- Email: [email protected]
The nucleon-nucleon interaction: Experimental and phenomenological aspects
Book Reviews APPLIED CRYOGENIC ENGINEERING, edited by
R. W. Vance and W. M. Duke. 510 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 X 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962. Price, $17.50.
Applied Cryogenic Engineering consists of a series of lectures delivered in a graduate level program under the sponsorship of the University of California Engineering and Physical Sciences Series. The contents cover a wide territory, since the lecture course was directed towards the interests of engineers associated with the missile and space industries. A weakness of the book, however, is the inclusion of material which is peripheral to the main title, e. g., a discussion of the dynamics of space flight, with consequent dilution of those topics associated more clearly with cryogenics. Altogether there are fifteen chapters contributed by well qualified and recognized authorities in the fields of low temperature physics and cryogenic engineering including, in particular, those aspects associated with the space program. The book is divided into two principal sections entitled "Basic Theory" and "Applications." An appendix provides detailed information on the physical properties of the common cryogenic fluids--He, HP, Ne, Np, O2 and Fp--on methods of recovering helium from natural gas, and on the control of contamination in cryogenic fluids and systems. Part I, Basic Theory, includes chapters on the thermodynamic and physicM properties of cryogenic fluids, their liquefaction and their handling. The mechanical properties of materials, low temperature thermometry, and cryogenic thermal insulation are also discussed. The Applications discussed in Part I I include the storage of cryogenic fluids, terrestrially and in space; also the dangers involved in working with cryogenic fluids and the precautions to be followed. Two chapters are devoted to the use of cryogenic fuels in present and future space propulsion systems. A chapter containing an excellent summary of the physical properties of liquid helium-3 and helium-4 appears somewhat out of place in this section.
~98
The shortcomings of the book are connected principally with the attempt to cover too many subjects. As a result, the book is largely qualitative and descriptive, and includes little rigorous fundamental theory upon which a solid understanding can be based. But the material is well presented and edited, so that the book succeeds in its purpose if it be regarded as an introduction, not to one, but to several new engineering activities associated with cryogenics and with the space program. In general, the chapters are well provided with references to other sources of more detailed information. Although the end papers claim that "the book provides the working knowledge which research and development engineers need to apply cryogenics to space technology," it is in fact an introduction, albeit a good one, and more detailed knowledge than is provided herein will certainly be required by the working engineer. JAMES N1COL
Cryonetics Corporation Burlington, Massachusetts THE NUCLEON-NUCLEON INTE1LkCTION: EXPERIMENTAL ~ND PHENOMENOLOGICAL A s -
SPECTS, by Richard Wilson. No. 16, Interscience Tracts on Physics and Astronomy. 249 pages, diagrams, 5 X 8 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1963. Price, $6.00. Nuclear physics was born with the discovery of the neutron in 1932 by Chadwick. Since that time one of the principal objectives of workers in this field has been the investigation of the basic interaction between nucleons. The most direct experimental information is obtained from the analysis of proton-proton and neutron-proton scattering experiments. As a result of these experiments, which began in the thirties and have continued until the present, we now have a fairly complete picture of the general features of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. To provide a complete and up-to-date review of this interaction from the experimenter's point of view, is the purpose of Professor Wilson's book. A companion Volume by H. P. Noyes, will discuss theoretical aspects.
