Physics papers and physics notes

My real hobby is physics. I wrote a few physics papers:

• Fundamental parameter-free solutions in Modified Gravity, J. W. Moffat and V. T. Toth, 0712.1796 [gr-qc]
• Modified gravity and the origin of inertia, J. W. Moffat and V. T. Toth, 0710.3415 [gr-qc]
• Pioneer Anomaly: Evaluating Newly Recovered Data, Viktor T. Toth and Slava G. Turyshev, AIP Conf. Proc. 977, 264-283 (2008)
• Modified Gravity: Cosmology without dark matter or Einstein's cosmological constant, J. W. Moffat and V. T. Toth, 0710.0364 [astro-ph]
• Physics Engineering in the Study of the Pioneer Anomaly, Slava G. Turyshev and Viktor T. Toth, 0710.0191 [physics.space-ph]
• Testing modified gravity with globular cluster velocity dispersions, J. W. Moffat and V. T. Toth, Accepted for publication in ApJ
• Testing modified gravity with motion of satellites around galaxies, J. W. Moffat and V. T. Toth, 0708.1264 [astro-ph]
• The Pioneer Anomaly: Seeking an explanation in newly recovered data, Viktor T. Toth and Slava G. Turyshev, Can. J. Phys. 84: 1063-1087 (2006)
• The Study of the Pioneer Anomaly: New Data and Objectives for New Investigation, Slava G. Turyshev, Viktor T. Toth, Larry R. Kellogg, Eunice. L. Lau, Kyong J. Lee, Int.J.Mod.Phys. D15 (2006) 1-56
• Tensor manipulation in GPL Maxima, Viktor T. Toth, cs/0503073

I also wrote many notes over the years. These notes do not contain new discoveries, nor do I believe that I am any better at explaining things than professional physics educators. These are merely my personal study notes. That said, some may find them useful. These notes are not formal; although I try to make sure that the mathematics contained therein is correct, by no means do I attempt to prove every theorem, and yes, I admit I sometimes make leaps that would be unacceptable in more formal texts. The real purpose of these notes, then, is to provide an outline, a roadmap of sorts to help one truly understand what's happening, on the phenomenological level. Some of these notes, in fact, began their existence as comments in my somewhat eclectic Day Book:

• About the de Rham Complex (Mar 9, 2004): differential forms are essential to modern physics. I can finally make heads or tails of them.
• The Action Integral (Sep 20, 2004): it's rare that S is computed explicitly, but when it is, you must know how to partially differentiate it
• The Action and the Wave Function (Sep 27, 2004): there's a deep and mysterious, yet simple relationship between the classical action and Schrödinger's wave function
• On the Barometric Formula (June 27, 2007): Is it valid to assume that a column of air in equilibrium in a gravitational field will be isothermal?
• Bell's Theorem Rehashed (May 28, 2001): a theorem that proves that non-locality is an essential ingredient of quantum mechanics
• Cardano's Problem (Jan 1, 2003): not exactly physics per se, but the first instance of a modern algebraic solution to a difficult practical problem
• Clifford Algebras (Dec 10, 2003; major revision on Feb 11, 2005): they pop up in physics everywhere
• Curved Spacetime (March 7, 2004): the trick is to find a way to do calculus in a curved coordinate system. Freshly updated with a derivation of the curvature tensor.
• E = mc² is not Einstein's Equation (August 13, 2004): I recently saw an article that "exposed" Einstein as a "fraud" whose "derivation" of E = mc² was "flawed".
• On Eigenvectors and Eigenfunctions (June 20, 2005): A dream about salted pork
• Families of Elementary Particles (August 1, 2004): Just a summary of information that's surprisingly hard to find in one place on the Web
• From Set Theory to Electromagnetism (February 23, 2005): A tour (or rather, the brief outline of a tour) in 25 steps
• On The Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics (Feb 6, 2004): an imaginary discussion among Physicists
• Kaluza-Klein Theory (Mar 19, 2004): a simple (but hopefully not simplistic) derivation
• The Mythbusters don't always get their numbers right (Apr 15, 2007): comment on some bad physics in a Mythbusters episode
• The Numerology of Physical Constants (Aug 29, 2004): some physical constants are not as fundamental as you were led to believe
• Playing with the Electromagnetic Field Tensor (Mar 10, 2004, revised August 28, 2006) reveals that Maxwell's equations are really basic geometric identities
• The Principle of Gauge Invariance (Nov 20, 2003): a concept most fundamental to modern physics
• The Principle of Least Action (July 22, 2004): deriving the equation of motion in an electrostatic field
• Principles of Elementary Quantum Mechanics (Jan 15, 2003): a set of notes I wrote defining some of the fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics, and showing the line of reasoning that leads to the Schrödinger equation
• Quaternions and the Dirac Equation (Mar 13, 2003): an attempt to reformulate what I know about the Dirac equation using quaternion algebra
• Spinors in Three Dimensions (Dec 8, 2003): a note on SU(2), SO(3), and spinors
• On Tensors and their Matrix Representations (Aug 11, 2005): Why the usual way of representing tensors with matrices can lead one astray
• Thermodynamic principles (June 29, 2007): An attempt to discuss thermodynamics without Carnot-cycles or reference to quantum physics
• Why does dark matter explain anomalous galaxy rotations? (Apr 5, 2006): An attempt at a "back of the envelope" calculation to estimate, to order of magnitude, how much dark matter is needed to explain peculiar galaxy rotation curves.
• Why Is The Speed of Light Constant? (Jun 7, 2003) This is an attempt to provide a precise, but not too technical explanation (high-school calculus required)