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Antarctic science
An asterisk after the specific name both of ‘garden escapes’ and rarities is unhelpful -and several ‘escapes’ go unstarred (e.g. Douonicum). Distinction between introductions (e.g. Cardaria, Aesculus) and rarities is essential. Habitats and distributions are sometimes shaky. The index is hopeless for sedges, risible for ‘Henry, Good King’. Misprints are few (‘glaucus’, ‘blub-like’). Undoubtedly this attractive and workable key deserves extensive use - and minor revision. D. E. Coombe
Mercury. The Elusive Planet. By Robert G. Strom. Pp. 197. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f13.95. The title of the book is apt. The innermost of all the planets, Mercury is very difficult to observe by conventional astronomical techniques because of its closeness to the Sun. Thus, in spite of its great interest as a nearby Earthlike planet - one of the family of four which includes Venus, Earth, and Mars Mercury was almost as unknown to us in 1974 as it was to the ancients who first observed it. Then came the American spacecraft Mariner 10, which made multiple encounters with Mercury during the period from March 1974 to June 1975 and so provided the first detailed scientific measurements of the body, including television coverage which revealed the appearance of the surface for the first time. This, airless and superficially Moonlike, carries geological features which are in many ways unique and which are exposed daily to temperature excursions which cycle from the freezing point of methane to the melting point of zinc, a range of over 6000°C. Mercury has not been revisited by any other spacecraft, nor are there any near-term plans (Mercury remains elusive), so naturally Robert Strom’s book is mostly about the historic flight of Mariner IO, and its findings. This, however, is a rich seam of fascinating information, mostly about the surface features and their likely origin but also about the interior, which is thought to be an iron core like Earth’s but much larger in relation to the overall size of the planet (Strom describes Mercury as ‘a thinshelled iron sphere’). Calculations suggest that Mercury’s core should be cold and solid now, because the planet is so small (one-twelfth the volume of Earth), yet Mariner found a magnetic field much larger than those of Venus or Mars, buffeting our already shaky understanding of how planetary fields originate. The presentation of the book is particularly good. Aimed at the scientific non-specialist or the interested layman, technical language is avoided, or when unavoidable defined, in the ‘Scientific American’ style. Much care has obviously been taken to make the text clear and progressive, with the right number of well and carefully-chosen photographs thought out, helpful diagrams. The book can be read in one sitting with tremendous enjoyment, leaving the reader with all the basic facts about a nearby world, smaller than, but of the same family as our Earth. It must be required
reading for anyone interested in the Solar System and as such is strongly recommended. F. W. Taylor Stellar Populations. Editedby C. A. Norman, A. Renzini and M. Tosi. Pp. 245. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f20.00 ($32.50). This is a useful book for graduate students and research workers dealing with the stellar content of the various types of galaxies. It should also be more generally of interest to astrophysicists and cosmologists. It is a collection of review papers from the Baltimore Symposium on Stellar Populations in 1986. Most of the major topics in this area are well covered, the reviews are up-to-date (as of mid-1986), and there are adequate reference lists to enable readers to pursue their interests further. The major areas covered by the reviews include the kinematics of local subdwarfs, initial mass function, chemical evolution, populations of the Milky Way Galaxy, M31, local dwarf galaxies, etc., population synthesis, and the evolution of galaxies. Given the comparatively reasonable price, this is a book I would strongly recommend. C. R. Kitchin The Galaxy and the Solar system. Edited by R. Smoluchowski, J. N. Bahcall, and M. S. Matthews. Pp. 483. University of Arizona Press. 1987. $29.95. Despite its rather general title, the bulk of this book is concerned with the connection between certain biological events, such as the extinction of the dinosaurs, and times of enhanced cratering on Earth. The suggestion is that both the biological and cratering records show a 30 million year cycle, both caused by periodic heavy comet showers resulting in catastrophic climatic changes. The current explanations involve perturbing a cloud of comets, which is inferred to exist at a great distance from the Sun. This is said to occur by encounters either with an undiscovered ‘Planet X’, or with an unseen companion star ‘Nemesis’, or with massive gas clouds as the Sun oscillates across the plane of the galaxy. In an informative and well-balanced collection of articles by many authors, these ideas are clearly set out, and explored in some detail. The book includes relevant data and some highly critical papers. The criticisms include the suggestion that the 30 million year cycle may not, after all, exist, in which case the book will serve as a record of an interesting historical aberration. Otherwise, it is an excellent and readable source book. A. F. Heavens Antarctic Science. Edited by D. W. H. Walton. Pp. 280. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f25.00 ($39.50). Antarctic science has developed rapidly since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty 25 years nurtured under a unique ago, carefully umbrella of international cooperation. Now, renewed public and political interest has
