This book with its clear explanation of the nature of the universe assumes no prior knowledge of astronomy or cosmology and so will attract interested public and new amateur astronomers.It provides much more on large-scale structures than other popular-level cosmology books. The mix of cosmology /large scale structures/anthropic principle and perspective on the universe should, as far as the author knows, be unique. A special colour feature incorporated in the book will offer three-dimensional views of the surrounding universe to ever greater depths.

This volume presents the lecture notes of the 24th Advanced Course of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy in March 1994 at Les Diablerets. In three lectures on magnetohydrodynamics, on kinetic plasma physics and on particle acceleration leading experts describe the physical basis of their subjects and extend the discussion to several applications in modern problems of astrophysics. In style and presentation the texts are well-suited for graduate work in plasma astrophysics, one of the very important tools of modern astronomy. The themes developed in this book will be helpful in understanding many processes in the universe from the solar corona to active galaxies.

The revealing of the phenomenon of superhydrophobicity (the "lotus-effect") has stimulated an interest in wetting of real (rough and chemically heterogeneous) surfaces. In spite of the fact that wetting has been exposed to intensive research for more than 200 years, there still is a broad field open for theoretical and experimental research, including recently revealed superhydrophobic, superoleophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces, so-called liquid marbles, wetting transitions, etc. This book integrates all these aspects within a general framework of wetting of real surfaces, where physical and chemical heterogeneity is essential. Wetting of rough/heterogeneous surfaces is discussed through the use of the variational approach developed recently by the author. It allows natural and elegant grounding of main equations describing wetting of solid surfaces, i.e. Young, Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter equations. The problems of superhydrophobicity, wetting transitions and contact angle hysteresis are discussed in much detail, in view of novel models and new experimental data. The second edition surveys the last achievements in the field of wetting of real surfaces, including new chapters devoted to the wetting of lubricated and gradient surfaces and reactive wetting, which have seen the rapid progress in the last decade. Additional reading, surveying the progress across the entire field of wetting of real surfaces, is suggested to the reader. Contents What is surface tension? Wetting of ideal surfaces Contact angle hysteresis Dynamics of wetting Wetting of rough and chemically heterogeneous surfaces: the Wenzel and Cassie Models Superhydrophobicity, superhydrophilicity, and the rose petal effect Wetting transitions on rough surfaces Electrowetting and wetting in the presence of external fields Nonstick droplets Wetting of lubricated surfaces

High Time Resolution Astrophysics (HTRA) is an important new window to the universe and a vital tool in understanding a range of phenomena from diverse objects and radiative processes. This importance is demonstrated in this volume with the description of a number of topics in astrophysics, including quantum optics, cataclysmic variables, pulsars, X-ray binaries and stellar pulsations to name a few. Underlining this science foundation, technological developments in both instrumentation and detectors are described. These instruments and detectors combined cover a wide range of timescales and can measure fluxes, spectra and polarisation. These advances make it possible for HTRA to make a big contribution to our understanding of the Universe in the next decade.

A monograph on inflationary cosmology and cosmological phase transitions, investigating modern cosmology's relationship to elementary particle physics. This work also includes a non-technical discussion of inflationary cosmology for those unfamiliar with the theory.

The publication of this book is extremely timely, for the next major advances in manned space flight after Project Apollo will most likely be made in earth orbital operations. Manned exploration of the moon will certainly continue after the initial landing, but it will be performed essentially with the Saturn V launch vehicles and Apollo spacecraft developed in Apollo, especially in the early phases. Modifications to this basic hardware will increase operating capabilities to permit extensive lunar explo ration during prolonged stay times by the astronauts on the moon's surface. Manned orbital space stations have been studied for years, and NASA is already well along in development of its first attempt to provide more spacious accommo dations for astronaut-scientists in its Saturn Workshop program. While the Workshop is certainly not the ultimate space station of which our technology is capable, it is a workable, poor man's approach to the immediate need for using and expanding our present manned space flight capability without a de trimentalloss of momentum. The approach of converting a Saturn rocket stage into a manned laboratory and observatory in space is an improvisation that matches the use of the jerry-built Jupiter C back in 1958 to launch Explorer I. Let's hope that it can get the job done just as effectively.

