Since the first reports on metastable defects in III-V and II-VI compound semiconductors appeared in the late 1960s, the number of reports on defects with metastable states has been growing at an ever increasing rate. D(X)-center and other metastability defects cause many technical problems that are exacerbated by the uncertainty and controversy surrounding the mechanisms that cause them. A lively mix of theoretical and experimental discussions, D(X)-Centres and other Metastable Defects in Semiconductors presents a timely investigation of these systems. The book discusses topics such as, the validity of negative or positive U models, as well as alternative views that challenge existing ideas. The richness and precision of experimental data now emerging in the field is chronicled as are new investigative techniques. Based on an INT symposium, this book provides a successful forum where an extraordinary variety of ideas, including new perspectives, are examined critically.

The Flanders armada, took shape in response to the use of seapower by the Dutch rebels, and evolved into the most effective unit in Spain’s defence establishment. In combination with its privateering auxiliaries, this elite striking force dominated the North Sea for some twenty years (1625–45), and campaigned also in the Mediterranean and Atlantic theatres of war. Yet its contribution to the tenacious survival of Spanish hegemony has never before been assessed. A narrative of the armada’s fighting record over the century of its meaningful existence is presented with constant reference to the strategic-logistical context and analysis of policymaking in Madrid. Attention is paid to the political significance of maritime policy, and particularly the relationship between Madrid and its subordinate headquarters in Brussels; the infrastructure of the armada; the ships themselves, above all the revolutionary but elusive ‘frigate’; the social hierarchy of crews and commanders; and details of administration and financing.

This book concentrates on the political history of the reign of Philip IV, and the role of the king within it. Philip is kept near the forefront, and issues and events are often seen - if sometimes critically - from his viewpoint. It is, therefore, a work of revision and rehabilitation, representing an attempt (against all other extant accounts) to establish Philip IV as a positive figure, with an autonomous character and political identity. A secondary, supportive, intention is to demonstrate that after the fall of Olivares, the king ruled and governed without a favourite (valido). This is the central theme in the most detailed treatment of the second half of the reign available in any language. Reference is made throughout to Philip's own words and actions. At the same time, the Olivares period itself is approached from a new perspective, some issues being examined with the use of new material. Although not intended as a conventional biography, the book retains several characteristics of the form, in that it is a 'career-study', part thematic, part chronological. Philip IV is examined also in relation to the political writing of the age, and to his court and capital in Madrid.

The Flanders armada, took shape in response to the use of seapower by the Dutch rebels, and evolved into the most effective unit in Spain's defence establishment. In combination with its privateering auxiliaries, this elite striking force dominated the North Sea for some twenty years (1625-45), and campaigned also in the Mediterranean and Atlantic theatres of war. Yet its contribution to the tenacious survival of Spanish hegemony has never before been assessed. A narrative of the armada's fighting record over the century of its meaningful existence is presented with constant reference to the strategic-logistical context and analysis of policymaking in Madrid. Attention is paid to the political significance of maritime policy, and particularly the relationship between Madrid and its subordinate headquarters in Brussels; the infrastructure of the armada; the ships themselves, above all the revolutionary but elusive 'frigate'; the social hierarchy of crews and commanders; and details of administration and financing.

This volume contains the Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Optical Properties of Narrow-Gap Low-Dimensional Structures," held from July 29th to August 1st, 1986, in St. Andrews, Scotland, under the auspices of the NATO International Scientific Exchange Program. The workshop was not limited to optical properties of narrow-gap semiconductor structures (Part III). Sessions on, for example, the growth methods and characterization of III-V, II-VI, and IV-VI materials, discussed in Part II, were an integral part of the workshop. Considering the small masses of the carriers in narrow-gap low dimensional structures (LOS), in Part I the enhanced band mixing and magnetic field effects are explored in the context of the envelope function approximation. Optical nonlinearities and energy relaxation phenomena applied to the well-known systems of HgCdTe and GaAs/GaAIAs, respectively, are reviewed with comments on their extension to narrow gap LOS. The relevance of optical observations in quantum transport studies is illustrated in Part IV. A review of devices based on epitaxial narrow-gap materials defines a frame of reference for future ones based on two-dimensional narrow-gap semiconductors; in addition, an analysis of the physics of quantum well lasers provides a guide to relevant parameters for narrow-gap laser devices for the infrared (Part V). The roles and potentials of special techniques are explored in Part VI, with emphasis on hydrostatic pressure techniques, since this has a pronounced effect in small-mass, narrow-gap, non-parabolic structures."