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Plasma Diagnostics
774
BOOK REVIEWS
personnel (who make practical use oi the systems~. At tile end of the book there is a section dealing v, ith the relationship between these three groups, and brief contributions from a representative of each category. Apart from this section, the main work is best summarized by quoting the six section headings under which the individual contributions are presented. Theseare: morphology of the Arctic ionosphere and ionospheric absorption, aspects of LF and VLF communication, scatter communication, H F communications, commtmication system techniques, and survey of existing communication facilities and user problems in the Arctic. Within this framework, detailed papers are concerned with a wide range of aspects. To mention only a iew, there are contributions on the physics of auroral particle precipitation and auroral absorption ; ionospheric, auroral and meteor scatter propagation; H F spatial and temporal propagation characteristics; F:~sp~opagation; morphology of fading of VLF and HF signals traversing a polar path; features of modern system design techniques; propagation predictions, etc. It is clear from this incomplete list that the whole work provides a fairly comprehensive account of all the main aspects of radio communication in high latitudes. Commendably, each paper is preceded by an abstract, and each section terminates with a brief account of the discussion items for that topic. The general presentation is good, and the reproduction from typescript is entirely adequate for a conference volume of this type. The diagrams are clear, and the general layout does credit to the editor. There are, however, rather more misprints than one would expect would pass the eye of a keen proof-reader (including one in a main bold-face section heading). It is refreshing to find a subject index in addition to an author index, even if it does contain such unexpected entries as "summary" and considerable duplication or inconsistencies of references (compare, for example, the two entries under 'Density, electron' and 'Electron density'). These are minor criticisms of a valuable book, which makes an important attempt to bring together the relevant contributions of physicists, designers, and operators, through which, alone, progress in this field is possible.
W. LOCHTE-HOLTGREVEN(Editor): Plasma Diagnostics. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1968. 928 pp. 292s. Tins very useful compilation gives a survey of the methods of plasma analysis. The following are the titles of the chapters (with the names of the authors, most of whom are German, in brackets): "Radiation of Hot Gases" (J. Richter); "Interpretation of Line Broadening and Line Shift" (G. Traving); "Evaluation of Plasma Parameters" (W. Lochte-Holtgreven); "Evaluation of Plasma Parameters in Optically Thick Plasmas" (H. Zwicker); "Quantitative Spectroscopy and Spectral Photometry" (W. Lochte-Holtgreven and J. Richter); "Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy" (R. Lincke); "X-Ray Diagnostics of Plasmas" (P. Bogen); "Microwave Diagnostic Techniques" (H. Hermansdorfer); "The Laser as a Tool for Plasma Diagnostics" (H. J. Kunze); "Measurement of Magnetic Fields in Plasmas" (W. B6tticher); "Electrical Probes" (L. Schott); "Langmuir Probes on Spacecraft" (R. L. F. Boyd); "Mass Spectrometry of Plasmas", "Collision and Transport Cross-Sections" and "Evaluation of Electrical Conductivity, Heat Conductivity and Viscosity of Plasmas" (H. W. Drawin). The author index contains many careless errors in spelling and in initials. A number of authors are listed tinder several guises: for example, I appear both as "Bates, D. R." and as "Bates, F.R.S.", while Alex Dalgarno appears both as "Dalgaard, A." and as "Dalgarno, B?' (but not as "Dalgarno, A."). The subject index is poor. As would be expected at the price being charged, the volume is very well produced. D. R. B~rFs
A. DOLLFUS(Editor): Moon and Planets. A Session of the Seventh International Space Science Symposium, Vienna 1966. North-Holland, Amsterdam. viii-4-325. 90s. THE VOLUMEcontains 36 papers, in 5 sections titled: Introduction (2), The Moon (8), Planets in General (7), Planet Mars (9), and Theoretical Problems (10). A regrettably large number of papers, 9, are represented only by abstract. A smaller number, perhaps 4, could be classified as extended abstracts, or descriptions of work in progress. About one third of the papers are concerned directly with space observations, notably the U.S. Ranger and Mariner missions and the Soviet Luna 9 and Zond 3 experiments. The remaining papers are divided about equally between theoretical studies and ground-based observations. It is perhaps the primary purpose of a review of this nature to make a recommendation. Is the book worth the money? Should the individual research worker invest the 90s. ($10.80) necessary toplace this volume on his bookshelf? The recommendation is necessarily subjective, but this reviewer could find many better ways to spend his money. With several exceptions, mostly the review articles, I found the contributions generally undistinguished. With some articles I had the impression of defa vu.
