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Applied infrared spectroscopy
occur in the application of analytical flame spectroscopy. It is also suitable for those undertaking research in ways of extending the technique, and indeed much of the book is of great value to researchersin the general field of flame spectroscopy. The book consists of three sections: 193 pages of main text, a 29 page glossary, and I.51 pages of appendices.There are 937 references cited, covering work up to 1976. The first two chapters give an introduction to the technique and its development. The properties of flames are then outlined and considerable detail is given on the structure and chemistry of the flames used. The introduction of the sample into the flame by atomisation, and its dissociation in the flame are each accorded individual chapters. The bulk of the book, however, deals with emissionand absorption of radiation by the sample being analysed. This is covered firstly in a theoretical manner and then in a practical way, indicating the various forms of interferences that can occur and limitations of the technique. The book, which was originally written in German, is well presented and a worthwhile addition to libraries and the specialists’ bookshelf. A. Williams Applied
Infrared
Spectroscopy
Smith. Pp. vi+ 322. Wiley, 1979. f 15.20 ($33.50).
byA. Chichester.
Lee
This book surveys applications of infrared spectroscopy to a variety of physical and chemical problems. Precautions needed for obtaining accuracy and for deriving the maximum information from the spectra are emphasised. All the essential principles are explained, and references given to more detailed articles about specific topics. grill Conventional, multi-slit or spectrometers, multiplex spectrometers, radiation sources,turntable lasers, multi-layer dialectric filters and opto-acoustic devices are described. The performance and calibration of the different instruments are discussed. Rightly, the author states that for some problems the most sophisticated types of instrument may be neither necessary nor desirable. Sampling techniques, the use of attenuated total reflectance, heated samples, matrix isolation, and micro-sampling are described. Hazards in the interpretation of spectra are indicated. Much of the book deals with qualitative and quantitative analysis of materials, with special reference to identification, estimation and the determination of molecular structure. The concept of group frequencies, and its limitations, are discussed. Applications to polymer analysis and structural determination, inorganic and organo-metallic chemistry, environmental problems and the study of remote atmospheric objects are described. Correlation charts for group frequencies and vibrational types are included, with hints about the use of relevant spectroscopic literature and spectral retrieval systems. This is a concise up-dated account,
refreshing in style and content, and should be usefulto all workers in the field. H. W. Thompson Synthesisand Dimensional
Propertiesof LowMaterials. EditedbyJoelS.
Miller andArthur AcademyofSciences,
J. Epstein. Pp. 828. N. Y. NY. 1979.$80.00.
Low-dimensional compounds are ones having very anisotropic physical properties: cooperative magnetic interaction or electron transport is much more pronounced within chains or layers of closely spaced atoms than from one to another. Many organic and inorganic compounds are low-dimensional in this sense(graphite is a simple example) but the main reason why they have become so interesting in the last few years is the discovery of the one-dimensional ‘molecular metals’ and the realisation that thesecompounds, as well as their magnetic analogues, offered unprecedentedopportunities to verify some of the most fundamental theorems of solid state physics. Add to this the chance of discovering the elusive high temperature excitonic superconductor, and both university and industrial materials research workers (U.K. scientists conspicuously excepted) flocked into the field. Much of the fruit of this recent activity is distilled into this volume which is the proceedings of a symposium held at the New York Academy of Sciencesin June 1977. One must report, regretfully, that no excitonic superconductor has yet been found, but the range of substances reported on (covalent polymers, organic metals, mixed valence chains) is striking evidence of the vitality of this new kind of materials science.Most valuable of all as a pointer to the future is, in my opinion, the destruction of old boundaries between physics and chemistry. Here is a new breed of synthetic organic chemist who knows what a Brillouin zone is, and of solid state physicist who is not frightened by coordination complexes and organometallic sandwich compounds. An exciting new discipline has come of age. P. Day Plastic Theory of Structures, 2nd edition by M. R. Horne. Pp. vi + 179. Pergamon
Press, Oxford.
1979.
f8.25.
