A concise introduction, Optical Astronomical Spectroscopy appeals to the newcomer of astronomical spectroscopy and assumes no previous specialist knowledge. Beginning from the physical background of spectroscopy with a clear explanation of energy levels and spectroscopic notation, the book proceeds to introduce the main techniques of optical spectroscopy and the range of instrumentation that is available. With clarity and directness, it then describes the applications of spectroscopy in modern astronomy, such as the solar system, stars, nebulae, the interstellar medium, and galaxies, giving an immediate appeal to beginners.

The Star and the Whole: Gian-Carlo Rota on Mathematics and Phenomenology, authored by Fabrizio Palombi, is the first book to study Rota's philosophical reflection. Rota (1932 1999) was a leading figure in contemporary mathematics and an outstanding philosopher, inspired by phenomenology, who made fundamental contributions to combinatorial analysis, and trained several generations of mathematicians in his long career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The first chapter of the book reconstructs Rota's cultural biography and examines his philosophical style, his criticisms of analytical philosophy, and his reflection on Heidegger's thought. The second chapter presents a general picture of Rota's re-elaboration of phenomenology examined in the light of the Husserlian notion of Fundierung. This chapter also illustrates how the star-shape becomes a powerful instrument for understanding the properties of Husserl's mereology and the critique of objectivism. The third chapter is a theoretical reflection on the nature of mathematical entities, and the fourth examines the complex relation of mathematical research with technological applicability and scientific progress. The foreword of the text is written by Robert Sokolowski.

This book is intended as a supplementary text to the standard course books on theoretical physics and astrophysics, addressing applications and selected problems in theoretical physics and astrophysics, most of which are to a greater or lesser extent associated with electrodynamics.

Astronomical photographs contain an enormous amount of information. This presents extremely interesting problems when one wishes to produce digitized sky atlases, to archive the digitized material, to develop sophisticated devices to do the digitizing, and to create software to process the vast amounts of data. All these activities are necessary to be able to carry out astronomy work. One such activity is the important, large-scale optical identification of objects which also emit radiation at other wavelengths. Other activities of the past decade include a multiplicity of surveys that have been made on galaxies and clusters of galaxies. This book treats, in five sections, the existing and future surveys, their digitization and their impact on astronomy. It is designed to serve as a reference for people in the field and for those who wish to engage in using or producing sky surveys.

.".. is a worthwhile elementary treatment of the cosmology of the early Universe written with a liveliness and simplicity that will surely encourage students to pursue the subject further.''
John D Barrow
Nature, 1989

.".. a superb guide to what is known about cosmology....The authors also leave you with a sense of anticipation and excitement.''
David Hughes
New Scientist, 1989

"The book is well written and interesting, particularly in its use of Chinese stories throughout ... The book contains all the standard material found in such texts. The chapters on the thermodynamics of the Universe are particularly good ... this is a first-rate book of its genre and is heartily recommended."
Kenneth Dunn
Mathematical Reviews, 1993

"The best popular account of the science that explains how the universe can be friendly to life is a book, 'Creation of the Universe', by the Chinese astronomers, Fang Li Zhi and Li Shu Xian. The book was translated into English and published by World Scientific Publishing in 1989. Fang Li Zhi is the famous dissident astronomer now living in exile in the United States. I particularly recommend Chapter 6, with the title 'How Order Was Born of Chaos'. This tells the same story that I am telling you today, but with more detail and more depth."
Freeman J Dyson
Oppenheimer lecture at University of California, Berkeley
Mar 2000

.".. is a worthwhile elementary treatment of the cosmology of the early Universe written with a liveliness and simplicity that will surely encourage students to pursue the subject further.''
John D Barrow
Nature, 1989

.".. a superb guide to what is known about cosmology....The authors also leave you with a sense of anticipation and excitement.''
David Hughes
New Scientist, 1989

"The book is well written and interesting, particularly in its use of Chinese stories throughout ... The book contains all the standard material found in such texts. The chapters on the thermodynamics of the Universe are particularly good ... this is a first-rate book of its genre and is heartily recommended."
Kenneth Dunn
Mathematical Reviews, 1993

