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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Applied physics & special topics > Astrophysics
THE DEFINITIVE INTRODUCTION TO ROCKET PROPULSION THEORY AND
APPLICATIONS The recent upsurge in global government and private
spending and in space flight events has resulted in many novel
applications of rocket propulsion technology. Rocket Propulsion
Elements remains the definitive guide to the field, providing a
comprehensive introduction to essential concepts and applications.
Led by industry veteran George P. Sutton and by Professor Oscar
Biblarz, this book provides interdisciplinary coverage including
thermodynamics, aerodynamics, flight performance, propellant
chemistry and more. This thoroughly revised ninth edition includes
discussion and analysis of recent advances in the field,
representing an authoritative reference for students and working
engineers alike. In any engineering field, theory is only as useful
as it is practical; this book emphasizes relevant real-world
applications of fundamental concepts to link "thinking" and
"doing". This book will help readers: * Understand the physics of
flight and the chemistry of propulsion * Analyze liquid, solid,
gas, and hybrid propellants, and the engines they fuel * Consider
high-temperature combustion, stability, and the principles of
electric and chemical propulsion * Dissect the workings of systems
in common use around the world today * Delve into the latest
advances in materials, systems, propellants, and more Broad in
scope, rich in detail, and clear in explanation, this seminal work
provides an unparalleled foundation in aerospace engineering
topics. Learning through the lens of modern applications untangles
complex topics and helps students fully grasp the intricacies on a
more intuitive level. Rocket Propulsion Elements, Ninth Edition
merges information and utility building a solid foundation for
innovation.
Cosmology and astroparticle physics have seen an avalanche of
discoveries in the past decade (IceCube - high energy neutrinos,
LIGO - gravitational waves, Fermi- gamma-ray telescope, Xenon-1T -
dark matter detection, PLANCK- cosmic microwave radiation, EHT
picture of black hole, SDSS -galaxy surveys), all of which require
a multidisciplinary background for analyzing the phenomena. The
arena for testing particle physics models is in the multimessenger
astronomical observations and at the same time cosmology now
requires a particle physics basis for explaining many phenomena.
This book discusses the theoretical tools of particle physics and
general relativity which are essential for understanding and
correlating diverse astronomical observations.
The study of stellar dynamics is experiencing an exciting new wave
of interest thanks to observational campaigns and the ready
availability of powerful computers. Whilst its relevance includes
many areas of astrophysics, from the structure of the Milky Way to
dark matter halos, few texts are suited to advanced students. This
volume provides a broad overview of the key concepts beyond the
elementary level, bridging the gap between the standard texts and
specialist literature. The author reviews Newtonian gravity in
depth before examining the dynamical properties of collisional and
collisionless stellar-dynamical systems that result from
gravitational interactions. Guided examples and exercises ensure a
thorough grounding in the mathematics, while discussions of
important practical applications give a complete picture of the
subject. Readers are given a sound working knowledge of the
fundamental ideas and techniques employed in the field and the
conceptual background needed to progress to more advanced
graduate-level treatises.
Over the past ten years, the discovery of extrasolar planets has
opened a new field of astronomy, and this area of research is
rapidly growing, from both the observational and theoretical point
of view. The presence of many giant exoplanets in the close
vicinity of their star shows that these newly discovered planetary
systems are very different from the solar system. New theoretical
models are being developed in order to understand their formation
scenarios, and new observational methods are being implemented to
increase the sensitivity of exoplanet detections. In the present
book, the authors address the question of planetary systems from
all aspects. Starting from the facts (the detection of more than
300 extraterrestrial planets), they first describe the various
methods used for these discoveries and propose a synthetic analysis
of their global properties. They then consider the observations of
young stars and circumstellar disks and address the case of the
solar system as a specific example, different from the newly
discovered systems. Then the study of planetary systems and of
exoplanets is presented from a more theoretical point of view. The
book ends with an outlook to future astronomical projects, and a
description of the search for life on exoplanets. This book
addresses students and researchers who wish to better understand
this newly expanding field of research.
