Details
BOHR, Niels. Studier over Metallernes Elektrontheorie. Copenhagen: Thaning & Appel, 1911.
8o. Original printed wrappers; cloth folding case.
FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY inscribed on front wrapper: "H. Overlage Dr. med. Fr. Toliesen i Hengivenhed fra Forfatteren."
FIRST EDITION OF BOHR'S PH.D. THESIS ON THE ELECTRON THEORY OF METALS, a study and critical analysis of the classical (i.e., pre-quantum mechanics) theory as developed by Drude and Lorenz. "This theory, which pictures the metallic state as a gas of electrons moving more or less freely in the potential created by the positively charged atoms disposed in a regular lattice, accounted qualitatively for the most varied properties of metals; but it ran into many difficulties as soon as a quantitative treatment was attempted on the basis of then accepted principles of classical electrodynamics. In order to throw light on the nature of these difficulties, Bohr developed general methods allowing him to derive the main features of the phenomena from the fundamental assumptions in a very direct way. He could thus clearly exhibit the fundamental nature of the failures of the theory, which were in fact attributed to an insufficiency of the classical principles themselves. . . . The rigor of his analysis gave him, at this early stage, the firm conviction of the necessity of a radical departure from classical electrodynamics for the description of atomic phenomena" (DSB). According to Pais, Bohr's thesis represents "the most advanced of the classical treatments," one that pushed Bohr to "the outer frontier of classical physics. . . . It could just be that these experiences encouraged [Bohr] to push into areas beyond, into the mysteries of quantum physics, as he was soon to do" (Niels Bohr's Times, pp. 110-11; also see pp. 107-9).
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FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY inscribed on front wrapper: "H. Overlage Dr. med. Fr. Toliesen i Hengivenhed fra Forfatteren."
FIRST EDITION OF BOHR'S PH.D. THESIS ON THE ELECTRON THEORY OF METALS, a study and critical analysis of the classical (i.e., pre-quantum mechanics) theory as developed by Drude and Lorenz. "This theory, which pictures the metallic state as a gas of electrons moving more or less freely in the potential created by the positively charged atoms disposed in a regular lattice, accounted qualitatively for the most varied properties of metals; but it ran into many difficulties as soon as a quantitative treatment was attempted on the basis of then accepted principles of classical electrodynamics. In order to throw light on the nature of these difficulties, Bohr developed general methods allowing him to derive the main features of the phenomena from the fundamental assumptions in a very direct way. He could thus clearly exhibit the fundamental nature of the failures of the theory, which were in fact attributed to an insufficiency of the classical principles themselves. . . . The rigor of his analysis gave him, at this early stage, the firm conviction of the necessity of a radical departure from classical electrodynamics for the description of atomic phenomena" (DSB). According to Pais, Bohr's thesis represents "the most advanced of the classical treatments," one that pushed Bohr to "the outer frontier of classical physics. . . . It could just be that these experiences encouraged [Bohr] to push into areas beyond, into the mysteries of quantum physics, as he was soon to do" (Niels Bohr's Times, pp. 110-11; also see pp. 107-9).