"The best popular account of the science that explains how the universe can be friendly to life is a book, 'Creation of the Universe', by the Chinese astronomers, Fang Li Zhi and Li Shu Xian. The book was translated into English and published by World Scientific Publishing in 1989. Fang Li Zhi is the famous dissident astronomer now living in exile in the United States. I particularly recommend Chapter 6, with the title 'How Order Was Born of Chaos'. This tells the same story that I am telling you today, but with more detail and more depth."
Freeman J Dyson
Oppenheimer lecture at University of California, Berkeley
Mar 2000

This book introduces quantum field theory, together with its most important applications to cosmology and astroparticle physics, in a coherent framework. The path integral approach is employed right from the start, and the use of Green functions and generating functionals is illustrated first in quantum mechanics and then in scalar field theory. Massless spin one and two fields are discussed on an equal footing, and gravity is presented as a gauge theory in close analogy with the Yang-Mills case. Concepts relevant to modern research such as helicity methods, effective theories, decoupling, or the stability of the electroweak vacuum are introduced. Various applications such as topological defects, dark matter, baryogenesis, processes in external gravitational fields, inflation and black holes help students to bridge the gap between undergraduate courses and the research literature.

This IAU Symposium brought together researchers who use CCDs and arrays, designers and manufacturers of CCDs and array mosaics, and those who write the software to control these devices and to reduce the large amounts of data contained in each frame. At the meeting such topics as plans for applying the new technology to the new large telescopes that have been built recently and those planned in the near future, new developments in infra-red arrays, advances and concerns with the use of CCDs in photometry and spectroscopy and the creation of large mosaics in photometry and spectroscopy, and the creation of large mosaics of chips which allow larger areas of the sky to be covered in a single frame were discussed. There were sessions devoted to the following topics: new developments in CCD technology; new developments in IR detector arrays; direct imaging with CCDs and other arrays; spectroscopy with CCDs and other arrays; and large field imaging with array mosaics. Scientific results of studies made with this technology were covered in the poster sessions. CCD and array detectors have become the detectors of choice at all the world's optical observatories. Such instruments on small university and college telescopes have turned these telescopes into instruments that can now do observations which in the past were done only on the largest telescopes. CCDs and arrays are known as "the people's detector" because of their ability to turn small telescopes into true research instruments. On large telescopes observations can be made of extremely faint and crowded objects that were impossible to observe before the advent of CCD and Array technology. The proceedings of this meeting should be useful to all those who are interested in the design, manufacture and use of CCDs and arrays for astronomical observations.

Meteorite tells the fascinating story of the stones from outer space scattered across our planet. From the impact that finished off the dinosaurs to the dagger made of extraterrestrial iron found in Tutankhamun's tomb, this book is packed full of surprising information, unlikely pioneers and eye-opening science. Dr Tim Gregory explains how these rocky fragments offer clues not just to the earliest origins of everything, but also to humanity's survival into the future. 'A passionate communicator, Tim Gregory conjures colourful environments and events far outside the human' NATURE 'Meticulous and eminently readable, served with clarity, erudition and humour' WALL STREET JOURNAL 'Tim Gregory gets it. He has an uncanny ability to swiftly understand, to clearly explain, and to be joyful' CHRIS HADFIELD

The papers in this volume aim to represent the most up-to-date research contributions on the observations, theoretical interpretations, and empirical and physical models of variations observed in solar and stellar irradiances, as well as on Sun-climate connections. Both theoretical studies and irradiance observations show that the energy output of the Sun and solar-type stars varies, changing on time scales related to the short-term surface manifestations of solar/stellar magnetic activity as well as long-term modulations driven by processes in the interiors of the stars. Papers presented in this book point out that at the Earth these variations influence the terrestrial climate, radiative environment and upper atmospheric chemistry.

Masers are the microwave analogue of lasers; there are many astronomical sources of natural maser emission, including gas around forming and dying stars, and around supermassive black holes. These bright sources of microwaves are fascinating in their own right and provide unique abilities to probe details of astronomical sources. Molecular maser emission studies address important questions in the formation and evolution of stars, the structure of our Milky Way Galaxy, the characteristics of supermassive black holes, and fundamental parameters of cosmology. More than 100 astronomers from around the world gathered in Cagliari, Sardinia, for IAU Symposium 336 to discuss the latest findings related to masers. These proceedings summarize state of the art observations and theories pertaining to astrophysical masers and their environments, for graduate students and researchers. As new radio telescope facilities come online, observations of masers will continue to shed light on a broad range of important astrophysical problems.

