Book Description

The astrolabe was the most sophisticated astronomical instrument of the pre-telescopic age, and one of the most beautiful instruments of any age. Combining a simple observational tool with an elegant analogue computer, it was used for everything from time-telling to surveying, from casting a horoscope to converting among equatorial, ecliptic, and horizon coordinate systems. It was also one of the finest products of mathematically informed craftsmen. In medieval and Renaissance Europe it was emblematic of the astronomer's profession, and often of a nobleman's erudition. In the Islamic world it aided travelers with their daily prayers. Today astrolabes are among the most highly prized instruments of early science.

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in Chicago is home to one of the world's three or four great collections of astrolabes. In this volume Roderick and Marjorie Webster, Adler Curators Emeriti, present the Western astrolabes from the Adler's collection. The earliest of these instruments dates from the thirteenth century; others are from the workshops of the greatest craftsmen of the Renaissance. All are described here and illustrated lavishly with photographs showing the front, the back, and additional details such as the maker's signature. Introductory essays by the Websters and Sara Schechner Genuth explain the use of the astrolabe and its role in cultural and social history, while the appendices and bibliography provide information essential to the specialist.

Inaugurating the multi-volume catalogue of the Adler's collection, this book lovingly documents the Western astrolabes, astrolabe-quadrants, and mariner's astrolabes at the Adler. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Alla scoperta delle radici della scienza
Conoscere la scienza implicita negli astrolabi non è solo impresa scientifica, ma anche operazione culturale. Si tratta di ripercorrere le radici culturali della nostra civiltà. Padre Dante Alighieri e il suo Paradiso diverranno più comprensibili. Il cielo più affascinante. ... Read more

Book Description

In this book, Peter Manly surveys more than 150 unusual telescope designs. These are telescopes built by amateur and professional astronomers to suit some special need. There is, for instance, an inflatable telescope and one with a liquid mirror.Every so often a neglected design comes back into fashion: the largest telescopes now under construction use the alt-azimuth design that was ignored for over a century, and liquid mirror telescopes can be used for zenithal astronomy. The author shows why a particular engineering approach makes each telescope unique and explains the rationale behind the design. The effects on telescope performance are discussed where possible.This is not just a collection of weird and wonderful devices that proved to be false starts; the author also discusses the first instrument to measure star diameters and the first useful radio telescope. This book is a resource and stimulus for anyone who likes to build astronomical telescopes or is interested in the history of telescope-making. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting book on general telescope topics
This book is NOT about telescope building or optical construction. It is a tour of the odd and unusual telescopes that have either been made or that have been proposed. It is an interesting text for the telescope fan but useless for someone wanting to purchase or construct their own telescope.

A necessity for telescope builders and fans
A marvelous little book, and completely unique so far as I can tell. Manly's book is a tour of unusual telescopes. What's an unusual telescope? Well, I suppose it's something you just don't see discussed anywhere else. He discusses unusual mirror and lens materials- obsidian, aluminum foam, mylar, spun mercury and even heated air. Mounts get quite a bit of discussion, sorted by degrees of freedom. There are fixed telescopes, one axis telescopes, and on up to multi-axis sattelite tracking telescopes.

This is an expensive little book, but at the same time I think Manly has written a modern classic of the sort people will be consulting well into the next century. Not that this is a dry reference; it's a wonderfully entertaining tour of the world of the possible. I'm very glad I bought my copy. ... Read more

Book Description

A lively and well-illustrated history of the development of the telescope and its impact on science and society

The telescope is undoubtedly one of the world's most far-reaching inventions. For the past four centuries the telescope has stood at the forefront of human discovery. From its humble beginnings in seventeenth-century Holland, when a simple spectacle-maker first presented his invention to his country's military leaders, to today's colossal structures housed in space-age cathedrals, the telescope has unlocked nature's secrets. And in the past decade, the Hubble Space Telescope has brought us to the very edges of the universe, and the very beginning of time. How did the telescope -a potent mix of art, science, and engineering-reach its present level of sophistication?

The history of the telescope is a rich story of human ingenuity and perseverance involving some of the most colorful figures of the scientific world -Galileo, Johann Kepler, Isaac Newton, William Herschel, George Ellery Hale, and Edwin Hubble. Stargazer brings to life the story of these brilliant, and sometime quirky, scientists as they turned their eyes and ideas beyond what anyone thought possible.

