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High magnetic fields
BOOK REVIEWS ADSORPTION,DISTILLATIONANDCOOLINGTOWERS, by W. S. Norman. 477 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 5}/2 x 8 ~ in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1962. Price, $11.50. This excellently written treatise on mass and heat transfi:r as related to absorption, distillation and cooling towers, does a highly competent job of clearly and concisely covering practical design approaches in these areas by discussion and example, without sacrificing the underlying fundamentals and theory. The coverage on mass aDd heat transfer, adsorption and distillation theory and calculations is most satisfactory. Each section is well augmented by references, with the coverage of the European literature being apparently much more extensive than most recent publications within these areas. Chapter 12 on bubble-cap and perforated plates, and Chapter 14 on the design of absorption and distillation towers are good summaries, but this material is more adequately covered in the recent book, "Distillation-Principles and Design Procedures," hy R. J. Hengstebeck. To update one item, on page 134 he states that Hengstebeck (1946) showed that the distribution at finite reflux ratios of the non-key componenls is approximated by the empirical equation:
log
[Ix,:)~/(xc)B3
= (:~.~
Our studies of some ten yeats ago showed that a significantly better correlation with actual data is obtained by a log-log relation instead of this semi-log function, for example, log
E(Xc)I)/ (Xc)IJ
= Clog acB
This revised relationship is now also recommended by Hengstebeck (page 184 of his recent book). This book will be interesting and most useful as the primary or supplementary textbook for university chemical engineering design courses as well as for those practicing commercial process design engineering. A. ERIC ANDERSEN
The Atlantic Refining Company
HIC,H MAGNETIC FIELDS, edited by Henry Kolm, Benjamin Lax, Francis Bitter and Robert Mills. 751 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 x 9}4 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Cambridge, The M.|.T. Press; 1962. Price, $t5.00. The recent progress in the development of superconducting magnets has given great impetus to research in the field of magnetism. It should, however, be remembered that devices capable of producing continuous magnetic fields, exceeding 100 kilogauss, have been developed during the last few decades. Further important developments in the technology of high magnetic fields can be expected in the near future. Thus, novel experiments will become possible in many branches of physical research. The present book contains some 88 reports presented at a conference on high magnetic fields. The subjects of the conference were generation of high magnetic fields and research in branches of physics where magnetic fields are important tools. Review papers, research programs, and short reports on experiments give evidence of the activities in laboratories of many countries. The material is presented in four different parts. Part I deals with the generation of high magnetic fields. Water cooled solenoid magnets are at present still the most widely used continuous field devices, and much research is devoted to increase field strength, stability and homogeneity. A report of F. Bitter summarizes the present situation as follows: Magnets with field strengths up to 125 kilogauss are in use, devices capable of producing 250 kilogauss are in the planning stage (power consumption about 10 megawatts!) and magnets with 500 kilogauss field strength require still much research work. A number of reports describe the use of tiquified gases, such as liquid hydrogen, for cooling, but this technique will probably soon be superseded by the development of superconducting magnets. Several homopolar generators suitable for high power magnets were described at the conlerence. For the design of superconducting magnets with fields in excess of 25 kilogauss two materials are available in quantities at present, namely niobium-zirconium alloy wire and niobium-tin 319
320
BOOK REVIEWS
wire. We quoteS. H. Autler: " . . . t h e r e is much that we do not understand about the bebaviour of these materials, particularly Nb-Zr. However, it is still possible to make magnets out of t h e m . " Several Nb-Zr solenoid magnets have been constructed producing fields of between 50 and 60 kilogauss. It appears that superconducting magnets capable of producing fields of at least 100 kilogauss will soon be realized. For magnets with fields larger than 100 kilogauss Nb3Sn- core wire seems to be the most promising at present, but other materials are currently under investigation. Evidence for a critical magnetic field in excess of 500 kilogauss in the superconducting V-Ga-system was reported at the conference. The most amazing application of the new technique is probably a study on superconducting magnets as a radiation shield for the crew in a space ship. Part II informs the reader about research programs of several laboratories in the U.S., England, Japan, Holland and Poland. Present and planned research facilities as well as research programs involving magnetic fields are described. Part Ill is devoted to solid-state and lowtemperature research. Special emphasis is given to new types of experiment which become feasible using strong magnetic fields. To give at least an idea of the variety of presented talks
