Materials for nuclear engineers

Nuclear Physics 26 (1961) 6 9 3 - - 6 9 8 ; ( ~ North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam

BOOK R E V I E W S A. M. BALDIN,V. I. GOL'DANSKII a n d I. L. ROZENTHAL,Kinematics o] ~uclear reactions (Pergam o n Press, O x f o r d 1961, xiii-303 p. 42s.) T h i s b o o k is a t r a n s l a t i o n (by W. E. J o n e s ) of t h e original r u s s i a n v o l u m e : K i n e m a t i k a y a d e r n y k h r e a k t s i i (Moskva, F i z m a t g i z , 1959). T h e r e p r o d u c t i o n is m a d e b y p h o t o - l i t h o g r a p h y of a t y p e d t e x t w i t h l e t t e r p r e s s s e t t i n g of t h e f o r m u l a e . T h e b o o k is b y t h i s w a y of r e p r o d u c t i o n r a t h e r h e a v y to read. Since, h o w e v e r , t h e g e n e r a l c h a r a c t e r of t h e b o o k is t h a t of a h a n d b o o k , w h i c h o n e does n o t r e a d f r o m b e g i n n i n g to end, t h i s is no serious d r a w b a c k . T h e t e x t a n d t h e f o r m u l a e a r e legible e x c e p t p e r h a p s in one or t w o places. T h e b o o k c o v e r s a s u b j e c t w h i c h is m o r e e x t e n s i v e t h a n one w o u l d t h i n k f r o m t h e title. I n f a c t it is a r a t h e r c o m p r e h e n s i v e t r e a t m e n t of t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s of t h e c o n s e r v a t i o n laws on r e a c t i o n s a n d d e c a y s of e l e m e n t a r y particles. T h e s u b j e c t is d i v i d e d into t h r e e a l m o s t e q u a l p a r t s . T h e first p a r t is a n exposition of t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s of e n e r g y a n d m o m e n t u m c o n s e r v a t i o n for i n t e r a c t i o n s b e t w e e n relativistic particles. I n t h e first c h a p t e r s one finds t h e g e n e r a l t h e o r y i n c l u d i n g t h e i m p o r t a n t t r a n s f o r m a t i o n f o r m u l a e b e t w e e n t h e l a b o r a t o r y s y s t e m a n d t h e c e n t r e of m a s s s y s t e m . T h e n a large n u m b e r of e x a m p l e s a r e t r e a t e d in detail. T h e s e a r e c o n v e n i e n t l y classified a c c o r d i n g to t h e n u m b e r of s e c o n d a r y p a r t i c l e s a n d i n c l u d e also a n e x p o s i t i o n of F e r m i ' s s t a t i s t i c a l t h e o r y of m u l t i p l e processes. T h e second p a r t of t h e b o o k is d e v o t e d to t h e q u a n t a l d e s c r i p t i o n of n o n - r e l a t i v i s t i c n u c l e a r reactions. T h e t r e a t m e n t is b a s e d on t h e S - m a t r i x f o r m a l i s m . T h e first c h a p t e r s in t h i s p a r t deal w i t h t h e d e f i n i t i o n a n d t h e p r o p e r t i e s of t h e S - m a t r i x . I n t h e following c h a p t e r s t h e t h e o r y is a p p l i e d to collisions b e t w e e n p a r t i c l e s p o s s e s s i n g spin, to p o l a r i z a t i o n of particles a n d finally to processes involving photons. T h e t h i r d p a r t of t h e b o o k is a n a p p e n d i x c o n t a i n i n g a large n u m b e r of g r a p h s a n d t a b l e s w h i c h a r e i m p o r t a n t for t h e p r a c t i c a l a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e f o r m u l a e a n d t h e o r y of t h e t e x t to specific p r o b l e m s of n u c l e a r r e a c t i o n s . T h e b o o k is especially w r i t t e n for e x p e r i m e n t a l p h y s i c i s t s a n d will p r o b a b l y p r o v e to be a v e r y u s e f u l source of reference. T h e force of t h e t r e a t m e n t lies in t h e w e a l t h of explicit c a l c u l a t i o n s w h i c h are carried t h r o u g h to t h e b i t t e r end, a n d also in t h e g r a p h i c a l c o n s t r u c t i o n m e t h o d s w h i c h a r e p r e s e n t e d . A s m a l l d r a w b a c k is t h e lack of a n index. Aage Winther.

