A. A. Ivanov. Electrovacuum Technology. Gosenergoizdat, Moscow–Leningrad, 1944, pp. 463, figs. 344, tables 48.

Ten years ago, in my review of the then-published well-known book by Espe and Knoll, Technology of Vacuum Materials, 1936 (Uspekhi fizicheskikh nauk, 17, 108, 1937), I pointed out the great importance that the publication of such a book has for numerous workers in research institutions, higher educational institutions, etc. In that review I expressed the desirability of translating this book into Russian, with the indispensable condition that it be correspondingly revised—namely, that it include data from the practice of our Soviet institutes and the electrovacuum industry, then the fundamentals of vacuum technique, and so on. Unfortunately, the Russian translation of this book (Oborongiz, 1939) was made practically without any changes, as a result of which this book in many respects lost for the Soviet reader, while remaining often a very interesting but insufficiently useful reference book on various vacuum materials not used here in the USSR.

The further development of methods of physical research and of numerous branches of modern technology has made vacuum technique and the technology of vacuum objects one of the most practically used. An enormous number of modern physical and physico-technical institutes and laboratories use vacuum technique literally at every step. Vacuum technique itself over this decade has very greatly changed its appearance: the introduction into practice of high-performance oil-vapor pumps, the widespread practical use of various manometers, new methods of vacuum technique (seals, joints, methods of finding leaks, etc.), numerous new vacuum materials, etc.—all this now gives us a large number of new experimental possibilities of enormous significance. However, very often a beginner or someone working in a comparatively small labo-

...the experimentalist, who does not have extensive practical experience in this field or is limited in his experimental possibilities, finds himself in a difficult position, not knowing what methods and materials he should use to solve the task before him. Therefore there arises the most urgent need to create a manual that could help in solving such problems.

From this point of view, the publication of the book under review by A. A. Ivanov deserves the sincerest praise, for it answers the actual demands of the present day. The present book consists of six parts: I (pp. 7–44)—Brief physicochemical fundamentals. II (pp. 45–187)—Obtaining and measuring high vacuum. III (pp. 188–344)—Materials of electrovacuum technology and methods of processing them. IV (pp. 345–378)—Special questions in the technology of electrovacuum devices. V (pp. 379–424)—Cathodes of electrovacuum devices. VI (pp. 425–440)—Production of the principal types of electrovacuum devices.

From the contents of the book it is clear that the main attention is quite rightly devoted to the description of techniques of vacuum technology and of the principal electrovacuum materials. It is pleasantly distinguished from Espé and Knoll’s book by its treatment of elements of vacuum technology, and also by the fact that it does not scatter attention over the examination of numerous, often secondary, materials—which sometimes dazzles the eye—but concentrates it on what is essential and justified in practice. The exposition of the material in the book has a clear descriptive character; it is furnished with numerous figures and tables, and all this makes it highly attractive, especially for beginning workers. A. A. Ivanov’s book has won for itself a large number of friends, who are hoping for the appearance in the near future of a new edition. It seems to us that in this future, new edition the following changes and additions should be introduced: everything that is no longer of current importance for those using vacuum technology in practice should be removed from it, such as, for example, descriptions of various old, now unused pumps, technological methods of glass manufacture, and so on. The book must be supplemented with all the novelties of modern vacuum technology. More details must be added concerning the properties of a number of basic, frequently used electrovacuum materials (for example, alkali metals, etc.); greater attention should be given to laboratory methods for manufacturing certain, often used electrovacuum devices (photoelements, electron guns, gas-discharge devices, etc.); some attention should be devoted to the question of defects in vacuum installations and methods for eliminating them, and so forth. Finally, the book must be better produced, since, for example, a number of the figures in it have turned out to be completely illegible. As a result of all this we shall undoubtedly have an even better manual, very interesting and useful for Soviet workers in science and industry who deal with vacuum technology.

N. D. Morgulis