Presents an entertaining and accessible approach whilst also providing a rigorous and comprehensive presentation of the subject. Describes how to unveil the ages of stellar populations in distant galaxies that we cannot resolve into individual stars. Contains historical notes about these techniques, outstanding major problems, and a discussion on future developments in the field.

This book discusses key theoretical aspects concerning the formation of the solar wind: the most essential building block in the heliosphere, in which planets orbit. To understand the influence of solar activity on planetary magnetospheres and atmospheres, we need to first understand the origin of the solar wind, which is still under debate. This book presents the outcomes of state-of-the-art numerical simulations of solar wind acceleration, including the first three-dimensional simulation of the turbulence-driven solar wind model. One of the book's goals is to include compressional effects in the dynamics of solar wind turbulence; accordingly, it discusses parametric decay instability in detail. Several key aspects that are relevant to the Parker Solar Probe observations are also discussed. Given its scope, the book plays a key role in bridging the gap between the theory of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and current/future in-situ observations of the solar wind. This book is based on the Ph.D. thesis by the author, which won the 2019 International Astronomical Union Division E Ph.D. prize.

The millimeter and sub-millimeter wavebands are unique in astronomy in containing several thousands of spectral lines of molecules as well as the thermal continuum spectrum of cold dust. They are the only bands in the electromagnetic spectrum in which we can detect the molecular gas reservoir for star formation and cold dust far away in high-redshift galaxies, and nearby in low-temperature cocoons of protostars and protoplanets. This book is based on and extensively updated from the lectures given during the Saas-Fee Advanced Course 38 on millimeter astronomy. It presents both the observing techniques and the scientific perspectives of observations at millimeter wavelengths, here in particular the star and planet formation. The chapters by Thomas L. Wilson and Stephane Guilloteau have been edited by Miroslava Dessauges-Zavadsky and Daniel Pfenniger. The book is part of the series of Saas-Fee Advanced Courses published since 1971. The targeted audience are graduate PhD and advanced undergraduate students, but the book also serves as reference for post-doctoral researchers or newcomers to the field.

The role of laboratory research and simulations in advancing our understanding of solar system ices (including satellites, KBOs, comets, and giant planets) is becoming increasingly important. Understanding ice surface radiation processing, particle and radiation penetration depths, surface and subsurface chemistry, morphology, phases, density, conductivity, etc., are only a few examples of the inventory of issues that are being addressed by Earth-based laboratory research.

As a response to the growing need for cross-disciplinary dialog and communication in the Planetary Ices science community, this book aims to achieve direct dialog and foster focused collaborations among the observational, modeling, and laboratory research communities.

This book provides an introduction, from the astronomical point of view of the author, to the exciting search for extra-terrestrial life, and an overview of the current status of research into 'alien' life in the Solar System and beyond. It also explores the potential future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and accompanied by key references for further study, it is a fantastic introduction to the field of astrobiology for non-science majors taking an elective module, in addition to undergraduates studying physics with an interest in this area. Features: Contains the latest groundbreaking research in the hunt for life outside of Earth Discusses the identification of biosignatures in exo-planets Reviews future options for human outposts on the Moon and Mars

Uncover the Secrets of the Universe Hidden at Wavelengths beyond Our Optical Gaze William Herschel's discovery of infrared light in 1800 led to the development of astronomy at wavelengths other than the optical. Infrared Astronomy - Seeing the Heat: from William Herschel to the Herschel Space Observatory explores the work in astronomy that relies on observations in the infrared. Author David L. Clements, a distinguished academic and science fiction writer, delves into how the universe works, from the planets in our own Solar System to the universe as a whole. The book first presents the major telescopes in the world of observational infrared astronomy, explains how infrared light is detected through various kinds of telescopes, and describes practical problems that send infrared astronomers to the tops of mountains and their telescopes into orbit and beyond. Much of the book focuses on what infrared astronomers find in their observations. You'll discover what infrared astronomy reveals about the planets, moons, and other bodies that constitute our Solar System; star formation and stellar evolution; the processes that shape galaxies; and dark energy and dark matter. Infrared astronomy has revolutionized our understanding of the universe and has become essential in studying cosmology. Accessible to amateur astronomers, this book presents an overview of the science and technology associated with infrared astronomy. With color figures, it shows you how infrared astronomy provides insights into the workings of the universe that are unavailable at other wavelengths.

