JF Ptak Science Books // Blog Bookstore

The First Issue of "Physics Today" 1948

Physics Today, volume 1/Number 1, May 1948.  This is the very first issue of the journal, with the cover photo featuring Oppie's porkpie hat.  Features an article by Vannevar Bush, "Trends in American Science", in its (only) 40pp.  Original wrappers. Nice copy.  $350

Six Contributions by Maxwell to the Encyclopedia Britannica

Maxwell, James Clerk. ‘Atom.’ Encyclopedia  Britannica., 9th ed., 1875-89, vol. III (1875), pp. 36-49.  

• (Other articles by Maxwell for the Encyclopaedia Britannica : Attraction, 1875; Capillary action.,1876; Constitution of bodies, 1877; Diagrams, 1877; Diffusion, 1877;  Ether, 1878;  Harmonic analysis, 1880;  Physical sciences. 1885.)

In addition to "Atoms" the following are offered:

1876

____. ‘Capillary action.’

Ency. Brit., 9th ed., 1875-89, 56-71. 

1877

____. ‘Constitution of bodies.’

Ency. Brit., 9th ed., 1875-89, (1877), 310-313. 

____. ‘Diagrams.’

Ency. Brit., 9th ed., 1875-89, VII (1877), 149-153.

____. ‘Diffusion.’

Ency. Brit., 9th ed., 1875-89, VII (1877), 214-221.

1878

____. ‘Ether.’

Ency. Brit., 9th ed., 1875-89, VIII (1878), 568-572.

All are simple extracts from the Encyclopedia Birtanica. All in Good condition.  $125

On the Foundations of QED

Dyson, Freeman.  "Radiation Theories of Tomonaga, Schwinger, and Feynman", in the Physical Review, 1 February 1949, volume 75, #3, pp486-501.  In the original printed wrappers.  Very good copy.  $200

Abstract from the American Physical Society PROLA website:

"A unified development of the subject of quantum electrodynamics is outlined, embodying the main features both of the Tomonaga-Schwinger and of the Feynman radiation theory. The theory is carried to a point further than that reached by these authors, in the discussion of higher order radiative reactions and vacuum polarization phenomena. However, the theory of these higher order processes is a program rather than a definitive theory, since no general proof of the convergence of these effects is attempted.

"The chief results obtained are (a) a demonstration of the equivalence of the Feynman and Schwinger theories, and (b) a considerable simplification of the procedure involved in applying the Schwinger theory to particular problems, the simplification being the greater the more complicated the problem.

On the Nuclear Chain Reaction

Perrin, Francis.  "Calcul relatif aux conditions eventuelles de transmutation en chaine de l’uranium", in Comptes Rendus, volume 208, No.18. Pp. (1369-) 1444, with  Perrin's paper on pp. 1394-96.  Offered in the original wrappers, removed from a larger bound volume.

Provenance: U.S. Weather Bureau Library (stamped "May 25, 1939").  Good copy.

Also in this issue:

Hans von Halban, Lew Kowarski and Paul Savitch,  "Sur la capture simple des neutrons et des neutrons de résonnance par l'uranium". Pp. 1396-1398.

AND With:

"Calcul relatif aux conditions eventuelles de transmutation en chaine de l'uranium", in the Comptes Rendus, 1 May 1939, no. 18, pp 1394-1396, in the original wrappers, removed. 