Professor Fred Watson, one of Australia's top astronomers, writes clearly and skillfully, without technical jargon but with a dash of humor, explaining the science and technology behind the telescope, and the enormous impact that it has had for four hundred years on how we have come to understand our universe. ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for the First Edition of Star Ware . . .

"A complete, current review of the material needed by backyard astronomers . . .

It deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who looks at the sky." -David Eicher Associate Editor, Astronomy Author of Beginner's Guide to Amateur Astronomy

"A great help to anyone, especially the novice, who is wondering what to get. I don't know of any other single source that covers so much of the equipment scene." - Alan MacRobert Associate Editor, Sky & Telescope Author of Star-Hopping for Backyard Astronomers.

Just as our knowledge of the cosmos has changed dramatically in the past few years, so has the world of telescope buying. Today, it is easier than ever for the backyard astronomer to actively observe the universe-with equipment to satisfy every need. How does the amateur astronomer make informed choices?

In this Second Edition of Star Ware, award-winning astronomy writer Philip S. Harrington helps eliminate the guesswork, and guides you through the process with fully updated and expanded chapters on telescopes and accessories. For budding astronomers and experienced amateurs alike, Star Ware, Second Edition gives you everything you need to make educated decisions, including:
* Extensive reviews of leading model names and hard-to-find accessories on the market, along with dozens of new products to help you buy smart
* A clear, step-by-step guide to all aspects of purchasing, from choosing the right binoculars and telescopes to buying eyepieces, filters, cameras, and film
* Ten new do-it-yourself projects to help save you time and money-including a portable telescope case and performance-enhancing collimation tools
* Easy maintenance, mapping, and photography tips of the trade to help you get the most out of your telescope and stargazing
* Where to find everything astronomical: Internet sites and web resources with complete addresses for distributors, dealers, and conventions; corporate listings for products and services; and advice on using equipment. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

essential astro gear guide
There are a few books no amateur astronomer should be without. One is Peterson's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets, which packs more useful information into a smaller package than any other book I know of. A second is The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Dickinson & Dyer, which covers the basics of the hobby in a more expansive, descriptive format.

A third member of this short list has recently been republished in a new edition: Star Ware, Second Edition (The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories) by Philip S. Harrington, 1998 John Wiley & Sons. Star Ware is aimed mostly at beginners, teaching in a lively and informal style the basics of how telescopes work and how to use them, but there is a fair amount of information of interest to advanced amateurs as well.

The book begins with two chapters about telescope optics and different types of telescopes, with something of the history of telescopes along the way. Chapter 3 covers the pros and cons of each type in some detail, ending with a quiz where you add the point values of your answers to show what type you should buy - fun, as long as you don't take it too seriously. Chapter 4 is a still more detailed look at the offerings of different manufacturers, again sorted by type. Phil goes easy on the major manufacturers, judging from some of the tales of woe I've heard; but the treatment is fair and useful. Chapter 5 compares the myriad eyepieces available to go with these scopes. Both these chapters have appendices where the information is laid out in convenient tables.

Chapter 6 covers finders and filters, other books and software, cameras and CCD's. One thing I would have appreciated would be a similar appendix covering all the competing software packages, what they do well and which was the best for each purpose. As I wrote two months ago, I have purchased a number of these packages and started to evaluate them; maybe I need to write this comparison myself.

Chapter 7 was the most interesting to me - a description of projects you can make, from a collimation tool to a video camera bracket to a binocular chair - the latter I want to get started on Real Soon Now. 'Till Death Do You Part' is on care of your scope, and repeats sage advice against unnecessary cleaning, as well as how to collimate your optics.

The last and longest chapter, 'It's Time to Solo!', covers the targets to point your scope at (moon, planets, comets, sun, deep-sky), a description of a few dozen of the best deep-sky objects, and a brief introduction to astrophotography. This will be of less interest to advanced amateurs, who probably have more detailed sources of this type of information. One might question why to include this in a book about equipment, but it probably does make it more useful for the beginner who may buy only this book.

Parts of the book overlap with the Dickinson & Dyer book mentioned above, but the treatment of telescopes and eyepieces is much more detailed. Overall, a fine book, highly recommended for a beginning amateur, and recommended for an advanced amateur looking to buy a new scope or eyepiece.

A must for all amateur astronomers!
As an intermediate/advanced amateur astronomer, I purchased Star Ware primarily as a reference tool for optical calculations and starting astrophotography. Well, I wound up reading the book from cover to cover in about two days, and I must say it is a wonderful book for all levels of viewers. It covers everything from selecting equipment and observing sites, to long exposure astrophotography and do-it-yourself projects. The author imparts his knowledge in a no-nonsense way that allows the reader to fully understand the concepts of all topics discussed.

