Key features: Complete introductory overview of cosmic ray physics Covers the origins, acceleration, transport mechanisms and detection of these particles Mathematical and technical detail is kept separate from the main text

This book offers an overview of the fundamental dynamical processes, which are necessary to understand astrophysical phenomena, from the viewpoint of hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics, and radiation hydrodynamics. The book consists of three parts: The first discusses the fundamentals of hydrodynamics necessary to understand the dynamics of astrophysical objects such as stars, interstellar gases and accretion disks. The second part reviews the interactions between gases and magnetic fields on fluid motions - the magnetohydrodynamics - highlighting the important role of magnetic fields in dynamical phenomena under astrophysical environments. The third part focuses on radiation hydrodynamics, introducing the hydrodynamic phenomena characterized by the coupling of radiation and gas motions and further on relativistic radiation hydrodynamics. Intended as a pedagogical introduction for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, it also provides comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals of astrophysical fluid dynamics, making it an effective resource not only for graduate courses, but also for beginners wanting to learn about hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics, and radiation hydrodynamics in astrophysics independently.

If charged particles move through the interplanetary or interstellar medium, they interact with a large-scale magnetic ?eld such as the magnetic ?eld of the Sun or the Galactic magnetic ?eld. As these background ?elds are usually nearly constant in time and space, they can be approximated by a homogeneous ?eld. If there are no additional ?elds, the particle trajectory is a perfect helix along which the par- cle moves at a constant speed. In reality, however, there are turbulent electric and magnetic?elds dueto the interstellaror solar wind plasma. These ?elds lead to sc- tering of the cosmic rays parallel and perpendicular to the background ?eld. These scattering effects, which usually are of diffusive nature, can be described by s- tial diffusion coef?cients or, alternatively, by mean free paths. The knowledge of these parameters is essential for describing cosmic ray propagation as well as d- fusive shock acceleration. The latter process is responsible for the high cosmic ray energies that have been observed. The layout of this book is as follows. In Chap. 1, the general physical scenario is presented. We discuss fundamental processes such as cosmic ray propagation and acceleration in different systems such as the solar system or the interst- lar space. These processes are a consequence of the interaction between charged cosmic particles and an astrophysical plasma (turbulence). The properties of such plasmas are therefore the subject of Chap. 2.

This unusual book considers physical principles, starting from the most general ones, and simplifies assumptions, helping students answer two key questions: what approximation is the simplest, but still sufficient for the description of a phenomenon in cosmic plasmas, and how to build an adequate model.

One of the most spectacular discoveries of molecular astronomy has been the detection of maser emission. The same radiation that is generated in the laboratory only with elaborate, special equipment occurs naturally in interstellar space. This intense radiation probes the smallest structures that can be studied with radio telescopes. By a fortunate coincidence maser radiation is generated in both star forming regions and the envelopes of late-type stars. The early and late stages in the life of a star are considered to be the most interesting phases of stellar evolution. Maser emission has also been detected in external galaxies. This book provides an extensive coverage of the interstellar maser phenomenon. A precondition for maser action is departure from thermal equilibrium. The book therefore starts with a detailed coverage of the basic background concepts required for an understanding of line formation and radiative transfer. It goes on to describe the theoretical and phenomenological aspects of interstellar masers, their formation sites and the inversion mechanisms. The book will interest active researchers in astronomy and astrophysics as well as in other areas of physics. It is suitable as a textbook in a graduate course and will enable a graduate student to embark on research projects in this exciting area in particular, and molecular radio astronomy in general.