The three papers in the two issues: 350.00

Otto Hahn. "Einige Besonderheiten der bei der Kernspaltung des Urans und Thors entstehenden künstlichen Atomarten", in Annalen der Physik  Volume 428, Issue 3-4, pages 368–372, 1939.  The issue, removed from a larger bound volume.  Festschrift issue for the 60th birthday of Max von Laue.  $50

Karl Pearson.  "On the Terminology of the Mathematical Theory of Elasticity", in Nature, 19 March 1885, volume 31, pp 456-457, being two full columns or about 1,000 tightly-packed words.  In the weekly issue, removed from a larger bound volume.  Very good copy.  $100

It begins: "THE late Dr. Todhunter left, in an incomplete state, a valuable “History of the Mathematical Theories of Elasticity,” which the syndics of the Cambridge University Press have intrusted to me to complete and edit. In reading the great number of memoirs relating to the subject I have been much struck by the want of a clear and accurate terminology in both theoretical and practical elasticity. I have been forced to the conclusion that the great discrepancy, which is often to be found between theoretical and practical results, is in some measure due to the want of this terminology (e.g. the extreme looseness of the term “limit of elasticity”). I find it needful for the purposes of the above work to adopt such a terminology, but before doing so it would be extremely valuable to have the opinion of some of our leading elasticians on the terms I venture to propose. I should be very glad of any suggestions, through the columns of NATURE, towards a definite and uniform terminology..."

Mayer,  Alfred M.  Floating Needles.  London:  Nature, vol 17 #442, April 18, 1878. Original printed wrappers.  Very good condition.  1st appearance in England.  From a lecture by Prof Hassan Aref .

Abstract: The subject was born in 1878 when the American physicist Alfred M. Mayer described experiments he had performed with floating magnets. His results were seized upon by William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) as an illustration of the theory of 'vortex atoms'. Kelvin thought of atoms as vortex equilibria, configurations of identical vortices that rotate steadily without change of shape or form in an underlying 'ether'. This theory was eventually eclipsed by quantum mechanics a quarter century later. In the 1950s quantized, concentrated vortices were predicted to exist in superfluid Helium. In the 1970s these superfluid vortices were observed to form equilibrium patterns such as those considered almost a century before. The better known vortex equilibria have the vortices apparently arranged on concentric circles and have been characterized by 'ring numbers'. There is even a catalog of patterns determined by numerical solution of the equations describing interacting point vortices. In recent years we have found that there is a wealth of equilibria, including completely asymmetric ones for which we have no analytical understanding. This classical subject keeps providing intriguing problems. The lecture will describe the history, various theoretical advances, and many open problems."

Offered with the original front wrapper and 5pp ads; removed from larger bound collection.  $135

Very Early Work on the Jet Engine by an Aeronautical Pioneer, 1945

Reissner,  Hans.  Jet Propulsion. A Systematic Analysis of Thermal Jet Propulsion. Written from January to October, 1945.  

1) original typed mimeographed sheets. 8vo, 36 leaves. In the original off-the-shelf binder, and titled in Reissner's hand. Dated October, 1945.  Stamped "Confidential".

2)  "Systematic Analysis of Thermal Jet Propulsion"   17 leaves (16 of text and 1 full-page illustration). Offset printed from typed originals.  Many mathematical notations in Reissner's hand.  SOLD

This is an extremely early American  analysis of a working jet engine.

Hans J. Reissner was a leading German pioneer in aeronautics and aeronautical engineering. He was appointed to the chair vacated by Arnold Sommerfeld at the Technische Hochschul at Aachen, where he established the aerodynamics laboratory. He also designed the great experimental wind tunnel at Aachen and was its second director (after T. von Karman). He went on to the University of Berlin where he remained until 1938, when he left Germany for the United States. Reissner held a chair at the Illinois Institute of Technology and in 1944 joined the faculty at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. He became a U.S. citizen in 1944. Van Karman spoke very highly of Reissner and attributed his work in aerodynamics to be as important as those advances made by Prandtl (see von Karman’s Wind and Beyond). Reissner was also celebrated with two anniversary volumes of Applied MAthematiics for his 60th and 75th birthdays (in 1934 and 1949).

The Copenhagen Interpretation, 1928

"The very nature of the quantum theory thus forces us to regard the space-time co-ordination and the claim of causality, the union of which characterizes the classical theories, as complementary but exclusive features of the description"--Niels BohrCollected Works, edited by  E. Rüdinger. vol. 6: The Foundation of Quantum Physics,  (1926–1932), edited by J. Kalckar, page 115. 

