Atticus Rare Books

Zur Theorie der Radiometerkräfte [Theory of Radiometer Forces, Einstein, pp. 1-6] WITH Wärmegleichgewicht im Strahlungsfeld bei Anwesenheit von Materie [Thermal Equilibrium in the Radiation Field in the Presence of Matter, Bose, pp. 384-394] WITH Zur Quantentheorie des Röntgenbremsspektr ums [On the Quantum Theory of the X-ray Spectrum, Wentzel, pp. 257-284] in Zeitschrift für Physik 27, 1924

Einstein, A. [Albert]; Bose, S. N.; Wentzel, Gregor

Berlin: Vieweg und Springer, 1924. 1st Edition. BOUND FIRST EDITION OF EINSTEIN’S 1924 PAPER ON THE PHYSICS OF RADIOMETERS; EINSTEIN’S TRANSLATION OF BOSE’S SECOND PAPER ON THE BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE (WITH UNTITLED ADDENDUM BY EINSTEIN); & WENTZEL’S SECOND PROPHETIC PAPER ANTICIPATING FEYNMAN’S PATH INTEGRAL APPROACH TO QUANTUM MECHANICS. This volume bears the ownership stamp of Friedrich Hermann Hund, a physicist well-known for his work on atoms and molecules.

The Einstein authored paper, Zur Theorie der Radiometerkräfte [On the Theory of Radiometric Forces] presents Einstein’s theory on the cause of radiometric forces (the physics of radiometers). His paper finds that radiometric forces act also on surfaces normal to the temperature gradient, in other words, also on horizontal surfaces. Weil 139, 143a.

ALSO INCLUDED: “Zur Quantentheorie des Röntgenbremsspektr ums” by Gregor Wentzel. "Unbeknownst to Feynmann, Wiener, or Dirac, Wentzel had anticipated several of the most important features of the path integral formulation in two 1924 papers resolving differences between classical wave interference and the quantum nature of spectral lines. Published even before Heisenberg's quantum mechanics formulation, these papers included concepts such as the interpretation of a virtual path as a phase, the interference of phase paths, and the interpretation of the magnitude of the interference as a transition probability" (History of Science: The Wenner Collection, 372). Wentzel’s vision was not vague, and he provides “a precise mathematical structure that closely matches Feynman’s later findings” (Antoci, Wentzel’s Path Integrals, 1).

ALSO INCLUDED: “Wärmegleichgewicht im Strahlungsfeld bei Anwesenheit von Materie” is Einstein's translation of Bose’s second paper on the Bose-Einstein Condensate. Bose’s first paper, "Plancks Gesetz und Lichtquantenhypothese" was a seminal paper in the history of quantum mechanics (and one which Einstein also translated for Bose). Planck's Law and Light Quantum Hypothesis represented the "discovery of new statistical counting rules for light quanta and a new derivation of Planck’s radiation law. This second Bose paper specifically addresses the emission/absorption of electromagnetic radiation by matter. Einstein added an untitled addendum that he did not yet completely agree with the author's findings. Item #1518

CONDITION & DETAILS: Berlin: Vieweg und Springer. Large 8vo. (9 x 6 inches; 225 x 150mm). Not ex-library. Nicely bound in black cloth, gilt-lettered at the spine. Bright and very clean throughout. Very good condition.

Price: $550.00