This book presents experiments which will teach physics relevant to astronomy. The astronomer, as instructor, frequently faces this need when his college or university has no astronomy department and any astronomy course is taught in the physics department. The physicist, as instructor, will find this intellectually appealing when faced with teaching an introductory astronomy course. From these experiments, the student will acquire important analytical tools, learn physics appropriate to astronomy, and experience instrument calibration and the direct gathering and analysis of data. Experiments that can be performed in one laboratory session as well as semester-long observation projects are included.

This volume contains the papers presented at the Third Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics. The papers cover a large range of questions, from the behaviour of dust particles to the stability of the solar system as a whole. The motions of asteroids and their classification into families are also discussed. Specific topics addressed are KAM theory, chaotic motions, resonances, Lyapunov characteristic exponents, perturbation theory and numerical integration.

Foreword; J. Davies, D. Burstein. Introductory Remarks; M. Disney. Interstellar grain evolution and temperatures in spiral galaxies; J. Mayo Greenberg, A. Li. Radiative transfer models; G. Bruzual A. Radiative transfer in dusty galaxies; A.N. Witt. Opacity Diagnostics in spiral galaxies; N.D. Kylafis. Modeling dusty galaxies; G. Magris C., G. Bruzual A. Inclination-dependence of spiral galaxy physical properties: history and tests; D. Burstein, et al. Why a distance selection effect invalidates the Burstein, Haynes and Faber opacity test; J.I. Davies, et al. Statistical tests for opacity; E.A. Valentijn. Statistical measures of internal absorption in spiral galaxies; B. Cunow. The distribution of galactic inclinations; H. Jones, et al. Optical thickness of Sb-Scd galaxies from the Tully--Fisher relation; L. Gouguenhei, et al. Extinction in Sc galaxies at I band and in the 21cm line; R. Giovanelli. Extinction in the galaxy and in galactic discs; G. de Vaucouleurs. Properties of dust in backlit galaxies; W. Keel, R.E. White. The optical depth through NGC 3314A; P. James, P. Puxley. Dust extinction in highly inclined spirals; J. Knapen, et al. An optical search for dusty disks; M. Naslund, S. Joersater. Photometric asymmetry and dust opacity of spiral galaxies; Y.I. Byun. The scale-length test for dust in face-on spirals; J.E. Beckman, et al. Color gradients in spiral galaxies; S. Courteau, J. Holtzman. Constraints on the opacity of spiral disks from near-infrared observations; H.W. Rix. Arcsecond resolution of cold dust in spiral galaxies using optical and NIR imaging -- dust masses increase by nine hundred percent; D.L. Block, et al. Unveiling stars and dust in spiral galaxies;R.F. Pelletier, et al. Azimuthal distribution of dust in NGC 2997; P. Grosbol, et al. Internal extinction in spiral galaxies at optical and near infrared wavelengths; A. Boselli, G. Gavazzi. The opacity of spiral galaxy disks; N. Devereux. The far infrared/stellar energy balance; R. Evans. Opacity from luminosity functions; M. Trewhella, et al. Estimating disk opacities using infrared images; W. van Driel. DIRBE observations of galactic extinction; R.G. Arendt, et al. Kinematics of edge-on galaxies and the opacity of spiral disks; A. Bosma. Spectroscopic studies of the disk and halo of M82; C.D. McKeith, et al. Disk origin and evolution; J. Silk. The luminosity and opacity of galaxies; B. Wang. Dust obscuration in starburst galaxies; D. Calzetti. Polarimetry of dusty edge-on galaxies; R.D. Wolstencroft, S.M. Scarrott. HII regions and extinction in the spiral galaxy M83; S. Ryder, et al. A search for dust in galactic halos; D. Zaritsky. Concluding thoughts and reflections: dust in galaxies; H.A. Thronson Jr.

