This book deals with randomly moving objects and their spreading. The objects considered are particles like atoms and molecules, but also living beings such as humans, animals, plants, bacteria and even abstract entities like ideas, rumors, information, innovations and linguistic features. The book explores and communicates the laws behind these movements and reports about astonishing similarities and very specific features typical of the given object under considerations. Leading scientists in disciplines as diverse as archeology, epidemics, linguistics and sociology, in collaboration with their colleagues from engineering, natural sciences and mathematics, introduce the phenomena of spreading as relevant for their fields. An introductory chapter on “Spreading Fundamentals” provides a common basis for all these considerations, with a minimum of mathematics, selected and presented for enjoying rather than frustrating the reader.
Tabella dei contenuti
Epidemic Spreading.- Hot Brownian Motion: Experiment.- Nature-Inspired Transport Optimization.- The Neolithic Transition.- Spreading Innovations.- Expansion of Language Families.- The Expansion of Farming.- Spreading of Failures in the Internet and in Power Grids.- Analyzing Language Shift.- Search for Food of Birds, Fish and Insects.- Uphill Diffusion.- Hot Brownian Motion: Theory.- Dispersal in Plants and Animals.- Diffusive Transport in Non-Equilibrium Steady State.- A New Class of Superspreader.- Transport Systems Living Organisms.- Brain Structure Revealed by Diffusive Spread of Molecules.- NMR Versatility.- Spore Dispersal in Lower Organisms.- Diffusion Processes in Atmospheric Physics.- Language Migration.
Circa l’autore
Prof. Jörg Kärger
Professional Career
1962 – 1968 Studying Physics at Leipzig University
1968 – 1970 Ph D-fellow Leipzig University, Dr. rer. nat. in Physics 1970
1970 – 1977 Scientific co-worker, Leipzig University
1977 – 1982 Senior scientific co-worker, Leipzig University
1978 Habilitation (‘Promotion B’)
1982 – 1989 Lecturer, Leipzig University
1989 – 1994 extraordinary Professor, Leipzig University
1994 – April 2009 Professor with full chair (Interface Physics), Leipzig University
since April 2009 Professor emeritus, Leipzig University
Professional Activities and Memberships
1996 – 1999 Dean of the Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences at Leipzig University
1996 – 1999 President of the German Zeolite Association, member of t
he FEZA Board (Federation of European Zeolite Associations)
1997 – 2000 Ombudsman of Leipzig University
2002 – 2006 Editorship www.diffusion-fundamentals.org (since 2003),
Microporous and Mesoporous Materials (European Editor 2004 – 2008)
Membership in Editorial Boards
Zeolites (1992 – 1997), Adsorption (since 1993), Microporous and
Mesoporous Materials (since 1993)
Honours
1978 Gustav-Hertz-Award
of the German Physical Society
1980 Leibniz-Medal of the German Academy of Sciences
1986 Donald-W.-Breck Award of the International Zeolite Association (together
with H. Pfeifer, D. Freude and M. Bülow)
1993 Max Planck Research Award of the Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation and the Max-Planck-Society
2000 Member of the Saxon Academy of Sciences
2005 Theodor-Litt-A
ward of Leipzig University
Research Interest
Experiment and
theory of mass transfer and matter conversion in complex systems
Prof. Dr. Gero Vogl, Wien Dr.phil. (Physik, Universität Wien), Dr. rer.nat.habil. (TU München) Emer. Professor
1965 Dr.phil.1966 assistent physics department TU München1970 head low temperatur lab TU München1974 Habilitation1975 associate professor TU München1977 professor physics (C3) FU Berlin1985-2009 prof. physics University Wien1999 department head Hahn-Meitner-Instituts Berlin1990-1991 member scientific couoncil integration Ad W of DDR 1991-1993 responsible for evaluation der physics research Autria1991-1998 speaker „Nuclear Solid State Sciences Austsria2002 coordinator net Materials Dynamics BMWFT, international collaboration2002-2004 president Austrian Physical Society
CV of Jürgen Caro
Po
sition: Professor (W3) for Physical Chemistry (chair)
Academic education and degrees
1992 Dr. rer. habil. on the application of zeolitic molecular sieves as catalysts,
adsorbents, nonlinear optical materials, sensor, membrane
1989 Dr. sc. nat. on the diffusion influence in heterogeneous catalysis
1977 Dr. rer. nat. on NMR studies of molecular diffusion in porous materials (Mentor: J. Kärger), „summa cum laude“
1970-1977 Study of Chemistry, University Leipzig, American model: direct after Bachelor, start of
Ph D study
Scientific career
since 2001 W3 Professor for Physical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover
1994-2001 Leader of the Department „Advanced Materials“ at the Institute for Applied
Chemistry in Berlin-Adlershof with the working fields ceramics, polymers,
composites
1992-1993 Formation of the new group „Nano-composites- molecular sieves as
high-tech
materials“ at Center for Heterogeneous Catalysis of the KAI in Berlin-Adlershof
1977-1991 Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of the former East German Academy of
Sciences with the working fields adsorption, catalysis, porous materials, gas
separation, supercritical fluids
Further activities and honours
2013 Breck Award of the International Zeolite Association
2013 Ostwald-Medal of the Saxonian Academy of Scien
ces at Leipzig
2013-2016 Pr
ofessor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Ningbo, China
2014-2017 Visiting Professor at Dalian University of Technology, China
2014-2017
P
art-time Professor of the University at Panjin, China