A. B. MclNToSH a n d T. J. HEAL (Editors), Materials /or Nuclear Engineers ( T e m p l e P r e s s L i m i t e d , L o n d o n , 1960. ix-373 p. 75s.) T h e b a s i s of t h i s b o o k is a n u m b e r of articles on n u c l e a r m a t e r i a l s f o r m e r l y p u b l i s h e d in ' N u c l e a r Engineering Magazine'. Since t h e first p u b l i c a t i o n of t h e s e articles, v o l u m e s of n e w i n f o r m a t i o n h a v e b e e n m a d e available, especially f r o m t h e Second G e n e v a Conference. T h i s r e l a t i v e l y n e w i n f o r m a t i o n h a s b e e n i n c o r p o r a t e d ; t h u s t h e b o o k is c o n s i d e r e d to cover t h e e n g i n e e r i n g p r o p e r t i e s of specially selected n u c l e a r m a t e r i a l s u p to m i d 1959. Since t h e b o o k is p r e p a r e d b y c o m p e t e n t a u t h o r i t i e s c o n n e c t e d w i t h t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m N u c l e a r E n e r g y P r o g r a m m e , o n l y n u c l e a r m a t e r i a l s of direct i n t e r e s t to t h e p r e s e n t B r i t i s h p r o g r a m m e a r e discussed, w i t h p a r t i c u l a r e m p h a s i s o n m a t e r i a l s for g a s cooled r e a c t o r s , T h e following topics a r e t r e a t e d : U r a n i u m , P l u t o n i u m , T h o r i u m , C e r a m i c Fuels, G r a p h i t e , M a g n e s i u m , B e r y l l i u m a n d Z i r c o n i u m . T h e s e m a t e r i a l s a r e d i s c u s s e d a c c o r d i n g to t h e following scheme; occurrence and extraction, physical and mechanical properties, compatibility, fabrication a n d b e h a v i o u r u n d e r r e a c t o r c o n d i t i o n s . E a c h c h a p t e r is followed b y a n a p p e n d i x s u r v e y i n g in 693

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BOOK REVIEWS

t a b l e s t h e p r o p e r t i e s of t h e m a t e r i a l s . D u e to t h i s p r e s e n t a t i o n , t h e b o o k a p p e a r s v e r y readable a n d gives a clear view of t h e m a t e r i a l s t h e m s e l v e s p l u s a c o m p a r i s o n b e t w e e n t h e m . T h e b o o k in general c a n be considered as a good e n g i n e e r i n g reference source for t h e m a t e r i a l s selected. B e s i d e s t h e b a s i c d a t a , l i m i t e d t h e o r e t i c a l d i s c u s s i o n s are included, w h i c h g r e a t l y a d v a n c e t h e i n t e r e s t a n d u s e f u l n e s s of t h e book. Niels H a n s e n

