In discussing Hecke's function

where {t} = t − [t] − ½ Hardy and Littlewood* made use of the identity

Here

θ is an irrational number between 0 and 1, and pν/qν is the νth convergent to θ (beginning with p0 = 0, q0 = 1). The proof of (1) given by Hardy and Littlewood is of an analytic character.

6. Bethe's theory of order and disorder in alloys is generalized so as to include transitions in which the lattice structure changes from cubic to tetragonal. It is shown that, with the assumptions made, there is a discontinuity in the order at the transition temperature and also a latent heat. An expression is derived for the degree of tetragonality as a function of the order.

The velocity distribution in the wake behind a body of revolution calculated by Miss Swain on the momentum transfer theory with l constant over a cross-section of the wake is not in accordance with experiment.

On the generalized vorticity transfer theory the equation for the first approximation to the velocity defect u far downstream is

There are two methods of simplifying this equation on the analogy of the successful simplification of the corresponding equation for the two-dimensional case. One method gives the same equation as if the turbulence were symmetrical; the other gives the equation of the modified vorticity transfer theory.

For the former there is no real solution if l is constant over a cross-section; for a real solution l must be infinite on the axis of symmetry. The equation was integrated with l ∝ r−1 over a cross-section; this variation of l was suggested by putting the change in the area enclosed by a circular vortex-line proportional to the area of the section of the wake. The agreement with experiment is fairly good over the middle portion of the wake, but not near the edge, where the theoretical value of ∂u/∂r is not zero. If l2 ∝ rp, ∂u/∂r vanishes at the edge of the wake only if p = − 3. The solution is carried through for this case; it shows only fair agreement with experiment over the middle of the wake, and none at the edge.

The calculation on the modified vorticity transfer theory is carried out with l constant over a section; in this case there is no definite edge to the wake, nor does u fall off sufficiently rapidly to make the momentum integral for the drag converge. (u ∝ r−2 for large r.) Even over the middle of the wake there is a discrepancy with experimental results, rather like that shown by the momentum transfer theory.

The temperature distribution behind a heated body was calculated according to each of the foregoing theories.

The temperature distribution was also calculated from the experimental velocity distribution, without any assumption being made concerning the kinematic coefficient of turbulent diffusion, which was eliminated between the equations for the velocity and temperature. The vorticity transfer theory with symmetrical turbulence gives an impossible result. The modified vorticity transfer theory gives θ/θmax < u/umax when the experimental velocity distribution is used.

The Hankel transform of a function x−½νf(x) can be determined by the help of the following rule, obtained for ν = 0, 1 by B. van der Pol and K. Niessen(1), for positive integral values of ν by K. Niessen(2), and for arbitrary values of ν, [R(ν) > − 1], by F. Tricomi(3). If*

F(p) ≒ f(x),

then

A high-speed recording counter circuit is described which has proved very reliable. The basic circuit element employs two triodes in a symmetrical circuit which has two stable conditions. The circuit is triggered alternately from one stable state to the other by the applied impulses acting through a circuit comprising two “Westector” cuprous oxide rectifiers and an inductance.

It is easily possible to make a counter operate accurately at a speed of 20,000 random impulses a minute, provided that the associated recording meter operates in less than 1/100 sec.

A “watch-dog” thyratron recording circuit is also described. This is useful where the slow speed of the mechanical recording meter would introduce loss.

A method of studying magnetic properties in alternating fields and its application to the intermediate state of a superconducting sphere are described. It is shown that the behaviour of the sphere in alternating fields of frequencies between 10 and 100 is different from that in very slowly varying fields, the difference becoming less for lower frequencies and for smaller radius. When the specimen is in the intermediate state, energy losses are produced in it by the alternating field, showing that the induced currents are out of phase with the alternating field. The induced currents do not, however, flow in the same way as in a homogeneous isotropic conductor, and this is probably on account of an anisotropic structure of the specimen when in the intermediate state. This structure depends strongly on the amplitude of the alternating field in such a way that the effective average conductivity is increased with decreasing amplitude, and this amplitude effect depends on the size of the specimen. Evidence is given for a time lag in the magnetocaloric effect, and this time lag decreases with decrease of the size of the specimen, being of order sec. for a sphere of about 1 cm. diameter.

In conclusion I wish to thank Prof. Lord Rutherford and Dr Cockcroft for their interest in this work; Dr Peierls for suggesting the experiment and for much valuable advice and assistance; Mr Shire for advice on some technical points; and various members of the staff of the Royal Society Mond Laboratory for help in the measurements.

The solution of problems in two-dimensional potential theory depends, generally speaking, on the discovery of a conformal transformation suitable for the particular region involved, and the degree of success in the applicability of the method seems to be seriously limited by the complexity of the transformation. Only one serious attempt seems to have been made, by W. G. Bickley*, to formulate a general theory coordinating the different types of boundary value problem for general and inclusive classes of curves, but Bickley's analysis is somewhat involved and not very suitable for certain types of problem. In a re-examination of the subject on the basis of certain suggestions made to me by Prof. Livens, I have discovered what appears to be a much simpler and equally general method of formulating directly the solution for a comprehensive class of problem dealing with simple closed cylinders with curved or rectilinear boundaries, and including all those cases for which solutions are known. In its theoretical aspects the method seems to be perfectly general, but to put it into practice it is necessary to determine explicitly the particular form for the conformal transformation of the space outside the cross-section of the cylinder to the space outside a circle with the points at infinity coinciding.