At the XXIX IAU General Assembly held in Honolulu from 3-14 August 2015, the meetings known as Special Sessions and Joint Discussions were replaced by new 'Focus Meetings'. Astronomy in Focus XXIXB presents the most relevant contributions from the Focus Meetings together with summaries of all the accepted papers and posters. It covers the following topics: the legacy of Planck; x-ray surveys of the hot and energetic cosmos; stellar physics in galaxies; stellar explosions; gravitational waves and structure formation; the search for water and life's building blocks; red supergiants in the local Universe; advances in stellar physics from asteroseismology; scale-free processes in the Universe; and the frontiers of our understanding of cluster and galaxy evolution. The publications Astronomy in Focus XXIXB (together with its companion, XXIXA), the proceedings of the six main Scientific Symposia and Reports on Astronomy: Commission Legacy Reports, fully cover the XXIX IAU General Assembly.

This book sets forth and builds upon the fundamentals of the dynamics of natural systems in formulating the problem presented by Jacobi in his famous lecture series "Vorlesungen tiber Dynamik" (Jacobi, 1884). In the dynamics of systems described by models of discrete and continuous media, the many-body problem is usually solved in some approximation, or the behaviour of the medium is studied at each point of the space it occupies. Such an approach requires the system of equations of motion to be written in terms of space co-ordinates and velocities, in which case the requirements of an internal observer for a detailed description of the processes are satisfied. In the dynamics discussed here we study the time behaviour of the fundamental integral characteristics of the physical system, i. e. the Jacobi function (moment of inertia) and energy (potential, kinetic and total), which are functions of mass density distribution, and the structure of a system. This approach satisfies the requirements of an external observer. It is designed to solve the problem of global dynamics and the evolution of natural systems in which the motion of the system's individual elements written in space co-ordinates and velocities is of no interest. It is important to note that an integral approach is made to internal and external interactions of a system which results in radiation and absorption of energy. This effect constitutes the basic physical content of global dynamics and the evolution of natural systems.

This thesis presents two significant results in the field of precision measurements in low-energy nuclear physics. Firstly, it presents a precise half-life determination of 11C, leading to the most precise ft-value for a beta decay transition between mirror nuclides, an important advance in the testing of the electroweak sector of the Standard Model. Secondly, it describes a high-precision mass measurement of 56Cu, a critical nucleus for determining the path of the astrophysical rapid-proton capture process, performed by the author using the LEBIT Penning trap at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. This new measurement resolves discrepancies in previously-reported calculated mass excesses. In addition, the thesis also presents the construction and testing of a radio-frequency quadrupole cooler and buncher that will be part of the future N = 126 factory at Argonne National Laboratory aimed at producing nuclei of interest for the astrophysical rapid-neutron capture process for the first time.

At the XXIX IAU General Assembly held in Honolulu from 3-14 August 2015, the meetings known as Special Sessions and Joint Discussions were replaced by new 'Focus Meetings'. Astronomy in Focus XXIXA presents the most relevant contributions from the Focus Meetings together with summaries of all the accepted papers and posters. It covers the meetings on the following areas: dynamical problems in extrasolar planet science; astronomical heritage; scholarly publishing in astronomy; statistics and exoplanets; the exploration of small worlds; ground and space astrophysics and heliophysics; laboratory astrophysics; brightness variations of the Sun and Sun-like stars; astronomy for development; and mitigating the threats of light pollution and radio frequency interference. The publications Astronomy in Focus XXIXA (together with its companion, XXIXB), the proceedings of the six main Scientific Symposia and Reports on Astronomy: Commission Legacy Reports, fully cover the XXIX IAU General Assembly.

The book describes the life of Henri Poincare, his work style and in detail most of his unique achievements in mathematics and physics. Apart from biographical details, attention is given to Poincare's contributions to automorphic functions, differential equations and dynamical systems, celestial mechanics, mathematical physics in particular the theory of the electron and relativity, topology (analysis situs). A chapter on philosophy explains Poincare's conventionalism in mathematics and his view of conventionalism in physics; the latter has a very different character. In the foundations of mathematics his position is between intuitionism and axiomatics. One of the purposes of the book is to show how Poincare reached his fundamentally new results in many different fields, how he thought and how one should read him. One of the new aspects is the description of two large fields of his attention: dynamical systems as presented in his book on `new methods for celestial mechanics' and his theoretical physics papers. At the same time it will be made clear how analysis and geometry are intertwined in Poincare's thinking and work.In dynamical systems this becomes clear in his description of invariant manifolds, his association of differential equation flow with mappings and his fixed points theory. There is no comparable book on Poincare, presenting such a relatively complete vision of his life and achievements. There exist some older biographies in the French language, but they pay only restricted attention to his actual work. The reader can obtain from this book many insights in the working of a very original mind while at the same time learning about fundamental results for modern science

