392 G. Smestad / Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 33 (1994) 391-395

Thermal Radiation Heat Transfer, 3rd edition, by Robert Siegel and John R. Howell (Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, Washington, 1992) ISBN 0-89116- 271-2 (hbk.); 1096 pages; price £50.00 net.

I had opened the 2rid edition (ed. 1981) when a colleague told me that he had just seen the third edition of Thermal Radiation Heat Transfer. 1 had used the book extensively during the last ten years and had first seen it at well know libraries such as in Stanford University's Engineering stacks. Those of us who are working in solar conversion must open this text, at some point in out careers, since it is one of the classics of our field as well as for those in space technology, Earth sciences, high temperature engines, and cryogenics. I found that the new edition had all of my favorite chapters on Blackbody radiation and Lamberts cosine (not to be confused with Lampert's) law and configuration factors, as well as up to date references and analytical techniques. A textbook for undergraduates, graduate students and researchers, this book includes a step by step description of electro- magnetic radiation, propagation and control. Each short chapter contains a basic topic which flows logically into the next. Topics in the first portion of the book include: Blackbody radiation spectral characteristics, and angular distribution, nonblack opaque surfaces, hemispherical emissivity, absorptivity, and reflectivity, classical EM theory, prediction of optical properties, and properties of real materials and absorbers. Chapters six through eleven cover radiation exchange between general surfaces. Of interest to those in solar conversion is the analysis of solar concentrators and the use of reciprocity laws which allow one the calculate the exchange from body 1 to 2 given the opposite configuration factor, Fzv These have allowed me on more than one occasion to simplify an otherwise unwieldy integral. Chapter 12 includes the important effects of absorption, scattering and emission (luminescence) on the transferred radiation and the description of absorption lines. Rayleigh, Mie scattering and the effects of convection are also discussed. Another important topic is found in Chapter 18 which describes propagation of radiation in a dielectric medium. Few in solar conversion are aware that the radiance within the medium is increased by n z, where n is the index of refraction. Radiation through windows, coatings and semitransparent solids are critical topics in solar conversion which are also highlighted in this book. Each chapter begins with a glossary of symbols which allows one to follow the consistent and clear nomenclature (in SI units). This makes it possible for self or directed study. Whether you are working on a solar cell or a 10 MW central thermal receiver, this book is a valuable discovery.

Greg Smestad

Electron and Proton Transfer in Chemistry and Biology Studies in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Vol. 78, Edited by A. MiJller, H. Ratajczak, W. Junge and E. Diemann (Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 1992) ISBN 0-444-88862-4 (hbk.); 394 pages; price US$203.

G. Smestad / Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 33 (1994) 391-395 393

Of fundamental importance in solar energy conversion is the transfer of electrons and protons. In electrochromic devices, for instance, a shift of protons from one material to another can have a profound effect on the color of the material. In solar cell devices and in photochemistry, it is the electron which is excited by light and transferred from the light absorber to another site where photoconversion can take place. In the biological sciences, it is becoming clear how electron and proton transfer are coupled. This should serve as a guide to those seeking to devise efficient man-made electronic or "protonic" devices. In this well formulated book, both these types of transfer are compared to one another. Forty six well known authors contributed to this union of topics. In the first chapter, the basic mechanisms and equations found in electron transfer are described. This is done via the theory of Rudolf Marcus (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1992) and includes examples such as gas phase and metal organic interactions. The Inverted region, where the electron transfer rate decreases with increases driving force is described theoretically and experimentally. Methods are discussed for the mea- surement of rate constants, ket , as high as 101°-1012 s -1 such as found in photosynthesis. In the next chapters, electron transfer in metal organic com- pounds, light induced electron transfer and electron hopping in metal oxide clusters are discussed. A review article by Dr. Michael Graetzel, on electron transfer in semiconducting colloids and membranes, is especially important for those in solar conversion research since the "artificial photosynthetic" systems which are described allow man- made systems to approach the configurations found in nature and described in later chapters. Solar ceils of 7% efficiency are described which involve the electron transfer from organometallic compounds to inexpensive semiconducting oxides. The next chapters detail the electron and proton transfer (and their interrelationship) in the photosynthetic reaction centers in terms of the framework of Chapter 1. The relationship between the energetics and the spatial arrangements involved in the transfer are described. Proton transfer in hydrogen bonded systems is also covered in several chapters. Although the book covers a multitude of converging fields, this book is supplemented by excellent illustrations, figures and references which make this book useful for those who want to see the future of molecular electronics, protonics and photonics.

Greg Smestad

The Photosystems: Structure, Function and Molecular Biology, Edited by J. Barber (Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, 1992) ISBN 0-444-89440-3 (hbk.); 558 pages; price US$243.00.

Much recent research in electronics is now focused on what is being called nanotechnology. In reading the 11th volume of Topics in Photosynthesis, scientists and engineers working in the field of solar energy would gain an appreciation for some of the most successful solar powered molecular machines on Earth. The book begins with an introduction, by R. Cogdell and R. Malkin, to plant and