If you are just beginning and have not yet purchased a telescope (or binoculars), or are fairly new to astronomy and looking for additional equipment or accessories, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK FIRST! It will help you to become a very informed consumer, teach you to evaluate your observing site(s), and help determine your overall situation with respect to astronomy. For the price of $19.95, the book could save you hundreds (or thousands) of dollars in the long-run. Moreover, you will have a great reference to use throughout your observing career.

Whether the reader is interested in planetary work or deep-sky viewing, Star Ware gives great techniques and tips for viewing everything from our own star to the extra-galactic domain. This book helps the beginner to select the proper equipment for starting out, and also guides the more advanced observer in choosing accessories for enhancing equipment performance for specific areas of astronomy. In addition, the book delves into the complex science and art of astrophotography, with helpful suggestions from the author about getting started and basic methods.

A very nice part of this book is the appendix section, detailing out equipment, accessories, manufacturers, etc. It also contains the entire Messier Catalog in table form, complete with R.A. and Dec. coordinates. In short, Star Ware is a superb text that belongs on the shelf of every amateur astronomer.

A must have for beginners or any Astronomy library
Phil Harrington's book is the perfect primer for those interested in astronomy or contemplating a telescope purchase. It is very easy to follow and fun to read as he de-mistifies many of the terms those who are new to astronomy might not be familiar with. The book even includes a test you can take to determine the best type of telescope to purchase, taking your budget and your viewing location into consideration. I own the 1st and 2nd editions and have loaned them both to many who have contemplated a scope purchase. This book is probably the best money I ever spent on the hobby! Thanks Phil!

A must if you own or want to buy a telescope.
Philip S. Harrington's Star Ware is one of the best guides to choose, buy and use telescopes and accesories for observing the nightsky.With many charts, illustrations, tables and black and white photographs, this book is a real help in order to setup and test your astronomical equipment. In ten well written chapters, the book deals with topics such as aperture, focal lenght, focal ratio, magnification and resolving power. It also explains the different types of telescopes (reflectors, refractors, etc) comparing different brands of telescopes and eyepieces, giving useful tips on observing and astrophotography. Useful appendices, updated in this second edition, will give the reader information about telescope dealers, distributors and manufacturers, in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. Definitively, this is one of the best books of its kind and a must for amateur astronomers who own or want to buy a telescope.

Extremely great book
This is the only book I've ever read. I can say with ease and honesty that it is flawless. I knew next to nothing about observing with a telescope, let alone how to choose the right one for myself. The Author always starts a topic at the absolute beginning and then proceeds slowly, but steadily, untill everything is covered. It wouldn't be fair to call this an easy-to-read book, but scientific books does not get much easier to read than this. The conclusion must be, that if you are looking for a book about Amateur astronomy or simply how to choose the right telescope or equipment, than stop looking! Don't waste the time or your money on other books! This is simply all there is to say about astronomy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Book Introduces Concepts/Capabilities in Labview - Not More
I basically went through the tutor in Labview, and started programming. Now that I'm more 'advanced' I looked to this book for help. I bought this book with the hopes that it will give me some pointers on improving my programming. IT DID NOT.

Basically, this book gives a good overview of how Labview works, what's in Labview, and what you can do with Labview. How you can do it it isn't explained. Lots of re-hash of material from other books not Labview related (pages on Fourier transform, optimization ideas *not much*, process control, etc).

If you're looking for a book that'll help you do programming, this isn't it. If you're looking for a book with ideas on what you can do with Labview (but with no help), this is the book for you. ... Read more

