Use of High-Frequency Sound Waves in the Investigation of Some Electronic Properties of Metals Available to Purchase

Some basic ideas are presented from an historical aspect, having regard to the behavior of electrons in solids, particular reference being made to electrical conduction in both normal and superconducting metals. These ideas are used in the explanation of the mechanism causing electrons to attenuate high-frequency sound waves in metals, and the dependence of the attenuation on temperature and magnetic field is discussed. Tin and mercury are used as examples showing two extreme types of behavior of the temperature dependence in superconductors, while the magnetic field dependence is described using gold as an example, details being given of how the shape of the Fermi surface can be obtained from the magnetic measurements.