Book Description

This book is based on the modern conceptual understanding of crystal fields. It clarifies several issues that have historically produced confusion in this area, particularly the effects of covalency and ligand polarization on the energy spectra of magnetic ions. This comprehensive volume provides readers with clear instructions and a set of computer programs for the phenomenological analysis of energy spectra of magnetic ions insolids. Readers are shown how to employ a hierarchy of parametrized models to extract as much information as possible from observed lanthanide and actinide spectra. All computer programs included in the volume are freely available on the Internet. It will be of particular interest to graduate students and researchers working in the development of opto-electronic systems and magnetic materials. ... Read more

Book Description

Macromolecules are the proteins and nucleic acids upon which life depends. Understanding the action of biological macromolecules (giant molecules) requires detailed knowledge of their structures. Most of the more than ten thousand known structures of protein and nucleic acids were obtained by x-ray crystallography, the standard mechanism for determining protein structure. Essentially, proteins are frozen into rigid crystals, which can be stacked up in a repeating pattern--like supermarket displays. The structure of each individual crystal can be determined by the way x-rays are bent when they pass through the composite crystal. Protein structure is essential when investigating protein interactions and planning drug development.
Crystallography Made Crystal Clear, Second Edition explains how scientists discover the structures of the macromolecules. Scientists do not see these molecules directly. Instead, they build models as a means of interpreting data from x-ray diffraction by crystals, or by irradiation by other forms of energy. Users of these models need to know how they are obtained in order to know what they are seeing when they study a model of a macromolecule. They also need to know how to judge whether conclusions they draw from the molecular models are really supported by the models. This book uses visual and geometric models to help readers understand the mathematics that forms the basis of x-ray crystallography.
The field of protein crystallography is growing every day and has been instrumental in discovering the molecular principles of biology and in discovering new drugs, such as the recent protease inhibitors for AIDS. The field includes the largest percentage of Nobel prizes than any other scientific discipline. Every major university and drug company has a protein crystallography laboratory and this book is an invaluable aid to those wishing to practice protein crystallography
or just learn more about how it is actually done.

Key Features
* Provides clear, understandable descriptions of principles of X-ray crystallography
* Leads reader through unintimidating and thorough explanations of the underlying mathematics
* Provides abundant illustrations, including diagrams, charts, photographs, and color stereo
* images
* Explains how to read crystallography papers in research journals
* Includes brief descriptions of other diffraction methods (neutron, electron, Laue) and the kinds
* of structural information they can provide
* Introduces other methods of macromolecular structure determination (NMR spectroscopy and
* homology modeling), and provides guidance in judging the quality of these models ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The best introduction to the subject
This is the best introduction to crystallography I have ever come across. Which is quite an achievement, because its a difficult subject to understand. In crystallography, its very rare to find a book which does not deal with either a totally descriptive approach or a totally mathematical approach. Rhodes' book bridges the gap between the two and gives the reader the right dose of jargon and explanation. He illustrates every point with plenty of figures as well as real life computer models of proteins. Before I came across this book, I was struggling and failing to understand Isomorphous Replacement, MAD, Solvent Flattening, Maps and Models, as well as the iterative refining of models. I think no other book comes even close to this book in explaining all these concepts in simple format. This, I think is as clear as it can get without becoming oversimplified. A must have for all researchers and students whose work is even remotely connected to crystallography.

"The" clearest one out there....
When it comes to this field of research, you get two types of references: (1) the 2-5 page quick intro that leaves you with the most basic overview of crystallography and (2) the 'hard core' books that go into such detail as to leave you breathless. This book is, in my opinion, the best transition book.

For non-crystallographers, this book will teach enough about crystallography to allow you to read crystal structure articles and understand what is meant by all of the used statistics and such.

For apprentice crystallographers, this is a wonderful intro into the field. Master the book, then move on to harder books to master it.

Highly recommended. I still go back to it, when I teach people, to help me explain in the way that Gale Rhodes does!

