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On the Hyperfine Structure of Deuterium.
U.S.A. Physical Review, 1947. Royal8vo. Without wrappers (as issued). Offprint from ""The Physical Review"", Vol. 73, No. 9, May 1, 1948. Fine and clean. Pp. 1109-1111 + 1 blank.
Offprint of Bohr's paper in which he suggested that internal structure of the deuteron might explain the theoretical discrepancy shown in the hyperfine structure of H2.
Rotational States of Atomic Nuclei.
København, Munksgaard, 1954. Orig. printed wrappers. 55 pp.
First printing Aage Bohr's doctorial dissertation. Bohr became a professor at the University of Copenhagen in 1956, and, following his father's death in 1962, succeeded him as director of the Niels Bohr Institute, a position he held until 1970. As well as his father he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics ""for the discovery of the connection between collective motion and particle motion in atomic nuclei and the development of the theory of the structure of the atomic nucleus based on this connection"".
Influence of Nuclear Structure on the Hyperfine Structure of Heavy Elements.
Lancaster, American Institute of Physics, 1950. Lex8vo. In the original printed wrappers. Entire volume 77, January 1 of ""The Physical Review"". A small nick to spine, otherwise a fine and clean copy. Pp: . [Entire volume: Pp. ix, (1), 1100.].
First printing of Bohr and Weisskopf's important paper on the influence of nuclear structure on the hyperfine structure of heavy elements in which they follow up Aage Bohr's suggestion two years earlier that internal structure of the deuteron might explain the theoretical discrepancy shown in the hyperfine structure of H2.
Isopin Mixing in Nuclear Ground States and Mermi Beta-decays.
Amsterdam, North-Holland Publ. Comp., 1967 8vo. Without wrappers (as issued). Offprint from ""Nuclear Structure"", 1967. Very fine and clean. 10 pp.
Offprint of Aage Bohr and Mottelson's paper on Fermi Beta-decay. In 1975 the were both awarded The Nobel Prize in Physics ""for the discovery of the connection between collective motion and particle motion in atomic nuclei and the development of the theory of the structure of the atomic nucleus based on this connection"".
Röntgenspektren und periodisches System der Elemente. Mit vier Abbildungen.
Berlin, Julius Springer, 1923. 8vo. Entire volume 12 of ""Zeitschrift für Physik"" bound in contemporary black half cloth with gilt title to spine. Library stamp to title-page and paper label pasted on to lower part of spine. Minor wear to extremities. A nice and clean copy. Pp. 342-75. [Entire volume: IV, 380 pp.].
First printing of Bohr's conceptions about atomic structure including electronic orbits. The paper was written in the months during which element 72 was discovered (first named Hafnia, the Latin name for Copehagen, then Danium, and finally the official name became Hafnium), and in the paper, element 72 is mentioned but not named. This is Bohr's first paper with joint authorship.""Element 72 is included, but it is still indicated as unknown. In the second section of the paper a classification is given of the known X-ray spectra of 48 elements, from magnesium to uranium."" (Bohr. Collected Works: The periodic system (1920-1923), p. 33).The volume also contains the following paper by Erwin Schrödinger:""Über eine bemerkenswerte Eigenschaft der Quantenbahnen eines einzelnen Elektrons"" in which he made a new remarkable characteristic of the quanta channnel of a single electron.
Röntgenspektren und periodisches System der Elemente. Mit vier Abbildungen.
Berlin, Julius Springer, 1923. 8vo. Contemp. hcloth. A stamp to titlepage. Entire volume 12 of ""Zeitschrift für Physik"". IV, 380 pp. Entire volume offered). The paper: pp. 342-75. Internally clean and fine.
First printing of Bohr's conceptions about atomic structure including electronic orbits and chemical bonds. The paper was written in the months during which element 72 was discovered (first named Hafnia, the Latin name for Copehagen, then Danium, and finally the official name became Hafnium), and in the paper, element 72 is mentioned but not named. This is Bohr's first paper with joint authorship.""Element 72 is included, but it is still indicated as unknown. In the second section of the paper a classification is given of the known X-ray spectra of 48 elements, from magnesium to uranium."" (Bohr. Collected Works: The periodic system (1920-1923), p. 33).The volume also contains the following paper by Erwin Schrödinger:Über eine bemerkenswerte Eigenschaft der Quantenbahnen eines einzelnen Elektrons. Pp. 13-23
Röntgenspektren und periodisches System der Elemente. Mit vier Abbildungen.