Book Description

From the PrefaceThis book is the first extended look at a new and multifaceted polymer processing technology that has already been discussed in numerous articles. Called Solid-State Shear Pulverization (S3P), this innovative process produces polymeric powders with unique physical properties not found in the output of conventional size-reduction methods…. This technology, which utilizes a pulverizer based on a modified co-rotating twin-screw extruder…, has profound implications for both the creation of new polymer blends and recycling of plastic and rubber waste. Unlike [earlier processes] where polymers are melted prior to pulverization, …pulverizing mixtures of polymers with the S3P process…does not involve melting. By contrast, S3P maintains polymers in the solid state and avoids the additional heat history that occurs during [other processes], which can be detrimental to the physical properties of pulverized materials. The research and development of the S3P technology…has grown significantly since 1990 from the development of a new plastics recycling process to a much broader polymer processing method that allows intimate mixing of polymers with very different viscosities, sold-state dispersion of additives, including pigments, and continuous production of powder with unique shapes and larger surface areas. Polymeric powders are of growing importance to plastics processors due to the increase use of plastics in various applications, such as rotational molding, powder coatings, and compounding, which require powder as the feedstock. …[I]t has become clear that this process allows for in-situ compatibilization of dissimilar polymers by applying mechanical energy to cause chemical reactions. This aspect of S3P technology that we describe in this book should [be useful in] developing new polymer blends with the use of pre-made compatibilizing agents. In addition, it has been discovered that S3P efficiently mixes polymer blends with different component viscosities, resulting in the elimination of phase inversion. The S3P process directly produces blends with matrix and dispersed phase morphology like those obtained after phase inversion during a long melt-mixing process. This phenomenon is of practical importance because a long processing time is required by conventional melt-mixing to produce a stable blend morphology. S3P is also advantageous for producing thermoplastic or thermoset powder-coating compounds in a one-step process as opposed to a conventional multi-step operation that involves melt extrusion followed by batch grinding. The major capabilities of this new process can be summarized as follows: o Continuous powder production from plastics or rubber feedstockso Blending of immiscible polymerso Efficient mixing of polymers with unmatched viscositieso Environmentally friendly recycling of multicolored, commingled plastics wasteo Sold-state dispersion of heat-sensitive additiveso Engineered plastic/rubber blendsMaterials and processes well illustratedThe text is well illustrated with 60 photographs, micrographs, diagrams and others figures. Here is a small sampling of the captions of these figures. o Particle-size distribution for virgin LDPE powder made with PT-25 pulverizer o Optical photograph of virgin LDPE powder made with PT-25 pulverizer o Layout for a three-stage rubber pulverizer o Flow chart for powder coating production by conventional process and with new S3P technology o SEM image of pulverized virgin PP at 40X (first in series of SEM images of polymer powders) o Optical micrograph of melt-crystallized thin films of unpulverized virgin PP under polarized light o Log of viscosity vs. log shear rate for virgin HDPE after S3P processing o Gel permeation chromatograms (GPC) of polystyrene subjected to S3P processing Color-photo sectionOne of the several functions of Solid-State Shear Pulverization technology is recycling mixed plastic waste. This section of twenty full-color photographs and micrographs illustrates different processed materials, as well as the machinery and mixed waste used. Here is a small sampling of the photo and micrograph captions. o Resultant flake feedstock from granulation o S3P-made uniform powder from feedstock o Flake feedstock of post-consumer HDPE/PP blend (90/10 ratio) o Injection-molded test bar (with translucence) made from S3P powder without pelletization o Injection-molded test bar made from S3P powder without pelletization showing uniform color o Several test bars subjected to tensile testing showing exceptionally high elongation at breakUseful reference data in tablesMore than 60 tables provide useful data in convenient form. Here is a small sampling of table captions. o Physical properties of virgin PP 8020 GU injection-molded from S3P-made powder (first in series of tables on physical properties of various plastics processed from S3P-made powder) o Sieve analysis of powder resulting from S3P of virgin LDPE 509.48 (one of series of tables on sieve analysis of polymer powders) o Melt-flow rate before and after S3P processing for virgin PS and two PP samples o Key physical properties of injection-molded post-consumer polyolefin blends pulverized by S3P processThe AuthorsKlementina Khait, M.S. Ch.E., Ph.D., is Research Associate Professor and Director of the Polymer Technology Center in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University. Her industrial experience in polymer science and engineering includes work with Borg-Warner Chemicals and Quantum Chemical Corporation. She received her two advanced degrees, in chemical engineering and polymer chemistry, from the Technological Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia. Dr. Khait holds several patents and has published more than 50 papers in scientific and technical journals.Stephen Carr, Ph.D., is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University. His industrial work includes work in polymer science and engineering with General Motors Corp. He received a doctorate in polymer science from Case Western Reserve University. He has been on the Northwestern University faculty since 1969. Martin H. Mack is Vice President for R&D with the Berstorff Division of Krauss-Maffei Corporation. He holds an engineering degree from the University of Stuttgart. He has served for more than ten years on the Board of Directors of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). ... Read more

Book Description

An outstanding collection of instruments that sheds light on the history of science in America. ... Read more

Book Description

This book deals with multielement systems representing a set of interdependent identical elements of a comparatively small size. Such systems are widely used in various fields of astronomy and radio science, their classical examples being radio telescopes, optical and radio interferometers, orbital X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes, and phased antenna arrays for radio communication and radar facilities.