The principal objectives of the Project were to further the establishment of national "operational" weather radar networks, harmonise operations, data handling and processing to minimise the difficulties of, and maximise the benefits of international weather radar data exchange. To transmit the data efficiently, standardised formats and protocols were essential. These were formulated by a working group whose efforts were rewarded when WMO accepted their proposal for worldwide use. A multi-national pilot project area was established and streams of data from each of the countries involved were merged and integrated with data from the satelite METEOSAT. The composite image, known as "the COST image" was regularly distributed via the global telecommunication system of WMO, the public telephone switched network and the Olympus satelite. The utility of the COST image was assessed for, inter alia, short-period forecasting, aviation flight assistance, maritime forecasting and the initialisation of numerical weather prediction models. In all cases, the COST image was found to be beneficial. A report containing proposed curricula for the training of meteorologists, hydrologists and other major users of weather radar data was sent to WMO for possible adoption as one of their standard training manuals. As a report of international scientific cooperation, this is a success story. All the principal objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding were achieved both within time and budget. It is a tale of international cooperation at its best.

This book explores the extraordinary difficulties a nation-state's law enforcement and military face in attempting to prevent cyber-attacks. In the wake of recent assaults including the denial of service attack on Estonia in 2007 and the widespread use of the Zeus Trojan Horse software, Susan W. Brenner explores how traditional categories and procedures inherent in law enforcement and military agencies can obstruct efforts to respond to cyberthreats. Brenner argues that the use of a territorially-based system of sovereignty to combat cyberthreats is ineffective, as cyberspace erodes the import of territory. This problem is compounded by the nature of cybercrime as a continually evolving phenomenon driven by rapid and complex technological change. Following an evaluation of the efficacy of the nation-state, the book goes on to explore how individuals and corporations could be integrated into a more decentralized, distributed system of cyberthreat control. Looking at initiatives in Estonia and Sweden which have attempted to incorporate civilians into their cyber-response efforts, Brenner suggests that civilian involvement may mediate the rigid hierarchies that exist among formal agencies and increase the flexibility of any response. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of information technological law and security studies.

As evidenced by five Nobel Prizes in physics, radio astronomy in its 80-year history has contributed greatly to our understanding of the universe. Yet for too long, there has been no suitable textbook on radio astronomy for undergraduate students.

Fundamentals of Radio Astronomy: Observational Methods is the first undergraduate-level textbook exclusively devoted to radio astronomy telescopes and observation methods. This book, the first of two volumes, explains the instrumentation and techniques needed to make successful observations in radio astronomy. With examples interspersed throughout and problems at the end of each chapter, it prepares students to contribute to a radio astronomy research team.

Requiring no prior knowledge of astronomy, the text begins with a review of pertinent astronomy basics. It then discusses radiation physics, the collection and detection of astronomical radio signals using radio telescopes, the functioning of various components of radio telescopes, and the processes involved in making successful radio observations. The book also provides a conceptual understanding of the fundamental principles of aperture synthesis and a more advanced undergraduate-level discussion of real-world interferometry observations.

Web Resource

A set of laboratory exercises is available for download on the book’s CRC Press web page. These labs use the Small Radio Telescope (SRT) and the Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT) developed for educational use by MIT’s Haystack Observatory. The web page also includes a Java package that demonstrates the principles of Fourier transforms, which are needed for the analysis of interferometric data.

Table of Contents

Introductory Material. Introduction to Radiation Physics. Radio Telescopes. Single-Dish Radio Telescope Observations. Aperture Synthesis Basics: Two-Element Interferometers. Aperture Synthesis: Advanced Discussion. Appendices.

The cutting-edge science that is taking the measure of the universe The Little Book of Cosmology provides a breathtaking look at our universe on the grandest scales imaginable. Written by one of the world's leading experimental cosmologists, this short but deeply insightful book describes what scientists are revealing through precise measurements of the faint thermal afterglow of the Big Bang-known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB-and how their findings are transforming our view of the cosmos. Blending the latest findings in cosmology with essential concepts from physics, Lyman Page first helps readers to grasp the sheer enormity of the universe, explaining how to understand the history of its formation and evolution in space and time. Then he sheds light on how spatial variations in the CMB formed, how they reveal the age, size, and geometry of the universe, and how they offer a blueprint for the formation of cosmic structure. Not only does Page explain current observations and measurements, he describes how they can be woven together into a unified picture to form the Standard Model of Cosmology. Yet much remains unknown, and this incisive book also describes the search for ever deeper knowledge at the field's frontiers-from quests to understand the nature of neutrinos and dark energy to investigations into the physics of the very early universe.