Berlin, Julius Springer, 1923. 8vo. Bound in contemporary half cloth with gilt lettering to spine. In ""Zeitschrift für Physik"", 12 band, 1923. The entire volume offered. Library stamp to title page. Internally a fine and clean copy. Pp. 272-286. [Entire volume: IV, 383 pp.].
First printing of Bohr's conceptions about atomic structure including electronic orbits. The paper was written in the months during which element 72 was discovered (first named Hafnia, the Latin name for Copehagen, then Danium, and finally the official name became Hafnium), and in the paper, element 72 is mentioned but not named. This is Bohr's first paper with joint authorship.""Element 72 is included, but it is still indicated as unknown. In the second section of the paper a classification is given of the known X-ray spectra of 48 elements, from magnesium to uranium."" (Bohr. Collected Works: The periodic system (1920-1923), p. 33).The volume also contains the following paper by Erwin Schrödinger:""Über eine bemerkenswerte Eigenschaft der Quantenbahnen eines einzelnen Elektrons"" in which he made a new remarkable characteristic of the quanta channnel of a single electron.
Abhandlungen über Atombau aus dem Jahren 1913-1916. Aut. Deutsche Übers. mit einem Geleitwort von N. Bohr von Hugo stintzing.
Braunschw., 1921. Cont. hcalf. XX, 156 pp.
First German edition.
Abhandlungen über Atombau aus den Jahren 1913-1916.
Braunschweig, Friedr. Vieweg, 1921. Uncut in orig. printed wrappers. Lower right corner of frontwrapper gone, no loss of text. 2 small nicks in upper part of frontwrapper. Some of the first quires loosening. XX, 156 pp. Internally clean. Backstrip intact.
A collection of 8 papers by Bohr. First edition of ""Die Anwendung der Quententheorie auf periodische Systeme"" and 7 first translations into German of nearly all Bohr's papers published between 1913 and 1916, beginning with his ""On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules"".
Atomernes Bygning og Stoffernes fysiske og kemiske Egenskaber.
Copenhagen: Jul. Gjellerup, 1922 8vo. In the original printed wrappers. Offprint from ""Fysisk Tidsskrift, 19"" (1921). Light miscolouring to extremities, lower outer corner of front wrapper bended, otherwise nice and clean. (2), 70 pp.
First seperate edition of a lecture delivered by Bohr before the Physical Society of Copenhagen on October 18, 1921. In this lecture Bohr attacked the problem of atomic constitution by asking the question: ""How may an atom be formed by the successive capture of the electrons one by one in the field of force surrounding the nucleus?"" The answers are found primarly from an analysis of the observed spectra with quidance from the chemical properties and the correspondance principle. (Collected Works, vol. 4, pp.20). The lecture was quickly translated into German and published in 'Zeitschrift für Physik'
Atomfysik og menneskelig erkendelse.
Kbhvn., 1957. Frisk eksemplar med orig. omslag. 124 pp.
Originaludgavens 1. oplag.
Atomteorien og Grundprincpperne for Naturbeskrivelsn.
København, 1930. Orig. bogtrykte omslag. 12 pp. Særtryk af Fysisk Tidsskrift.
First edition. Offprint from ""Fysisk Tidsskrift"".
Atomteori og Naturbeskrivelse. 3 Artikler med en indledende Oversigt.
Kbhvn., 1929. Lex8vo. 83 pp. (Festskrift til Kbhvn's Universitet).
Originaludgaven.
Atomteori og Naturbeskrivelse. 3 Artikler med en indledende Oversigt. - [PRESENTATION-COPY]
Copenhagen, Bianco Lunas, 1929. Royal 8vo. Bound with the original wrappers and the original back-strip in a fine half morocco binding with gilt lettering to spine (Signed ""Ole Olsen 1978 Co´libri""). An exceptionally fine copy. 76 pp.