{,I.F 1
we may mention the titles of tim most imporlaut review articles: Magnetospectroscopy in Solids, Spin Resonance in ttigh Fields, Cyclotron Resonances, Oscillatory Phenomena, ftigh Magnetic Fields and Low Temperature Physics. A number of experimental results on magnetism, transport phenomena and other topics is also given. In Part IV research results in plasma and fusion physics are presented. Great efforts are being made in the understanding of plasma properties and in the construction of fusion devices. It seems that no definite approach to the ultimate goal of a controlled thermonuclear reactor has been found yet. In the conclusion of a review on fusion research in England one can read: "Unfortunately, the theoretically desirable and the experimentally practicable are, in plasma physics, not infrequently separated by a gap of unpredictable significance." A short section on particle analysis and research magnets in high energy physics concludes the proceedings. Applications of high magnetic field devices in low energy nuclear physics are not discussed. These proceedings contain some of the eagerness and enthusiasm with which people are willing to develop a new technique and exploit the newly opened research fields. The reader can feel some of the exciting venture. H . J . LEIs~ Bartol Research Foundation
BOOK NOTES TOPOLOGY
OF
3-MANIFOLDS
AND
REI,ATED
Toems, edited by M. K. Fort, Jr. 256 pages, diagrams, 6 x 9 in. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962. Price: $10.00 (trade); $7.50 (text).
This volume represents the proceedings of the 1961 Topology Institute (at the University of Georgia) and includes 47 papers by 30 outstanding contributors. Together, the papers (or their summaries) provide an excellent introduction to the field; they also serve as a s u m m a r y of modern research on the geometric aspects. The papers are divided into the five following sections: Decompositions and Subsets of Ea; n-Manifolds; Knot Theory; The Poincare Conjecture; and Periodic Maps and Isotopes. E. C. Zeeman's paper on " T h e Topology of the Brain and Visual Perception" completes the book.
MATftEMATICAL
THEORY
()1~
SEDIMENTATI()N
ANALYSIS, by Hiroshi Fujita. 315 pages, diagrams, 6 x ' 9 in. New York, Academic Press Inc., 1962. Price, $11.00. The author's purpose is to provide physical chemists and biophysical chemists with an intermediate treatise on the mathematical theory of ultracentrifugal analysis. The treatise is limited to phenomenological theory; molecular theory is not dealt with. The work does not include descriptions of experimental techniques, computations of data, and other material readily available in the literature. Part I on Transport covers flow equations for the ultracentrifuge; two-component systems; multicomponent systems, and chemically reacting systems. Part 1I on Equilibrium contains chapters on sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium and on the rate of approach to sedimentation equilibrium.
log
[Ix,:)~/(xc)B3
= (:~.~
Our studies of some ten yeats ago showed that a significantly better correlation with actual data is obtained by a log-log relation instead of this semi-log function, for example, log
E(Xc)I)/ (Xc)IJ
= Clog acB
This revised relationship is now also recommended by Hengstebeck (page 184 of his recent book). This book will be interesting and most useful as the primary or supplementary textbook for university chemical engineering design courses as well as for those practicing commercial process design engineering. A. ERIC ANDERSEN
The Atlantic Refining Company
HIC,H MAGNETIC FIELDS, edited by Henry Kolm, Benjamin Lax, Francis Bitter and Robert Mills. 751 pages, diagrams, illustrations, 6 x 9}4 in. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Cambridge, The M.|.T. Press; 1962. Price, $t5.00. The recent progress in the development of superconducting magnets has given great impetus to research in the field of magnetism. It should, however, be remembered that devices capable of producing continuous magnetic fields, exceeding 100 kilogauss, have been developed during the last few decades. Further important developments in the technology of high magnetic fields can be expected in the near future. Thus, novel experiments will become possible in many branches of physical research. The present book contains some 88 reports presented at a conference on high magnetic fields. The subjects of the conference were generation of high magnetic fields and research in branches of physics where magnetic fields are important tools. Review papers, research programs, and short reports on experiments give evidence of the activities in laboratories of many countries. The material is presented in four different parts. Part I deals with the generation of high magnetic fields. Water cooled solenoid magnets are at present still the most widely used continuous field devices, and