Here the problems of the optimal arrangement of elements of such systems are investigated to provide their high-performance characteristics such as resolution, sensitivity, and robustness to the statistically inhomogeneous propagation medium.The distinctive feature of the book is the use of the combinatorial approach to system optimization that proves especially useful for systems with a very large number of elements. The book is addressed to research physicists and engineers who are concerned with the development of astronomical instruments and large antenna arrays, and to graduate students learning about these subjects. ... Read more

Book Description

How did science get aboard the Apollo rockets, and what did scientists do with the space allotted to them? Taking Science to the Moon describes, from the perspective of NASA headquarters, the struggles that took place to include science payloads and lunar exploration as part of the Apollo program. Author Donald A. Beattie—who served at NASA from 1963 to 1973 in several management positions and finally as program manager, Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments—here supplies a detailed, insider's view of the events leading up to the acceptance of science activities on all the Apollo missions.

Beattie tells this story within the context of what we knew about the moon in the 1960s, the ongoing programs that looked ahead to the first successful landing, and the objections that had to be overcome within NASA's entrenched engineering culture. Beattie concentrates on activities directly related to science, including behind-the-scenes controversies. He also discusses the important contributions of some of the lesser-known participants and contractors, who played a much larger role than previous books on the program have acknowledged.

Taking Science to the Moon provides the early history of on-site lunar experiments, raising important questions about a shift in NASA policy which led to some of the most dramatic planetary-science developments of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fine Book on the Apollo Scientific Experiment
While much has been written about the Apollo missions to the Moon, most of these books have focused on either the spacecraft the got us to the Moon (Moon Lander or Stages to Saturn) or the astronauts (autobiographies by Collins, Cernan, Aldrin) and to a lesser degree, Mission control and the flight controllers. Furthermore, thousands upon thousands of scientific and technical papers have been and are still be written from the data collected by the various experiments that were conducted on the lunar surface. The story of how these experiments got to the moon, which ones were chosen and why, the people who developed this experimental packages and the internal NASA struggles to even get these experiments to the Moon has never been documented, at least in much detail. In his book, the author, Donald Beattie who was the program manager for the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments, details all decisions, meetings, NASA in-fighting and the like that got these important, and initially overlooked surface experiments on the flights to the Moon. The author draws upon his extensive library of NASA memos, publications and the like to craft a really fine book.

The book begins with the usual background information of the author's pre-NASA career where he worked for a major US oil company in South America. After hearing about the space program, on a whim he decides to apply for a position and after several unsuccessful attempts, he lands a position at NASA headquarters in Washington D.C helping to plan the missions and experiments that will be used.

After this introductory section, the books covers the conceptual designs for both the Apollo missions and post-Apollo missions that were planned, the inclusion of the United States Geological Survey to plan the missions and analyze the data, and training of the astronauts to perform various scientific tasks. After these sections, a good portion of the book is devoted to the J-series lunar missions (Apollo 15, 16 and 17) and all the training and hardware that was developed to support them. The book even covers the often overlooked Command Module on-orbit photographic survey, which provided some of the most detailed photographic of the Moon's surface.

While each page of this book is loaded with a lot of very interesting and I would say previously unpublished information, I found the parts of the book which examine the working relationships between the NASA centers, the most interesting. I was dumbfounded to find out that several people at the Manned Spacecraft Center felt that they should be designing and developing the experimental packages for the lunar surface operations even though they were engineers and not scientists. Fortunately, the upper NASA management decided that the design of these packages should be left to the scientists.

In final chapter, "The Legacy of Apollo", the author summarizes what was learned from the Apollo mission to the Moon, what it cost and mostly importantly, what it all meant. That is, people working together can solve very difficult problems and reap great rewards, whether they are scientific or philosophic.

