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The solar system, vol. III, planets and satellites
Book reviews
169
STANFORDRESEARCH INSTITUTE : Chemical Reactions in the Lower and Upper Atmosphere. John Wiley, London, 1962. x + 390 pp. 105s. THIS useful volume contains 25 papers read at an international symposium held at the Stanford Research Institute, San Francisco, during April 1961. The papers cover three related fields of study: (i) the processes of the upper atmosphere; (ii) photo-chemical aspects of meteorology; (iii) polluted atmospheres such as are found around cities using large quantities of petroleum products. I shall confine myself to mentioning some of the more important papers likely to be of interest to readers of Planetary and Space Science. P. Harteck and R. R. Reeves give a thorough survey of recent investigations on chemical reactions of importance in the atmosphere with tables summarizing what is known about the rate coefficients; T. M. Sugden, E. M. Bulewicz and A. Demerdache present an account of the work of the Cambridge school on reacTions in flame gases containing atomic hydrogen, atomic oxygen and hydroxyl radicles: C. Mavrovannis and C. A. Winkler discuss the reaction of active nitrogen with molecular oxygen, F. Kaufman and J.‘R. Kelso the homogeneous recombination of atomic oxygei and A. Fontijn and
GERARDP. KUIPER and BARBARAM. MID~LEHURST: The Solar System, Vol. III, Planets and Satellites. University of Chicago Press, London, 1961. xx + 601 pp, 100s. RECENTyears have seen the publication of an increasingly large proportion of books in which an editor assembles the contributions of a variety of experts in related areas of scholarship. The strength of such books lies in the fact that the individual, contributing experts are often in a better position to evaluate the specialized observations and interpretations than is a single author. All too frequently, however, irregular quality in the jndividual chapters, differences in notation and nomenclature, and lack of unity mar all but the best scientific compendia. Happily Planets and Satellites is one of the best. In weighing the importance of this book, it is important to remember that the past forty years have found planetary studies almost completely abandoned by the professional astronomers. The rapid growth of the astrophysics of stellar atmospheres, gaseous nebulae, and the galaxy in the Twenties and Thirties, as well as the exciting development of radio astronomy, in the decade following the war left only a handful of astronomers whose interests remained with the planets and satellites. Several factors have led to a dramatic renewal of interest in the planets and their atmospheres. Now, many of the analytic tools perfected in the study of stellar atmospheres can be applied to the analysis of planetary spectra. Also, our increasingly wider knowledge of the characteristics of the terrestrial atmosphere, ionosphere, and radiation belts suggests useful analogies with the atmospheres of the other planets. Perhaps, the most powerful stimulant to planetary studies is the fact that the next decades will see the direct exploration of the moon and planets by instrumental probes and by human observers. The appearance of Planets and Satellites is, thus, especially welcome at this time. With the exception of Y. Hagihara’s discussion of the stability of the solar system and R. Wildt’s review of planetary interiors, the book is devoted to the observational aspects of the solar system. That photometry has played an important role in our knowledge is emphasized by the variety of contributions analysing various aspects of the radiation from the planets and satellites. M. Minnaert discusses the photometry of the moon and D. Barbier, that of the echpsed moon. The photometry and coIorimetry of the planets and satellites is examined in detail by D. L. Harris, while W. M. Sinton and E. Pettit review radiometric observations. Excitement over the value of radio observations of the planets is difficult to avoid when reading the chapters by C. H. Mayer, B. F. Burke, and R. M. Gallet. The usefulness of polarization measurements in the study of planetary surfaces and atmospheres is told in detail by A. Dollfus. Celestial mechanics is represented by D. Brower and G. M. Clemence. who discuss the motions and inferred masses of the major inhabit~ts of the solar system. The discoverer of Pluto describes the search for the trans-Neptunian planet. No small part of the value of Pkzefs and Satellites is derived from the excellent quality of the photographs. S. Fritz and H. Wexler present some of the TIROS I photographs of the earth, while M. L. Humason collected a superb set of planetary photographs made with the 200-in. telescope. W. S. Finson’s color photographs of Mars and the Pit-du Midi photographs and drawings are reproduced with the excellence characteristic of the work of the University of Chicago Press.
770
Book
reviews
Although one may take issue with some of the interpretations offered to explain the observations, outright errors seem very infrequent in Planets and Satellites. The only oversight of significance is the lack of complete descriptions for some of the results presented. For example, polarizatton diagrams for droplets of various sizes (p. 361, ef seq.) are presented m detail but the wavelength at which they were measured is never revealed. The occurrence of a few such lapses, however, will not prevent Phefs and Satellites from being a major contributton to astronomy-a contribution which will be the stimulus for exciting discoveries m the future. GORDON NEWKIRK, Jr.