Updated for the e-century
The second edition of Crystallography Made Crystal Clear contains many improvements over the first edition, especially regarding the introduction of new graphics technology available to everyone that can view this webpage on the internet. Rhodes especially explains how the PDB file works and how to view it to best suit the individual scientist's purpose.

It is important to note that the book is still far from "crystal clear"! The portion of the book dealing with the physics of x-ray diffraction is very mysterious--definately dig out the old college physics textbook and read about diffraction when you find yourself confused. Also, the mathematics presented in the middle chapters of the book are way beyond the level that biochemists must deal with on a regular basis. An understanding of multi-variable calculus is important for these chapters.

Overall, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in structural biology, with the exception of several chapters regarding the mathematics that can be skimmed over. And the webpage associated with the book is an excellent resource.

A must for anyone interested in protein structure.
A readable overview, superb for getting a feel for how crystallography works and what the results mean. There is also an excellent section on judging the quality of an atomic coordinate file, such as a PDB file you may download. Prof. Rhodes is now completing a second edition.

Excellent.
The perfect bridge between simple introductions and more complete books, both difficult to understand for the non-crystallographer. Very clear explanations -crystal clear- and real examples from real papers. Just what I wanted to know. No more no less. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Dislocations was first published in 1965 in a series aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students in metallurgy and materials science and related disciplines. At the time, the subject was maturing and it was expected that 'dislocation concepts' would remain a core discipline for a very long time. As expected, the book has been, and remains, an important undergraduate text all over the world.


A wider range of materials has emerged since 1965, most notably in the field of electronics and micro-engineering. The principles of dislocation theory still apply but some of the detail requires further treatment.

This fourth edition provides an essential basis for an understanding of many of the physical and mechanical properties of crystalline solids. This new edition has been extensively revised and updated to reflect developments in the understanding of the subject, whilst retaining the clarity and comprehensibility of the previous editions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very good elementary representations of dislocation theory.
Much better and easier to understand than the many other classical dislocation theory books. It is also very comprehensive, although a little outdated due to its publication date. ... Read more

Book Description

Crystallization is an important purification process used in a broad range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, foods, and bulk chemicals.In recent years, molecular modeling has emerged as a useful tool in the analysis and solution ofproblems associated with crystallization.Modeling allows more focused experimentation based on structural and energetic calculations instead of intuition and trial and error. This book offers a general introduction to molecular modeling techniques and their application in crystallization.After explaining the basic concepts of molecular modeling and crystallization, the book discusses how modeling techniques are used to solve a variety of practical problems related to crystal size, shape, internal structure, and properties.With chapters written by leading experts and an emphasis on problem solving, this book will appeal to scientists, engineers, and graduate students involved in research and the production of crystalline materials. ... Read more

Book Description

Photonic Crystals is the first book to address one of the newest and most exciting developments in physics--the discovery of photonic band-gap materials and their use in controlling the propagation of light. Recent discoveries show that many of the properties of an electron in a semiconductor crystal can apply to a particle of light in a photonic crystal. This has vast implications for physicists, materials scientists, and electrical engineers and suggests such possible developments as an entirely optical computer. Combining cutting-edge research with the basic theoretical concepts behind photonic crystals, the authors present to undergraduates and researchers a concise, readable, and comprehensive text on these novel materials and their applications.

The first chapters develop the theoretical tools of photonic crystals in a broad, intuitive fashion, starting from nothing more than Maxwell's equations and Fourier analysis, and include analogies to traditional solid-state physics and quantum theory. There follows an investigation of the unique phenomena that take place within photonic crystals, at defect sites, and at surfaces and interfaces. The authors offer a new treatment of the traditional multilayer film (a one-dimensional photonic crystal), which allows for the extension to higher dimensions and more complex geometries. After exploring the capabilities of photonic crystals to guide and localize light, the authors demonstrate how these notions can be put to work. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An excellent text
This is a fish of a good book! The information that has come out in the last ten years about photonic band-gap materiels can be confusing and offputting. This book enables any astute reader a comprehension of the various properties that come into play when dealing with and controlling the propogation of light. I recommend it highly for use in the classroom as well as for the bedstand.