The book aims to expound the general theory of relativity with a
mathematical point of view. Catering to the needs of postgraduate
students and researchers in the field of astrophysics and
mathematical physics, it offers the readers a comprehensive
understanding of the advanced topics of the subject matter. It
specifically discusses the mathematical foundation of tensor
calculus, gives a background of geodesics, Einstein's field
equations, linearised gravity, spacetime of spherically symmetric
distribution of matter and black holes, and particle and photon
orbits in spacetime. Apart from the formulation of general
relativity, Lie derivatives and its applications, and causality of
spacetime are also discussed in detail. Certain preliminary
concepts of extrinsic curvature, Lagrangian formalism of general
theory of relativity and 3 + 1 decomposition of space-time are
covered and are provided in the book as appendices.
Case Studies in Star Formation offers an overview of our current
observational and theoretical understanding in the molecular
astronomy of star formation. The book is divided into six sections:
the first introduces an overview of star formation and the
essential language, concepts and tools specific to molecular
astronomy studies. Each subsequent section focuses on individual
sources, beginning with a description of large-scale surveys. The
volume covers low- and high mass star formation, ionization and
photodissociation regions, and concludes with the extragalactic
perspective. Conventional textbooks begin with principles, ending
with a few convenient examples. Through copious examples, Case
Studies reflects the reality of research, which requires the
creative matching of ongoing observations to theory and vice-versa,
often raising as many questions as answers. This supplementary
study guide enables graduate students and early researchers to
bridge the gap between textbooks and the wealth of research
literature.
This proceedings volume focuses on new methods of image and signal
analysis in a wide range of energies (from radio to gamma ray
astronomy) and advanced methodologies regarding problems and
solutions in information fusion and retrieval, statistical pattern
recognition, vision and advances in computing technology.A special
section is devoted to the BeppoSAX mission (Satellite per
Astronomia X) launched on April 30 1996, inside a program of the
Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace
Programs (NIVR).
In the late 20th and beginning 21st century high-precision
astronomy, positioning and metrology strongly rely on general
relativity. Supported by exercises and solutions this book offers
graduate students and researchers entering those fields a
self-contained and exhaustive but accessible treatment of applied
general relativity. The book is written in a homogenous (graduate
level textbook) style allowing the reader to understand the
arguments step by step. It first introduces the mathematical and
theoretical foundations of gravity theory and then concentrates on
its general relativistic applications: clock rates, clock
sychronization, establishment of time scales, astronomical
references frames, relativistic astrometry, celestial mechanics and
metrology. The authors present up-to-date relativistic models for
applied techniques such as Satellite LASER Ranging (SLR), Lunar
LASER Ranging (LLR), Globale Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS),
Very Large Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), radar measurements,
gyroscopes and pulsar timing. A list of acronyms helps the reader
keep an overview and a mathematical appendix provides required
functions and terms.
The Euclidean approach to Quantum Gravity was initiated almost 15
years ago in an attempt to understand the difficulties raised by
the spacetime singularities of classical general relativity which
arise in the gravitational collapse of stars to form black holes
and the entire universe in the Big Bang. An important motivation
was to develop an approach capable of dealing with the nonlinear,
non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity due to topologically
non-trivial spacetimes. There are important links with a Riemannian
geometry. Since its inception the theory has been applied to a
number of important physical problems including the thermodynamic
properties of black holes, quantum cosmology and the problem of the
cosmological constant. It is currently at the centre of a great
deal of interest.This is a collection of survey lectures and
reprints of some important lectures on the Euclidean approach to
quantum gravity in which one expresses the Feynman path integral as
a sum over Riemannian metrics. As well as papers on the basic
formalism there are sections on Black Holes, Quantum Cosmology,
Wormholes and Gravitational Instantons.