Bad Hofgastein who made the very successful Salzburger Abend with indi- nous music from Salzburg possible. Special thanks also to the former director of the Institute of Astronomy in Vienna, Prof. Paul Jackson for his generous private donation. We should not forget our hosts Mr. and Mrs. Winkler and their employees from the hotel who made the stay quite enjoyable. None of us will forget the very last evening, when the staff of kitchen under the le- ership of the cook himself came to offer us as farewell the famous Salzburger Nockerln, a traditional Austrian dessert. Everyone got a lot of scienti?c input during the lectures and the discussions and, to summarize, we all had a spl- did week in Salzburg in the Hotel Winkler. We all hope to come again in 2008 to discuss new results and new perspectives on a high level scienti?c standard in the Gasteinertal. Rudolf Dvorak and Sylvio Ferraz-Mello Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy (2005) 92:1-18 (c) Springer 2005 DOI 10. 1007/s10569-005-3314-7 FROM ASTROMETRY TO CELESTIAL MECHANICS: ORBIT DETERMINATION WITH VERY SHORT ARCS (Heinrich K. Eichhorn Memorial Lecture) 1 2 ? ' ANDREA MILANI and ZORAN KNEZEVIC 1 Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, via Buonarroti 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy, e-mail: milani@dm. unipi. it 2 Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11160 Belgrade 74, Serbia and Montenegro, e-mail: zoran@aob. bg. ac.

Our current perspective has arisen over millennia, through falling apples, elevator thought experiments and stars spiralling into black holes; Free fall and self-force in general relativity.

In fact, we do not have in mind to make a 1:1 reflection of the school. The ordering has been rearranged to tie articles together more coherently. We also propose to ask authors to focus their contributions according to the title we have suggested and to give a more complete description of current and future directions. We expect this will add to the volume s value for all anticipated readers. This volume has the unique feature of presenting a multifaceted approach to mass, which is intended mainly for graduate students and young doctoral researchers in the field of gravitation, who might be hoping to find a concise and introductory presentation of advanced topics outside their research field.

It is true that research from the infinitesimal scale of particle physics to the cosmic scale of the universe is concerned with the mass. While there have been spectacular advances in physics during the past century, mass still remains as a mysterious entity at the forefront of current research. Particle accelerators in the quest for the Higgs boson, laser interferometers sensitive enough to respond to gravitational waves, equivalence principle tests and detectors for dark matter are among the most ambitious and expensive experiments that fundamental physics has ever envisaged, and strongly attest to this fact. Both the self-force and radiation reaction are, in fact, lively topics of research. Related to the nature of motion, they have been hotly debated within general relativity from the inception of the theory. Recent developments have shown that radiation reaction is unavoidable in determining the gravitational waveforms emitted from a source such as the capture of a solar mass star by super-massive black hole (EMRI).

The main theme of this volume is mass and its motion within general relativity (and other theories of gravity), particularly for compact bodies, to which many articles directly refer. Within this framework, there are chapters on post-Newtonian and related methods (Blanchet, Gourgoulhon and Jaramillo, Nagar, Schafer), as well as on the self-force approach to the analysis of motion (Barack, Detweiler, Gal tsov, Poisson, Wald, Whiting), summarised along with an historic development of the field (Spallicci) and a snapshot on the state of the art (Burko). Note that self-acceleration depends directly on the mass of the body experiencing it. Mass itself is essential for this effect on motion.

Auxiliary chapters set the context for these theoretical contributions within the wider context of experimental physics. The space mission LISA (Jennrich) has been designed to detect the gravitational waves from EMRI captures, while other LISA sources may have electromagnetic counterparts (van Putten). Motion in modern gravitation must confront alternative theories (Esposito-Farese) and it must to be comprehensible within a quantum context (Noui), and demands an account of the relation between vacuum fluctuations and inertia (Jaekel and Reynaud). A volume centred on the fundamental role of mass in physics should face issues related to the basic laws of mechanics proposed by Newton (Lammerzahl) and precision measurements (Davis).

The role of the Higgs boson within physics is to give a mass to elementary particles (Djouadi), by interacting with all particles required to have a mass and thereby inducing inertia.

Moreover, most mass in the universe is dark, and only indirectly detected. A proposed alternative to dark matter theories is due to a modified theory of gravity (Esposito-Farese) such as MOND (MOdified Newtonian Dynamics). Even if general relativity does not explain gravity, there still remains the fundamental problem of reconciling any theory of gravity with the physics of quantum fields (Noui), itself so well verified experimentally.

The Theory Institute in Solar-Terrestrial Physics was held at Boston College 19-26 August 1982. The program consisted of a two-week School followed by the first theory conference in the field. This book is based upon the lectures presented at the School. Several years ago there was a convergence of efforts to promote the role of theory in space plasma physics. Reports from the National Academy of Sciences and NASA advisory committees documented the disciplinary maturity of solar-terrestrial physics and recommended that theorists play a greater role in the continued development of the field. The so-called theory program in solar-terrestrial physics was established by NASA in 1979 and implemented in accordance with the guidelines set forth by a panel of scientists, primarily theorists, in the field. The same panel motivated the Boston College program. Published proceedings of the school would provide curricular materials for the training of graduate students in solar-terrestrial physics. J.M. Forbes, T.E. Holzer, A.J. Hundhausen, A.D. Richmond, and G.L. Siscoe were the principal architects of the curriculum of the School, and I am grateful for their contributions. Each also lectured at the School. The chapters in this book were prepared by the authors themselves with one exception. The chapters by Parker are edited reproductions of his lectures. Unfortunately, it is our loss that the lectures of Holzer and Hundhausen are not included in the book.