Quite an enjoyable read!
Graduate students (or advanced physics undergrads) will appreciate the beautiful analogy this book makes between solid state physics, which gave us semiconductor devices, and the newer field of photonics, which promises a revolution in optical devices. The writing is clear and consise, and the many colorful illustrations aid the reader in formulating a picture of how it all works. Just plain WELL DONE -- more physics texts should read like this one.

a brand new theory
With help of this new theory,we can turn so many things into realities which can't even be imagined several years ago. This theory urges us to look on things in a brand new way! I think miracles will come forth after our studying. ... Read more

Book Description

Closely follows an actual structural determination. After some introductory material on the nature of x-rays, the diffraction process, and the internal geometry of crystals, the selection and preparation of a crystal are considered. Techniques of measuring raw x-ray data are covered, plus their reduction into a useable form. The second part discusses both traditional and novel methods of solving the ``phase'' problem, the principal difficulty in x-ray structure determination. The third part considers how to extract the most information from the data and how to evaluate its reliability. Finally, there is a discussion of sources of error in practice and interpretation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

introduction to the basics, at least in theory
This book is an excellent excellent introction to the basic physics and math of x-ray crystallography. This was used as the text in an undergrad class I took on protein crystallography and it was perfect for that purpose. The main drawback of this book is that it is really concentrated on small molecule structure determination, and doesn't address the problems or specific techniques used for large protein structures. So probably the best way to use this book would be in conjuction with a more protein-specific book. But for the raw fundamentals of symmetry and diffraction, I don't think you can beat stout & jensen. ... Read more

Book Description

A central tenet of materials analysis is the structure-property paradigm, which proposes a direct connection between the geometric structures within a material and its properties. The increasing power of high-speed computation has had a major impact on theoretical materials science and has permitted the systematic examination of this connection between structure and properties. In this textbook, Rob Phillips examines various methods for studying crystals, defects, and microstructures, techniques that have made such computations possible. He also presents recent efforts to treat problems involving either multiple spatial or temporal scales simultaneously. Detailed case studies illustrate general principles as well as their applications to current research problems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An outstanding task
The publication of this book is very timely since it appears right before the happening of the first "International Conference on Multiscale Materials Model(l)ing", which has been held in June 2002 at the Queen Mary University of London. But it is the subtitle (Modeling Across Scales), not the title, that conveys you what the book's content is about. In other words, the author engages himself in the (difficult) task of showing you how real materials can be modeled (or thought of) by mean of a multiscale approach bridging the atomistic to the macroscopic structure & behavior. As you can well imagine, this is an outstanding task!

The book is organized in four parts and it contains 13 chapters:

Part I: Thinking about the Material World
1. Idealizing Material Response
2. Continuum Mechanics Revisited
3. Quantum and Statistical Mechanics Revisited

Part II: Energetics of Crystalline Solids
4. Energetic Description of Crystalline Solids
5. Thermal and Elastic Properties of Crystals
6. Structural Energies and Phase Diagrams

Part III: Geometric Structures in Solids: Defects and Microstructures
7. Point Defects in Solids
8. Line Defects in Solids
9. Wall Defects in Solids
10. Microstructure and its Evolution

Part IV: Facing the Multiscale Challenge in Real Material Behavior
11. Points, Lines and Walls: Defect Interactions and Material Response
12. Bridging Scales: Effective Theory Construction
13. Universality and Specificity in Materials

Considering the difficulty of the subject and how it has been presented throughout the book, the clarity of language and the good quality of both graphs and figures, this book deserves five stars.

Excellent work
This is the absolutely best book I have seen in the general materials science field--the writing is clear, the explanations excellent, and detail sufficient. The books title is correct, but I think a bit unfair--the book really shines as a general, graduate level introduction to all of materials science, if you take the quite reasonable view that the ability to better model crystals, defects, and microstructures forms the core of the field.

As the author staes in the introduction, this books teaches you habits of the mind and modes of thought that help link up the disparate fields that make up materials, mechanics, and condensed matter physics.

