivery of intelligent transportation systems solutions for improving transportation system performance and travelers benefits.
This book is available online to the NYU community via NYU Libraries.