169
STANFORDRESEARCH INSTITUTE : Chemical Reactions in the Lower and Upper Atmosphere. John Wiley, London, 1962. x + 390 pp. 105s. THIS useful volume contains 25 papers read at an international symposium held at the Stanford Research Institute, San Francisco, during April 1961. The papers cover three related fields of study: (i) the processes of the upper atmosphere; (ii) photo-chemical aspects of meteorology; (iii) polluted atmospheres such as are found around cities using large quantities of petroleum products. I shall confine myself to mentioning some of the more important papers likely to be of interest to readers of Planetary and Space Science. P. Harteck and R. R. Reeves give a thorough survey of recent investigations on chemical reactions of importance in the atmosphere with tables summarizing what is known about the rate coefficients; T. M. Sugden, E. M. Bulewicz and A. Demerdache present an account of the work of the Cambridge school on reacTions in flame gases containing atomic hydrogen, atomic oxygen and hydroxyl radicles: C. Mavrovannis and C. A. Winkler discuss the reaction of active nitrogen with molecular oxygen, F. Kaufman and J.‘R. Kelso the homogeneous recombination of atomic oxygei and A. Fontijn and
GERARDP. KUIPER and BARBARAM. MID~LEHURST: The Solar System, Vol. III, Planets and Satellites. University of Chicago Press, London, 1961. xx + 601 pp, 100s. RECENTyears have seen the publication of an increasingly large proportion of books in which an editor assembles the contributions of a variety of experts in related areas of scholarship. The strength of such books lies in the fact that the individual, contributing experts are often in a better position to evaluate the specialized observations and interpretations than is a single author. All too frequently, however, irregular quality in the jndividual chapters, differences in notation and nomenclature, and lack of unity mar all but the best scientific compendia. Happily Planets and Satellites is one of the best. In weighing the importance of this book, it is important to remember that the past forty years have found planetary studies almost completely abandoned by the professional astronomers. The rapid growth of the astrophysics of stellar atmospheres, gaseous nebulae, and the galaxy in the Twenties and Thirties, as well as the exciting development of radio astronomy, in the decade following the war left only a handful of astronomers whose interests remained with the planets and satellites. Several factors have led to a dramatic renewal of interest in the planets and their atmospheres. Now, many of the analytic tools perfected in the study of stellar atmospheres can be applied to the analysis of planetary spectra. Also, our increasingly wider knowledge of the characteristics of the terrestrial atmosphere, ionosphere, and radiation belts suggests useful analogies with the atmospheres of the other planets. Perhaps, the most powerful stimulant to planetary studies is the fact that the next decades will see the direct exploration of the moon and planets by instrumental probes and by human observers. The appearance of Planets and Satellites is, thus, especially welcome at this time. With the exception of Y. Hagihara’s discussion of the stability of the solar system and R. Wildt’s review of planetary interiors, the book is devoted to the observational aspects of the solar system. That photometry has played an important role in our knowledge is emphasized by the variety of contributions analysing various aspects of the radiation from the planets and satellites. M. Minnaert discusses the photometry of the moon and D. Barbier, that of the echpsed moon. The photometry and coIorimetry of the planets and satellites is examined in detail by D. L. Harris, while W. M. Sinton and E. Pettit review radiometric observations. Excitement over the value of radio observations of the planets is difficult to avoid when reading the chapters by C. H. Mayer, B. F. Burke, and R. M. Gallet. The usefulness of polarization measurements in the study of planetary surfaces and atmospheres is told in detail by A. Dollfus. Celestial mechanics is represented by D. Brower and G. M. Clemence. who discuss the motions and inferred masses of the major inhabit~ts of the solar system. The discoverer of Pluto describes the search for the trans-Neptunian planet. No small part of the value of Pkzefs and Satellites is derived from the excellent quality of the photographs. S. Fritz and H. Wexler present some of the TIROS I photographs of the earth, while M. L. Humason collected a superb set of planetary photographs made with the 200-in. telescope. W. S. Finson’s color photographs of Mars and the Pit-du Midi photographs and drawings are reproduced with the excellence characteristic of the work of the University of Chicago Press.
770
Book
reviews
Although one may take issue with some of the interpretations offered to explain the observations, outright errors seem very infrequent in Planets and Satellites. The only oversight of significance is the lack of complete descriptions for some of the results presented. For example, polarizatton diagrams for droplets of various sizes (p. 361, ef seq.) are presented m detail but the wavelength at which they were measured is never revealed. The occurrence of a few such lapses, however, will not prevent Phefs and Satellites from being a major contributton to astronomy-a contribution which will be the stimulus for exciting discoveries m the future. GORDON NEWKIRK, Jr.