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Third metallurgy symposium on corrosion
34
Book reviews
The various derivations are very brief, encouraging the reader to arm himself with paper, pencil and time. The scope of the text comprises nuclear interactions of gamma rays of energies from about 2 to 150 MeV, confining the field to classical nuclear physics. Special care is devoted to sum rules and their relation to nuclear models. The first part of the monograph deals with the absorption of the quantum, and the last quarter is devoted to secondary processes leading to disintegrations, with the mission of protons, alphas, etc. Here the results of much experimental material are ably analysed in terms of models and types of process involved. It is evident that the experimental side is often shaky when accurate data are required for the assessment of theories. Better experiments are urgently needed; one can only hope that the production of monochromatic gamma rays of variable energy, which are soon to be available in some laboratories, will permit the nuclear physicist to overcome the intrinsic difficulties associated with the use of the bremsradiation as it is practised at present. With this prospect in view, it would be wise to keep Professor Levinger’s monograph handy as a ready source of information. E. BRETSCHER
Thii Metallurgy Symposium on Corrosion (Saclay 1959), Commissariat a 1’Energie Atomique, 1959. 240 pp., 70s. THIS book is a record of the symposium on corrosion held at Saclay from 29 June to 1 July 1959, and contains the 20 papers presented, together with the relevant discussions on each *paper. Only two of the papers are in English, the rest being in French, but each paper contains an abstract in English. Most of the papers are concerned with corrosion in the Atomic Energy field, as one would expect, but within this field there are papers on a diversity of topics, half the papers being on high temperature oxidation and half on aqueous corrosion. The aqueous corrosion of stainless steels receives most attention, five papers being devoted to this topic. Other aqueous corrosion work described includes zirconium in high temperature water (one paper), inconel in high temperature water (one paper), the effect of sulphur compounds on aqueous corrosion of steel (two papers), the use of the potentiostat in aqueous corrosion (one paper) and sea-water corrosion (one paper.) The papers on high temperature oxidation include three on the morphology of oxide films, one on general concepts of oxidation and one on diffusion mechanisms. Papers on the oxidation of specific materials comprise one on graphite, two on magnesium, one on uranium and one on high temperature iron-nickel-chromium alloys. The book is well produced on high quality paper and the quality of many of the numerous micrographs reproduced is very good indeed. Two criticisms are that in a few cases important details of photographs are omitted (e.g. magnifications and in some cases even identifications) and that in several cases there is a remarkable waste of space in the presentation of figures; for example, on pages 16, 17 and 18 graphs showing very approximate relationships are printed on blocks 8 in. x 6in. Only a few misprints were noticed. In general, the book is authoritative and likely to be of use to a large number of workers in the corrosion field. In view of the high standard of the paper, the large number of photographs reproduced and the probably relatively limited circulation, the price seems very reasonable. J. H. BUDDERY
Translation from Russian for Scientists, C. R. BUXTON and H. SHELDON JACKSON Blackie, London and Glasgow, 1960. 299 pp., 30s. IT is being realized to an increasing extent that much important and interesting scientific work is published in Russian, and also that the cost of obtaining accurate translations is high. One product of this realization has been a desire on the part of many scientists to learn at least enough Russian to make out the general sense and possible implications of any particular paper. The consequent demand has led to the appearance of several books from which such a knowledge of Russian may be acquired, and one of the best of such books is that by Mr. Buxton and Mr. Jackson here reviewed. After introducing the alphabet, with several pages of reading practice, the authors proceed to a concise outline of the grammar necessary for the purpose in view. There follow exercises consisting of single sentences, then 17 short passages with notes on the more difficult points, and finally 168 passages of varying length divided about equally between physical and chemical subjects (biology is poorly represented). There is a useful list of Russian abbreviations, and a vocabulary of the words used in the reading matter. Among several praiseworthy features are the early introduction.of the italic letters (although the student is given little opportunity to practise them) and extensive lists of conjunctions, prepositions, prefixes, suffixes and word families. Nor are there many serious errors in the book. There are, however, a number of minor inaccuracies which should be corrected in future editions. The vocabulary at the end of the book has several words out of order, two even on the wrong page. and many words are omitted. Some of these, according to the Preface, are ‘words whose meanings should be obvious to any student of science’. This ought not to include, for example,parugruf(which does not mean ‘paragraph’) or inpI’s (which has more meanings than the obvious one). Other words are inadequately rendered. Proper names in the texts are printed in capitals, presumably tc help the student, but the practice is very rare in Russian, and the initial capital should be sufficient guide. A few notes on chemical nomenclature would have been useful, and so would keys, at least. to the alphabet-reading and. English-Russian exercises. If these relatively unimportant defects are attended to, the authors will have given us an excellent and very useful textbook of scientific Russian. J. B. SYKEs
Review of Digital Computers and Suclear Reactor Calculations, WARD C. SANGREN, Wiley, N.%‘., 1960. 208 pp., S8.50. THIS
book’s main feature is a good, compact survey and evaluation of the common techniques used in the numerical bolution of the equations found in a wide class of physical problems. The prescriptions for numerically differentiating and integrating and the techniques for solving partial differential equations, are presented clearly though without derivation. Most of the equations of reactor physics to which computers have been applied are considered to some extent. Quite properly, the Boltxmann equation receives the most attention. The diffusion approximation is treated in great detail with a complete derivation of the one-dimensional, multi-group equations and their reduction to a form suitable for machine computation.