Astronomy has become data-driven in ways that are both quantitatively and qualitatively different from the past: data structures are not simple; procedures to gain astrophysical insights are not obvious; and the informational content of the data sets is so high that archival research and data mining are not merely convenient, but obligatory, as researchers who obtain the data can only extract a small fraction of the science enabled by it. IAU Symposium 325 took place at a crucial stage in the development of the field, when many efforts have carried significant achievements, but the widespread groups have just begun to effectively communicate across specialties, to gather and assimilate their achievements, and to consult cross-disciplinary experts. Bringing together astronomers involved in surveys and large simulation projects, computer scientists, data scientists, and companies, this volume showcases their fruitful exchange of ideas, methods, software, and technical capabilities.

The search for life outside the Earth has been one of the biggest quests of mankind. We have reached a level in technology that allows the first steps towards a scientific investigation. The aim of this workshop was to take an interdisciplinary look at the signatures that would be indicative for past or present life on another planet, to compare them to biosignatures on Earth, and to discuss state-of-the-art in-situ instruments that are envisioned to search for these signatures in the exploration of the solar system as well as concepts for the search for habitable planets around other stars.

The first biography of a pioneering scientist who made significant contributions to our understanding of dark matter and championed the advancement of women in science. One of the great lingering mysteries of the universe is dark matter. Scientists are not sure what it is, but most believe it's out there, and in abundance. The astronomer who finally convinced many of them was Vera Rubin. When Rubin died in 2016, she was regarded as one of the most influential astronomers of her era. Her research on the rotation of spiral galaxies was groundbreaking, and her observations contributed significantly to the confirmation of dark matter, a most notable achievement. In Vera Rubin: A Life, prolific science writers Jacqueline Mitton and Simon Mitton provide a detailed, accessible overview of Rubin's work, showing how she leveraged immense curiosity, profound intelligence, and novel technologies to help transform our understanding of the cosmos. But Rubin's impact was not limited to her contributions to scientific knowledge. She also helped to transform scientific practice by promoting the careers of women researchers. Not content to be an inspiration, Rubin was a mentor and a champion. She advocated for hiring women faculty, inviting women speakers to major conferences, and honoring women with awards that were historically the exclusive province of men. Rubin's papers and correspondence yield vivid insights into her life and work, as she faced down gender discrimination and met the demands of family and research throughout a long and influential career. Deftly written, with both scientific experts and general readers in mind, Vera Rubin is a portrait of a woman with insatiable curiosity about the universe who never stopped asking questions and encouraging other women to do the same.

Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 64, Warsaw, Poland, September 5-8, 1973

The symposium Star Clusters in the Era of Large Surveys was held in Lisbon on Sep 9-10 during the JENAM 2010. It served as a platform for discussing what and how recent, on-going and planned large-area ground-based and space-based surveys can contribute to producing a major leap in this research field, which has a strong European history.

Scientific topics addressed included: cluster searches, clustered vs. isolated star formation, large-scale star formation, enrichment of the field population, structure, populations and evolution of the Milky Way, cluster dynamics (internal and within the Milky Way), variability of stars in clusters (from time-resolved surveys), analysis techniques for large samples and archiving.

This proceedings book provides a snapshot of the ongoing discussion on the role of large surveys in star cluster research, and serves as a reference volume for the state-of-the art in the field.

This thesis sheds valuable new light on the second-order cosmological perturbation theory, extensively discussing it in the context of cosmic microwave background (CMB) fluctuations. It explores the observational consequences of the second-order vector mode, and addresses magnetic field generation and the weak lensing signatures, which are key phenomena of the vector mode. The author demonstrates that the second-order vector mode, which never appears at the linear-order level, naturally arises from the non-linear coupling of the first-order scalar modes. This leads to the remarkable statement that the vector-order mode clearly contributes to the generation of cosmological magnetic fields. Moreover, the weak lensing observations are shown to be accessible to the vector mode. On the basis of ongoing and forthcoming observations, the thesis concludes that the second-order vector mode is detectable.