There is no book in my (admittedly limited) library I got more out of during the course of my studies.

Final note: the book has excellent references, and is typset beautifully. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a response to an evident demand for a university textbook on ferroelectricity. The authors discuss the current understanding of the physical nature of ferroelectric phenomena in a consistent and logical form using both phenomenological and microscopic approaches. They present not a descriptive but a conceptual view on the phenomenon and its position in the framework of the more general problem of structural phase transitions. Moreover, the book provides a basis for better understanding of the structural phase transitions themselves. The book is self-sufficient and the level is appropriate for students who seek a deeper understanding of ferroelectric phenomena in dielectrics. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not a bad book
Some parts are not clear enough especially the chapters on dynamicphenomena in ferroelectrics. Furthermore, I found some obvious printingmistakes. But totaly I would say not a bad book.

FINALLY! NOW THERE IS A GOOD TEXTBOOK ON FERROELECTRICITY
Finally the ferroelectrics community in particular, and the solid state society in general has a textbook on ferroelectricity! The book by Professor Levanyuk is absolutely written in a very elegant manner. It is a pleasure to read. Not only the phenomenon of ferroelectricity is described rigorously and logically but also in a "self-contained" form. It is self-contained in a sense that, although elements from the broader fields of phase transformations and statistical mechanincs are employed, the reader does not need to read many other books in "parallel" in order to understand the concepts presented in the book. That, unfortunately, has been the situation (in my experience) reading books such as the one by Lines & Glass (I still think their book is a good one...yet though to read). Macroscopic and microscopic models of ferroelectricity are presented and discussed in a complementary fashion and continuity is effectively maintained throughout the treatment. Eventhough the book is specifically written on ferroelectricity, the reader is exposed to the principles of phase transformations (first and secons order), statistical mechanics as well as lattice dynamics in a clear and thorough style. In short, with a great pleasure I give this book 5 *'s and highly recommend it. It would certainly make a perfect textbook for a graduate course in Materials Science, Solid State Chemistry, Solid State Physics and all allied disciplines. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1957, this classic study has been reissued in a paperback version that includes an additional chapter bringing the material up to date.The author formulates the physical properties of crystals systematically in tensor notation, presenting tensor properties in terms of their common mathematical basis and the thermodynamic relations between them. The mathematical groundwork is laid in a discussion of tensors of the first and second ranks. Tensors of higher ranks and matrix methods are then introduced as natural developments of the theory.A similar pattern is followed in discussing thermodynamic and optical aspects. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

eka@rci.rutgers.edu
The book by Nye is considered by many people in the relevant scientific societies as the "bible" of crystal physics. In scientific terms, it is a rigorously written book on tensor algedra which which is the mathematical formalism essential to describe the physical properties of crystals. The mathematical complexity of the book is rather elementary and hence could be used for a senior level advanced undergraduate course as well (typically it is used as a first your graduate course text). The first half of the book discusses equilibrium properties of crystals (permittivity, piezoelectricity, elasticity etc.), therefore a rather modest background in physics is needed. The second half of the book that is devoted to transport properties may require some "general" background on the basic principles of transport phenomena and irreversible thermodynamics. This book, in my opinion, is a very well written book that places the physical properties of crystals in an "easy to comprehend" mathematical framework eloquently. It is an excellent text book. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Richly illustrated throughout, this book provides a comprehensive, approachable summary of the field of crystallography, fundamental theory of diffraction and properties of crystals, applications in determining macromolecular structure. Dedicated to providing a complete introduction to the subjectthat does not assume a background in physics or math, books contents flow logically from basic principles to methods, such as those for solving phase problems, interpretation of Patterson maps, and the difference Fourier method. This introduction includes practical instruction on interpretation of data and methods for determining phases and also: 

• Illustrates concepts throughout to clarify difficult ideas
• Integrates analogies to illuminate the text
• Equips the reader to employ the range of programs in crystallography

Reviews (4)