C. R. TIPTON, JR. (Editor), Reactor Handbook, Second edition, revised a n d enlarged, vol. 1: M a t e r i a l s (Interscience P u b l i s h e r s , Inc. N e w York, 1960. x v - 1 2 0 7 p. $ 36.50) Reactor Handbook is a r e v i s e d a n d e n l a r g e d edition of " G e n e r a l P r o p e r t i e s of Materials, T h e R e a c t o r H a n d b o o k , vol. 3", p u b l i s h e d in 1955 b y U. S. A E C as A E C D - - 3 6 4 7 . I n fact, t h e n e w h a n d b o o k c a n be r e g a r d e d as a n original p u b l i c a t i o n d u e to t h e e x p a n s i o n of n e a r l y all s u b j e c t s t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n of m a n y n e w topics. M a n y n e w a u t h o r s selected a m o n g t h e specialists in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d to t h e work. I n c o n t r a s t to t h e first h a n d b o o k , t h e n e w edition is divided into c h a p t e r s c o v e r i n g t h e m a t e r i a l s a f t e r t h e i r f u n c t i o n in t h e reactor, t h u s fuel m a t e r i a l s , c l a d d i n g a n d s t r u c t u r a l m a t e r i a l s , a n d control, m o d e r a t o r , c o o l a n t a n d shielding m a t e r i a l s . D u e to t h i s concept, t h e h a n d b o o k i n c l u d e s gases, liquids a n d solids, c o n t r a r y to t h e f o r m e r h a n d b o o k , w h i c h e x c l u s i v e l y t r e a t e d solids. T h i s n e w c o n c e p t m a k e s t h e h a n d b o o k v a l u a b l e as a n overall i n t r o d u c t i o n to t h e field of n u c l e a r m a t e r i a l s . T h e h a n d b o o k is c u r r e n t u p to s p r i n g 1958, t h u s references to t h e Second G e n e v a Conference h a v e n o t b e e n m a d e . T h e lack of s u c h references m u s t be r e g a r d e d as a d r a w b a c k , b u t a p a r t f r o m t h i s lack, t h e h a n d b o o k i n c l u d e s s a t i s f a c t o r y lists of references. A n o t h e r o b j e c t i o n is t h e lack of s u m m a r y t a b l e s c o v e r i n g t h e general p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s of m a t e r i a l s . As a n a p p e n d i x , a c o m p i l a t i o n of c o n s t i t u t i o n a l d i a g r a m m e s of b i n a r y alloy s y s t e m s is i n c l u d e d . A p a r t f r o m t h e a b o v e m e n t i o n e d objections, t h e h a n d b o o k c a n be r e g a r d e d as a n e x t r e m e l y well-planned a n d well-written c o n t r i b u t i o n to t h e l i t e r a t u r e in t h e field of n u c l e a r m a t e r i a l s . T h e h a n d b o o k c a n be considered useful for t h o s e w o r k i n g in t h e field, a n d as a n overall i n t r o d u c tion, d u e to its c o v e r a g e of n u c l e a r e n g i n e e r i n g d a t a , its g e n e r a l topics a n d its e x t e n d e d reference information. Niels H a n s e n

J. H. SANDERS, The Fundamental Atomic Constants (Clarendon Press: O x f o r d U n i v e r s i t y Press, L o n d o n , 1961. v i - 8 8 p. 10s.) T h e p r e s e n t m o n o g r a p h , b e l o n g i n g to t h e O x f o r d L i b r a r y of t h e P h y s i c a l Sciences, gives a n u p - t o - d a t e s u m m a r y of t h e m e a s u r e m e n t s of t h e f u n d a m e n t a l c o n s t a n t s of a t o m i c physics, a n d of t h e m e t h o d s of a d j u s t m e n t b y w h i c h a c o n s i s t e n t set of v a l u e s for t h e s e c o n s t a n t s c a n be d e r i v e d (or, as w a s t h e case a t e a r l y stages, i n c o n s i s t e n c i e s c a n be disclosed a n d t r a c k e d d o w n to t h e i r origin). T h e a u t h o r m o d e s t l y confines h i m s e l f to t h e r e p o r t i n g of t h e m e t h o d s a n d results, while r e f r a i n i n g f r o m i n d e p e n d e n t criticism. A v a l u a b l e f e a t u r e of t h e b o o k l e t is t h e v e r y c o m p l e t e s u r v e y (with a c c u r a t e references) of t h e e a r l y m e a s u r e m e n t s . L. R.

J. E. DRUMMOND, Plasma Physics (McGraw-Hill Book Co., N e w York, 1961. x i v - 3 8 6 p. 97s,) T h i s b o o k is a collection of e s s a y s w r i t t e n b y e m i n e n t specialists on t h e v a r i o u s a s p e c t s of p l a s m a p h y s i c s . M o s t of t h e c o n t r i b u t o r s describe w o r k m a i n l y carried o u t in t h e U n i t e d States, b u t t h e r e is a n i m p o r t a n t c h a p t e r on t h e b r i l l i a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n of t h e Soviet p h y s i c i s t s , w r i t t e n especially for t h i s b o o k b y t w o of t h e m . T h e b o o k is v e r y carefully edited b y Dr. D r u m m o n d , w h o h a s supplied a n i n t r o d u c t o r y c h a p t e r s u r v e y i n g t h e h i s t o r y a n d p r e s e n t s t a t u s of t h e whole field. As a result, as Dr. D r u m m o n d p o i n t s o u t in t h e preface, t h e m a t e r i a l h e r e a s s e m b l e d , w h e n r e a d