Journal of The Franklin Institute
Book Reviews Three types of experiments are treated in this book: nucleon-nucleon scattering, electromagnetic interactions with the two-nucleon system, and the scattering of nucleons by light nuclei. The greatest emphasis is, of course, on nucleon-nucleon scattering. The book begins with a detailed treatment of lowenergy nucleon-nucleon scattering experiments and their theoretical interpretation. This chapter is extremely clear and well written. Any reader with a knowledge of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics should be able to follow the theoretical development in detail without difficulty. Most of the remainder of the book is devoted to high energy scattering. Since this book is primarily concerned with experimental aspects of the nucleon-nucleon interaction, no attempt is made to give an adequate treatment of high-energy scattering theory--a subject inherently more difficult than low energy scattering theory. Presumably the theoretical analysis of the high energy experiments will be found in the companion volume by Noyes. Electromagnetic studies of the two-nucleon system and the scattering of nucleons by light nuclei are introduced, because both kinds of experiments in principle provide information on collisions in which the energy of the two nucleons involved is not conserved--a situation never attained in the scattering of free nucleons. Unfortunately neither type of experiment has yielded unambiguous results for off-theenergy-shell scattering amplitudes. This book is definitely a review and not a textbook; nevertheless it will be useful at several levels--to the graduate student, and the mature physicist in a different field, as well as to the specialist. The specialist will appreciate the 13 pages of references to the original research papers, and a 52 page appendix containing "all experimental numbers which it is believed are useful in nucleonnucleon scattering." W. T. PINKSTON
Bartol Research Foundation
NUCLEARTHEORY,by A. M. Lane. 250 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, W. A. Beniamin, Inc., 1964. Price, $4.95 (paper); $8.00 (cloth). This contribution to nuclear theory is timely and welcome. Dr. Lane has provided a description of recent developments in many-
vol. 277, No. 5, M~y 1964
body theory which has distinct pedagogic merit. The book is divided into three parts. The first two constitute a detailed account of pairing force theory and the theory of collective motions. The third part is a collection of six relevant reprints. Throughout, the presentation never loses sight of the connection with experimental data, and frequent comparisons are made. In this respect the book is almost unique, since in all cases which this reviewer can recall, the elegance of the theory is paramount but little or nothing is usually said about the relation of the theory to reality. Such success as has attended the application of the pairing theory to superconductivity, tends to divert attention from its possible inadequacy as a quantitative description of nuclear properties. This is not to deny the fact that these theoretical developments still remain the one bright hope of the nuclear theorists, as of this moment. The only defect noticeable in Dr. Lane's technique is the use of references which are so recent or ephemeral as to necessitate the description "unpublished" or "to be published." Needless to say, such references are of limited value in the present context. M. E. ROSE
University of Virginia LECTURES IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS, Volu m e 5, edited by Brittin, Downs & Downs.
585 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1963. Price, $12.00. This is the fifth of the lecture series in Theoretical Physics delivered at the University of Colorado (summer 1962). I t contains eight articles of considerable diversity and range : 1. Behavior of De Broglie Wave and Wave Packets, by W. H. Furry. 2. Recent Developments in Scattering Matrix Theory of Particles and Resonances, by A. O. Barut. 3. Theories of Ferroelectricity in KH~P04, by E. A. Uehling. 4. Topics in Quantum Electronics, by N. Bloembergen. 5. Group Theoretical Approaches to Nuclear Spectroscopy, by L. C. Biedenharn. 6. Dynamics of Electrons in Crystals, by Eugene I. Blount. 7. Theory and Practice of the Fermi Surface of Metals, by J. C. Phillips.
499
R. W. Vance and W. M. Duke. 510 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 X 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962. Price, $17.50.
Applied Cryogenic Engineering consists of a series of lectures delivered in a graduate level program under the sponsorship of the University of California Engineering and Physical Sciences Series. The contents cover a wide territory, since the lecture course was directed towards the interests of engineers associated with the missile and space industries. A weakness of the book, however, is the inclusion of material which is peripheral to the main title, e. g., a discussion of the dynamics of space flight, with consequent dilution of those topics associated more clearly with cryogenics. Altogether there are fifteen chapters contributed by well qualified and recognized authorities in the fields of low temperature physics and cryogenic engineering including, in particular, those aspects associated with the space program. The book is divided into two principal sections entitled "Basic Theory" and "Applications." An appendix provides detailed information on the physical properties of the common cryogenic fluids--He, HP, Ne, Np, O2 and Fp--on methods of recovering helium from natural gas, and on the control of contamination in cryogenic fluids and systems. Part I, Basic Theory, includes chapters on the thermodynamic and physicM properties of cryogenic fluids, their liquefaction and their handling. The mechanical properties of materials, low temperature thermometry, and cryogenic thermal insulation are also discussed. The Applications discussed in Part I I include the storage of cryogenic fluids, terrestrially and in space; also the dangers involved in working with cryogenic fluids and the precautions to be followed. Two chapters are devoted to the use of cryogenic fuels in present and future space propulsion systems. A chapter containing an excellent summary of the physical properties of liquid helium-3 and helium-4 appears somewhat out of place in this section.