Highly Recommended
"...I highly recommend this book...in fact, I foresee it finding its way to the bookshelves of many faculty members, albeit with frequent removal for consultation as an educational tool!" (Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 49, No. 7, 2003)

Recommended Book
"...this welcome addition to the introductory crystallographic literature should be well received...recommended..." (Choice, Vol. 40, No. 8, April 2003)

Excellent
"...an excellent introductory text..." (Journal of Proteome Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, March/April 2003)

Masterful
"...a masterful presentation of the theory and practice of crystallography as applied to large molecules. Any student or professional who wants to deepen his or her understanding of the field should work through this text. The clarity, completeness, and simplicity of [Dr. McPherson's] treatment are impressive." --Andrew J.Howard, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, and Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois ... Read more

Book Description

Crystals are sometimes called "Flowers of the Mineral Kingdom." In addition to their great beauty, crystals and other textured materials are enormously useful in electronics, optics, acoustics, and many other engineering applications. This richly illustrated text describes the underlying principles of crystal physics and chemistry, covering a wide range of topics, and illustrating numerous applications in many fields of engineering using the most important materials. It has been written at a level suitable for science and engineering students and cab be used for teaching a one- or two-semester course.Tensors, matrices, symmetry, and structure-property relationships form the main subjects of the book. While tensors and matrices provide the mathematical framework for understanding anistropy, on which the physical and chemical properties of crystals and textured materials often depend, atomistic arguments are also needed to qualify the property coefficients in various directions. The atomistic arguments are partly based on symmetry and party on the basic physics and chemistry of materials.After introducing the point groups appropriate for single crystals, textured materials, and ordered magnetic structures, the directional properties of many different materials are described: linear and nonlinear elasticity, piezoelectricity and electrostriction, magnetic phenomena, diffusion and other transport properties, and both primary and secondary ferroic behavior. With crystal optics (its roots in classical mineralogy) having become an important component of the information age, nonlinear optics is described along with the piezo-optics and electro-optics, and analagous linear and nonlinear acoustic wave phenomena. Enantiomorphism, optical activity, and chemical anisotropy are discussed in the final chapters of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Drop a pebble in a pond and the results are predictable: circular waves flow from the point of impact. Hit a point on a crystalline solid, however, and the expanding waves are highly nonspherical; the elasticity of a crystal is anisotropic. This book provides a fresh look at the vibrational properties of crystalline solids, elucidated by new imaging techniques. From the megahertz vibrations of ultrasound to the near-terahertz vibrations associated with heat, the underlying elastic anisotropy of the crystal asserts itself. Phonons are elementary vibrations that affect many properties of solids--thermal, electrical, and magnetic. This text covers the basic theory and experimental observations of phonon propagation in solids. Phonon imaging techniques provide physical insights into such topics as phonon focusing, lattice dynamics, and ultrasound propagation. Scattering of phonons from interfaces, superlattices, defects, and electrons are treated in detail. The book includes many striking and original illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Phonon Imaging can change your life
Jim Wolfe, the guru of the Phonon Imaging Movement, taught me to relax using Acoustic Waves. I used to be a stressed junior faculty member, but now I'm a confident young scientist thanks to critical-cone channelling of my energies. I've introduced all my friends to phonon imaging! ... Read more

Book Description

Liquid crystals have become ubiquitous in the displays for electronic devices, ranging from wrist watches to laptop computers. Nuclear magnetic resonance has become one of the important techniques for determining their structures and properties. Intended for researchers and students in physics, chemistry and materials science, this book provides the necessary background information and sufficient mathematical and physical detail to study the current research literature. The book begins with a survey of liquid crystal phases and field effects and with an introduction to the basic physics of nuclear magnetic resonance; it then discusses orientational ordering and molecular field theories for various liquid crystal molecules and NMR studies of uniaxial and biaxial phases. Subsequent chapters consider spin relaxation processes (using a semiclassical approach) and rotational, translational, and internal molecular dynamics of liquid crystals. The final chapter discusses two-dimensional and multiple-quantum NMR spectroscopies and their application in elucidating liquid crystal properties. This second edition, updated throughout, incorporates many new references, corrects typographical errors, and includes new mathematical appendices. ... Read more

