Chapter III molecular and ionic interactions in dielectrics

The theoretical scene was dominated by studies of the effects of long-range interactions in crystal lattices of various kinds. The correlation of conclusions drawn from various models is beyond the scope of this Digest and, indeed, a major part of the year's work by the theoreticians has been concerned with re-appraising, criticizing and extending earlier work. A good example of this type of activity is seen in Havinga's paper on crystalline alkali halides. The most intriguing experiment was performed by Groitoru; he demonstrated by a birefringence technique that space charges from very quickly in polar liquids, and that these charges, often classified under the general heading of “electrode polarization”, extend far into the liquid. Reviews were notable for their absence; Volume II of “Progress in Dielectrics” appeared¹.