~98
The shortcomings of the book are connected principally with the attempt to cover too many subjects. As a result, the book is largely qualitative and descriptive, and includes little rigorous fundamental theory upon which a solid understanding can be based. But the material is well presented and edited, so that the book succeeds in its purpose if it be regarded as an introduction, not to one, but to several new engineering activities associated with cryogenics and with the space program. In general, the chapters are well provided with references to other sources of more detailed information. Although the end papers claim that "the book provides the working knowledge which research and development engineers need to apply cryogenics to space technology," it is in fact an introduction, albeit a good one, and more detailed knowledge than is provided herein will certainly be required by the working engineer. JAMES N1COL
Cryonetics Corporation Burlington, Massachusetts THE NUCLEON-NUCLEON INTE1LkCTION: EXPERIMENTAL ~ND PHENOMENOLOGICAL A s -
SPECTS, by Richard Wilson. No. 16, Interscience Tracts on Physics and Astronomy. 249 pages, diagrams, 5 X 8 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1963. Price, $6.00. Nuclear physics was born with the discovery of the neutron in 1932 by Chadwick. Since that time one of the principal objectives of workers in this field has been the investigation of the basic interaction between nucleons. The most direct experimental information is obtained from the analysis of proton-proton and neutron-proton scattering experiments. As a result of these experiments, which began in the thirties and have continued until the present, we now have a fairly complete picture of the general features of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. To provide a complete and up-to-date review of this interaction from the experimenter's point of view, is the purpose of Professor Wilson's book. A companion Volume by H. P. Noyes, will discuss theoretical aspects.
Journal of The Franklin Institute
Book Reviews Three types of experiments are treated in this book: nucleon-nucleon scattering, electromagnetic interactions with the two-nucleon system, and the scattering of nucleons by light nuclei. The greatest emphasis is, of course, on nucleon-nucleon scattering. The book begins with a detailed treatment of lowenergy nucleon-nucleon scattering experiments and their theoretical interpretation. This chapter is extremely clear and well written. Any reader with a knowledge of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics should be able to follow the theoretical development in detail without difficulty. Most of the remainder of the book is devoted to high energy scattering. Since this book is primarily concerned with experimental aspects of the nucleon-nucleon interaction, no attempt is made to give an adequate treatment of high-energy scattering theory--a subject inherently more difficult than low energy scattering theory. Presumably the theoretical analysis of the high energy experiments will be found in the companion volume by Noyes. Electromagnetic studies of the two-nucleon system and the scattering of nucleons by light nuclei are introduced, because both kinds of experiments in principle provide information on collisions in which the energy of the two nucleons involved is not conserved--a situation never attained in the scattering of free nucleons. Unfortunately neither type of experiment has yielded unambiguous results for off-theenergy-shell scattering amplitudes. This book is definitely a review and not a textbook; nevertheless it will be useful at several levels--to the graduate student, and the mature physicist in a different field, as well as to the specialist. The specialist will appreciate the 13 pages of references to the original research papers, and a 52 page appendix containing "all experimental numbers which it is believed are useful in nucleonnucleon scattering." W. T. PINKSTON
Bartol Research Foundation
NUCLEARTHEORY,by A. M. Lane. 250 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, W. A. Beniamin, Inc., 1964. Price, $4.95 (paper); $8.00 (cloth). This contribution to nuclear theory is timely and welcome. Dr. Lane has provided a description of recent developments in many-
vol. 277, No. 5, M~y 1964
body theory which has distinct pedagogic merit. The book is divided into three parts. The first two constitute a detailed account of pairing force theory and the theory of collective motions. The third part is a collection of six relevant reprints. Throughout, the presentation never loses sight of the connection with experimental data, and frequent comparisons are made. In this respect the book is almost unique, since in all cases which this reviewer can recall, the elegance of the theory is paramount but little or nothing is usually said about the relation of the theory to reality. Such success as has attended the application of the pairing theory to superconductivity, tends to divert attention from its possible inadequacy as a quantitative description of nuclear properties. This is not to deny the fact that these theoretical developments still remain the one bright hope of the nuclear theorists, as of this moment. The only defect noticeable in Dr. Lane's technique is the use of references which are so recent or ephemeral as to necessitate the description "unpublished" or "to be published." Needless to say, such references are of limited value in the present context. M. E. ROSE
University of Virginia LECTURES IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS, Volu m e 5, edited by Brittin, Downs & Downs.
585 pages, diagrams, 6 X 9 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1963. Price, $12.00. This is the fifth of the lecture series in Theoretical Physics delivered at the University of Colorado (summer 1962). I t contains eight articles of considerable diversity and range : 1. Behavior of De Broglie Wave and Wave Packets, by W. H. Furry. 2. Recent Developments in Scattering Matrix Theory of Particles and Resonances, by A. O. Barut. 3. Theories of Ferroelectricity in KH~P04, by E. A. Uehling. 4. Topics in Quantum Electronics, by N. Bloembergen. 5. Group Theoretical Approaches to Nuclear Spectroscopy, by L. C. Biedenharn. 6. Dynamics of Electrons in Crystals, by Eugene I. Blount. 7. Theory and Practice of the Fermi Surface of Metals, by J. C. Phillips.
499