7 Hydrodynamic Instabilities in Close Binary Systems (Frederic A. Rasio) 121 7. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 7. 1. 1 The stability of self-gravitating fluid equilibria 121 7. 1. 2 Astrophysical motivation . 123 7. 1. 3 Common envelope systems 125 7. 2 Dynamical instabilities. . . . . . . 126 7. 2. 1 Physical mechanism . . . . 126 7. 2. 2 Application to coalescing neutron star binaries 127 7. 3 Secular instabilities. . . . . . . . . . . 130 7. 3. 1 Physical mechanism . . . . . . 130 7. 3. 2 Application to contact binaries 133 8 Common Envelope Evolution in Binary Systems (Mario Livio) 141 8. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 8. 2 The entrance into the common envelope phase . . . . . 142 8. 3 The outcome of the CE phase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 8. 4 How close can we get to observing the common envelope Phase? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 8. 4. 1 How can PNe with binary nuclei be used to constrain CE physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 8. 4. 2 How can nova systems be used to constrain CE physics 148 8. 4. 3 Other tests of common envelope evolution 150 8. 5 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 9 Structure and Evolution of Massive Close Binaries (Dany Vanbeveren) 155 9. 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 9. 2 Definitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 9. 3 Intermediate mass and massive single stars 156 9. 3. 1 Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 9. 3. 2 Stellar structure equations for non-rotating IMS's and MS's 160 9. 3. 3 Evolutionary computations of non-rotating IMS's and MS's 162 9. 3. 4 Overall comparison with observations '" 163 9. 3. 5 The role of rotation in single star evolution . . .

This thesis combines a theoretical model of galaxy formation with a treatment of the radiative transfer in the titular dusty star-forming galaxies. Embedding this within the well-established CDM (Lambda cold dark matter) cosmology, the author was able to simulate galaxy populations from which realistic observational images were synthesised. Based on further analysis, he shows that there is a good correspondence with observations from new instruments such as the SCUBA2 bolometric camera and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) interferometer, and reveals some novel aspects of this exciting galaxy population. In particular, he shows that blending of these galaxies in the imaging produces an artificial enhancement in their clustering, which he dubs "blending bias". This implies that the host dark matter halo masses for these galaxies have previously been significantly overestimated. He also presents amongst the first predictions from a galaxy formation model for observations of these galaxies that will be made by the James Webb Space Telescope (the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope).

Praise for the first edition: "A terrific blend of the science and the history." Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University, New York, USA "The book is a treat... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries." Peter Hepburn, now Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA Today, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun, that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as the early twentieth century, the general public and even astronomers had vague and confused notions about what lay beyond the visible stars. Can we see to the edge of the universe? Do we live in a system that would look, from a distance, like a spiral nebula? This fully updated second edition of Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins; and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher "the construction of the heavens." Along the way, the narrative weaves in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including Caroline Herschel-William's sister, and the first woman paid to do astronomy-and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who carried out calculations for her spouse. Through this historical perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky, from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters. Features: Fully updated throughout to reflect the latest in our understanding of the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group. Explains the significance of current research, including from the Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail. Unique and broadly appealing approach. A biographical framework and ample illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy. Leila Belkora (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.

With contributions by leading theoreticians, this book presents the discoveries of hitherto hidden connections between seemingly unrelated fields of fundamental physics. The topics range from cosmology and astrophysics to nuclear-, particle- and heavy-ion science. A current example concerns the sensitivity of gravitational wave spectra to the phase structure of dense nuclear and quark matter in binary neutron star collisions. The contributions by Hanauske and Stoecker as well as Banik and Bandyopadhyay relate the consequent insights to hot dense nuclear matter created in supernova explosions and in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Studies of the equation of state for neutron stars are also presented, as are those for nuclear matter in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Other reviews focus on QCD-thermodynamics, charmed mesons in the quark-gluon plasma, nuclear theory, extensions to the standard general theory of relativity, new experimental developments in heavy ion collisions and renewable energy networks. The book will appeal to advanced students and researchers seeking a broad view of current challenges in theoretical physics and their interconnections.

This book provides a detailed, state-of-the-art overview of key observational and theoretical aspects of the rapidly developing and highly interdisciplinary field of exoplanet science, as viewed through the lenses of eight world-class experts. It equips readers with a broad understanding of the complex processes driving the formation and the physical and dynamical evolution of planetary systems. It juxtaposes theoretical modeling with the host of techniques that are unveiling the exceptional variety of observed properties of close-in and wide-separation extrasolar planets. By effectively linking ingenious interpretative analyses to the main factors shaping planetary populations, the book ultimately provides the most coherent picture to date of the demographics of exoplanetary systems. It is an essential reference for Ph.D. students and early-stage career researchers, while the scope and depth of its source material also provide excellent cues for graduate-level courses.

