Cambridge University Press is no longer publishing the SSS software via CD but is happy to have us distribute it via this web site.
If you have any difficulties please write (with details) to rhs1@cornell.edu as soon as possible.
You will need Stuffit Expander, available for free from Aladdin, to download the Macintosh files. You may download either the executable files (7 MB) (all you need to run the programs), or the full set of files (12.7 MB), including the source code, if you wish to modify the programs and recompile.
The new version of the SSS contains a minor bug for the Macintosh: if the screen
resolution is changed manually, the animation programs slow down by about a
factor of two. Normal speed is easily restored: click on the "display" window a
second time to bring down its menu. Then click anywhere.
Download and unzip the Windows files (5.1 MB) to get the full set of files for Windows systems.
If you wish only the executable files, choose the appropriate one of:
executable linux (6.7 MB)
executable aix4 (21 MB)
executable sgi (22 MB)
executable sun (24 MB)
If you wish to modify the program and recomplile, you should download the appropriate full set of files:
full linux (7.2 MB)
full aix4 (25 MB)
full sgi (14 MB)
full sun (26 MB)
ALSO, if you wish to recompile you MUST download and use patched versions of
tcl (4.2 MB),
blt (1.6 MB),and
tk (7.2 MB),
NOT the current versions!
Note that problems with the linux version from the CD have (we hope) been eliminated with patches for compatibility with more recent versions of linux.
The software for Simulations for Solid State Physics: An Interactive Resource for Students and Teachers has been upgraded for most systems to support use on screens with resolutions as low as 480x640. This upgrade also includes a more uniform format for the interface window and minor bug fixes to the Windows version. You may download upgrades to the software from here. These upgrades are NOT full programs: they only replace the altered files in the software you have already installed on your hard disk from the original CD-ROM. They MUST be downloaded into the appropriate existing directories/folders; follow the installation instructions!
(WARNING! If you have developed your own customized presets for "bravais" you will have to redefine these presets for this one program. Before updating your programs, run your various presets for 'bravais', note down the critical parameters, and then remake the customized presets with these parameters after updating the programs. Customized presets for all other programs will continue to be recognized by the new versions.)
If you have any problems with updating your programs, please send us an e-mail.
Download SSSMacUpdate, double click on the Update Installer, and follow the directions in the Installer. You must have Stuffit Expander (free download) to open this file.
The new version of the SSS contains a minor bug for the Macintosh: if the screen resolution is changed manually, the animation programs slow down by about a factor of two. Normal speed is easily restored: click on the "display" window a second time to bring down its menu. Then click anywhere.
We have updated the software for Windows 95, 98, and NT. Minor bugs in the earlier version have also been fixed. However, we have NOT attempted to update the Windows 3.1 version, but the upgrade MAY(??) work. sssup.exe gives a self extracting file which may be used to update the SSS files on your hard disk. See comment 1.12 in the general postings if you're having trouble with upgrading.
To update your Unix files, download the appropriate g-zipped tar-file, decompress and untar it, and move it to the sss directory in which you have the sss executable files. Obsolete files will be overwritten. This update includes updated source files.
We have truncated versions of the software available here for you to download and explore. If you plan to make any significant use of the programs, we ask you to buy the full package, Simulations for Solid State Physics: An Interactive Resource for Students and Teachers, Cambridge University Press, which includes a full CD-ROM with an accompanying guide book. Because of the extensive parameter space available for exploration, the guide book is essential for efficient use of the programs. A quick look at the simulations themselves will, however, give you some sense of their capabilities as a teaching tool.
Be sure to explore the presets and their annotations!
Each program has a set of additional exercises which may be used as an aid for self study or as a model for quiz questions. in the downloadable files, the figure files necessary for these exercises are included only for the single program "bravais". There are, of course, figure files for all of the programs included on the CD-ROM.
Note that these are the original versions of the software and they will run satisfactorily only on a high resolution screen such as 768x1024. 600x800 will work marginally for some of the programs.