Bohr, Niels.  "The Quantum Postulate". In: Nature, vol. 121, no. 3050, pp. 580-590, April 14, 1928. with the original front wrapper, removed from a larger bound volume.  Provenance:  Smithsonian Institution Libraries.  Very good copy.  $1250

First publication in English (though it was pubished virytually at the same time in German and French) of Bohr's "complementarity" lecture on the state of quantum mechanics presented at the Volta Conference at Lake Como, Italy (1927). This was the first Volta Conference (others would follow, yearly, from 1932-1935, in different subject areas) and was entitled the International Conference on Physics, sponsored by the Royal Academy of Science in Rome, and funded by the Alessandro Volta Foundation, and was held in 1927.

"From 11th to 20th September 1927 in Como, an International Conference on Physics was held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Alessandro Volta. Niels Bohr presented his idea of complementarity to an illustrious gathering. In the discussion, Max Born, Hendrik Kramers, Werner Heisenberg, Enrico Fermi and Wolfgang Pauli gave their comments on his paper."--ETH Bibliothek, here.

Five weeks later was the Fifth Solvay Conference, another enormous powerhouse of a meeting of the world's leading physicists, and one particularly known for the discussion bteween Bohr and Einstein on the Copenhagen Iterpretation of quantum mechanics:

"The discussions between Bohr and Einstein dominated the conference and although Einstein could not be convinced that the new interpretation of the quantum theory was satisfactory in all respects, Einstein finally had to admit that it was self-consistent and free from contradictions. Pauli also contributed decisively to the results of this conference, in which he frequently rose to speak".--ETH Bibliothek, here.

From the Dictionary of Scientific Biography:

"From the epistemological point of view, the discovery of the new type of logical relationship that complementarity represents is a major advance that radically changes our whole view of the role and meaning of science. In contrast with the nineteenth-century ideal of a description of the phenomena from which every reference to their observation would be eliminated, we have the much wider and truer prospect of an account of the phenomena in which due regard is paid to the conditions under which they can actually be observed - thereby securing the full objectivity of the description" --DSB, pp 249-250

A Great Letter to the Editor: a Fundamental Contribution to Particle Physics

Chadwick, James.  "Possible Existence of a Neutron", in Nature, 27 February 1932. volume 129.  This revolutionary contribution appears as a Letter to the Editor, in 1.25 columns, on page 312 of this issue of the journal. And in the "tradition" of the Alpher-Bethe-Gamow paper (the great paper on the Big Bang, appearing on April 1st 1948 in the Physical Review), it is another instance of a major announcement being made as a "simple" letter to the editor. (Well, in the case of scientific letters, this is really just a shorter, quicker-to-publication avenue to publication, and not much at all like a letter-to-the-editor of the NYT. Still, the description has a nice ring to it.)  This was the description of the neutron made after only about two weeks of experimentation.

We offer a fine copy of the full half-year of this journal, bound in cloth, with the Chadwick appearing on page 312.  $800

"In 1932, Chadwick made a fundamental discovery in the domain of nuclear science: he proved the existence of neutrons - elementary particles devoid of any electrical charge. In contrast with the helium nuclei (alpha rays) which are charged, and therefore repelled by the considerable electrical forces present in the nuclei of heavy atoms, this new tool in atomic disintegration need not overcome any electric barrier and is capable of penetrating and splitting the nuclei of even the heaviest elements. Chadwick in this way prepared the way towards the fission of uranium 235 and towards the creation of the atomic bomb."--NobelPrize.org

His next paper¹--and perhaps the more famous of the two--appeared a few months later in May and contained the proof of the existence of the neutron, and was an epochal achievement int he understanding of the nucleus.

For this epoch-making discovery he was awarded the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society in 1932, and then the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1935. I think he may be the only recipient of the award who was also at one time a POW. (1914-1918 in Chadwick's case, going from there to a PhD at Cambridge in 1921 and then to Rutherford's assistant shortly thereafter.)

