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Selected topics in nuclear spectroscopy
690
BOOK REVIEWS
B. J'. VERHAAR(editor), Selected topics in nuclear spectroscopy (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1964. 348 p. 36 glds.) The proceedings o f the Nijenrod¢ Summer Course in 1963 consist e r a collection of survey papers, mostly brief, but of a remarkably high standard, forming a very valuable review of the whole field of nuclear spectroscopy. The only criticism is that the articles are presented in a completely random sequence. L.R, H. A. BETHE, Intermediate quantum mechanics (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1964. x-276 p. $ 9.00 dothbound, $ 4.95 paperbound) Lecture notes, covering the theory of atomic structure, relativistic quantum mechanics of fermions and bosons, and an introduction to quantum field theory. L.R. S. C. FRAUTSCHI,Reggepoles and S-matrix theory (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1963. vii-200 p. $ 7.50 clothbound, $ 3.95 paperbound) This monograph, systematic and complete (it uses not only the publications, but also unpublished material), provides a very useful introduction to the subject. L.R. D. EDGE (editor), Experiment (British Broadcasting Corporation, London, 1964. 70 p. 4 s) Every scientist will find this booklet most entertaining, and those scientists who have the curiosity to reflect on their own activity will find in it much food for thought. It was a most happy initiative o f the Third Programme committee o f the BBC to invite a representative selection of successful investigators in different branches of science to make a public confession of the way in which they conducted their research and carried it to completion. The result is quite an instructive sample o f the various types of scientific mind and working methods - including even an example of undeserved success. Behind this collection of first-hand material, there is a general philosophical idea, or moral, forcefully put forward in the first and last of the talks: namely, that there is no substance in the scheme of analysis known as "induction", which was invented by philosophers totally inexperienced in actual investigation. This conclusion may not seem very striking, perhaps, but - as emphasized in the introductory and the final talk - it has a practical implication of great importance: the style of scientific papers is governed by just this fiction that the results and conclusions of an investigation ought to conform to the scheme of inductive reasoning - even though the investigator knows very well that the actual path he has followed is quite different. An eloquent and convincing plea is presented for abandoning this preposterous, not to say "fraudulent", mode of presentation in favour of a more straightforward, more sincere and more human one: a suggestion which in particular those sinners known to the editor as"contributors" will do well to meditate - and better still, act upon. L. R.
R. HAGEDORN,Relativistic kinematics (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1963. x-166 p. $ 8.80) A clear and extensive treatment o f the kinematical aspects o f high energy processes, including also such questions as covariant expressions for cross-sections and polarization. The emphasis is on the practical side, anti problems are given, with their solutions. L.R. n. BALESCU, Statistical mechanics of charged particles (Wiley, London, 1963. xii-477 p. 113 s) The only interaction taken into consideration in this book is the electrostatic potential. Within this (unfortunately rather severe) limitation, the treatment is admirable by its rigour, thoroughness and broadness of scope - covering as it does both equilibrium and non-equilibrium aspects. A number of appendices provide excellent summaries of the main mathematical tools. L.R.
BOOK REVIEWS
B. J'. VERHAAR(editor), Selected topics in nuclear spectroscopy (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1964. 348 p. 36 glds.) The proceedings o f the Nijenrod¢ Summer Course in 1963 consist e r a collection of survey papers, mostly brief, but of a remarkably high standard, forming a very valuable review of the whole field of nuclear spectroscopy. The only criticism is that the articles are presented in a completely random sequence. L.R, H. A. BETHE, Intermediate quantum mechanics (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1964. x-276 p. $ 9.00 dothbound, $ 4.95 paperbound) Lecture notes, covering the theory of atomic structure, relativistic quantum mechanics of fermions and bosons, and an introduction to quantum field theory. L.R. S. C. FRAUTSCHI,Reggepoles and S-matrix theory (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1963. vii-200 p. $ 7.50 clothbound, $ 3.95 paperbound) This monograph, systematic and complete (it uses not only the publications, but also unpublished material), provides a very useful introduction to the subject. L.R. D. EDGE (editor), Experiment (British Broadcasting Corporation, London, 1964. 70 p. 4 s) Every scientist will find this booklet most entertaining, and those scientists who have the curiosity to reflect on their own activity will find in it much food for thought. It was a most happy initiative o f the Third Programme committee o f the BBC to invite a representative selection of successful investigators in different branches of science to make a public confession of the way in which they conducted their research and carried it to completion. The result is quite an instructive sample o f the various types of scientific mind and working methods - including even an example of undeserved success. Behind this collection of first-hand material, there is a general philosophical idea, or moral, forcefully put forward in the first and last of the talks: namely, that there is no substance in the scheme of analysis known as "induction", which was invented by philosophers totally inexperienced in actual investigation. This conclusion may not seem very striking, perhaps, but - as emphasized in the introductory and the final talk - it has a practical implication of great importance: the style of scientific papers is governed by just this fiction that the results and conclusions of an investigation ought to conform to the scheme of inductive reasoning - even though the investigator knows very well that the actual path he has followed is quite different. An eloquent and convincing plea is presented for abandoning this preposterous, not to say "fraudulent", mode of presentation in favour of a more straightforward, more sincere and more human one: a suggestion which in particular those sinners known to the editor as"contributors" will do well to meditate - and better still, act upon. L. R.
R. HAGEDORN,Relativistic kinematics (W. A. Benjamin, New York, 1963. x-166 p. $ 8.80) A clear and extensive treatment o f the kinematical aspects o f high energy processes, including also such questions as covariant expressions for cross-sections and polarization. The emphasis is on the practical side, anti problems are given, with their solutions. L.R. n. BALESCU, Statistical mechanics of charged particles (Wiley, London, 1963. xii-477 p. 113 s) The only interaction taken into consideration in this book is the electrostatic potential. Within this (unfortunately rather severe) limitation, the treatment is admirable by its rigour, thoroughness and broadness of scope - covering as it does both equilibrium and non-equilibrium aspects. A number of appendices provide excellent summaries of the main mathematical tools. L.R.