First edition of this collection of three articles translated into Danish and appearing as thus for the first time. Inscribed by Bohr (signed ""the author"") on the title-page: ""Hr. Assistent cand. mag. V. Thorsen / med venlig Hilsen / fra Forfatteren"". The work constitutes the first Danish translations of the present three articles: ""Atomic Theory and Mechanics"" (1925, Rosenfeld 33), ""The Quantum Postulate and the Recent Development of Atomic Theory"" (1928, Rosenfeld 37), and ""Wirkungsquantum und Naturbeschreibung"", (1929, Rosenfeld 39), here published together for the first time under the title ""Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature"" and with an introductory overview. The present collection of articles, translated into Danish, Bohr's mother tongue, constitutes an important insight into Bohr's thought and fundamental views on atomic theory and nature. The work, as it is here, has been elected as the Bohr-entry in the official list of Danish canonic literature, which collects the most important literary contributions to Danish culture. This is the only Bohr-item on the list. (see: http://www.kanonudvalget.dk). Rosenfeld, Bohr Bibliography No. 40.
Atomteori og Naturbeskrivelse. 3 Artikler med en indledende Oversigt. - [PRESENTATION-COPY]
Copenhagen, Bianco Lunas, 1929. Royal 8vo. Original printed wrappers. Torn at top of front wrapper, no loss. Small loss to capitals. Tear to top of title-page, causing loss of ab. 1x1 cm, but not to the inscription, nor to lettering. The tear goes through the first part of the inscription, but there is no loss of any of it. 76 pp.
First edition thus, of the three articles that together constitute one of the most important contributions to modern Danish culture. Inscribed by Bohr (signed ""the author"") on the title-page: ""Hr. Direktør D. la Cour/ med venlig Hilsen / fra Forfatteren"". The work constitutes the first Danish translations of the present three articles: ""Atomic Theory and Mechanics"" (1925, Rosenfeld 33), ""The Quantum Postulate and the Recent Development of Atomic Theory"" (1928, Rosenfeld 37), and ""Wirkungsquantum und Naturbeschreibung"", (1929, Rosenfeld 39), here published together for the first time under the title ""Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature"" and with an introductory overview. The present collection of articles, translated into Danish, Bohr's mother tongue, constitutes an important insight into Bohr's thought and fundamental views on atomic theory and nature. The work, as it is here, has been elected as the Bohr-entry in the official list of Danish canonic literature, which collects the most important literary contributions to Danish culture. This is the only Bohr-item on the list. (see: http://www.kanonudvalget.dk). The work is inscribed to renowned Danish physicist and meteorologist Dan la Cour (1876-1942), son of the great Poul la Cour (1846-1908), who is considered the ""Danish Edison"". Dan la Cour was the assistant of Niels Bohr's father, Christian Bohr, and a well known scientist. From 1903, he was head of the department of the Meteorological Institute, and from 1923 leader thereof. From 1908 he was Associate Professor at the Polytechnic College. His original scientific works are highly respected, as are his original apparati for measuring earth magnetism which are considered highly valuable. ""His original intelligence, which in many ways resemble that of his father, also bore fruit in his patenting of various inventions: the ""Pyknoprobe"", developed to quickly determine the different layers of the sea"" a use of termite in quickly heating food and drinks out in the open under unfavourable weather conditions."" (From the Danish Encyclopaedia - own translation). He wrote a number of important and esteemed works and was member of the Danish Scientific Academy as well as many prominent international scientific commissions of meteorology and geophysics (i.e. president of the International Geodetical and Geophysical Union). He was also honorary Doctor at the George Washington University. Rosenfeld, Bohr Bibliography No. 40.
Atomtheorie und Naturbeschreibung vier aufsätze mit einer einleitenden ubersicht -- EDITION ORIGINALE -- BON EXEMPLAIRE
Berlin, Springer, 1931, un volume in 8, broché, couverture imprimée, (2), 77pp.
---- EDITION ORIGINALE ---- BON EXEMPLAIRE ---- "N. Bohr reçut le Prix Nobel de physique en 1922. En 1913, il élabore une théorie de la structure de l'atome rompant radicalement avec les conceptions classiques ---- DSB II pp. 239/254 ---- Einleitende ¥bersicht 1929 mit Addendum 1931 - Atomtheorie und Mechanik 1925 - Das Quantenpostulat und die neuere Entwicklung der Atomistik 1927 - Wirkungsquantum und Naturbeschreibung 1929 - Die Atomtheorie und die Prinzipien der Naturbeschreibung 1929**6642/M2
Determination of the Surface-Tension of Water by the Method of Jet Vibration. [Offprint from: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, Vol. 209. pp. 281-317.] - [BOHR'S FIRST PUBLISHED PAPER - PRESENTATION COPY]
(London, Harrison & Sons, 1909). Large 4to. Original printed wrappers" wrappers loose and with lack of paper, mostly to back wrapper, which is quite chipped and nicked, with tears, and lacking a bigger part of the upper right corner. Front wrapper merely lacking a few smaller pieces at the top, not affecting the presentation inscription. Pp. 281-317.
