Mimeographed Experimental Physics 290(f) Lectures.

Seminars by nobel prize winners. A rare set of mimeographed lecture notes from an experimental physics course connected with Berkeley's Radiation Laboratory, with chapters by three Nobel Prize winners. Mimeographed lecture notes of this kind were made by students for themselves and their colleagues, and exist in very small numbers. We have located only two auction records for this set, the present one, sold in 2018, and a copy at Christie's in 2002.

Berkeley's '290' physics courses are 'graduate level courses that feature a weekly seminar on physics topics', 'many of which are open to the public', generally meaning the research community (Berkeley website). The present lectures are all labelled '290(f)', what was then a course in experimental physics connected with the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory. Now known as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, this research centre was established in 1931 by Ernest Lawrence and centred around his development of the cyclotron, a new and more powerful type of particle accelerator for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize. The laboratory has remained a leader in physics research up to the present day, and was responsible for numerous twentieth century breakthroughs, including electronic enrichment of uranium for the Manhattan Project, the discovery of the transuranic elements and the anti-proton, and measurement of the cosmic microwave background radiation.

Taking place around 1950 (none of the reference sources listed in the text have publication dates past 1949), the present course begins with relatively basic concepts in electrical engineering — necessary for anyone doing hands-on experimental work at the Radiation Laboratory — and proceeds to linear accelerators, the cyclotron, and beta ray spectrographs. Of the fourteen lectures, three were presented by Nobel Prize winners:

Chapter 7, Ionization: Emilio Segré (1905-1989) discovered the antiproton and the elements technetium and astatine. An Italian Jew, he was made stateless by the Mussolini government in 1938 while on a visit to Berkeley, and was offered a position at the Radiation Laboratory. Between 1943 and 1946 he worked at Los Alamos, after which he returned to Berkeley until his retirement in 1972.

Chapter 10, General Accelerator Considerations: Edwin McMillan (1907-1991) was, with Glenn Seaborg, the first to produce a transuranic element, neptunium. He joined the Radiation Laboratory in 1933 and during the Second World War worked on microwave radar and the Manhattan Project. When hostilities ended he returned to Berkeley, co-developed the synchrotron, and became director of the laboratory after Lawrence's death in 1958.

Chapter 12, Linear Accelerators: Louis Alvarez (1911-1988) was a pioneer who made fundamental discoveries in physics through his development of the hydrogen bubble chamber. He joined the laboratory in 1936 and worked with the experimental team headed by Robert Oppenheimer. During the war he contributed significantly to radar research, joined the Manhattan Project, and then returned to Berkeley.

The full contents are as follows: 1. Electrical Measurements (no author listed); 2. Vacuum Tubes and Amplifiers by A. Bratenahl; 3. Pulse Circuits by R. Mozely; 4. Oscillators by D. Gow; 5. Rectifiers and Power Supplies by D. Gow; 6. General Considerations of Particle Counters by B.J. Moyer; 7. Ionization Chambers by Emilio Segré; 8. Geiger Counters by R. Chasson; 9. Proportional Counters by H.F. York; 10. General Accelerator Considerations by E. McMillan; 11. Van de Graaf Electrostatic Accelerators by A.J. Hudgins; 12. Linear Accelerators by Louis Alvarez; 13. The Cyclotron by R.L. Thornton; 14. Beta Ray Spectrographs by A.C. Helmholz.

14 mimeographed typescript lectures on 144 leaves, rectos only; diagrams throughout the text, some pencilled notes, contents a little toned; brown pressboard binder, housed in a custom brown cloth folding case, later manuscript title to upper cover, some sticker residue, edges a little rubbed, corners bumped, very good condition.