awoken with the prospect of commercial exploitation of resources on the horizon. This timely book has been written by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, all with long-standing experience of research in this hostile, yet beautiful and fragile environment. Most of the work is devoted to three principal areas of science studied in Antarctica - biology, the earth sciences, and atmospheric science. Each section reviews the major scientific developments during the past 25 years, drawn from the full breadth of international achievements. Despite some inevitable bias towards British activities the reader is able to savour the rich fruits of a success story in international cooperation. With the Antarctic Treaty due for review in 1991, the authors look forwards as well as backwards. and make a strong case for sustained research in this area. This beautifully-produced and authoritative book has been carefully edited. Useful background chapters covering the geopolitical scene and the organisation of science within the Treaty help to guide the reader through the complex web that binds science and politics together, and weld the book into a thought-provoking and wide-ranging review. It is refreshing to find a book of this nature written, so far as possible. in jargon-free language. The book is profusely illustrated with diagrams and fascinating photographs in colour and B & W. Whilst there is much to interest the scientist, those who simply wish to understand more about this stimulating area and its potential will find it an enjoyable and rewarding read. David A. Peel The Physics of Welding, 2nd Ed. Edited by J. F. Lancaster. Pp. 340. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1986. Hardcoverf32.00 ($55.00), Flexicoverf 16.25 ($28.00). This title conveys the impression that the subject matter is both broadly based and highly technical. Such a combination, while desirable, is not easily achieved, particularly in the field of welding. Interpretation of welding phenomena requires a sound knowledge of many physical disciplines including thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, magneto hydrodynamics, electrodynamics, and surface physics to name but a few. Perhaps it is for this reason that welding is still regarded by some practitioners as a ‘black art’, or at best an empirically based subject. This work is a timely addition to the literature on welding processes and behaviour. Under the editorship of Prof. J. W. Lancaster each section has been carefully structured and compiled. Subjects are, as far as is practicable, developed from basic physical principles. The first two chapters discuss units and general trends and move quickly and smoothly to specific areas of interest. Subsequent chapters include clear and concise discussions on weld pool fluid motion, arc plasma behaviour, and mass transfer as well as the behaviour of specific welding processes. Examples are used in many instances to
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Mercury. The Elusive Planet. By Robert G. Strom. Pp. 197. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f13.95. The title of the book is apt. The innermost of all the planets, Mercury is very difficult to observe by conventional astronomical techniques because of its closeness to the Sun. Thus, in spite of its great interest as a nearby Earthlike planet - one of the family of four which includes Venus, Earth, and Mars Mercury was almost as unknown to us in 1974 as it was to the ancients who first observed it. Then came the American spacecraft Mariner 10, which made multiple encounters with Mercury during the period from March 1974 to June 1975 and so provided the first detailed scientific measurements of the body, including television coverage which revealed the appearance of the surface for the first time. This, airless and superficially Moonlike, carries geological features which are in many ways unique and which are exposed daily to temperature excursions which cycle from the freezing point of methane to the melting point of zinc, a range of over 6000°C. Mercury has not been revisited by any other spacecraft, nor are there any near-term plans (Mercury remains elusive), so naturally Robert Strom’s book is mostly about the historic flight of Mariner IO, and its findings. This, however, is a rich seam of fascinating information, mostly about the surface features and their likely origin but also about the interior, which is thought to be an iron core like Earth’s but much larger in relation to the overall size of the planet (Strom describes Mercury as ‘a thinshelled iron sphere’). Calculations suggest that Mercury’s core should be cold and solid now, because the planet is so small (one-twelfth the volume of Earth), yet Mariner found a magnetic field much larger than those of Venus or Mars, buffeting our already shaky understanding of how planetary fields originate. The presentation of the book is particularly good. Aimed at the scientific non-specialist or the interested layman, technical language is avoided, or when unavoidable defined, in the ‘Scientific American’ style. Much care has obviously been taken to make the text clear and progressive, with the right number of well and carefully-chosen photographs thought out, helpful diagrams. The book can be read in one sitting with tremendous enjoyment, leaving the reader with all the basic facts about a nearby world, smaller than, but of the same family as our Earth. It must be required