Plastic analysis has become important in the design of civil, nuclear, aerospace, and hydrospace structures. As Professor Horne stated in the preface to his first edition it is an essential complement to elastic theory, and by applying each in turn a much better overall picture is obtained of the stability, rigidity, and strength than is possible by applying either theory alone. This book fully justifies this claim by the lucid outline of intuitive ideas which convey understanding, and by the emphasis given to analyses which are of value in design. The opportunity has been taken in the second edition to show how the new British Code for Structural Steelwork and the E.C.C.S. Recommendations are related to theoretical considerations, and the author discusses the use of partial load factors and the significance
of repeated loading in plastic design. This updating is, therefore, very timely. The chapter headings are Plastic failure; Methods of plastic analysis; Plastic moments under shear force and axial load; Minimum weight design; Variable repeated loading; and Stability. This last chapter is essential for a balanced view of this difficult subject and is often omitted in texts or plasticity. Perhaps any third edition might include a treatment of plates, which is an omission in most texts. There is a useful section on the design of joints. Each chapter has carefully chosen problems and answers in SI-Metric units. Doubtless to aid illustration and comparisons, the author frequently adopts unity shape factors and avoids units, for example, for moments. This could confuse some students, who nowadays seem to have more problems with units than hitherto! The other simplification adopted to aid development and illustration, such as assuming plastic moments to be linearly proportional to cross-section area when considering minimum weight design, are well defendedand justified. The bibliography has a perhaps forgiveable bias towards the UK (where the subject received its most active development) at the expense of some notable US plasticians, but is otherwise carefully selected. This book, by one of the leading developers and exponents of the subject, is concise yet comprehensive, lucid and well illustrated. It must appeal to students, teachers, and researchers alike and can be confidently recommendedas being good value for money. D. Faulkner Submillimetre Applications. Pp. 568. f 14.50.
Waves
and their
Guest Editor G. W. Chantry. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1979.
This book is a selection of eighty-three papers from those presented at the Third International Conferenceon Sub Millimetre Waves and their Applications held in 1978. The papers have been published previously in Infrared Physics, Vol. 18, No. 5/6, 1978. The topics include sources, receivers, components, and measurementtechniques and it is impossible to comment on the individual papers. The papers vary in their scope from review papers to detailed descriptions of components and measurement techniques. The varied nature of the techniques described shows the need for interaction between workers moving to higher frequencies using microwave techniques and those using optical techniques and moving to longer wavelengths. The applications described lie mainly in the measurement of the physical properties of materials, the atmosphere and astronomical sources. The book is well produced with clear reproduction of figures. In this respect it may be an advantage to reproduce the best conference papers in book form, instead of merely reproducing the author’s original typescript. However, as conference papers are often of an ephemeral nature, a possible increasedcost may not bejustified. P. A. Matthews
127
Infrared
Spectroscopy
Smith. Pp. vi+ 322. Wiley, 1979. f 15.20 ($33.50).
byA. Chichester.
Lee
This book surveys applications of infrared spectroscopy to a variety of physical and chemical problems. Precautions needed for obtaining accuracy and for deriving the maximum information from the spectra are emphasised. All the essential principles are explained, and references given to more detailed articles about specific topics. grill Conventional, multi-slit or spectrometers, multiplex spectrometers, radiation sources,turntable lasers, multi-layer dialectric filters and opto-acoustic devices are described. The performance and calibration of the different instruments are discussed. Rightly, the author states that for some problems the most sophisticated types of instrument may be neither necessary nor desirable. Sampling techniques, the use of attenuated total reflectance, heated samples, matrix isolation, and micro-sampling are described. Hazards in the interpretation of spectra are indicated. Much of the book deals with qualitative and quantitative analysis of materials, with special reference to identification, estimation and the determination of molecular structure. The concept of group frequencies, and its limitations, are discussed. Applications to polymer analysis and structural determination, inorganic and organo-metallic chemistry, environmental problems and the study of remote atmospheric objects are described. Correlation charts for group frequencies and vibrational types are included, with hints about the use of relevant spectroscopic literature and spectral retrieval systems. This is a concise up-dated account,
refreshing in style and content, and should be usefulto all workers in the field. H. W. Thompson Synthesisand Dimensional
Propertiesof LowMaterials. EditedbyJoelS.
