Origin, Scope, and Plan of this Book In July 1962 the fiftieth anniversary of Max von Laue's discovery of the Diffraction of X-rays by crystals is going to be celebrated in Munich by a large international group of crystallographers, physi cists, chemists, spectroscopists, biologists, industrialists, and many others who are employing the methods based on Laue's discovery for their own research. The invitation for this celebration will be issued jointly by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where the discovery was made, by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, where it was first made public, and by the International Union of Crystallo graphy, which is the international organization of the National Committees of Crystallography formed in some 30 countries to repre sent and advance the interests of the 3500 research workers in this field. The year 1912 also is the birth year of two branches of the physical sciences which developed promptly from Laue's discovery, namely X-ray Crystal Structure Analysis which is most closely linked to the names ofW. H. (Sir William) Bragg and W. L. (Sir Lawrence) Bragg, and X-ray Spectroscopy which is associated with the names of W. H. Bragg, H. G. J. Moseley, M. de Broglie and Manne Siegbahn. Crystal Structure Analysis began in November 1912 with the first papers ofW. L. Bragg, then still a student in Cambridge, in which, by analysis of the Laue diagrams _of zinc blende, he determined the correct lattice upon which the structure of this crystal is built.

This groundbreaking text has been established as the market leader throughout the world. Profusely illustrated, the book provides the necessary instructions for successful hands-on application of this versatile materials characterization technique.

Publisher description

This volume moves chemical instruments and experiments into the foreground of historical concern, in line with the emphasis on practice that characterizes current work on other fields of science and engineering.

A brief historical account of the background leading to the publication of the first four editions of the World Directory of Crystallographers was presented by G. Boom in his preface to the Fourth Edition, published late in 1971. That edition was produced by traditional typesetting methods from compilations of biographical data prepared by national Sub-Editors. The major effort required to produce a directory by manual methods provided the impetus to use computer techniques for the Fifth Edition. The account of the production of the first computer assisted Directory was described by S.C. Abrahams in the preface of the Fifth Edition. Computer composition, which required a machine readable data base, offered several major advantages. The choice of typeface and range of characters was flexible. Corrections and additions to the data base were rapid and, once established, it was hoped updating for future editions would be simple and inexpensive. The data base was put to other Union uses, such as preparation of mailing labels and formulation of lists of crystallographers with specified common fields of interest. The Fifth Edition of the World Directory of Crystallographers was published in June of 1977, the Sixth in May of 1981. The Subject Indexes for the Fifth and Sixth Editions were printed in 1978 and 1981 respectively, both having a limited distribution.

By illustrating a wide range of specific applications in all major industries, this work broadens the coverage of X-ray diffraction beyond basic tenets, research and academic principles. The book serves as a guide to solving problems faced everyday in the laboratory, and offers a review of the current theory and practice of X-ray diffraction, major

In this, the only book available to combine both theoretical and practical aspects of x-ray diffraction, the authors emphasize a "hands on" approach through experiments and examples based on actual laboratory data. Part I presents the basics of x-ray diffraction and explains its use in obtaining structural and chemical information. In Part II, eight experimental modules enable the students to gain an appreciation for what information can be obtained by x-ray diffraction and how to interpret it. Examples from all classes of materials -- metals, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers -- are included. Diffraction patterns and Bragg angles are provided for students without diffractometers. 192 illustrations.

Desmond Bernal - or 'Sage', as he was known, was an extraordinary man by any account - a brilliant scientist, a fervent Marxist, and a colourful, bohemian figure. This biography includes previously unpublished material from his diaries, and sheds new light on his international influence during both WWII and the ensuing peace movement.