"The atoms which constitute a solid consist of nuclei and electrons. For a description of the state of the solid it is not, however, necessary to specify the state of all the Z electrons of each atom, since we can eliminate most or all of them by a principle that is familiar from the theory of molecules. ... Since the atomic nuclei are much heavier than the electrons, they move much more slowly, and it is therefore reasonable to start from the approximation in which they are taken to be taken to be at rest, though not necessarily in the regular positions."
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Academics from GermanyPhysicists from the United KingdomUniversity of Cambridge facultyPhysicists from GermanyJews from Germany
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(quote from page 5, chapter 1)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rudolf_Peierls
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Rudolf Peierls
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