Scientific and popular literature on modern cosmology is very extensive; however, scholarly works on the historical development of cosmology are few and scattered. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Modern Cosmology offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of the history of cosmology from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. It provides historical background to what we know about the universe today, including not only the successes but also the many false starts. Big Bang theory features prominently, but so does the defunct steady state theory. The book starts with a chapter on the pre-Einstein period (1860-1910) and ends with chapters on modern developments such as inflation, dark energy and multiverse hypotheses. The chapters are organized chronologically, with some focusing on theory and others more on observations and technological advances. A few of the chapters discuss more general ideas, relating to larger contexts such as politics, economy, philosophy and world views.

A very attractive feature of the theory of general relativity is that it is a perfectexampleofa"falsi?able"theory:notunableparameterispresentinthe theory and therefore even a single experiment incompatible with a prediction of the theory would immediately lead to its inevitable rejection, at least in the physical regime of application of the aforementioned experiment. This fact provides additional scienti?c value to one of the boldest and most fascinating achievements of the human intellect ever, and motivates a wealth of e?orts in designing and implementing tests aimed at the falsi?cation of the theory. The ?rst historical test on the theory has been the de?ection of light gr- ing the solar surface (Eddington 1919): the compatibility of the theory with this ?rst experiment together with its ability to explain the magnitude of the perihelion advance of Mercury contributed strongly to boost acceptance and worldwideknowledge.However,technologicallimitations preventedphysicists from setting up more constraining tests for several decades after the formu- tion of the theory. In fact, a relevant problem with experimental general r- ativity is that the predicted deviations from the Newtonian theory of gravity areverysmallwhentheexperimentsarecarriedoutinterrestriallaboratories.

So you've fallen in love with space and now you want to see it for yourself, huh? You want to witness the birth of a star, or visit the black hole at the center of our galaxy? You want to know if there are aliens out there, or how to travel through a wormhole? You want the wonders of the universe revealed before your very eyes? Well stop, because all that will probably kill you. From mundane comets in our solar backyard to exotic remnants of the Big Bang, from dying stars to young galaxies, the universe may be beautiful, but it's treacherous. Through metaphors and straightforward language, it breathes life into astrophysics, unveiling how particles and forces and fields interplay to create the drama in the heavens above us.

The symbiosis between particles physics and cosmology has virtually become a conjugal relationship. Hence the 9th Biennial Course of the International School of Cosmic-Ray Astrophysics was designed to bridge these formerly disparate disciplines. This NATO Advanced Study Institute took place at the Ettore Majorana Centre in Erice, Italy, June 20-30, 1992. Seventy participants from 17 countries participated in lively interactions and enjoyed the stimulating lectures that form the basis for this volume. The book includes current advances in both astrophysics (cosmic gamma ravs, X-rays, cosmic rays) and cosmology (an introduction to inflation in big-bang theory, the age of the universe, nucleosynthesis in the early universe). It is suitable for reading and study by all interested physical scientists, especially those having a limited specialized background in astrophysics and cosmology.

This volume covers most areas in the physics of the solar system, with special emphasis on gravitational dynamics; its gist is the rational, in particular mathematical, understanding of the main processes at work. Special stress is given to the variety of objects in the planetary system and their long-term evolution. The unique character of this book is its breadth and depth, which aims at bringing the reader to the threshold of original research; however, special chapters and introductory sections are included for the benefit of the beginner.

Physics of the Solar System is based on the earlier work by B. Bertotti and P. Farinella: Physics of the Earth and the Solar System, which has been completely revised and updated, and more focused on the solar system. It generally attains a higher level than the previous version. This volume is generally suitable for post-graduate students and researchers in physics, especially in the field related to the solar system. A large amount of figures and diagrams is included, often compiled with real data.

From the big bang to black holes, from dark matter to dark energy, from the origins of the universe to its ultimate destiny, "The Edge of the Sky" tells the story of the most important discoveries and mysteries in modern cosmology--with a twist. The book's lexicon is limited to the thousand most common words in the English language, excluding "physics," "energy," "galaxy," or even "universe." Through the eyes of a fictional scientist (Student-People) hunting for dark matter with one of the biggest telescopes (Big-Seers) on Earth (Home-World), cosmologist Roberto Trotta explores the most important ideas about our universe (All-there-is) in language simple enough for anyone to understand.
A unique blend of literary experimentation and science popularization, this delightful book is a perfect gift for any aspiring astronomer. The Edge of the Sky tells the story of the universe on a human scale, and the result is out of this world.