Über Gasentartung und Paramagnetismus. Offprint inscribed to Kramers
Publisher Information: 1927.
Beginning of "the Modern Electron Theory of Metals" -- Presentation Copy
Pauli, Wolfgang (1900-1958). Über Gasentartung und Paramagnetismus. Offprint from Zeitschrift für Physik 41 (1927). 81-102pp. 228 x 156 mm. Original printed wrappers, slightly worn. Very good. Presentation Copy, Inscribed by Pauli to H. A. Kramers (1894-1952) on the front wrapper: “Meinem lieben Kramers mit den herzlichsten Grüßen! [in pen] Für Ihre Karte noch besten Dank! [in pencil].” Laid in is an autograph letter signed in Dutch to Kramers, dated 11 March 1927, from Fr. W. Wolthoff[?] at the Pharmaceutisch Laboratorium der Rijks-Universiteit, Utrecht; the letter contains some pencil calculations in the left margin possibly by Kramers.
First Edition, Offprint Issue of Pauli’s paper on gas degeneracy and paramagnetism—“the point of departure for the modern electron theory of metals” (Enz, No Time to be Brief: A Scientific Biography of Wolfgang Pauli, p. 122). In the paper Pauli derived what is now known as Pauli paramagnetism, which Wikipedia defines as follows:
For some alkali metals and noble metals, conduction electrons are weakly interacting and delocalized in space forming a Fermi gas. For these materials one contribution to the magnetic response comes from the interaction between the electron spins and the magnetic field known as Pauli paramagnetism.
About this paper, Pauli’s student and assistant Rudolf Peierls stated that “it is probably no exaggeration to say that the modern electron theory of metals was started by Pauli’s paper on the paramagnetism of an electron gas” (quoted in Enz, “W. Pauli’s scientific work,” p. 782).
Pauli presented this copy to Dutch physicist H. A. Kramers, one of the main architects, together with Pauli, Heisenberg and Schrödinger, of quantum mechanics. Pauli’s inscription can be translated as “To my dear Kramers with warmest regards! Many thanks for your card!” Enz, “W. Pauli’s scientific work,” in J. Mehra, ed., The Physicist’s Conception of Nature, pp. 766-799.
Book Id: 45904Price: $9,500.00