Book Description

This book incorporates research-leveldevelopments and perspectives in optics from a materials science and physics viewpoint, as well as exploring defect structures and non- linear optics.The editors also address the fundamental physics of commonly experienced LCDs, reviewing the important, now well-established nematic structures and covering the emergent new areas of ferroelectrics and electroclinics. ... Read more

Book Description

X-ray crystallography has been a vital method for studying the structure of proteins and other macromolecules for many years. As the importance of proteins continues to grow in a wide range of research fields from basic biochemistry and biophysics to pharmaceutical development and biotechnology, more and more researchers have found a knowledge of X-ray diffraction to be an indispensable tool. Professor Drenth, recognized internationally for his numerous contributions to crystallographic research, has provided a technically rigorous introduction to the subject. This book provides the theoretical background necessary to understand how the structure of proteins is determined at atomic resolution. It is intended to be an introduction for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and established scientists who want to apply protein crystallography in their own endeavors, or need to understand the subject in order to critically evaluate the literature. Principles of Protein X-ray Crystallography is appropriate as a textbook for courses in biochemistry and biophysics, including protein structure and function, structural biology, and macromolecular structure. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Decent text, but better Crystallography books are out there.
Drenth is a decent enough book. The figures are ok, nothing great. They mostly just drive home the point made in the text, but are not instructive in and upon themselves. If you are looking to get a basic understanding of X-Ray crystallography and its uses to solve protein structure try the Gale Rhodes book. If you are looking for a more rigorous book try the Michael M. Woolfson book. Drenth tries to be the middle ground between the two. The subject though is too complicated to do it justice like that. Either keep it simple or go in depth.

Best introductory text
Best introductory text for macromolecular xray crystallography. Simple and succinct mathematical explanation of basic concepts. It provides enough background for students to start a research project. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is the first in the series International Tables for Crystallography and treats the symmetries of one-, two- and three-dimensional space groups and point groups in direct space. It contains tables of the 17 plane groups, the 230 space groups and the 32 crystallographic point groups, complemented by a comprehensive discussion of symmetry. The theory and use of the tables is also described in detail. This book is an invaluable reference for crystallographers and all those who use crystallography and symmetry in their work.The fifth edition of International Tables for Crystallography Volume A represents an extensive revision of the previous editions, as the plane and space group tables have been newly generated (and checked) by computer for this edition. The new symbol for the `double' glide plane (e) is now part of the space group symbols for the five space groups Nos. 39, 41, 64, 67 and 68. Much of the text has been substantially revised and brought up-to-date, and new topics including a description of the Delaunay reduction, a section on the advanced properties of lattices and a section on Euclidean normalizers for special metrics have been included. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is the first comprehensive textbook on the optical properties of photonic crystals. It deals not only with the properties of the radiation modes inside the crystals but also with their peculiar optical response to external fields. A general theory of linear and nonlinear optical response is given in a clear and detailed fashion using Green's function method. The symmetry of the eigenmodes is treated systematically using group theory to show how it affects the optical properties of photonic crystals. Important recent developments such as the enhancement of stimulated emissions, second harmonic generation, quadrature-phase squeezing, and low-threshold lasing are also treated in detail and made understandable. Numerical methods are also emphasized. Thus this book provides both introductory knowledge for graduate and undergraduate students and also important ideas for researchers in this field. ... Read more

Book Description

"This book is exhaustive, accurate . . . One of its outstanding features is the 47 F. H. Round watercolors. Truly a great book."—Tulsa Daily World. A legendary resource in the history of botanical literature, this volume comprises the life's work of the world's foremost authority on irises. Scholarly yet accessible, it converts the tangle of iris hybrids and varieties into clear, complete groupings and descriptions that form the modern classifications. Magnificent reproductions of 47 full-color paintings of irises by F. H. Round complement the text, along with 31 other illustrations.
... Read more