High-energy astrophysics has unveiled a Universe very different from that only known from optical observations. It has revealed many types of objects in which typical variability timescales are as short as years, months, days, and hours (in quasars, X-ray binaries, etc), and even down to milli-seconds in gamma ray bursts. The sources of energy that are encountered are only very seldom nuclear fusion, and most of the time gravitation, a paradox when one thinks that gravitation is, by many orders of magnitude, the weakest of the fundamental interactions. The understanding of these objects' physical conditions and the processes revealed by high-energy astrophysics in the last decades is nowadays part of astrophysicists' culture, even of those active in other domains of astronomy.

This book evolved from lectures given to master and PhD students at the University of Geneva since the early 1990s. It aims at providing astronomers and physicists intending to be active in high-energy astrophysics a broad basis on which they should be able to build the more specific knowledge they will need. While in the first part of the book the physical processes are described and derived in detail, the second part studies astrophysical objects in which high-energy astrophysics processes are crucial. This two-pronged approach will help students recognise physical processes by their observational signatures in contexts that may differ widely from those presented here.

Understanding the Universe: The Physics of the Cosmos from Quasars to Quarks explores how all areas of physics, from the very smallest scales to the very largest, come together to form our current understanding of the Universe. It takes readers on a fascinating journey, from the Big Bang and how the Universe has evolved, to how it appears now, and the possibilities for how it will continue to evolve in the future. It also explores the latest exciting developments in the area and how they impact our understanding of the Universe, such as quantum chromodynamics, black holes, dark energy, and gravitational waves. Equally importantly, it explains how we have come to know all of this about the Universe and details the limitations of our current understanding. This book is accessible to all introductory undergraduate students interested in the physical sciences. It prioritises a non-mathematical approach so it can be understood by all students, with only two algebraic equations in the book and any numerical calculations shown are limited to simple arithmetic. Key Features: Combines current understanding of quantum physics and cosmology, and includes the latest exciting developments from the field. Provides an accessible introduction to the topic, focusing on a non-mathematical presentation. Presents a comprehensive narrative on the subject and a coherent story.

• Introduces the exciting field of astrobiology and investigates the prospects for direct and indirect interactions with extraterrestrial life. • Contains worked example problems, thought questions for self-study, and a “Going Further” section for readers wishing to dig deeper. • Emphasizes an intuitive understanding, together with discussion of scientific methods and technology for applying intuition to real problems. • Features lab exercises, plenty of figures and diagrams, and several appendices for easy reference to key information. • Includes a final chapter on science fiction, discussing coverage of astrobiology in modern books and films, from “Star Trek” to “Interstellar.”

Written by a leading expert, this monograph presents recent developments on supernova remnants, with the inclusion of results from various satellites and ground-based instruments. The book details the physics and evolution of supernova remnants, as well as provides an up-to-date account of recent multiwavelength results. Supernova remnants provide vital clues about the actual supernova explosions from X-ray spectroscopy of the supernova material, or from the imprints the progenitors had on the ambient medium supernova remnants are interacting with - all of which the author discusses in great detail. The way in which supernova remnants are classified, is reviewed and explained early on. A chapter is devoted to the related topic of pulsar wind nebulae, and neutron stars associated with supernova remnants. The book also includes an extended part on radiative processes, collisionless shock physics and cosmic-ray acceleration, making this book applicable to a wide variety of astronomical sub-disciplines. With its coverage of fundamental physics and careful review of the state of the field, the book serves as both textbook for advanced students and as reference for researchers in the field.

This thesis is a comprehensive work that addresses many of the open questions currently being discusssed in the very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray community. It presents a detailed description of the MAGIC telescope together with a glimpse of the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). One section is devoted to the design, development and characterization of trigger systems for current and future imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The book also features a state-of-the-art description of pulsar wind nebula (PWN) systems, the study of the multi-TeV spectrum of the Crab nebula, as well as the discovery of VHE gamma rays at the multiwavelength PWN 3C 58, which were sought at these wavelengths for more than twenty years. It also includes the contextualization of this discovery amongst the current population of VHE gamma-ray PWNe. Cataclysmic variable stars represent a new source of gamma ray energies, and are also addressed here. In closing, the thesis reports on the systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emissions of AE Aquarii in a multiwavelength context and the search for VHE gamma-ray variability of novae during outbursts at different wavelengths.

This edited volume describes many aspects of current research on solar flares, emphasizing recent progress in understanding their X-ray and gamma-ray emissions. Several of the chapters deal comprehensively with the problems of particle acceleration, conversion of particle energy into various forms of radiation, and the inference of physical processes from observations. Other chapters deal with the full breadth and richness of flare observations, including microflares and nanoflares.
This volume is aimed at graduate students and researchers in solar physics and space science.
Previously published in Space Science Reviews journal, Vol. 159/1-4, 2011.

