The quest for absolute zero
| Taylor and Francis, 1977 | ISBN: 0850661196
|
The absolute zero of temperature is (probably) an unattainable limit, but it's human nature to constantly strive to get ever close to such a limit. 'The quest for absolute zero' describes these battles to achieve ever lower temperatures. It starts with with the liquefaction of oxygen in 1877, with other gases following soon after, but helium remaining stubbornly gaseous until 1908 when it was liquified by Kamerlingh Onnes, leading on to his discovery of superconductivity. The book then examines how theoretical physics was affected by low temperature reseach, looking at the theories of Nernst and Einstein on the subject. However, the book does not require technical knowledge, rather it uses plenty of helpful diagrams, and would be accessible to readers without a scientific background, but interested in the history of low temperature research.
Continued..
|
|
|