Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths. Vol 17 Lanthanides/Actinides - Physics - Handbook on the Physics & Chemistry of Rare Earths

The rare earths play a unique role in science. These 17 related elements afford a panoply of subtle variations deriving from the systematic development of their electronic configurations, allowing a test of theory with excellent resolution. In contrast they find widespread use in even the most mundane processes such as steel making, for polishing materials and gasoline cracking catalysts. In between are exotic uses such as TV screen phosphors, lasers, high strength permanent magnets and chemical probes. This multi-volume handbook covers the entire rare earth field in an integrated manner. Each chapter is a comprehensive up-to-date, critical review of a particular segment of the field. The work offers the researcher and graduate student alike, a complete and thorough coverage of this fascinating field.;This volume of the Handbook is the first of a three voluem set of reviews devoted to the interrelationships, similarities, differences and contrasts of the lanthanide and actinide series of elements. In order to comprehensively cover this large field two leading scientists, G.H. Lander and G.R. Choppin, were invited to be guest editors for this special set of volumes. Together, the four editors carefully and critically chose the various topics and invited the appropriate experts to write reviews keeping in mind that the emphasis was to be on the interrelationships of the lanthanides and actinides. The volume contains eight chapters concerned with some of the physical aspects of the lanthanide and actinide series. The first three chapters are theoretical in nature and the last five are more heavily oriented towards experimental studies.