The Physics of Foams [Hardcover]

Denis Weaire (Author), Stefan Hutzler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198505515 | ISBN-13: 978-0198505518 | Publication Date: March 30, 2000

Foams, whether on a glass of beer or formed from solid metal, raise challenging questions for the physicist and have been the subject of substantial research in recent years. This introduction to the physics of foams describes a number of experiments, computer simulations, and theories. It adopts an authoritative yet informal style, making ample use of illustrations and photographs and emphasizes liquids while describing some recent work on solid foams. It uses simple, idealized models to discuss a range of topics, including structure, drainage, rheology, conductivity and coarsening. It requires a minimum of mathematics and is careful to present the theory and experiment together at every stage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Review from previous edition '...the book provides an excellent overview of our current knowledge of liquid foams and shows the directions of future research efforts. It would be an excellent introduction to the subject for any novice and an engaging read for experts in the field. This book is a timely addition to the literature and should become a classic text... An essential item for every library, it is strongly recommended.'"--M.J. Grimson, Angewandte Chemie, Vol. 21, 2000

"'...the authors' coherent account will benefit researchers at all levels. In addition, Physics of Foams includes many beautiful photographs and computer-generated illustrations of foam structures... that will ensure the continued fascination of all readers.'"--G.C. Barker, Science,

"'...the book represents a major advance. It is written in a pleasant style and is accessible to a wide population of physicists.'"--P.-G. De Gennes, Physics Today

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Denis Weaire is in the Physics Department, Trinity College, Dublin. Stefan Hutzler is in the Physics Department, Trinity College, Dublin. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198505515
• ISBN-13: 978-0198505518
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,547,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coherent and succinct introduction to foamy physics, April 3, 2008

By 

Vivek Sharma "Kavi" (Cambridge / Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Physics of Foams (Paperback)

The Physics of Foams by Denis Weaire and Stefan Hutzler is a lucid, terse and coherent introduction to the realm of foams. Weaire, who is co-author of another delightful text "The Pursuit of Perfect Packing", presents ideas about minimum surfaces, packing problems, and associated structural question with simple and elegant examples.

The authors use minimum of mathematics to emphasize the key ideas related to foam rheology, drainage, stability, structure, coarsening and conductivity. By drawing their examples from varied sources (bubble rafts, beer foam, metal foam, magnetic froth, soap suds), and citing relevant experimental and simulation results that explain the concepts, Weaire and Hutzler have created a text that will be handy to instructors everywhere. As a scientific treatise, it connects our understanding with ideas emanating from observing beer and soap bubbles, thinking about Kepler or Kelvin's hypothesis about packing, and basic understanding of properties of (complex) fluids. The text is entertaining, and is supplemented by innumerable illustrations to make it a worthwhile reading for anyone remotely interested in foam physics.

In context of the other review, I may add that the text comes with a list of useful articles and books that can be referred to by the serious researchers interested in deeper questions or details left out of the text. Brevity of presentation has its own merits, and learning and teaching through analogies and intuition is favored and practiced in this informal, but elegant text. Recommended reading!

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Foam - lots of bubbles holding air, December 22, 2007

By 

G. Steiner (Kihei) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Physics of Foams (Paperback)

Complete but not intuitive. Don't have alternative recommendation if you want to learn about foams.