Contents

Preface to Part 1 page xi

Preface to Part 2 xii
Preface to the combined volume xiii

1 General introduction-author to reader 1

PART 1: THE SIMPLE CLASSICAL

VIBRATOR

2 The free vibrator

Introduction: the special role of harmonic vibrators 7
Anharmonic simple vibrators 12
Using energy conservation to calculate vibration frequency 21
Systems with more than one mode 24
Dissipation 30
Maintained vibrations 39

3 Applications of complex variables to

linear systems
Complex exponential solutions to equations of motion 44
The complex p-plane 46
Complex frequency; conventions 52
The vibration diagram 53
Circuit analysis 55
Work and power 56
Waves 57
Circular polarization 62

4 Fourier series and integral

Synthesis of waveforms; Fourier series 63
Beats and related phenomena 67
The Fourier integral 69

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010
 VI Contents

Noise 79
White noise 90
Autocorrelation 93

5 Spectrum analysis
Computation of Fourier transforms 97
The ear and the eye; optical spectrometers 100
Linear transducers; response functions 105
Causality 107
Resonant filters: sound spectrograph 113
Mixing and combination tones 121

6 The driven harmonic vibrator

Transfer function, compliance, susceptibility, admittance,
impedance 128
The form of the resonance curve 134
Low-Q resonant peaks 140
Transient response 142
Response of a resonant system to noise 152

7 Waves and resonators

Preliminary remarks about one-dimensional waves; charac-
teristic impedance and admittance 161
Analogues of characteristic impedance 169
Resonant lines 171
Finger-holes in woodwind instruments 175
Radiation from an open end 179
Resonators attached to transmission lines 184
Excitation of a resonator by a plane wave 195
Anomalous dispersion 204

8 Velocity-dependent forces
Coriolis and Lorentz forces 209
Whirling 212
The gyro-pendulum 216
The gyromagnetic top 218
Nuclear magnetic resonance 223
The physical mechanism of relaxation 230
Cyclotron resonance 237
Helicons 239

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010
 Contents vii

9 The driven anharmonic vibrator; subharmonics;

stability
Slightly anharmonic vibrators 248
An example of subharmonic excitation 253
Behaviour of simple systems near equilibrium 254
Examples of instability 259
The slightly anharmonic vibrator revisited 266
Stability of a system with more than two independent
variables 267
Stability testing by discrete sampling (stroboscopic method) 268
The subharmonic generator revisited 271
The cyclotron, and Azbel'-Kaner cyclotron resonance 275
Conditions for subharmonic generation 278

10 Parametric excitation
Detailed analysis of parametrically excited systems 289
Parametric amplifiers 301

11 Maintained oscillators
The feedback principle 306
Negative resistance and spontaneous oscillation 311
Negative resistance by means of feedback; class C oscillators 314
The pendulum clock, a non-linear class C oscillator 323
Further examples of negative-resistance oscillators 326
(a) A resistive feedback network 326
(b) The tunnel diode 330
(c) Mechanical analogues of negative and non-linear
resistance; Lienard's construction 333
(d) The maser 345
Saturation of negative-resistance oscillators 348
Multivibrator 353
Relaxation oscillators 359
The effect of noise on a class C oscillator 361

12 Coupled vibrators
Coupled passive vibrators 366
Energy and normal modes 372
Examples of coupled vibrators 376
Coupled lossy vibrators 379
Impedances and impulse response functions for coupled
circuits 381
Coupled active and passive vibrators 385
The Huygens phenomenon (entrainment) 391

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010
 VI ii Contents

Frequency-locking of a multivibrator 405

Locking of multivibrator to a resonant circuit 413
Superconducting weak links (Josephson junctions) 416

PART 2: THE SIMPLE VIBRATOR IN

QUANTUM MECHANICS

13 The quantized harmonic vibrator and its classical

features 427
Solution of Schrodinger's equation 429
Momentum distribution 433
Non-stationary states 434
The coherent state 435
Potential and kinetic energy 436
Classical behaviour of <f > 438
Impulse-response of a quantized system 439
Critical phenomena 443
The equivalent classical ensemble (^--representation) 445
Energy imparted by an applied force 448
Parametric excitation 449

14 Anharmonic vibrators 452

Isochronous vibrators 452
Arbitrary potential well; the semi-classical method 456
WKB approximation 461

15 Vibrations and cyclotron orbits in two dimensions 467

Fermi resonance: non-linear coupling 470
Cyclotron orbits 475
Quantization in a magnetic field 477
Quantization of non-circular orbits in real metals 479
Magnetic breakdown 483

16 Dissipation, level broadening and radiation 489

Coupled harmonic vibrators 490
Dissipation and level broadening 492
Electromagnetic radiation into free space 497
Spontaneous radiation in quantum mechanics 499
Planck's radiation law; Einstein coefficients 501
Divergences in the theory of dipole radiation; mass
enhancement 505

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010
 Contents IX

17 The equivalent classical oscillator 510

The /-sum rule 512
Static polarizability 514

18 The two-level system 516

General theory 517
The double-well model 520
Response functions 522
Radiative decay of the two-level system 528
Equations of motion of a damped double-well 532
Stimulated and spontaneous transitions 536
The frequency-dependent susceptibility 538
Dielectric loss in polyethylene - an example of tunnelling
relaxation 540
Other examples of double-well systems; ammonia 543

19 Line broadening 550

Phase diffusion 552
Stark broadening and resonance broadening 555
Doppler broadening; saturation spectroscopy 561
Spin echoes and related effects 564

20 The ammonia maser 571

Stimulated emission 572
Dielectric response of a molecular beam 574
Fluctuations in amplitude and phase 578
Quantum mechanics of the resonator-molecule interaction 583
Graphical representation of density matrix 587
The dissipative harmonic oscillator 588
Dissipation and fluctuations in the maser 595
Measurement of maser frequency 599
The maser as frequency standard 600

21 The family of masers: from laser to travelling-wave

oscillator 603
Mechanisms of population inversion 605
Classical perspective on maser processes 609
Electron-cyclotron oscillator 609
Bunching and maser action 613
Acoustic attenuation and amplification in solids 618
Travelling-wave oscillator 620
The klystron 621

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010
 x Contents

Epilogue 626

References 627

Index 633

Note: Equations, diagrams and references are numbered serially in each

chapter, and the chapter number is omitted if it is something in the same
chapter that is referred to. Thus (4.23) in chapter 7 means equation 23 of
chapter 4; (23) in chapter 7 means equation 23 in that chapter.
Cross-references are given as page-numbers in the margin.

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core, on subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511622908 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2010