Bibliography

V. N. Kondratiev, Structure of Atoms and Molecules. Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Moscow—Leningrad, 1946, 318 pp., price in binding 30 rubles.

V. N. Kondratiev’s book was issued in place of the second edition of his book The Structure of the Atom and Molecule, which appeared in 1939. We say “in place of,” since, despite the general similarity in character of presentation and the closeness in size of the two books, the book under review has been written anew and may therefore be regarded as a new one. A distinctive feature of both of V. N. Kondratiev’s books is the richness of content in a small volume and the concentration of attention on the structure and properties of molecules, rather than atoms. Indeed, in the new book, out of 318 pages, 132 are devoted to the atom (including the nucleus); the remaining part, i.e. more than half, is devoted to the molecule.

The book begins with a very brief characterization of the atomic nucleus and nuclear processes (Chapter I, pp. 5–31). It goes without saying that on 26 pages, of which about 5 are an introduction, only the most elementary information about the nucleus can be presented. Moreover, with such a disposition on the part of the reader, who is approaching the study of the subject for the first time, there is still no theoretical basis. In view of this, the rather comparatively detailed (5 pp.) theory of α-decay hangs to some extent in the air, since the reader must believe in the existence of tunneling transitions, i.e. in the possibility of far from trivial phenomena. Here, incidentally, one may regret that the author also nowhere later considers the problem of barriers, which is so important for him, including in the chapters devoted to the molecule.

The next two chapters are devoted to the electron shell of the atom. Chapter II examines in detail Bohr’s theory as applied to the hydrogen atom and to the atoms of the alkali metals. The reviewer does not share the fairly widespread opinion that at the present time Bohr’s theory should not be presented at all. Its exposition is necessary both from the didactic point of view and because, for the experimenter (especially for the spectroscopist), Bohr’s theory, in connection with the vector model set forth by the author in Chapter III, still serves as a valuable working apparatus. It should be acknowledged, however, that the author’s chosen ratio of the space allotted to Bohr’s theory (24 pp.) and to the foundations of quantum mechanics (16 pp.) clearly argues in favor of Bohr’s theory. As for quantum mechanics, in Chapter II, after the establishment of Schrödinger’s equation, only the Kepler problem is considered. Chapter III is devoted to spin of the electron and to the vector model. Here the probabilities of transitions, selection rules, and the lifetimes of excited atoms are also considered.

All the remaining part of the book, beginning with Chapter IV and to the end, is devoted to the molecule. This part should be recognized as especially valuable because of the richness of the material presented in it. Chapter IV—“Chemical Interaction of Atoms. Molecule”—begins with an exposition of the spectroscopic “zoology” of molecules, i.e. with the systematics of molecular terms. Next the theory of the chemical bond of ionic and atomic molecules is set forth. Chapter V presents in detail the spectroscopy of molecules—rotational, vibrational, rotational-

vibrational and electronic spectra. The chapter concludes with an exposition of the theory of continuous spectra of molecules and of the photochemical questions connected with them (predissociation) (§ 5); in § 6 the questions of molecular spectral analysis are briefly but originally and interestingly considered, as are also the thermodynamic applications of molecular spectroscopy.

Chapter VI considers the electrical properties of molecules—ionization, polarization, anisotropy of polarization, and van der Waals forces. Finally, the last, Chapter VII, contains the geometrical and energetic constants of molecules. Here, as in the preceding chapters, abundant concrete material is presented relating to the methods of their investigation.

The brief characterization given above, of course, by no means exhausts the rich content of V. N. Kondratiev’s book.

This abundance of interesting and important material, collected in a single book, makes it very valuable. At the same time, fitting such material into a relatively small number of pages was possible only at the cost of extreme concision of exposition, as a result of which the book is hardly suited for independent study of the subject by a reader who does not yet possess basic knowledge in the field of atomic physics.

It seems to us, in general, that V. N. Kondratiev’s book should be read after becoming acquainted with the elements of quantum mechanics and the experimental foundations of quantum theory. For such a reader the book will give a great deal, especially in the chapters devoted to molecules. In any case, the publication of V. N. Kondratiev’s book is a valuable acquisition for our scientific literature.

E. Shpolsky