Journal of Molecular Liquids, 28 (1984) 205 205 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., A m s t e r d a m -- Pr inted in The Nether lands

BOOK REVIEW

Molecular Dynamics: and the Theory of Broad Band Spectroscopy, by

M.W. Evans, G.J. Evans, W.T. Coffey and P. Grigolini, Wiley, Chichester,

1982, pp. 900, price £95.00.

This tome contains a wealth of information on experimental, computer

simulation and theoretical studies of correlated molecular motions in liquids

and related condensed phases of matter. The twelve chapters span 857 pages

and contain .topics ranging from Wiener integrals, the use and misuses of

induced absorption, computer simulation of induced absorption, to the

results of a literature search on Freon 30.

The authors stress the proper interrelation between theory and

experiments. In view of this, they have included clear signposts to alert

the reader to discussions that ulti~se advanced mathematics. Readers will

also benefit from the lists of important symbols that preface most chapters.

The results of computer simulations are used wherever approoriate to

illustrate and clarify the analytic theory, although the authors do not

dwell on the computational methodology. Two chapters, on relaxation

phenomena, contain several new theoretical methods. In all, three chapters

deal with the quantum mechanical aspects of intramolecular vibrations and

spectral phenomena caused by collision induction.

The level of writing means that many developments will be hard going

for postgraduate students and experimentalists not well versed in the

concepts and basic properties of correlation functions. The printing and

binding of the book are of the high quality that we have come to expect

from John Wiley and Sons.

S.L.