Non-accelerator particle physicists, especially those studying neutrino oscillation experiments, will read with profit the in-depth discussions of new results and their interpretations. new guidelines are also set out for new developments in this and related fields. Discussions are presented of neutrino oscillations, neutrino astronomy, high energy cosmic rays, gravitational waves, magnetic monopoles and dark matter. The future large-scale research projects discussed include the experiments on long baseline neutrino beams from CERN to Gran Sasso and Fermilab to the Soudan mine; large underwater and under-ice experiments; the highest energy cosmic rays; gravitational waves; and the search for new particles and new phenomena.

This thesis represents a breakthrough in our understanding of the noise processes in Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs). While the detection of ultraviolet to near-infrared light is useful for a variety of applications from dark matter searches to biological imaging and astronomy, the performance of these detectors often limits the achievable science. The author's work explains the limits on spectral resolution broadening, and uses this knowledge to more than double the world record spectral resolution for an MKID suitable for optical and near-IR astrophysics, with emphasis on developing detectors for exoplanet detection. The techniques developed have implication for phonon control in many different devices, particularly in limiting cosmic ray-induced decoherence in superconducting qubits. In addition, this thesis is highly accessible, with a thorough, pedagogical approach that will benefit generations of students in this area.

Observations and physical concepts are interwoven to give basic explanations of phenomena and also show the limitations in these explanations and identify some fundamental questions.

Compared to conventional plasma physics textbooks this book focuses on the concepts relevant in the large-scale space plasmas. It combines basic concepts with current research and new observations in interplanetary space and in the magnetospheres.

Graduate students and young researchers starting to work in this special field of science, will find the numerous references to review articles as well as important original papers helpful to orientate themselves in the literature.

Emphasis is on energetic particles and their interaction with the plasma as examples for non-thermal phenomena, shocks and their role in particle acceleration as examples for non-linear phenomena.

This second edition has been updated and extended. Improvements include: the use of SI units; addition of recent results from SOHO and Ulysses; improved treatment of the magnetosphere as a dynamic phenomenon; text restructured to provide a closer coupling between basic physical concepts and observed complex phenomena.

1. 1 Schematic Picture of AGN Some galaxies are known to emit radiation with extremely high luminosities from a rather small volume in the ??ray, X-ray and UV continuum. Such active cores are the so-called Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and the radiation is commonly believed to be a result of gravitational energy released by matter spiraling around 9 a supermassive central black hole of about 10 M (see Fig. 1). Though the central engine which produces the enormous observed activity cannot be resolved observationally, a standard picture of an AGN has gradually emerged to explain the richness of the radiation spectra: * an accretion disk with radius from about 2 to 100 gravitational radii, R , g feeding the central black hole and emitting mainly in the UV and soft X-rays; * the broad line optically emitting clouds (BLR), which seem to be absent in 3 some sources (e. g. FRI, see hereafter) and extend up to a few 10 R from g the center.

This book offers a comprehensive and complete description of a new scheme to stabilize the power of a laser on a level needed for high precision metrology experiments. The novel aspect of the scheme is sensing power fluctuations via the radiation pressure driven motion they induce on a micro-oscillator mirror. It is shown that the proposed technique can result in higher signals for power fluctuations than what is achieved by a direct power detection, and also that it enables the generation of a strong bright squeezed beam. The book starts with the basics of power stabilization and an overview on the current state of art. Then, detailed theoretical calculations are performed, and the advantages of the new scheme are highlighted. Finally, a proof-of-principle experiment is described and its results are analyzed in details. The success of the work presented here paves a way for achieving high power stability in future experiments and is of interest for high precision metrology experiments, like gravitational wave detectors, and optomechanical experiments. Nominated as an outstanding PhD thesis by the Gravitational Wave International Committee.

Stellar pulsations provide a complex system in stars. This complexity is studied by analyzing the non-sinusoidal, semi-regular, or irregular light curves. This unique volume summarizes the application of recent theoretical results obtained from stellar pulsation studies. In addition, the latest developments in hydrodynamic simulations are discussed. A historical sketch of the study of beat Cepheids, first known for their variable amplitudes, is given as an introduction to the book. This introduction clearly demonstrates how complicated the study of variable stars can be, and therefore challenges and invites the reader to study the entire book.

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 book contains lectures presented in the symposium on "wave Instabili ties in S: pace Plasmas" organized wi thin the progrem of .t.y . XIX URSI General Assembly held in Helsinki, Finland, during tJ: l

Three eminent scientists, each well known for the clarity of their writing, present for students and researchers what is known about the internal structure, origin and evolution of White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Black Holes, all objects at the final stage of stellar evolution. They cover fascinating topics such as pulsation of white dwarfs, millisecond pulsars or the dynamics around black holes. The book is written for graduate students in astrophysics, but is also of interest to professional astronomers and physicists.