Extremely scarce first edition, off-print issue with presentation-inscription, of Bohr's first published paper, constituting his only ever work in experimental physics. ""His first research project, a precision measurement of the surface tension of water by the observation of a regularly vibrating jet, was completed in 1906, when he was still a student, and it won him the gold medal from the Academy of Sciences. It is a mature piece of work, remarkable for the care and thoroughness with which both the experimental and theoretical parts of the problem were handled."" (DSB).The work is inscribed to renowned Danish physicist and meteorologist Dan la Cour (1876-1942), son of the great Poul la Cour (1846-1908), who is considered the ""Danish Edison"". The inscription reads as thus: ""Hr. Docent D. la Cour/ ærbødigst/ fra/ Forfatteren."" [In Danish, i.e.: ""Mr. Assistant Professor D. la Cour/ with great respect / from/ the author.""].Dan la Cour was the assistant of Niels Bohr's father, Christian Bohr, and a well known scientist. From 1903, he was head of the department of the Meteorological Institute, and from 1923 leader thereof. From 1908 he was Associate Professor at the Polytechnic College. His original scientific works are highly respected, as are his original apparati for measuring earth magnetism which are considered highly valuable. ""His original intelligence, which in many ways resemble that of his father, also bore fruit in his patenting of various inventions: the ""Pyknoprobe"", developed to quickly determine the different layers of the sea"" a use of termite in quickly heating food and drinks out in the open under unfavourable weather conditions."" (From the Danish Encyclopaedia - own translation). He wrote a number of important and esteemed works and was member of the Danish Scientific Academy as well as many prominent international scientific commissions of meteorology and geophysics (i.e. president of the International Geodetical and Geophysical Union). He was also honorary Doctor at the George Washington University. This Bohr's fist paper grew out of a work which Bohr did in 1906, and for which he won a gold medal from the Academy of Sciences. The subject was to experimentally investigate a method, proposed by Lord Rayleigh, for measuring the surface tension of water by the observation of a regularly vibrating jet. ""Bohr [...] included in his work essential improvements on Rayleigh's theory by taking into account the influence of the liquid's viscosity and of the ambient air, and by extending the earlier theory from infinitesimal to arbitrary large vibration amplitudes. In order to execute his experiments he had first of all to cope with one complication. The university had no physics laboratory."" (Pais, p. 101). Bohr thus constructed many of the instruments himself using his father's laboratory. """"I did the experiments completely alone alone in the physiological laboratory... it was a great amount of work"", which was technically demanding."" (Pais, p. 102). In spite of being Bohr's only ever work in experimental physics, it documents his deep understanding of the methods of experimentalists.""On 23 February 1907 the Academy notified him that he had won its gold medal. In 1908 he submitted a modified version to the Royal Society in London. It was his first and last paper on experiments he himself performed. His second publication was his last to deal with surface tension of liquids"" it was purely theoretical. Both papers were favorably referred to in later literature.The manuscript of the prize essay, never published in its original form, is preserved in the Bohr Archives. It is handwritten, by Harald Bohr [i.e. his brother]."" (Pais, p. 102), Rosenfeld, Bohr Bibliography No. 1. Rosenfeld, Dictionary of Scientific Biography II, pp. 239. Pais, Niels Bohr's Times, pp. 101-02.
Determination of the Surface-Tension of Water by the Method of Jet Vibration. Offprint from: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, Vol. 209. pp. 281-317. - [BOHR'S FIRST PUBLISHED PAPER - PRESENTATION COPY]
London, Harrison & Sons, 1909 Large4to. Original printed wrappers. Offprint from: ""Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series A, Vol. 209. pp. 281-317."" With cloth backstrip and I small nick to upper and lower corner of front wrapper. A fine and clean copy. Pp. 281-317.
