Laser applications to analytical ultracentrifugation : a thesis presented to Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract

The work of Svedberg and his collaborators in the early 1920's heralded the use of centrifugal fields for the study of macromolecular systems. Following this work the developments in both theoretical and experimental aspects have been dramatic, so much so that the majority of current researchers take the use of the analytical ultracentrifuge for granted as a basic tool for the determination of molecular weights of macromolecules. The latter is justified in view of the theoretical and experimental evidence to date, and reviews citing original references and covering the state of the art from its inception to the present day are available.