I dedicate this book to my mother, Emogene Ruth Schaer Mertens, a great musician who happens to love science, and to my father, George Robert Mertens, who lived for his family.

Special thanks go to Ed Cerasuolo, a special friend who has been the "bouncing board" for many of my thoughts and ideas. The countless hours we have spent together enthralled in the discussion of physics have been a boon and a joy to me. Thanks, Ed, and good luck in New Mexico.

Thanks also go to Kevin Core, Dawn Fendenheim, Pablo Leria, Kendra Panton, Rodney Turner and Micheal Yaw, special people and good friends who have corrected, encouraged and supported me throughout the latter part of this effort.

Special thanks go to two special teachers, Dr. Gentile A. Estavez, who taught us to be physicists and accepted us as one of his own, and Dr. Ian Littlewood, an outstanding teacher who taught us that the welfare of students is far more important than office politics.

Since the final version of this book is the result of inputs from many people and friends, I also wish to thank those who have read the original manuscripts and offered insights and corrections and those who have been involved in some very rigorous discussions about the subject itself with me and others who are insightful to it.

Finally, I want to thank my sisters, Jackie Green and Joyce Mertens, who have helped me financially during the "lean" years of my research, without whose help, I would not have been able to write this book.

I would like to thank the many other people, a list of whose names appears (in alphabetical order) below, who have encouraged and supported me in my pursuits. Each one of those individuals has played at least a small part in the shaping of this book as well as my life. If I have left anyone out, it was completely inadvertent—please pardon me:

All of my Students, All of my Teachers, Dr. Larry Andrews, George Arthur, (Aunt) Millie (D) and (Uncle) Paul Brown, (D), Dr. Helen Callarman, (D), Pence L. Cardwell, Bill Cardwell, Robert (Beau) Catron, Dr. K.K. Chang, Dr. Lee Chow, William C. Clark Jr., Kevin Defont, Dr. Richard Denning, Kevin Detloff, Debbie & Alan Edmunds, Lee Fonseca-Lugo, David Green, Guido Hartman, Dr. Olle Heinonen, Jeffrey and Paula Herr, Bob Hickey, Derrick Holland, Tim Houston, Dr. Michael Johnson, Joan Johnston, Jill and Mark Kerce, John Kesterson, Christa Linders, Lisa Lyn, Tim Maddox, Mike Maloney, Kathy Mardirosian, George K. Mertens, Mr. Mould, Dr. Antony Minardi, Delanie Soonthorn Morehead, James Morehead, Miss Julia (O'Conner), Jeanne Owens, Miss Palmer, Dr. Harvey Rexroad (D), Phil Rhoden (D), Dr. Rene Rodriguez, Dr. David Rollins, Dr. Hari Saha, Carl (Bampa) (D) and Ruth (Nanaw) Schaer (D), Daniel E. Schmidt, Reid Shipp, Miss Judi (Freed-Siegfried), Alexander Soonthorn, Micheal Stout, Terence Thomas, Dr. (KV) Kupapala Vajravelu, Ray Wertheim, (Cousin) Bonnie Wiggins, Jenny, Herb, Micheal and Matthew Wilkes, Charles, Monica, Rachel and Angela Wilson, Janet Ellen Mertens Wilson, Dave Witter, Tamara (my dance partner), Rodney (my friend in North Dakota).

Go to the Preface

Home Begin Preface Acknowledgements Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Appendix A Appendix B1 Appendix B2 Appendix C1 Appendix C2 Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Appendix G General References Future Books About the Front Cover About the Author Index