Scarce first edition, off-print issue, of Bohr's first published paper, constituting his only ever work in experimental physics. ""His first research project, a precision measurement of the surface tension of water by the observation of a regularly vibrating jet, was completed in 1906, when he was still a student, and it won him the gold medal from the Academy of Sciences. It is a mature piece of work, remarkable for the care and thoroughness with which both the experimental and theoretical parts of the problem were handled."" (DSB).This Bohr's fist paper grew out of a work which Bohr did in 1906, and for which he won a gold medal from the Academy of Sciences. The subject was to experimentally investigate a method, proposed by Lord Rayleigh, for measuring the surface tension of water by the observation of a regularly vibrating jet. ""Bohr [...] included in his work essential improvements on Rayleigh's theory by taking into account the influence of the liquid's viscosity and of the ambient air, and by extending the earlier theory from infinitesimal to arbitrary large vibration amplitudes. In order to execute his experiments he had first of all to cope with one complication. The university had no physics laboratory."" (Pais, p. 101). Bohr thus constructed many of the instruments himself using his father's laboratory. """"I did the experiments completely alone alone in the physiological laboratory... it was a great amount of work"", which was technically demanding."" (Pais, p. 102). In spite of being Bohr's only ever work in experimental physics, it documents his deep understanding of the methods of experimentalists.""On 23 February 1907 the Academy notified him that he had won its gold medal. In 1908 he submitted a modified version to the Royal Society in London. It was his first and last paper on experiments he himself performed. His second publication was his last to deal with surface tension of liquids"" it was purely theoretical. Both papers were favorably referred to in later literature.The manuscript of the prize essay, never published in its original form, is preserved in the Bohr Archives. It is handwritten, by Harald Bohr [i.e. his brother]."" (Pais, p. 102), Rosenfeld, Bohr Bibliography No. 1. Rosenfeld, Dictionary of Scientific Biography II, pp. 239. Pais, Niels Bohr's Times, pp. 101-02.
Drei Aufsätze über Spektren and Atombau. Mit sieben Abbildungen.
Braunschw., 1922. Orig.printed wrappers. VIII,148 pp.
First edition in bookform of ""Ueber die Wasser stoffspektrum"", ""Ueber die Serienspektren der Elemente"", ""der Bau der Atome und die physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften der Elemente"" - Rosenfeldt:24.
Journal of Jocular Physics. Volume III. October 7, 1955. - [""THIS IS THE ATOM THAT BOHR BUILT""]
Copenhagen, Institute for Theoretical Physics, 1955. Small folio (A4). Blank wrappers, stapled under cloth back-stip. Stenciled manuscript. 48 numbered leaves with printing on rectos only. Illustrated.
One of the few scarce original stenciled copies of the ""Journal of Jocular Physics, Vol. III,"" the 1955-volume of the privately circulated amateur-comedy-journal that Bohr's students made on the occasions of Bohr's most important birthdays (beginning with his 50th in 1935), in this case his 70th. The ""Journal"" is an eclectic blend of funny and clever stories, songs, poems, aphorisms, humorous descriptions of recent developments in physics, etc., all written in an informal tone with the underlying subject being Bohr's birthday.Since 1929 most of the greatest physicists of the 20th century had been gathering around Niels Bohr for a conference in Copenhagen at the Bohr Institute. Since 1931 this conference had also included a skit prepared by the youngest of the participants, the ""Copenhagen Faust"" of 1932 being the most famous and important of them. It is this skit that later develops into the ""Journal of Jocular Physics"" which was prepared and compiled for Bohr's 50th, 60th and 70th birthdays, the first in 1935, the second in 1945, and the third (the present) in 1955. The 1955 ""Jocular Physics"" was the last of them. ""The early decades of the present century witnessed the heady development of the Quantum Theory of the atom, and during that era the roads of theoreticians of all nationalities led, not to Rome, but to Copenhagen, the home city of Niels Bohr, who was the first to formulate the correct atomic model. It became customary at the end of each spring conference at Blegdamsvej 15 (the street address of Bohr's Institute of Theoretical Physics) to produce a stunt