Plasma Physics Group, Department of Physics, University of Milano
Teaching » Fisica dei Continui
Program - academic year 2023/24
Starting from the academic year 2022/23, the course is offered jointly (in English) as part of the program for the MSc in Physics and Geophysics under the title "Introduction to Continuum Physics". For the year 2023/24 lectures are held on Tuesday and Friday, 8:30-10:30, starting on 3 October 2023.in Aula B, Department of Earth Sciences "Ardito Desio", via Botticelli 23, 20133 Milano (check the notices for details, last-minute changes to the schedule, examination sessions). The final examination can be taken in English or Italian.
Lecture notes (English, since 2022-23)
Note del docente (Italian, 2019-22)
The lecture notes (which may be subject to minor updates during the semester) contain all the material required to take the esamination. As usual, the use of some good books can be highly beneficial for the sake of further study, meditation and inspiring comparisons between sources.
The fundamental text (which will NOT be followed word by word) is
* 'Fluid Mechanics', L.D. Landau and E.M. Lifshitz (Course of Theoretical Physics, Volume 6), Butterworth-Heinemann
Prof. Guido Parravicini (formerly in charge of this course) wrote a wonderful text (unfortunately only in Italian) filled with fascinating contents and explanatory notes to Landau's volume (a very appreciable endeavour, considering Landau's propensity to assume the reader is at his own level):
* 'Elementi di fisica dei continui', G. Parravicini, CUSL
For a recap on vectors and tensors, see for instance Chapters 1 and 2 from
* 'Mathematics Applied to Continuum Mechanics', L.A. Segel, Dover Publications (o più recente edizione SIAM)
Many books offer material for further study. Here are some suggestions from the realm of general fluid physics as well as geophysics and astrophysics:
* 'Fluid Dynamics for Physicists', T.E. Faber, Cambridge University Press
* 'Fluid Mechanics', P.K. Kundu and I.M. Cohen (second or more recent edition), Academic Press
* 'Principles of Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics', C.J. Clarke and R.F. Carswell, Cambridge University Press
Aesthetically pleasing images of fluid flows (further spurring your understanding and curiosity) can be found in these wonderful collections
* 'An Album of Fluid Motion', M. Van Dyke, Parabolic Press (free download here)
* 'A Gallery of Fluid Motion', M. Samimy, K.S. Breuer, L.G. Leal and P.H. Steen, Cambridge University Press