Miller andArthur AcademyofSciences,
J. Epstein. Pp. 828. N. Y. NY. 1979.$80.00.
Low-dimensional compounds are ones having very anisotropic physical properties: cooperative magnetic interaction or electron transport is much more pronounced within chains or layers of closely spaced atoms than from one to another. Many organic and inorganic compounds are low-dimensional in this sense(graphite is a simple example) but the main reason why they have become so interesting in the last few years is the discovery of the one-dimensional ‘molecular metals’ and the realisation that thesecompounds, as well as their magnetic analogues, offered unprecedentedopportunities to verify some of the most fundamental theorems of solid state physics. Add to this the chance of discovering the elusive high temperature excitonic superconductor, and both university and industrial materials research workers (U.K. scientists conspicuously excepted) flocked into the field. Much of the fruit of this recent activity is distilled into this volume which is the proceedings of a symposium held at the New York Academy of Sciencesin June 1977. One must report, regretfully, that no excitonic superconductor has yet been found, but the range of substances reported on (covalent polymers, organic metals, mixed valence chains) is striking evidence of the vitality of this new kind of materials science.Most valuable of all as a pointer to the future is, in my opinion, the destruction of old boundaries between physics and chemistry. Here is a new breed of synthetic organic chemist who knows what a Brillouin zone is, and of solid state physicist who is not frightened by coordination complexes and organometallic sandwich compounds. An exciting new discipline has come of age. P. Day Plastic Theory of Structures, 2nd edition by M. R. Horne. Pp. vi + 179. Pergamon
Press, Oxford.
1979.
f8.25.
Plastic analysis has become important in the design of civil, nuclear, aerospace, and hydrospace structures. As Professor Horne stated in the preface to his first edition it is an essential complement to elastic theory, and by applying each in turn a much better overall picture is obtained of the stability, rigidity, and strength than is possible by applying either theory alone. This book fully justifies this claim by the lucid outline of intuitive ideas which convey understanding, and by the emphasis given to analyses which are of value in design. The opportunity has been taken in the second edition to show how the new British Code for Structural Steelwork and the E.C.C.S. Recommendations are related to theoretical considerations, and the author discusses the use of partial load factors and the significance
of repeated loading in plastic design. This updating is, therefore, very timely. The chapter headings are Plastic failure; Methods of plastic analysis; Plastic moments under shear force and axial load; Minimum weight design; Variable repeated loading; and Stability. This last chapter is essential for a balanced view of this difficult subject and is often omitted in texts or plasticity. Perhaps any third edition might include a treatment of plates, which is an omission in most texts. There is a useful section on the design of joints. Each chapter has carefully chosen problems and answers in SI-Metric units. Doubtless to aid illustration and comparisons, the author frequently adopts unity shape factors and avoids units, for example, for moments. This could confuse some students, who nowadays seem to have more problems with units than hitherto! The other simplification adopted to aid development and illustration, such as assuming plastic moments to be linearly proportional to cross-section area when considering minimum weight design, are well defendedand justified. The bibliography has a perhaps forgiveable bias towards the UK (where the subject received its most active development) at the expense of some notable US plasticians, but is otherwise carefully selected. This book, by one of the leading developers and exponents of the subject, is concise yet comprehensive, lucid and well illustrated. It must appeal to students, teachers, and researchers alike and can be confidently recommendedas being good value for money. D. Faulkner Submillimetre Applications. Pp. 568. f 14.50.
Waves
and their
Guest Editor G. W. Chantry. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1979.
This book is a selection of eighty-three papers from those presented at the Third International Conferenceon Sub Millimetre Waves and their Applications held in 1978. The papers have been published previously in Infrared Physics, Vol. 18, No. 5/6, 1978. The topics include sources, receivers, components, and measurementtechniques and it is impossible to comment on the individual papers. The papers vary in their scope from review papers to detailed descriptions of components and measurement techniques. The varied nature of the techniques described shows the need for interaction between workers moving to higher frequencies using microwave techniques and those using optical techniques and moving to longer wavelengths. The applications described lie mainly in the measurement of the physical properties of materials, the atmosphere and astronomical sources. The book is well produced with clear reproduction of figures. In this respect it may be an advantage to reproduce the best conference papers in book form, instead of merely reproducing the author’s original typescript. However, as conference papers are often of an ephemeral nature, a possible increasedcost may not bejustified. P. A. Matthews
127