pertaining to recent developments in physics.However Copenhagen was also the home of abundant humor. As a respite from the intensive and highly competitive efforts taking place to characterize fundamental interactions on an atomic scale, physicists took the time to develop satirical letters, articles, plays and other works."" (Gamow, Thirty Years that Shook Physics, pp. 167-68).In his Report at the Niels Bohr Archive Symposium, ""Copenhagen' and beyond: Drama meets history of science"", Yu.V. Gaponov accounts for the history of ""physical art"": ""The 1950s and 1960s were the golden age of the utmost prosperity in Physics. The atomic revolution having opened for the scientists a new world of quanta led soon to the nuclear fission discovery and to the first steps in techniques to dominate the atomic energy. The realization of national atomic programs which first took place in USA and then in Russia (USSR) and Great Britain had attracted the whole world's attention and placed Physics and the natural sciences in general in a top position. Being concerned with matters of physics became then exclusive and prestigious and physicists as individuals attracted the society's attention. They became heroes of literature, theater, movies, press. This process was observed in many advanced countries. It was also typical for the former USSR of those times, although owing to special social circumstances it had acquired some particular forms. One such form was the creation of ""Physical Art"" traditions... The birth of these traditions is commonly associated with the appearance at MSU PhysFac in 1960 of a Student Humor Festival called ""Birthday of Archimedes"" (later ""Physics Day"") along with a comic buffoonery opera ""Archimedes"" (authors - physicists and poets V. Kaner, V. Milyaev). However, MSU physicists consider the ""Physical Art"" traditions to have started earlier. Here are some remarkable milestones: In 1932 the well known ""Faust"" jocular opera and in 1935 the special issue of the ""Jocular Physics"" journal were written by some eminent physicists in connection with the 50th birthday of Niels Bohr.""The present 1955-volume contains numerous very funny contributions by physicists around Bohr, all based on physics humour, physics word-games etc. We have for instance ""A Voyage to Laplacia"" by L. Rosenfeld, a ""Confidential"" report ""Standardization of (physics) Papers"" by J. Lindhard,""Broken English"" by H.B.G. Casimir (""There exists today a universal language that is spoken and understood almost everywhere: it is Broken English. I am not referring to Pidgin English a highly formalized and restricted branch of B.E. but to the much more general language that is used by waiters in Hawai, prostitutes in Paris and ambassadors in Washington, by business-men from Buenos Aires, by scientists at international meetings and by dirty-postcard-peddlers in Greece, in short honourable people like myself all over the world..."" (p. 14), aphorisms (like: ""One Bohr can answer more questions than 10 philosophers can ask"", """"I will have to sleep on that"" the physicist said, he lay down on the floor"", etc.), ""A Remarkable ""V-event"""" by M. Sheep, ""The Heart on the other Side"" by G. Gamow (""""But father will never give his consent... He is looking for a son-in-law who can help him in his business, and eventually take it over. You can't possibly qualify for that, can you?"" ""No, I guess I can't,"" agreed Stan Situs sadly. ""I cannot possibly see how the kind of mathematics I am doing or, in fact, ANY kind of mathematics can help the production and selling of shoes...""), the poem ""The Atom that Bohr Built"", etc. The ""Journal of Jocular Physics"" is an important document portraying both one of the main physical centres of this physically important period and how one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century was viewed by his students and collaborators - as being not only brilliant in his field of research but also as a funny, likeable and sympathetic person. See also:Gino Segrè. Faust in Copenhagen. A Struggle for the Soul of Physics and the Birth of the Nuclear Age.""Pimlico, 2008.George Gamow. Thirty Years that Shook Physics. The Story of Quantum Theory. New York, 1966.
Journal of Jocular Physics. Volume III. October 7, 1955. - [""THIS IS THE ATOM THAT BOHR BUILT""]
Copenhagen, Institute for Theoretical Physics, 1955. Small folio (A4). Stapled, unbound. Stenciled manuscript. Edges a bit bumped. A bit of spotting to first leaf. 48 numbered leaves with printing on rectos only. Illustrated.
