Major Symbols

As one might expect by now, Michael Maier had also illustrated the standard hermetic motif of the Fountain of the Alchemists (fig. 18). His fortieth emblem, Ex duabus aquis, fac unam, et erit aqua sanctitatis, challenges the Alchemist to make one water out of two waters, and that will be the water of holiness. As treated by Maier, the two waters become a major symbol common to all hermetic thought the coniunctio oppositorum, or union of opposites, that is, of opposing Male and Female Principles. This symbolism is explained in Maier s epigram ... 

There is a Nomenclature section on p. 286 which defines the major symbols used in this chapter. 

The standard term symbol gives a pre-superscript of 2S 11, where S is the total spin. The major symbol is the total angular momentum. The post-superscript and subscript are a symmetry term and a spin orbital coupling term. The electronic configuration determines the term symbol. 

LIST OF MAJOR SYMBOLS FOR PHYSICAL QUANTITIES IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY APPEAR IN THE TEXT... 

First we describe the major symbols, then the methods for the determination of thermodynamic parameters relevant for cationic ring-opening polymerization, the factors affecting these parameters, and finally deviations of real systems from ideality. On this basis we discuss fundamental principles and peculiarities observed in the thermodynamics of cationic ring-opening polymerization, and, eventually we show how these principles are applied for preparation of some homo- and copolymers. 

The mathematical notation is uniform throughout the book and there is minimal duplication of symbols. The List of Major Symbols and the List of Abbreviations offer definitions, units, and section references. Usually we have adhered to the recommendations of the lUPAC Commission on Electrochemistry [R. Parsons et al.. Pure Appl. Chem., 37, 503 (1974)]. Exceptions have been made where customary usage or clarity of notation seemed compelling. 

In the development of the field of defect chemistry of inorganic compounds various systems of notation have been proposed and used to describe point defects. However, the most widely adopted system is that due to Kroger and Vink (1956) (see also Kroger (1964)), and this will be used in this book. This system describes crystals in terms of structural elements, and an imperfection is indicated by a major symbol describing its chemical content and a subscript that indicates the site that it occupies. 

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