How would Saturn’s rings look from a spaceship sailing just above them? If you were falling into a black hole, what’s the last thing you’d see before your spaghettification? What would it be like to visit the faraway places we currently experience only through high-powered telescopes and robotic emissaries? Faster-than-light travel may never be invented, but we can still take the scenic route through the universe with renowned astronomer and science communicator Philip Plait. On this lively, immersive adventure through the cosmos, Plait draws ingeniously on the latest scientific research to transport readers to ten spectacular sites, from our own familiar Moon to the outer reaches of our solar system and far beyond. Whether strolling through a dust storm under Mars’ butterscotch sky, witnessing the birth of a star or getting dizzy in a technicolour nebula, Plait is an illuminating, entertaining guide to the most otherworldly views in our universe.

A Powerful Window into Cosmic Evolution Terahertz (THz) observations of interstellar atoms, molecules, and dust serve as powerful probes of the conditions within the interstellar medium that permeates our galaxy, providing insights into the origins of stars, planets, galaxies, and the Universe. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach to the subject, Terahertz Astronomy explores THz astrophysics and the technologies that make this rapidly evolving field possible. The first four chapters of the book discuss the origin and interpretation of THz light in astrophysical sources. The remaining five chapters present an overview of the technologies used to collect and detect THz light. Every chapter contains worked-out examples and exercises. The author explains each topic as intuitively as possible and includes the equations needed for real-life astrophysical applications. In just a few years, the number of active THz researchers has substantially grown due to increased interest in terrestrial remote sensing at THz frequencies. This book provides researchers with both the background science and technology to interpret THz observations and design, build, and deploy THz astronomical instrumentation.

* Most up-to-date overview of planetary science, generously illustrated * Accessible prose with a unique perspective by professional astronomers active in planetary science research with extensive teaching experience and expertise in history of astronomy and classical astronomy * Detailed appendices that supplement the text including past, current, and future space missions

This relatively new field applies equations from string theory to solve the questions of early cosmology, since the standard picture of our universe emerging from a 'big bang' leaves many fundamental issues unanswered. String theory, on the other hand, postulates that fundamental ingredients of nature are not zero-dimensional point particles but tiny one-dimensional filaments. This theory harmoniously unites quantum mechanics and general relativity -- the previously known laws of the small and the large -- which are otherwise incompatible.
The field of string cosmology has matured considerably over the past few years, attracting many new adherents. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the topic, it is difficult for practitioners to be conversant with all the many different aspects. This book thus fills a huge gap by bringing together all the different strains of research into one single volume. The resulting collection of selected articles presents the latest, ongoing results from renowned experts currently working in the field.
From the contents:
* Introduction to Cosmology and String Theory
* String Inflation: Brane Inflation and Inflation from Moduli
* Cosmic Superstrings
* The CMB as a Possible Probe of String Theory
* String Gas Cosmology
* Gauge-gravity Duality and String Cosmology
* Heterotic M-theory and C
A welcome addition to the literature for graduate students, students in astronomy, astronomers, mathematicians and theoretical physicists.