Find Out What the Astronauts Did While on the Moon
I first saw this book while at my local library and after glancing through it I decided it might be worth a quick look. Once I got home and started reading I quickly discovered that this was no dry Science/History book by some old college professor but a great read that tells a part of the Apollo story that is far to often ignored.
The author was a participant in the development of the NASA experiments and the book is written from the view of an insider, not just someone who has done research on the subject. He discusses field training and the development of the moon simulations here on earth. Read about how they duplicated the lunar sites, including how they made craters, in Northern Arizona so that the astronauts felt as though they had already been there when they got to the moon. He discusses cost and weight problems that were worked out and he shares a great story about astronaut Walt Cunningham's field demonstration of an early space suite design. He shares some of the ideas that were developed for post Apollo projects that were regrettably never realized (including the large MOLAB test vehicle that you can still see today at the Space Museum in Huntsville, Alabama). You learn how moon rocks were stored and examined when brought back to earth and he includes several photos and maps that add to the various storys. All of these subjects are told in a highly readable and sometimes humorous way, so don't get the idea that this is some old NASA text reworked, it's not!
If you enjoyed the 10th episode of HBO's "From The Earth To The Moon" titled "Galileo Was Right" then this book is a must read. This book puts meat on that story about Apollo 17 Astronaut Harrison Schmitt and his selection as the only Science astronaut who went to the moon; in much the same way that other books have told the rest of the story about the "Spider" episode from the HBO series.
I give this book very high marks and I hope the author writes a second book about this subject. By the way, I enjoyed the copy from the library so much, I bought a copy for myself!

An Excellent Review of Another Dimension of Apollo
The Apollo program was not launched for scientific reasons but plenty of excellent science was carried out during it. This book, written by a NASA insider, gives a good guide to all the planning and development that went into the scientific investigations. In addition, it provides some very interesting material on planned longer duration Apollo and post Apollo missions, including lunar bases. Overall, this book is a great addition to any Apollo enthusiast's library. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

1927. In submitting to the public the following articles on water finding, by the method known as dowsing, or, with the divining rod, the authors are fully aware of the fact that, although the method has been practiced from time immemorial, and has achieved unquestionably astonishing results, it has not been accepted as proven by the scientific world, generally; and they anticipate that the following narratives will be subjected to the same kind of criticism as has been leveled against similar works in the past, especially by those who will not accept as truth, what they themselves are unable to appreciate, or prove, by certain defined and known laws. ... Read more

Book Description

These are the proceedings of a workshop held at the European Southern Observatory in October 1996, a workshop which concentrated on optical detectors for astronomy. Representatives from every leading manufacturer and all of the major astronomical observatories came together to present their work on Charged Coupled Devices (CCDs). The papers contained in these proceedings are concerned with the development, manufacture, testing and implementation of CCDs. Many discuss the electronics (hardware and software) that are used to operate these detectors.Astronomical observatories are the most ambitious and aggressive users of optical detectors, more so than any other scientific discipline. Since the quantum efficiency and noise of a detector have a direct effect on the quality of science, the makers of astronomical CCD systems continually push the `envelope' of optical detector technology. The papers contained in these proceedings provide the reader with state-of-the-art CCD technology and contain information on research and development efforts that will continue for several years. ... Read more

Book Description

Broad in scope, this book describes the general theory and practice of using the Electron Capture Detector (ECD) to study reactions of thermal electrons with molecules. It reviews electron affinities and thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of atoms, small molecules, and large organic molecules obtained by using various methods.
* Summarizes other methods for studying reactions of thermal electrons with molecules
* Discusses applications in analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry
* Provides a data table of electron affinities ... Read more

Book Description

Characterization of Materials (formerly Methods in Materials Research) provides comprehensive up-to-date coverage of materials characterization techniques including computational and theoretical methods as well as crystallography, mechanical testing, thermal analysis, optical imaging and spectroscopy, and more.

Editor-in-Chief, Elton Kaufmann, Ph.D. is Associate Director of the Strategic Planning Group at the Argonne National Laboratory and has published approximately 100 technical papers in refereed journals and books.

Dr. Kaufmann has assembled leading experts from academia, government, and industry to provide:

• A comprehensive up-to-date collection of methods used in the characterization of materials
• Articles on various methods from standard to cutting edge
• Periodic online updates to keep pace with latest developments
• A user-friendly format that is easy and simple to search and navigate

Characterization of Materials is a collection of characterization methods that is widely applicable in the wide and diverse field of materials research irrespective of discipline or ultimate application and with which researchers, engineers, and educators must have familiarity.

Methods covered include:

• General Vacuum Techniques
• X-Ray Powder Diffraction
• High Strain Rate Testing
• Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy
• Cyclic Voltammetry
• Extended X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure
• Low Energy Electron Diffraction
• Thermogravimetric Analysis
• Magnetometry
• Transmission Electron Microscopy
• Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy

This reference work is also available as a convenient online edition. For information regarding the online edition, please visit: www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/com ... Read more