The effect which now bears his name, was discovered in 1958 by Rudolf Mössbauer at the Technical University of Munich. At first, this appeared to be a phenomenon related to nuclear energy levels that provided some information about excited state lifetimes and quantum properties. However, it soon became apparent that Mössbauer spectroscopy had applications in such diverse fields as general relativity, solid state physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, medical physics, archeology and art. It is the extreme sensitivity of the effect to the atomic environment around the probe atom as well as the ability to apply the technique to some interesting and important elements, most notably iron, that is responsible for the Mössbauer effect's extensive use. The present volume reviews the historical development of the Mössbauer effect, the experimental details, the basic physics of hyperfine interactions and some of the numerous applications of Mössbauer effect spectroscopy.

Applications of Mössbauer Spectroscopy, Volume I is a collection of essays that discusses the research performed using Mössbauer spectroscopy. The book presents the effect of some stabilizers of polyethylene. It demonstrates the polymerization processes and structure of catalytically active centers. The text also describes the chemical processes in butyl rubber vulcanization. It discusses the experimental studies of iron transport proteins and the thermal decomposition of solids. The section that follows describes the paramagnetic hyperfine structure. The book will provide valuable insights for scientists, chemists, students, and researchers in the field of organic chemistry.

As is often the case, the preface is the last task to be finished during the preparation of a large volume such as you are now holding. The first task, obtaining approval for a symposium on the industrial applications, now seems a long time ago. The idea orginated with John Stevens, probably in 1982, from his observation of papers dealing with industrial applications of the Mossbauer effect appearing in the Mossbauer Effect Reference and Data Journal. His initial suggestion for a symposium entitled "Industrial Applications of the Mossbauer Effect" to be held at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society eventually led to the symposium at the International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies which met in Honolulu, Hawaii in December 1984. This volume is the result of the symposium at the above mentioned Congress, but is not actually the 'proceedings' of the symposium because this volume does not contain all of the over one hundred Mossbauer effect papers that were pre sented at the symposium. Rather it contains a selection of papers that the or ganizing committee for the symposium deemed most appropriate for a volume devoted to industrial applications of the Mossbauer effect. The final volume also contains six chapters that were not a part of the symposium but which are closely related to the topic. There is another difference from many proceedings.

The technique of Mössbauer spectroscopy is important in the study of the bonding, structural, magnetic, nuclear and dynamical properties of various systems. Although used mainly by physicists and chemists, the method has also become a common means of investigation for materials scientists, geologists, biologists, surface scientists and others. This book describes the principles of the technique, and discusses its applications in various fields. It will be invaluable for anyone using the technique of Mössbauer spectroscopy for the first time.