The physics of metals. 1. Electrons

The prime intention was to write a modern version of 'Mott and Jones'- a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the Theory of Metals and Alloys. But much has been discovered in 30 years, and this would have stretched to many thousands of pages. We therefore decided to concentrate on the two major topics where our interests mainly lie-the electronic structure and electrical properties of metals, on the one hand, and the mechanical properties of solids on the other. In the end, each topic grew and diverged into a separate book. The present volume is, therefore, an account of current understanding of the electron theory of metals, with particular reference to band structure, Fermi surfaces and transport properties. Although each chapter is quite long, and deals explicitly and in detail with a separate topic, considerable unity of approach has been achieved by interchange of manuscripts and many cross-references between chapters. For the authors are by no means a miscellaneous lot; at one time or another they have all been professional colleagues of Mott at Bristol or at Cambridge, and therefore share with him, and with one another, many scientific interests and points of view. They had no difficulty in agreeing upon a general plan for the book and writing our separate contributions in a co-operative spirit.