Einstein's general theory of relativity - currently our best theory
of gravity - is important not only to specialists, but to a much
wider group of physicists. This short textbook on general
relativity and gravitation offers students glimpses of the vast
landscape of science connected to general relativity. It
incorporates some of the latest research in the field. The book is
aimed at readers with a broad range of interests in physics, from
cosmology, to gravitational radiation, to high energy physics, to
condensed matter theory. The pedagogical approach is "physics
first": readers move very quickly to the calculation of
observational predictions, and only return to the mathematical
foundations after the physics is established. In addition to the
"standard" topics covered by most introductory textbooks, it
contains short introductions to more advanced topics: for instance,
why field equations are second order, how to treat gravitational
energy, and what is required for a Hamiltonian formulation of
general relativity. A concluding chapter discusses directions for
further study, from mathematical relativity, to experimental tests,
to quantum gravity. This is an introductory text, but it has also
been written as a jumping-off point for readers who plan to study
more specialized topics.
This book presents lecture materials from the Third LOFAR Data
School, transformed into a coherent and complete reference book
describing the LOFAR design, along with descriptions of primary
science cases, data processing techniques, and recipes for data
handling. Together with hands-on exercises the chapters, based on
the lecture notes, teach fundamentals and practical knowledge.
LOFAR is a new and innovative radio telescope operating at low
radio frequencies (10-250 MHz) and is the first of a new generation
of radio interferometers that are leading the way to the ambitious
Square Kilometre Array (SKA) to be built in the next decade. This
unique reference guide serves as a primary information source for
research groups around the world that seek to make the most of
LOFAR data, as well as those who will push these topics forward to
the next level with the design, construction, and realization of
the SKA. This book will also be useful as supplementary reading
material for any astrophysics overview or astrophysical techniques
course, particularly those geared towards radio astronomy (and
radio astronomy techniques).
The Euclidean approach to Quantum Gravity was initiated almost 15
years ago in an attempt to understand the difficulties raised by
the spacetime singularities of classical general relativity which
arise in the gravitational collapse of stars to form black holes
and the entire universe in the Big Bang. An important motivation
was to develop an approach capable of dealing with the nonlinear,
non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity due to topologically
non-trivial spacetimes. There are important links with a Riemannian
geometry. Since its inception the theory has been applied to a
number of important physical problems including the thermodynamic
properties of black holes, quantum cosmology and the problem of the
cosmological constant. It is currently at the centre of a great
deal of interest.This is a collection of survey lectures and
reprints of some important lectures on the Euclidean approach to
quantum gravity in which one expresses the Feynman path integral as
a sum over Riemannian metrics. As well as papers on the basic
formalism there are sections on Black Holes, Quantum Cosmology,
Wormholes and Gravitational Instantons.
It is now clear that a binary evolutionary pathway is responsible
for a significant fraction of all planetary nebulae, with some
authors even going so far as to claim that binarity may be a near
requirement for the formation of an observable nebula. This has led
to the requirement that textbooks most likely need to be rewritten.
Building upon the review of Jones and Boffin in Nature Astronomy
(2017), this Springer Brief takes a first step in this direction.
It offers the first expanded presentation of all the theoretical
and observational support for the importance of binarity in the
formation of planetary nebulae, initially focusing on common
envelope evolution but also covering wider binaries. This book
emphasises the wider impact of the field, highlighting the critical
role binary central stars of planetary nebulae have in
understanding a plethora of astrophysical phenomena, including type
Ia supernovae, chemically peculiar stars and circumbinary
exoplanets.
All stars are born in groups. The origin of these groups has long
been a key question in astronomy, one that interests researchers in
star formation, the interstellar medium, and cosmology. This volume
summarizes current progress in the field, and includes
contributions from both theorists and observers. Star clusters
appear with a wide range of properties, and are born in a variety
of physical conditions. Yet the key question remains: How do
diffuse clouds of gas condense into the collections of luminous
objects we call stars? This book will benefit graduate students,
newcomers to the field, and also experienced scientists seeking a
convenient reference.