Notes:

1. Chadwick, J. (1932). "The Existence of a Neutron". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences136 (830): 692. doi:10.1098/rspa.1932.0112. Another paper appeared int he next year, (1933). "Bakerian Lecture. The Neutron". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering

The full text of the paper, below:

James Chadwick
Nature, p. 312 (Feb. 27, 1932)

---

It has been shown by Bothe and others that beryllium when bombarded by a-particles of polonium emits a radiation of great penetrating power, which has been an absorption coefficient in lead of about 0.3 (cm)¯¹. Recently Mme. Curie-Joliot and M. Joliot found, when measuring the ionisation produced by this beryllium radiation in a vessel with a thin window, that the ionisation increased when matter containing hydrogen was placed in front of the window. The effect appeared to be due to the ejection of protons with velocities up to a maximum of nearly 3 x 10⁹ cm. per sec. They suggested that the transference of energy to the proton was by a process similar to the Compton effect, and estimated that the beryllium radiation had a quantum energy of 50 x 10⁶ electron volts.

I have made some experiments using the valve counter to examine the properties of this radiation excited in beryllium. The valve counter consists of a small ionisation chamber connected to an amplifier, and the sudden production of ions by the entry of a particle, such as a proton or a-particle, is recorded by the deflexion of an oscillograph. These experiments have shown that the radiation ejects particles from hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, carbon, air, and argon. The particles ejected from hydrogen behave, as regards range and ionising power, like protons with speeds up to about 3.2 x 10⁹ cm. per sec. The particles from the other elements have a large ionising power, and appear to be in each case recoil atoms of the elements.

If we ascribe the ejection of the proton to a Compton recoil from a quantum of 52 x 10⁶ electron volts, then the nitrogen recoil atom arising by a similar process should have an energy not greater than about 400,000 volts, should produce not more than about 10,000 ions, and have a range in air at N.T.P. of about 1.3 mm. Actually, some of the recoil atoms in nitrogen produce at least 30,000 ions. In collaboration with Dr. Feather, I have observed the recoil atoms in an expansion chamber, and their range, estimated visually, was sometimes as much as 3 mm at N.T.P.

These results, and others I have obtained in the course of the work, are very difficult to explain on the assumption that the radiation from beryllium is a quantum radiation, if energy and momentum are to be conserved in the collisions. The difficulties disappear, however, if it be assumed that the radiation consists of particles of mass 1 and charge 0, or neutrons. The capture of the a-particle by the Be⁹ nucleus may be supposed to result in the formation of a C¹² nucleus and the emission of the neutron. From the energy relations of this process the velocity of the neutron emitted in the forward direction may well be about 3 x 10⁹ cm. per sec. The collisions of the neutron with the atoms through which it passes give rise to the recoil atoms, and the observed energies of the recoil atoms are in fair agreement with this view. Moreover, I have observed that the protons ejected from hydrogen by the radiation emitted in the opposite direction to that of the exciting a-particle appear to have a much smaller range than those ejected by the forward radiation. This again receives a simple explanation of the neutron hypothesis.

If it be supposed that the radiation consists of quanta, then the capture of the a-particle by the Be⁹ nucleus will form a C¹³ nucleus. The mass defect of C¹³ is known with sufficient accuracy to show that the energy of the quantum emitted in this process cannot be greater than about 14 x 10⁶ volts. It is difficult to make such a quantum responsible for the effects observed.

It is to be expected that many of the effects of a neutron in passing through matter should resemble those of a quantum of high energy, and it is not easy to reach the final decision between the two hypotheses. Up to the present, all the evidence is in favour of the neutron, while the quantum hypothesis can only be upheld if the conservation of energy and momentum be relinquished at some point.

J. Chadwick.
Cavendish Laboratory,
Cambridge, Feb. 17.