One of the few scarce original stenciled copies of the ""Journal of Jocular Physics, Vol. III,"" the 1955-volume of the privately circulated amateur-comedy-journal that Bohr's students made on the occasions of Bohr's most important birthdays (beginning with his 50th in 1935), in this case his 70th. The ""Journal"" is an eclectic blend of funny and clever stories, songs, poems, aphorisms, humorous descriptions of recent developments in physics, etc., all written in an informal tone with the underlying subject being Bohr's birthday.Since 1929 most of the greatest physicists of the 20th century had been gathering around Niels Bohr for a conference in Copenhagen at the Bohr Institute. Since 1931 this conference had also included a skit prepared by the youngest of the participants, the ""Copenhagen Faust"" of 1932 being the most famous and important of them. It is this skit that later develops into the ""Journal of Jocular Physics"" which was prepared and compiled for Bohr's 50th, 60th and 70th birthdays, the first in 1935, the second in 1945, and the third (the present) in 1955. The 1955 ""Jocular Physics"" was the last of them. ""The early decades of the present century witnessed the heady development of the Quantum Theory of the atom, and during that era the roads of theoreticians of all nationalities led, not to Rome, but to Copenhagen, the home city of Niels Bohr, who was the first to formulate the correct atomic model. It became customary at the end of each spring conference at Blegdamsvej 15 (the street address of Bohr's Institute of Theoretical Physics) to produce a stunt pertaining to recent developments in physics.However Copenhagen was also the home of abundant humor. As a respite from the intensive and highly competitive efforts taking place to characterize fundamental interactions on an atomic scale, physicists took the time to develop satirical letters, articles, plays and other works."" (Gamow, Thirty Years that Shook Physics, pp. 167-68).In his Report at the Niels Bohr Archive Symposium, ""Copenhagen' and beyond: Drama meets history of science"", Yu.V. Gaponov accounts for the history of ""physical art"": ""The 1950s and 1960s were the golden age of the utmost prosperity in Physics. The atomic revolution having opened for the scientists a new world of quanta led soon to the nuclear fission discovery and to the first steps in techniques to dominate the atomic energy. The realization of national atomic programs which first took place in USA and then in Russia (USSR) and Great Britain had attracted the whole world's attention and placed Physics and the natural sciences in general in a top position. Being concerned with matters of physics became then exclusive and prestigious and physicists as individuals attracted the society's attention. They became heroes of literature, theater, movies, press. This process was observed in many advanced countries. It was also typical for the former USSR of those times, although owing to special social circumstances it had acquired some particular forms. One such form was the creation of ""Physical Art"" traditions... The birth of these traditions is commonly associated with the appearance at MSU PhysFac in 1960 of a Student Humor Festival called ""Birthday of Archimedes"" (later ""Physics Day"") along with a comic buffoonery opera ""Archimedes"" (authors - physicists and poets V. Kaner, V. Milyaev). However, MSU physicists consider the ""Physical Art"" traditions to have started earlier. Here are some remarkable milestones: In 1932 the well known ""Faust"" jocular opera and in 1935 the special issue of the ""Jocular Physics"" journal were written by some eminent physicists in connection with the 50th birthday of Niels Bohr.""The present 1955-volume contains numerous very funny contributions by physicists around Bohr, all based on physics humour, physics word-games etc. We have for instance ""A Voyage to Laplacia"" by L. Rosenfeld, a ""Confidential"" report ""Standardization of (physics) Papers"" by J. Lindhard,""Broken English"" by H.B.G. Casimir (""There exists today a universal language that is spoken and understood almost everywhere: it is Broken English. I am not referring to Pidgin English a highly formalized and restricted branch of B.E. but to the much more general language that is used by waiters in Hawai, prostitutes in Paris and ambassadors in Washington, by business-men from Buenos Aires, by scientists at international meetings and by dirty-postcard-peddlers in Greece, in short honourable people like myself all over the world..."" (p. 14), aphorisms (like: ""One Bohr can answer more questions than 10 philosophers can ask"", """"I will have to sleep on that"" the physicist said, he lay down on the floor"", etc.), ""A Remarkable ""V-event"""" by M. Sheep, ""The Heart on the other Side"" by G. Gamow (""""But father will never give his consent... He is looking for a son-in-law who can help him in his business, and eventually take it over. You can't possibly qualify for that, can you?"" ""No, I guess I can't,"" agreed Stan Situs sadly. ""I cannot possibly see how the kind of mathematics I am doing or, in fact, ANY kind of mathematics can help the production and selling of shoes...""), the poem ""The Atom that Bohr Built"", etc. The ""Journal of Jocular Physics"" is an important document portraying both one of the main physical centres of this physically important period and how one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century was viewed by his students and collaborators - as being not only brilliant in his field of research but also as a funny, likeable and sympathetic person. See also:Gino Segrè. Faust in Copenhagen. A Struggle for the Soul of Physics and the Birth of the Nuclear Age.""Pimlico, 2008.George Gamow. Thirty Years that Shook Physics. The Story of Quantum Theory. New York, 1966.