Some applications of an alternating field method to various problems of superconductivity are described. It is shown how the method can be used to measure the resistance and self inductance of a metal ring, and this was applied to show how the resistance of a superconducting tin ring is restored by a magnetic field. The method is also convenient for a rapid determination of the order of magnitude of the specific resistance of a substance, and to see whether or not it becomes superconducting; several elements were examined in this way, but no new superconductors were found.

Bethe's method, used in the problem of order-disorder transitions in alloys, is applied formally to the problem of molecular rotations in solids. To apply this method, we assume that the solid is entirely homogeneous, and that the state of rotation is the same throughout the solid. Without this assumption, the application of this method is impossible.

A particular form of the mutual potential energy between two neighbouring molecules has been chosen, and classical statistics is employed throughout. The calculations are made entirely after the manner of Bethe, and the similarities of the two problems are pointed out. The result is that there is a critical temperature, and also a discontinuity in the specific heat of the magnitude of some ten times the Boltzmann constant per molecule, arising from the sudden setting in of the rotations as the temperature is increased beyond the critical point. Agreement with the experiments is bad, indicating that a more profound theory is necessary.

The statistical treatment of order-disorder transformations, as developed by Bethe and Peierls, has been extended to alloys having superlattices of the AB and AB3 types but compositions which differ slightly from the ideal compositions required for the formation of perfect superlattices. If the composition of the alloy is specified by the concentration c of one component, which we have chosen to be the A component, then the results show that for alloys of the AB type the critical temperature should have a maximum value when c = ½, that is, for the ideal composition. This is in agreement with experiment. For alloys of the AB3 type it is found that the maximum value should occur for some value of c > ¼. This result disagrees with that obtained experimentally, but both results agree, at least qualitatively, with those obtained by the theory of Bragg and Williams.

1. The elastic stability of a long flat plate when acted on by a shearing force along its edges has been discussed by Southwell and Skan*, and Leggett† has solved the shearing problem when the plate has a small constant curvature. The present paper deals with the elastic stability of a long corrugated plate which is acted on by a shearing force along its generators, the work being applicable to plates with any given number of bays forming the corrugations. It is supposed that the plate is thin and that the depth d of a bay is a small multiple of the semithickness h; little progress has been made without some such assumption as the second, which enables us to reduce the fundamental equations to a soluble form.

1. It often happens that we have a series of observed data for different values of the argument and with known standard errors, and wish to remove the random errors as far as possible before interpolation. In many cases previous considerations suggest a form for the true value of the function; then the best method is to determine the adjustable parameters in this function by least squares. If the number required is not initially known, as for a polynomial where we do not know how many terms to retain, the number can be determined by finding out at what stage the introduction of a new parameter is not supported by the observations*. In many other cases, again, existing theory does not suggest a form for the solution, but the observations themselves suggest one when the departures from some simple function are found to be much less than the whole range of variation and to be consistent with the standard errors. The same method can then be used. There are, however, further cases where no simple function is suggested either by previous theory or by the data themselves. Even in these the presence of errors in the data is expected. If ε is the actual error of any observed value and σ the standard error, the expectation of Σε2/σ2 is equal to the number of observed values. Part, at least, of any irregularity in the data, such as is revealed by the divided differences, can therefore be attributed to random error, and we are entitled to try to reduce it.

This note is concerned with the relations between the invariants Ωi (i = 0,1,…, d – 1) of the canonical system on an algebraic Vd. Here Ω0 is the grade of the canonical system, and Ωi is the virtual arithmetic genus of the Vi of intersection of d – i canonical Vd–1's.

In an investigation of the disintegration of by protons, resulting in the emission of three α-particles, Dee and Gilbert* found that the observed distributions of ranges and angles of these particles could be explained by assuming that one α-particle is first ejected, leaving a short-lived, excited nucleus which then decomposes into two more α-particles. The half-life of this excited beryllium nucleus was estimated to be about 10–21 sec.

1. Introduction. The importance of the frequency spectrum of the lattice in problems concerning the properties of the crystalline state has often been emphasized. In particular, all the properties of a crystal which depend on the heat motion of the constituent particles require for their explanation a knowledge of the actual form of the vibrational spectrum.

During the course of a cloud chamber investigation of the occurrence of rare events accompanying the passage of fast β-particles through matter, it was found* that existing methods of introducing high-energy electrons into the chamber were unsatisfactory. Electrons of sufficiently high energy could only be obtained from sources which emit, in addition, a large amount of γ-radiation. Absorption of this γ-radiation in the walls and gas of the chamber resulted in the ejection of numbers of stray electrons, whose presence rendered the observation of the fast β-ray tracks a matter of some difficulty.