History of Shock Waves, Explosions and Impact: A Chronological and Biographical Reference

ISBN-13: 9783540206781 / Angielski / Twarda / 2008 / 1288 str.

Peter O. K. Krehl

Opis

The aim of an encyclopaedia is to gather together the currently accepted. Since progress in natural science and knowledge scattered over the face of the Earth, to set forth technology is generally advancing with increasing speed its general plan to the men with whom we live and to tra- the rapid progress in computer science and software dev- mit it to the men who will come after us, in order that the la- 1 bors of past centuries may not have been in vain opment is only one striking example of our time it has - come more and more difficult to clearly distinguish between Denis DIDEROT Paris 1755 past and present achievements as well as to analyze their impact on other branches of science from the distant view of a historian. Recent achievements may be rated by future generations as important historical milestones, or may be HIS BOOK is an outgrowth of a previous handbook ar- 2 T ticle on the history of shock waves. While preparing forgotten completely. The scientific and technical achievements of percussion, the manuscript for this handbook, it quickly became app- explosions and shock wave research made throughout human ent that this field of enormous breadth could not be a- quately treated without also including the evolution of re- history are too immense even to be cataloged. Up to now they have been determined by estimating industrial and mi- search into percussion and explosion."

Recenzje

From the reviews: "The book written by ... Peter O. K. Krehl is a tour de force describing the historic development of explosion and shock wave science. ... The book with almost 1300 pages and more than 1500 pictures is an extraordinary compilation of the development of shock wave physics and explosion science over time. Its encyclopaedic style allows for easy access, both for scientists or for students ... . I found myself unable to stop reading once I started. The book is essential for public libraries." (Rolf Prümmer, Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 34 (5), October, 2010)

Spis treści

General Survey.- Chronology.- Picture Gallery.- Biographies Index.

Blurb

This unique and encyclopedic reference work charts the evolution of the physics of shock waves and detonations from the earliest investigations into percussion and impact phenomena right up to the most recent groundbreaking research in the field.

The history of this long and complex process is first reviewed in a general survey that encompasses everything from the earliest observations and interpretations of puzzling high-rate dynamic phenomena associated with natural and man-made explosions to a discussion of the merits of modern numerical computer simulations.

The subject is then treated in more detail and in chronological order in the central section of the book, while also being richly illustrated in form of a picture gallery. The bibliographic index provides 122 short biographies of eminent researchers who have contributed to the field. Further references for biographical sources are given, and both name and subject indices (with over 4500 and 2700 entries, respectively) are provided.

"This book is of tremendous value to all who teach, research or write about the subject or, simply, are inquisitive about the people whose names appear in the text or bibliographies. The whole community is indebted to Peter Krehl for what has clearly been a labour of love and for what must surely become the "bible" of shock waves, explosives and impact" Professor John E. Field, FRS, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.