Les Spectres et la Structure de L'Atome Trois Conferences. Traduit sur le Manuscrit de l'Auteur par A. Corvisy.
Paris, Libraire Scientifique, 1923. 8vo. Uncut in orig. printed wrappers. Tears to backstrip but preserved. A small nick to upper left corner of frontwrapper.
First French editions of the three famous papers: ""Ueber die Wasser stoffspektrum"", ""Ueber die Serienspektren der Elemente"", ""Der Bau der Atome und die physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften der Elemente"" - Rosenfeld:24.
Linienspektren und Atombau.
Leipzig, Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1923. Contemp. full buckram. In: ""Annalen der Physik"", Vierte Folge, band 71. Stamp on verso of titlepage. Portrait as frontisp. (2),605,VI pp. (Entire volume offered). Bohr's paper: pp. 228-288 and 8 plates (on 2 leaves). Punched with cords in inner margins. Clean and fine.
First appearance of the only part of Bohr's planned new comprehensive treatise on atomic structure, announcing that this was 'the first of a series of essays....on atomic structure'.
Nyere Undersøgelser over Atomkernernes Omdannelser.
Oslo, Grøndal & Søn, 1941. 8vo. Offprint from: Fra Fysikkens Verden. Original printed wrappers. Fine condition. 34 pp.
First edition.
On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules. 3 Parts (all). - [THE BIRTH OF MODERN ATOMIC THEORY (PMM 411)]
London, Taylor & Francis, 1913. 8vo. Bound together in one very nice recent marbled paper binding with gilt leather title-label to spine. Published in ""The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science"", Vol. 26: July 1913, No. 151 (pp. 1-232 + 6 plates) - September 1913, No 153 (pp. 381-548) - November 1913, No 155 (pp. 802-936 + 6 plates). (The 3 whole numbers of the journal offered). The Bohr papers: pp. 1-25" pp. 476-502 pp.857-875.
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First edition of Bohr's seminal main work, which constitutes the departure from classical theories" by incorporating Planck's quantum postulate it became possible to calculate the wavelength of the hydrogen emission and thus to explain the regularity of the Balmer-lines.In his previous paper (""On the Theory of Decrease of Velocity of Moving Electrified Particles on passing through Matter"") Bohr had adopted Rutherford's nuclear model of the atom, and had become convinced that it was the peripherical electrons that determined the chemical properties of an element, whereas the nucleus determine the radioactive properties. However, Rutherford's model had an apparent explanatory problem: Why were the negatively charged electrons held away from the positive nucleus? In his doctorial dissertation on the electron theory of metals, Bohr had clarified the limitations of this theory, in particular its ability to explain magnetic properties, and he had shown how this arose from the classical nature of some of its foundations. Bohr strongly expected that the key to solving this problem was to be found in some way of introducing Planck's law of quantum action.In the beginning of 1913 Bohr heard about Rydberg's remarkable discovery in spectroscopy. Rydberg's formula could represent the frequencies of the lines of the hydrogen spectrum in the simplest form in terms of two integers. As soon as Bohr saw this formula, he immediately recognized that it gave him the missing clue to the correct way to introduce Planck's law of quantum of action into the description of the atomic systems. The rest of the academic year was spent reconstructing the whole theory upon the new foundation and expounding it in a large treatise, which was immediately published as these three papers in the 'Philosophical Magazine'. It was in these papers that Bohr first gave his postulates of the orbital structure of the electrons and their quantized radiation.Bohr's atomic theory inaugurated two of the most adventurous decades in the history of science. In 1922 Bohr was awarded the Nobel Prize ""for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them"".Bohr introduced the following postulates: 1. An electron can revolve about its nucleus only in certain special circular orbits. 2. The ordinary electron revolves about its nucleus in an invariable orbit, without radiating or absorbing energy. 3. Radiation takes place when and only when the electron falls from an orbit with greater energy to one of less energy.Rosenfeld, Bohr Bibliography No. 6. Rosenfeld, Dictionary of Scientific Biography II, pp. 240-41. Printing and the Mind of Man: 411.
