The past decade has seen a major resurgence in optics research and the teaching of optics throughout the major universities both in this country and abroad. Electrooptical devices have become a challenging form of study that has penetrated both the electrical engineering and the physics departments of most major schools. There seems to be something challeng ing about a laser that appeals to both the practical electrical engineer with a hankering for fundamental research and to the fundamental physicist with a hankering to be practical. Somehow or other this same form of enthusiasm has not previously existed in the study of photoelectronic devices that form images. This field of, endeavor is becoming more and more so phisticated as newer forms of solid state devices enter the field not only in the data processing end but in the conversion of radiant energy into electrical charge patterns that are stored, manipulated, and read out in a way that a decade ago would have been considered beyond some fundamental limit or other. It is unfortunate, however, that this kind of material has heretofore been learned only by the process of becoming an apprentice in one or more of the major development laboratories concerned with the manufacture of image intensifiers or television tubes or the production of systems employing these devices.

Design optics and technology for large spaceborne astronomical telescopes.

Hi-Vision is a new television system that Japan plications have already begun in some of these is the first to propose to the world. It has long areas. been in development by NHK (the Japanese In view of these developments, it is signifi Broadcasting Corporation). The term Hi-Vision cant that a book that systematically deals with itself is becoming well-known worldwide. Hi-Vision technologies is being published. Until NHK has been involved in the research and now there has not been any publication that ad development of a high-definition television sys equately dealt with Hi-Vision technologies, and tem for almost twenty years. Over this period, students and engineers interested in the subject the project has moved from basic visual, audi have had to sift through numerous journals and tory and psychological research to the devel papers. opment of experimental and broadcast quality Believing that there was now a need to sys equipment. With practical implementation near tematically present the results of a quarter cen at hand, a considerable amount of equipment is tury of research and development, the NHK Sci now already on the market. Furthermore, efforts ence and Technical Research Laboratories decided are underway to commercialize the technology to compile this volume. Each section has been by improving the performance of household and written by the research staff members directly broadcast systems and establishing an interna involved in the project and knowledgeable in tional standard. the latest developments.