Charged Particle Optics Theory

Chapter 1Introduction: The optical nature of a charged particle beam

Modern physics teaches that all matter is made of particles which interact with one another. Every particle is characterized by its intrinsic charge, mass, and spin. These quantities govern all interactions which a particle can have. For example, an atom consists of a cloud of negatively charged electrons orbiting a compact, positively charged nucleus. The establishment of this fact in quantitative terms has a fascinating history. It originates with the early hypothesis of Democritas, proceeds through the origins of quantitative chemistry in the seventeenth century, and culminates with the elucidation of quantum mechanics in the twentieth century. Only during the last few decades ...