Book reviews
The various derivations are very brief, encouraging the reader to arm himself with paper, pencil and time. The scope of the text comprises nuclear interactions of gamma rays of energies from about 2 to 150 MeV, confining the field to classical nuclear physics. Special care is devoted to sum rules and their relation to nuclear models. The first part of the monograph deals with the absorption of the quantum, and the last quarter is devoted to secondary processes leading to disintegrations, with the mission of protons, alphas, etc. Here the results of much experimental material are ably analysed in terms of models and types of process involved. It is evident that the experimental side is often shaky when accurate data are required for the assessment of theories. Better experiments are urgently needed; one can only hope that the production of monochromatic gamma rays of variable energy, which are soon to be available in some laboratories, will permit the nuclear physicist to overcome the intrinsic difficulties associated with the use of the bremsradiation as it is practised at present. With this prospect in view, it would be wise to keep Professor Levinger’s monograph handy as a ready source of information. E. BRETSCHER
Thii Metallurgy Symposium on Corrosion (Saclay 1959), Commissariat a 1’Energie Atomique, 1959. 240 pp., 70s. THIS book is a record of the symposium on corrosion held at Saclay from 29 June to 1 July 1959, and contains the 20 papers presented, together with the relevant discussions on each *paper. Only two of the papers are in English, the rest being in French, but each paper contains an abstract in English. Most of the papers are concerned with corrosion in the Atomic Energy field, as one would expect, but within this field there are papers on a diversity of topics, half the papers being on high temperature oxidation and half on aqueous corrosion. The aqueous corrosion of stainless steels receives most attention, five papers being devoted to this topic. Other aqueous corrosion work described includes zirconium in high temperature water (one paper), inconel in high temperature water (one paper), the effect of sulphur compounds on aqueous corrosion of steel (two papers), the use of the potentiostat in aqueous corrosion (one paper) and sea-water corrosion (one paper.) The papers on high temperature oxidation include three on the morphology of oxide films, one on general concepts of oxidation and one on diffusion mechanisms. Papers on the oxidation of specific materials comprise one on graphite, two on magnesium, one on uranium and one on high temperature iron-nickel-chromium alloys. The book is well produced on high quality paper and the quality of many of the numerous micrographs reproduced is very good indeed. Two criticisms are that in a few cases important details of photographs are omitted (e.g. magnifications and in some cases even identifications) and that in several cases there is a remarkable waste of space in the presentation of figures; for example, on pages 16, 17 and 18 graphs showing very approximate relationships are printed on blocks 8 in. x 6in. Only a few misprints were noticed. In general, the book is authoritative and likely to be of use to a large number of workers in the corrosion field. In view of the high standard of the paper, the large number of photographs reproduced and the probably relatively limited circulation, the price seems very reasonable. J. H. BUDDERY
Translation from Russian for Scientists, C. R. BUXTON and H. SHELDON JACKSON Blackie, London and Glasgow, 1960. 299 pp., 30s. IT is being realized to an increasing extent that much important and interesting scientific work is published in Russian, and also that the cost of obtaining accurate translations is high. One product of this realization has been a desire on the part of many scientists to learn at least enough Russian to make out the general sense and possible implications of any particular paper. The consequent demand has led to the appearance of several books from which such a knowledge of Russian may be acquired, and one of the best of such books is that by Mr. Buxton and Mr. Jackson here reviewed. After introducing the alphabet, with several pages of reading practice, the authors proceed to a concise outline of the grammar necessary for the purpose in view. There follow exercises consisting of single sentences, then 17 short passages with notes on the more difficult points, and finally 168 passages of varying length divided about equally between physical and chemical subjects (biology is poorly represented). There is a useful list of Russian abbreviations, and a vocabulary of the words used in the reading matter. Among several praiseworthy features are the early introduction.of the italic letters (although the student is given little opportunity to practise them) and extensive lists of conjunctions, prepositions, prefixes, suffixes and word families. Nor are there many serious errors in the book. There are, however, a number of minor inaccuracies which should be corrected in future editions. The vocabulary at the end of the book has several words out of order, two even on the wrong page. and many words are omitted. Some of these, according to the Preface, are ‘words whose meanings should be obvious to any student of science’. This ought not to include, for example,parugruf(which does not mean ‘paragraph’) or inpI’s (which has more meanings than the obvious one). Other words are inadequately rendered. Proper names in the texts are printed in capitals, presumably tc help the student, but the practice is very rare in Russian, and the initial capital should be sufficient guide. A few notes on chemical nomenclature would have been useful, and so would keys, at least. to the alphabet-reading and. English-Russian exercises. If these relatively unimportant defects are attended to, the authors will have given us an excellent and very useful textbook of scientific Russian. J. B. SYKEs
Review of Digital Computers and Suclear Reactor Calculations, WARD C. SANGREN, Wiley, N.%‘., 1960. 208 pp., S8.50. THIS
book’s main feature is a good, compact survey and evaluation of the common techniques used in the numerical bolution of the equations found in a wide class of physical problems. The prescriptions for numerically differentiating and integrating and the techniques for solving partial differential equations, are presented clearly though without derivation. Most of the equations of reactor physics to which computers have been applied are considered to some extent. Quite properly, the Boltxmann equation receives the most attention. The diffusion approximation is treated in great detail with a complete derivation of the one-dimensional, multi-group equations and their reduction to a form suitable for machine computation.