IUCr Texts on Crystallography - 20: The Basics of Crystallography and Diffraction

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This book offers a comprehensive introduction to crystallography, light, X-ray, and electron diffraction, essential for students across various scientific fields. Unlike more specialized texts, it presents the subject in an accessible manner, enriched with historical and biographical insights that trace the evolution of crystallography through the contributions of notable scientists. The text emphasizes the understanding of both inorganic and organic crystal structures, starting from basic concepts of atomic and molecular packing. It develops ideas of lattices, symmetry, point and space groups, and includes discussions on 'Penrose' tilings and quasiperiodic structures. The importance of the reciprocal lattice in understanding light, X-ray, and electron diffraction patterns is articulated simply, leading into Fourier analysis, crystal structure determination, image formation, and diffraction-limited resolution. Practical applications of X-ray and electron diffraction techniques are also covered, highlighting common principles rather than treating techniques in isolation. The fourth edition has been thoroughly revised, featuring new sections on Fourier analysis, Patterson maps, direct methods, charge flipping, group theory in crystallography, and a chapter on describing the physical properties of crystals using tensors.