BOOK REVIEWS
personnel (who make practical use oi the systems~. At tile end of the book there is a section dealing v, ith the relationship between these three groups, and brief contributions from a representative of each category. Apart from this section, the main work is best summarized by quoting the six section headings under which the individual contributions are presented. Theseare: morphology of the Arctic ionosphere and ionospheric absorption, aspects of LF and VLF communication, scatter communication, H F communications, commtmication system techniques, and survey of existing communication facilities and user problems in the Arctic. Within this framework, detailed papers are concerned with a wide range of aspects. To mention only a iew, there are contributions on the physics of auroral particle precipitation and auroral absorption ; ionospheric, auroral and meteor scatter propagation; H F spatial and temporal propagation characteristics; F:~sp~opagation; morphology of fading of VLF and HF signals traversing a polar path; features of modern system design techniques; propagation predictions, etc. It is clear from this incomplete list that the whole work provides a fairly comprehensive account of all the main aspects of radio communication in high latitudes. Commendably, each paper is preceded by an abstract, and each section terminates with a brief account of the discussion items for that topic. The general presentation is good, and the reproduction from typescript is entirely adequate for a conference volume of this type. The diagrams are clear, and the general layout does credit to the editor. There are, however, rather more misprints than one would expect would pass the eye of a keen proof-reader (including one in a main bold-face section heading). It is refreshing to find a subject index in addition to an author index, even if it does contain such unexpected entries as "summary" and considerable duplication or inconsistencies of references (compare, for example, the two entries under 'Density, electron' and 'Electron density'). These are minor criticisms of a valuable book, which makes an important attempt to bring together the relevant contributions of physicists, designers, and operators, through which, alone, progress in this field is possible.
W. LOCHTE-HOLTGREVEN(Editor): Plasma Diagnostics. North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1968. 928 pp. 292s. Tins very useful compilation gives a survey of the methods of plasma analysis. The following are the titles of the chapters (with the names of the authors, most of whom are German, in brackets): "Radiation of Hot Gases" (J. Richter); "Interpretation of Line Broadening and Line Shift" (G. Traving); "Evaluation of Plasma Parameters" (W. Lochte-Holtgreven); "Evaluation of Plasma Parameters in Optically Thick Plasmas" (H. Zwicker); "Quantitative Spectroscopy and Spectral Photometry" (W. Lochte-Holtgreven and J. Richter); "Vacuum Ultraviolet Spectroscopy" (R. Lincke); "X-Ray Diagnostics of Plasmas" (P. Bogen); "Microwave Diagnostic Techniques" (H. Hermansdorfer); "The Laser as a Tool for Plasma Diagnostics" (H. J. Kunze); "Measurement of Magnetic Fields in Plasmas" (W. B6tticher); "Electrical Probes" (L. Schott); "Langmuir Probes on Spacecraft" (R. L. F. Boyd); "Mass Spectrometry of Plasmas", "Collision and Transport Cross-Sections" and "Evaluation of Electrical Conductivity, Heat Conductivity and Viscosity of Plasmas" (H. W. Drawin). The author index contains many careless errors in spelling and in initials. A number of authors are listed tinder several guises: for example, I appear both as "Bates, D. R." and as "Bates, F.R.S.", while Alex Dalgarno appears both as "Dalgaard, A." and as "Dalgarno, B?' (but not as "Dalgarno, A."). The subject index is poor. As would be expected at the price being charged, the volume is very well produced. D. R. B~rFs
A. DOLLFUS(Editor): Moon and Planets. A Session of the Seventh International Space Science Symposium, Vienna 1966. North-Holland, Amsterdam. viii-4-325. 90s. THE VOLUMEcontains 36 papers, in 5 sections titled: Introduction (2), The Moon (8), Planets in General (7), Planet Mars (9), and Theoretical Problems (10). A regrettably large number of papers, 9, are represented only by abstract. A smaller number, perhaps 4, could be classified as extended abstracts, or descriptions of work in progress. About one third of the papers are concerned directly with space observations, notably the U.S. Ranger and Mariner missions and the Soviet Luna 9 and Zond 3 experiments. The remaining papers are divided about equally between theoretical studies and ground-based observations. It is perhaps the primary purpose of a review of this nature to make a recommendation. Is the book worth the money? Should the individual research worker invest the 90s. ($10.80) necessary toplace this volume on his bookshelf? The recommendation is necessarily subjective, but this reviewer could find many better ways to spend his money. With several exceptions, mostly the review articles, I found the contributions generally undistinguished. With some articles I had the impression of defa vu.