The raw numbers of high-energy-density physics are amazing: shock
waves at hundreds of km/s (approaching a million km per hour),
temperatures of millions of degrees, and pressures that exceed 100
million atmospheres. This title surveys the production of
high-energy-density conditions, the fundamental plasma and
hydrodynamic models that can describe them and the problem of
scaling from the laboratory to the cosmos. Connections to
astrophysics are discussed throughout. The book is intended to
support coursework in high-energy-density physics, to meet the
needs of new researchers in this field, and also to serve as a
useful reference on the fundamentals. Specifically the book has
been designed to enable academics in physics, astrophysics, applied
physics and engineering departments to provide in a single-course,
an introduction to fluid mechanics and radiative transfer, with
dramatic applications in the field of high-energy-density systems.
This second edition includes pedagogic improvements to the
presentation throughout and additional material on equations of
state, heat waves, and ionization fronts, as well as problem sets
accompanied by solutions.
After a brief outline of magnetohydrodynamic theory, this introductory book discusses the macroscopic aspects of MHD turbulence, and covers the small-scale scaling properties. Applications are provided for astrophysical and laboratory systems. Magnetic turbulence is the natural state of most astrophysical systems, such as stellar convection zones, stellar winds or accretion discs. It is also found in laboratory devices, most notably in the reversed field pinch.
In one way or another, Gerry Brown has been concerned with
questions about the universe, about its vast expanse as well as
about its most miniscule fundamental constituents of matter
throughout his entire life. In his endeavours to understand the
universe in many manifestations from nuclei all the way to the
stars, he has been influenced by some of the most prominent
physicists of the 20th century, and he himself, in turn, has
influenced a great many scholars. This volume, a collection of
articles dedicated to Gerry on his 85th birthday, contains
discussions of many of the issues which have attracted his interest
over the years. The contributions are written by his former
students, co-authors, colleagues and admirers and they are strongly
influenced by Gerry's own scientific tastes. With this compilation
we want to express our respect, admiration and gratitude; we want
to celebrate Gerry's scientific and scholarly achievements, the
inspirational quality of his teaching and the enthusiasm which he
himself displayed in his research and which stimulated so many of
his students and colleagues over the decades.
This book provides results of analysis of typical solar events,
statistical analysis, the diagnostics of energetic electrons and
magnetic field, as well as the global behavior of solar flaring
loops such as their contraction and expansion. It pays particular
attention to analyzing solar flare loops with microwave, hard
X-ray, optical and EUV emissions, as well as the theories of their
radiation, and electron acceleration/transport. The results
concerning influence of the pitch-angle anisotropy of non-thermal
electrons on their microwave and hard X-ray emissions, new spectral
behaviors in X-ray and microwave bands, and results related to the
contraction of flaring loops, are widely discussed in the
literature of solar physics. The book is useful for graduate
students and researchers in solar and space physics.
This book takes the reader for a short journey over the structures
of matter showing that their main properties can be obtained even
at a quantitative level with a minimum background knowledge
including, besides first year calculus and physics, the extensive
use of dimensional analysis and the three cornerstones of science,
namely the atomic idea, the wave-particle duality and the
minimization of energy as the condition for equilibrium.
Dimensional analysis employing the universal physical constants and
combined with "a little imagination and thinking", to quote
Feynman, allow an amazing short-cut derivation of several
quantitative results concerning the structures of matter. In the
current 2nd edition, new material and more explanations with more
detailed derivations were added to make the book more
student-friendly. Many multiple-choice questions with the correct
answers at the end of the book, solved and unsolved problems make
the book also suitable as a textbook. This book is of interest to
students of physics, engineering and other science and to
researchers in physics, material science, chemistry and engineering
who may find stimulating the alternative derivation of several real
world results which sometimes seem to pop out the magician's hat.
The series Advances in the Physics of Particles and Nuclei (APPN)
is devoted to the archiving, in printed high-quality book format,
of the comprehensive, long shelf-life reviews published in The
European Physical Journal A and C. APPN will be of benefit in
particular to those librarians and research groups, who have chosen
to have only electronic access to these journals. Occasionally,
original material in review format and refereed by the series'
editorial board will also be included. This volume contains the
following four reviews: C.E. DeTar and U.M. Heller: QCD
Thermodynamics from the Lattice B.R. Holstein: Hadronic Parity
violation and Effective Field Theory M. Signore and D. Puy: Cosmic
Microwave Background and First Molecules in the Early Universe S.