reading for anyone interested in the Solar System and as such is strongly recommended. F. W. Taylor Stellar Populations. Editedby C. A. Norman, A. Renzini and M. Tosi. Pp. 245. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f20.00 ($32.50). This is a useful book for graduate students and research workers dealing with the stellar content of the various types of galaxies. It should also be more generally of interest to astrophysicists and cosmologists. It is a collection of review papers from the Baltimore Symposium on Stellar Populations in 1986. Most of the major topics in this area are well covered, the reviews are up-to-date (as of mid-1986), and there are adequate reference lists to enable readers to pursue their interests further. The major areas covered by the reviews include the kinematics of local subdwarfs, initial mass function, chemical evolution, populations of the Milky Way Galaxy, M31, local dwarf galaxies, etc., population synthesis, and the evolution of galaxies. Given the comparatively reasonable price, this is a book I would strongly recommend. C. R. Kitchin The Galaxy and the Solar system. Edited by R. Smoluchowski, J. N. Bahcall, and M. S. Matthews. Pp. 483. University of Arizona Press. 1987. $29.95. Despite its rather general title, the bulk of this book is concerned with the connection between certain biological events, such as the extinction of the dinosaurs, and times of enhanced cratering on Earth. The suggestion is that both the biological and cratering records show a 30 million year cycle, both caused by periodic heavy comet showers resulting in catastrophic climatic changes. The current explanations involve perturbing a cloud of comets, which is inferred to exist at a great distance from the Sun. This is said to occur by encounters either with an undiscovered ‘Planet X’, or with an unseen companion star ‘Nemesis’, or with massive gas clouds as the Sun oscillates across the plane of the galaxy. In an informative and well-balanced collection of articles by many authors, these ideas are clearly set out, and explored in some detail. The book includes relevant data and some highly critical papers. The criticisms include the suggestion that the 30 million year cycle may not, after all, exist, in which case the book will serve as a record of an interesting historical aberration. Otherwise, it is an excellent and readable source book. A. F. Heavens Antarctic Science. Edited by D. W. H. Walton. Pp. 280. Cambridge University Press. 1987. f25.00 ($39.50). Antarctic science has developed rapidly since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty 25 years nurtured under a unique ago, carefully umbrella of international cooperation. Now, renewed public and political interest has
awoken with the prospect of commercial exploitation of resources on the horizon. This timely book has been written by scientists from the British Antarctic Survey, all with long-standing experience of research in this hostile, yet beautiful and fragile environment. Most of the work is devoted to three principal areas of science studied in Antarctica - biology, the earth sciences, and atmospheric science. Each section reviews the major scientific developments during the past 25 years, drawn from the full breadth of international achievements. Despite some inevitable bias towards British activities the reader is able to savour the rich fruits of a success story in international cooperation. With the Antarctic Treaty due for review in 1991, the authors look forwards as well as backwards. and make a strong case for sustained research in this area. This beautifully-produced and authoritative book has been carefully edited. Useful background chapters covering the geopolitical scene and the organisation of science within the Treaty help to guide the reader through the complex web that binds science and politics together, and weld the book into a thought-provoking and wide-ranging review. It is refreshing to find a book of this nature written, so far as possible. in jargon-free language. The book is profusely illustrated with diagrams and fascinating photographs in colour and B & W. Whilst there is much to interest the scientist, those who simply wish to understand more about this stimulating area and its potential will find it an enjoyable and rewarding read. David A. Peel The Physics of Welding, 2nd Ed. Edited by J. F. Lancaster. Pp. 340. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1986. Hardcoverf32.00 ($55.00), Flexicoverf 16.25 ($28.00). This title conveys the impression that the subject matter is both broadly based and highly technical. Such a combination, while desirable, is not easily achieved, particularly in the field of welding. Interpretation of welding phenomena requires a sound knowledge of many physical disciplines including thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, magneto hydrodynamics, electrodynamics, and surface physics to name but a few. Perhaps it is for this reason that welding is still regarded by some practitioners as a ‘black art’, or at best an empirically based subject. This work is a timely addition to the literature on welding processes and behaviour. Under the editorship of Prof. J. W. Lancaster each section has been carefully structured and compiled. Subjects are, as far as is practicable, developed from basic physical principles. The first two chapters discuss units and general trends and move quickly and smoothly to specific areas of interest. Subsequent chapters include clear and concise discussions on weld pool fluid motion, arc plasma behaviour, and mass transfer as well as the behaviour of specific welding processes. Examples are used in many instances to
49