example, the section on the work function of electrons from various substances should have been presented more fully. Here one could not confine oneself to indicating the minimal and maximal observed values (p. 75), which differ greatly from one another; they should have been critically assessed and the most probable values indicated. Another example of insufficient exposition is the indication in the paragraph on the classification of atomic terms (p. 19): for a reader who knows the fundamentals of this classification, the half-page devoted to this question gives nothing, recalls nothing essential to him, and does not acquaint him with the question. In the following paragraph the schemes of spectral terms and spectral lines should have been given, for greater numerical cases, especially for neon, helium, and argon, with which almost everyone working in the field of gas discharge has to deal. In the chapter on the ignition potential of a gas discharge (p. 84) the question of the dependence of this potential on admixtures to the main gas is not reflected at all. And in general there is very little experimental material here, apart from the breakdown of atmospheric air. On the other hand, Chapter V, “Technique of high vacuum,” in this reference book could quite safely have been expanded at the expense of the development of other sections. Let us point out one more very substantial omission: when listing the critical potentials and atomic terms of helium, neon, argon, etc. (p. 59), metastable states are not indicated at all. Moreover, the book in general does not mention metastable atoms, which play an extremely important role in discharge phenomena. They can be recognized, so to speak, in implicit form and very incompletely only in Table g 22, p. 62.

Every reference book that gives numerical quantities must be checked very carefully. Repetitions in it are undesirable, and different numerical indications in different places for one and the same quantity are impermissible without corresponding explanations. The authors nevertheless managed to err against this obvious truth. Some data relating to the electron are given both in Chapter I, “Physics of individual particles,” and in Chapter VII, “Systems of units and general constants.” Thus, for the ratio of the electron charge to its mass, on p. 4 the value

\[ 0.528 \cdot 10^{18}\left[\frac{ESE}{g}\right], \]

is given, while on p. 155—

\[ 0.530 \cdot 10^{18}\left[\frac{ESE}{g}\right]\left(\text{in }\left[\frac{Clb}{g}\right]\text{ the figures are the same}\right). \]

In the very detailed table of ionization potentials (p. 53), presented for the first time in such a complete form, an unmentioned misprint has crept in: “Ru” instead of “Ra.” This, of course, is unimportant in itself, since the ordinal number of the element is present in the table, but in connection with the foregoing this suggests insufficiently careful viewing of letter designations and figures, which of course reduces the reliability of using the reference book.

Since the book under review represents the first attempt to provide a reference book in this field, and since it contains quite a large amount of varied material, despite all the substantial shortcomings indicated above it will undoubtedly be a useful aid for persons working in electronics and gas discharges—at least for the immediate future, until it has time to become obsolete because of the rapid development of this field.

N. Kaptsov

PERCY WILLIAMS BRIDGMAN. The Thermodynamics of electrical phenomena in metals. N. Y., Mc Millan, 1934, 206 p., diagr., bibl. Doll. 3.75.

P. W. BRIDGMAN. Thermodynamics of electrical phenomena in metals.

Professor Bridgman of Harvard University is one of the most prominent American physicists. Especially well known are the extensive investigations of the thermodynamic properties carried out by him at the beginning of the present century

substances at extraordinarily high pressures, not attained by anyone before, reaching 12,000 and even 20,000 atm. (A description of the experiments carried out and an account of the results obtained are contained in Bridgman’s book The Physics of High Pressure, which is appearing in Russian translation.)

The book to which the present note is devoted is written on a topic that deserves great attention. It is known that applying the two principles of thermodynamics to various classes of physical and chemical phenomena makes it possible to derive many laws that could not have been obtained by other methods. This power of thermodynamic principles, however, still proves to be insufficiently utilized, and Bridgman has succeeded in doing much that is new in this regard, in such an important field as the electrical properties of metals. A systematic resolution of the questions arising here is given in the book for the first time. Separate chapters are devoted to thermoelectric phenomena, the Volta phenomenon, thermionic phenomena, the influence of a surface charge on vapor pressure and on the emission of electrons in fields of great intensity, thermoelectric phenomena in crystals, transverse galvanomagnetic and thermomagnetic phenomena. Among other things, the author arrives at a very curious general conclusion: the classical concepts of the doctrine of electricity are too narrow, do not cover the entire field of experience, and therefore need revision.

It would be highly desirable for Bridgman’s interesting and important book to appear in Russian translation—all the more so since there exists no other book that could be placed alongside it.

A. Bichinskii

EDMUND C. STONER, Magnetism and Matter. O. Methuen, 1934, XV, 474 p., 87 diagrams, Sc. 21.
Э. СТОНЕР, Магнетизм и материя.

The present book is a reworking of the same author’s work published in 1926, Magnetism and Atomic Structure (Magnetism and Atomic Structure). His small book Magnetism was published in Russian in 1932. Stoner regarded it as a supplement to the by then already outdated first book. Indeed, soon after its appearance the hypothesis of the rotating electron (spin) was put forward, which gave an explanation of certain magnetic phenomena. At the same time, rapidly developing quantum mechanics repeatedly led to conclusions confirmed by experiment and made it possible to explain phenomena inaccessible to the old theories. At the same time, new extensive experimental material accumulated. Subsequently the author found it more expedient to write a new book than to supplement and revise the old one.

As a consequence of the basic standpoint adopted here—to give an outline of the theory of magnetism in connection with the properties of matter—the title of the book has also been changed. This topic is very broad; it also touches the field of physicochemical investigations. Therefore, in order to avoid superficiality, the author consciously restricts himself in the selection of material. Thus, in the field of magneto-optics he leaves only the Zeeman effect. He examines in detail the change of the resistance of metals in very strong fields and the galvanomagnetic effect in ferromagnetics. But the general galvanomagnetic effect, as relating more to the theory of metallic conductivity, is not treated by him. A detailed analysis is given of the theory of ferromagnetism, taking account of various types of alloys used in technology; however, no description is given here of individual representatives of that broad class of materials.

The contents of the book are divided into 14 chapters: 1) historical introduction, 2) theoretical introduction (vector notation, magnetostatics, electromagnetic and electronic theory), 3) experimental method, 4) basic facts and theories (the works of Ewing, Curie, Weiss, Langevin), 5), quan-