Bethke: The 2009 World Average of alphas
Space debris and asteroid impacts pose a very real, very near-term
threat to Earth. In order to help study and mitigate these risks,
the Stardust program was formed in 2013. This training and research
network was devoted to developing and mastering techniques such as
removal, deflection, exploitation, and tracking. This book is a
collection of many of the topics addressed at the Final Stardust
Conference, describing the latest in asteroid monitoring and how
engineering efforts can help us reduce space debris. It is a
selection of studies bringing together specialists from
universities, research institutions, and industry, tasked with the
mission of pushing the boundaries of space research with innovative
ideas and visionary concepts. Topics covered by the Symposium:
Orbital and Attitude Dynamics Modeling Long Term Orbit and Attitude
Evolution Particle Cloud Modeling and Simulation Collision and
Impact Modelling and Simulation, Re-entry Modeling and Simulation
Asteroid Origins and Characterization Orbit and Attitude
Determination Impact Prediction and Risk Analysis, Mission
Analysis-Proximity Operations, Active Removal/Deflection Control
Under Uncertainty, Active Removal/Deflection Technologies, and
Asteroid Manipulation
In this thesis, ultimate sensitive measurement for weak force
imposed on a suspended mirror is performed with the help of a laser
and an optical cavity for the development of gravitational-wave
detectors. According to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, such
measurements are subject to a fundamental noise called quantum
noise, which arises from the quantum nature of a probe (light) and
a measured object (mirror). One of the sources of quantum noise is
the quantum back-action, which arises from the vacuum fluctuation
of the light. It sways the mirror via the momentum transferred to
the mirror upon its reflection for the measurement. The author
discusses a fundamental trade-off between sensitivity and stability
in the macroscopic system, and suggests using a triangular cavity
that can avoid this trade-off. The development of an optical
triangular cavity is described and its characterization of the
optomechanical effect in the triangular cavity is demonstrated. As
a result, for the first time in the world the quantum back-action
imposed on the 5-mg suspended mirror is significantly evaluated.
This work contributes to overcoming the standard quantum limit in
the future.
A Telegraph Best Science Book of the Year "A witty yet in-depth
exploration of the prospects for human habitation beyond
Earth...Spacefarers is accessible, authoritative, and in the end,
inspiring." -Richard Panek, author of The Trouble with Gravity It's
been over fifty years since Apollo 11 landed on the moon. So why is
there so little human presence in space? Will we ever reach Mars?
And what will it take to become a multiplanet species? While many
books have speculated on the possibility of living beyond the
Earth, few have delved into the practical challenges. A wry and
compelling take on the who, how, and why of near-future colonies in
space, Spacefarers introduces us to the engineers, scientists,
planners, dreamers, and entrepreneurs who are striving right now to
make life in space a reality. While private companies such as
SpaceX are taking the lead and earning profits from human space
activity, Christopher Wanjek is convinced this is only the
beginning. From bone-whittling microgravity to eye-popping profits,
the risks and rewards of space settlement have never been so close
at hand. He predicts we will have hotels in low-earth orbit, mining
and tourism on the Moon, and science bases on Mars-possibly
followed (gravity permitting) by full blown settlements. "Nerdily
engaging (and often funny)...Technology and science fiction
enthusiasts will find much here to delight them, as Wanjek goes
into rich detail on rocketry and propulsion methods, including
skyhooks and railguns to fling things into orbit...He is a sensible
skeptic, yet also convinced that, in the long run, our destiny is
among the stars." -The Guardian "If the events of this year have
had you daydreaming about abandoning the planet entirely,
[Spacefarers] is a geekily pleasurable survey of the practicalities
and challenges." -The Telegraph "The best book I've read on space
exploration since Isaac Asimov." -Michael Shermer, publisher of
Skeptic
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