much research is devoted to increase field strength, stability and homogeneity. A report of F. Bitter summarizes the present situation as follows: Magnets with field strengths up to 125 kilogauss are in use, devices capable of producing 250 kilogauss are in the planning stage (power consumption about 10 megawatts!) and magnets with 500 kilogauss field strength require still much research work. A number of reports describe the use of tiquified gases, such as liquid hydrogen, for cooling, but this technique will probably soon be superseded by the development of superconducting magnets. Several homopolar generators suitable for high power magnets were described at the conlerence. For the design of superconducting magnets with fields in excess of 25 kilogauss two materials are available in quantities at present, namely niobium-zirconium alloy wire and niobium-tin 319
320
BOOK REVIEWS
wire. We quoteS. H. Autler: " . . . t h e r e is much that we do not understand about the bebaviour of these materials, particularly Nb-Zr. However, it is still possible to make magnets out of t h e m . " Several Nb-Zr solenoid magnets have been constructed producing fields of between 50 and 60 kilogauss. It appears that superconducting magnets capable of producing fields of at least 100 kilogauss will soon be realized. For magnets with fields larger than 100 kilogauss Nb3Sn- core wire seems to be the most promising at present, but other materials are currently under investigation. Evidence for a critical magnetic field in excess of 500 kilogauss in the superconducting V-Ga-system was reported at the conference. The most amazing application of the new technique is probably a study on superconducting magnets as a radiation shield for the crew in a space ship. Part II informs the reader about research programs of several laboratories in the U.S., England, Japan, Holland and Poland. Present and planned research facilities as well as research programs involving magnetic fields are described. Part Ill is devoted to solid-state and lowtemperature research. Special emphasis is given to new types of experiment which become feasible using strong magnetic fields. To give at least an idea of the variety of presented talks
{,I.F 1
we may mention the titles of tim most imporlaut review articles: Magnetospectroscopy in Solids, Spin Resonance in ttigh Fields, Cyclotron Resonances, Oscillatory Phenomena, ftigh Magnetic Fields and Low Temperature Physics. A number of experimental results on magnetism, transport phenomena and other topics is also given. In Part IV research results in plasma and fusion physics are presented. Great efforts are being made in the understanding of plasma properties and in the construction of fusion devices. It seems that no definite approach to the ultimate goal of a controlled thermonuclear reactor has been found yet. In the conclusion of a review on fusion research in England one can read: "Unfortunately, the theoretically desirable and the experimentally practicable are, in plasma physics, not infrequently separated by a gap of unpredictable significance." A short section on particle analysis and research magnets in high energy physics concludes the proceedings. Applications of high magnetic field devices in low energy nuclear physics are not discussed. These proceedings contain some of the eagerness and enthusiasm with which people are willing to develop a new technique and exploit the newly opened research fields. The reader can feel some of the exciting venture. H . J . LEIs~ Bartol Research Foundation
BOOK NOTES TOPOLOGY
OF
3-MANIFOLDS
AND
REI,ATED
Toems, edited by M. K. Fort, Jr. 256 pages, diagrams, 6 x 9 in. Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962. Price: $10.00 (trade); $7.50 (text).
This volume represents the proceedings of the 1961 Topology Institute (at the University of Georgia) and includes 47 papers by 30 outstanding contributors. Together, the papers (or their summaries) provide an excellent introduction to the field; they also serve as a s u m m a r y of modern research on the geometric aspects. The papers are divided into the five following sections: Decompositions and Subsets of Ea; n-Manifolds; Knot Theory; The Poincare Conjecture; and Periodic Maps and Isotopes. E. C. Zeeman's paper on " T h e Topology of the Brain and Visual Perception" completes the book.
MATftEMATICAL
THEORY
()1~
SEDIMENTATI()N
ANALYSIS, by Hiroshi Fujita. 315 pages, diagrams, 6 x ' 9 in. New York, Academic Press Inc., 1962. Price, $11.00. The author's purpose is to provide physical chemists and biophysical chemists with an intermediate treatise on the mathematical theory of ultracentrifugal analysis. The treatise is limited to phenomenological theory; molecular theory is not dealt with. The work does not include descriptions of experimental techniques, computations of data, and other material readily available in the literature. Part I on Transport covers flow equations for the ultracentrifuge; two-component systems; multicomponent systems, and chemically reacting systems. Part 1I on Equilibrium contains chapters on sedimentation-diffusion equilibrium and on the rate of approach to sedimentation equilibrium.