This thesis focuses on ULF (Ultra-low-frequency) waves' interaction with plasmasphere particles and ring current ions in the inner magnetosphere. It first reports and reveals mutual effect between ULF waves and plasmasphere using Van Allen Probes data. The differences and similarities of different ring current ions interacting with ULF waves are extensively explored using Cluster data, which provides a potential explanation for O+-dominated ring current during the magnetic storms. Furthermore, this thesis finds a method to study the phase relationship between ULF waves and drift-bounce resonant particles, and proposes that the phase relationship can be used to diagnose the parallel structure of standing wave electric field and energy transfer directions between waves and particles. The findings in this thesis can significantly promote our understanding of ULF waves' role in the dynamics of inner magnetosphere.

This volume contains a number of essays by experts in areas of theoretical physics and astrophysics including cosmology, classical and quantum gravity, string theory and relativistic astrophysics. It will provide the reader with excellent reviews of current research in these frontier areas. Several of the essays emphasise alternative views of the Universe by leading astronomers and physicists who are known for their pioneering contributions. The volume is dedicated to Professor Jayant Narlikar, who has concerned himself with fundamental issues in cosmology and gravitation theory over a long and distinguished research career.

The observation, in 1919 by A.S. Eddington and collaborators, of the gra- tational de?ection of light by the Sun proved one of the many predictions of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity: The Sun was the ?rst example of a gravitational lens. In 1936, Albert Einstein published an article in which he suggested - ing stars as gravitational lenses. A year later, Fritz Zwicky pointed out that galaxies would act as lenses much more likely than stars, and also gave a list of possible applications, as a means to determine the dark matter content of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. It was only in 1979 that the ?rst example of an extragalactic gravitational lens was provided by the observation of the distant quasar QSO 0957+0561, by D. Walsh, R.F. Carswell, and R.J. Weymann. A few years later, the ?rst lens showing images in the form of arcs was detected. The theory, observations, and applications of gravitational lensing cons- tute one of the most rapidly growing branches of astrophysics. The gravi- tional de?ection of light generated by mass concentrations along a light path producesmagni?cation,multiplicity,anddistortionofimages,anddelaysp- ton propagation from one line of sight relative to another. The huge amount of scienti?c work produced over the last decade on gravitational lensing has clearly revealed its already substantial and wide impact, and its potential for future astrophysical applications.

These peer-reviewed NIC XV conference proceedings present the latest major advances in nuclear physics, astrophysics, astronomy, cosmochemistry and neutrino physics, which provide the necessary framework for a microscopic understanding of astrophysical processes. The book also discusses future directions and perspectives in the various fields of nuclear astrophysics research. In addition, it also includes a limited number of section of more general interest on double beta decay and dark matter.

IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) is the first NASA MIDEX mission and the first mission dedicated to imaging the Earth's magnetosphere. This volume offers detailed descriptions of the IMAGE instrumentation and of the image inversion techniques used to interpret the data. Also included are chapters on the IMAGE science objectives, the spacecraft design and capabilities, science and mission operations, and the processing and distribution of IMAGE's nonproprietary data products.

The aim of this book is to give graduate students an overview of quantum gravity but it also covers related topics from astrophysics. Some well-written contributions can serve as an introduction into basic conceptual concepts like time in quantum gravity or the emergence of a classical world from quantum cosmology. This makes the volume attractive to philosophers of science, too. Other topics are black holes, gravitational waves and non-commutative extensions of physical theories.

Covering both astronomical and geophysical perspectives, this book describes changes in the Earth's orientation, specifically precession and nutation, and how they are observed and computed in terms of tidal forcing and models of the Earth's interior. Following an introduction to key concepts and elementary geodetic theory, the book describes how precise measurements of the Earth's orientation are made using observations of extra-galactic radio-sources by Very Long Baseline Interferometry techniques. It demonstrates how models are used to accurately pinpoint the location and orientation of the Earth with reference to the stars, and how to determine variations in its rotation speed. A theoretical framework is also presented that describes the role played by the structure and properties of the Earth's deep interior. Incorporating suggestions for future developments in nutation theory for the next generation models, this book is ideal for advanced-level students and researchers in solid Earth geophysics, planetary science and astronomy.