Polarization and Correlation Phenomena in Atomic Collisions: A Practical Theory Course Vsevolod V. Balashov , Alexei N. Grum-Grzhimailo , and Nikolai M. Kabachnik Kluwer Academic/Plenum, New York, 2000. $95.00 (243 pp.). ISBN 0-306-46266-4
Polarization deals with representations of geometries and symmetries of both bound and dynamic systems in a general mathematical way. Correlation deals with interconnection of subsystems and is a key to understanding complex systems. These two topics—polarization and correlation—are broad, with application in various areas of science and technology.
Polarization and Correlation Phenomena in Atomic Collisions , by Vsevolod V. Balashov, Alexei N. Grum-Grzhimailo, and Nikolai M. Kabachnik, grew out of a course in atomic and nuclear physics at Moscow State University, begun over thirty years ago. The scope covers quantum theory of collisions, group theory, solid state physics, atomic spectroscopy, physics of nuclear reactions, and particle propagation through matter.
The authors are all well established: Balashov has been a professor of physics at Moscow State for several decades and has been a leading authority in this area for some time; Grum-Grzhimailo has been an active member in Balashov’s group for many years. Kabachnik, also a Balashov collaborator, has an international reputation with an impressive track record working with experimental groups around the world. Their book can be read by a person with a background in elementary quantum mechanics and general atomic physics at the undergraduate level. All necessary information about polarization and correlation is included.
In contrast to earlier books by Balashov and collaborators, this compact text focuses on atomic physics. It is rich with clear applications of density matrices and tensor operators, many of which are based on the extensive research of the authors and their many collaborators. Examples include (e,2e) autoionizing studies, polarization and angular anisotropy of Auger and photoelectrons, superelastic scattering in electron–atom collisions, photo-excitation from laser-excited targets, electron cascading following inner-shell excitation, and ionization and polarization effects in antiproton–atom interactions.
This text is also relatively complete in describing the decay of final states following excitation of a particular unstable, or metastable, final state. However, the aim is not to provide information about specific reactions but rather to use specific examples to illustrate the utility of density-matrix and tensor-operator methods. Included is an unusually useful and compact set of tables summarizing key information on the algebra of angular momentum.
In my view, what distinguishes this book from older books by other authors is new material on multiparticle excitation processes. A “perfect” (e,2e) experiment that includes double excitation to an intermediate state is described in detail. This leads to interference effects from competing pathways, where direct single ionization and decay or a doubly excited intermediate resonance leads to the same final state. The influence of electron correlation can be enhanced, especially in cases in which the interference is destructive in the absence of correlation. In addition, the role of correlation in dynamic processes is addressed. The difficult many-electron problem for dynamic systems, which is also addressed, is likely to become of greater interest with the development of atomic and molecular switches, quantum computing passage of electrons through quantum corrals, and other emerging fields dealing with dynamic nanostructures.
Many excellent books are available in this area; this new one by Balashov, Grum-Grzhimailo, and Kabachnik is relatively compact compared to Karl Blum’s Density Matrix Theory and Applications (Plenum Press, 1996) or Polarization, Alignment and Orientation in Atomic Collisions , by Nils Andersen and Klaus Bartschat (Springer-Verlag, 2000); more mathematical than Angular Momentum , by William Thompson (Wiley, 1994), or Symmetries in Quantum Physics, by Ugo Fano and Ravi Rau (Academic Press, 1996); and of course has more up-to-date material than the seminal and still useful review by Fano and Joe Macek in Reviews of Modern Physics, volume 45, page 553, 1973. The widely used Angular Momentum in Quantum Mechanics , by A. R. Edmunds (Princeton U. Press, 1996), and Elementary Theory of Angular Momentum , by M. E. Rose (Dover, 1995), are more concise, but lack the detailed examples of this new text from Moscow. Richard N. Zare’s text Angular Momentum (Wiley, 1988) contains examples of molecular and chemical systems but does less physics. A surprisingly large number of other texts that cover optical, nuclear, and astrophysical applications can be easily found by searching the Internet.
This book is written in clear English and contains a number of neatly done figures illustrating important points. The index, especially useful to a new reader, is adequate. The rather concise bibliography contains only 31 entries, and, as with most comparable books, there are no problems to guide students.
In summary, Polarization and Correlation Phenomena in Atomic Collisions is a crisp, fresh look at a topic with relatively broad application, containing numerous and clear examples from the field of atomic collisions and especially helpful mathematical summaries. Written by internationally recognized authorities in the field, it is useful as both a reference book and a textbook for graduate students. Let us welcome this fine addition to our bookshelves.