Did the Universe have a beginning? Will it have an end? Or has it always been the same, never changing? This is the subject of cosmology; the study of the Universe, and this book provides a perfect introduction to the subject for anyone that is interested in the wonders of our Universe This book provides an accessible overview of the Standard Model of Cosmology, which is explained in six Cosmological Clues, including evidence for the Big Bang and dark matter and dark energy - the keystones of modern cosmology. It takes readers through some of the most exciting questions in cosmology, such as what evidence do we have that the Universe started from the Big Bang? Has dark matter been observed? Will we ever know what dark energy is? Are the multiverses real? And could the Universe be a hologram? This book is an ideal guide for anyone interested in finding out more about our Universe. It will be of interest to those studying cosmology for the first time, including readers without a scientific background, who have an interest in looking up at the stars and wondering where they all came from! Key features: Contains the latest evidence for the Big Bang, dark matter, and dark energy and explores exciting scientific ideas, such as inflation and multiverses Provides a clear explanation of the main theories of how the Universe evolved based on key observations - the Cosmological Clues Gives the reader a concise introduction to the scientific process, using cosmology as the example, and explores why it has been so successful in creating the technologies we have today

Containing the latest, groundbreaking discoveries in the field, this text outlines the basics of Einstein's theory of gravity with a focus on its most important astrophysical consequences, including stellar structures, black holes and the physics of gravitational waves. Blending advanced topics - usually not found in introductory textbooks - with examples, pedagogical boxes, mathematical tools and practical applications of the theory, this textbook maximises learning opportunities and is ideal for master and graduate students in Physics and Astronomy. Key features: * Provides a self-contained and consistent treatment of the subject that does not require advanced previous knowledge of the field. * Explores the subject with a new focus on gravitational waves and astrophysical relativity, unlike current introductory textbooks. * Fully up-to-date, containing the latest developments and discoveries in the field.

Creative Lives and Works: Antony Hewish, Martin Rees and Neil Turok is a collection of interviews conducted by one of England's leading social anthropologists and historians, Professor Alan Macfarlane. Filmed over a period of 40 years, the three conversations in this volume, are part of a larger set of interviews that cut across various disciplines, from the social sciences, the sciences and to even the performing and visual arts. The current volume on three of England's foremost astrophysicists-cosmologists is the fourth in the series of several such books. Antony Hewish, who won the Nobel Prize in 1974, in the foreword to Questions of Truth writes, 'The ghostly presence of virtual particles defies rational common sense and is non-intuitive for those unacquainted with physics.... But when the most elementary physical things behave in this way, we should be prepared to accept that the deepest aspects of our existence go beyond our common-sense understanding'. Sir Martin Rees eloquently puts forward the problems and challenges of the 21st century, in relation to science, ethics and politics. Like Hewish and Rees, Neil Turok also piques the layman's interest in the mysteries of the cosmic world. Immensely riveting as conversations, this collection takes one into the world of boundless discoveries hidden among the blue skies. The book will be of enormous value not just to those interested in Astronomy and Cosmology as well as the History of Science, but also to those with an inquisitive mind. Please note: This title is co-published with Social Science Press, New Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

As demonstrated by five Nobel Prizes in physics, radio astronomy has contributed greatly to our understanding of the Universe. Courses covering this subject are, therefore, very important in the education of the next generation of scientists who will continue to explore the Cosmos. This textbook, the second of two volumes, presents an extensive introduction to the astrophysical processes that are studied in radio astronomy. Suitable for undergraduate courses on radio astronomy, it discusses the physical phenomena that give rise to radio emissions, presenting examples of astronomical objects, and illustrating how the relevant physical parameters of astronomical sources can be obtained from radio observations. Unlike other radio astronomy textbooks, this book provides students with an understanding of the background and the underlying principles, with derivations available for most of the equations used in the textbook. Features: Presents a clear and concise discussion of the important astronomical concepts and physical processes that give rise to both radio continuum and radio spectral line emission Discusses radio emissions from a variety of astronomical sources and shows how the observed emissions can be used to derive the physical properties of these sources Includes numerous examples using actual data from the literature

Proceedings from the 2012 Fourth International Meeting on Gravitation and Cosmology, focusing on accelerated cosmic expansion

This volume provides both an update and a review of the state of alternative theories of gravity in connection with the accelerated expansion of the universe issue. Different theoretical proposals exist to explain the acceleration in the cosmic expansion, generating the dark energy issue and opening the possibility to theories of gravity alternative to general relativity. Related issues such as the dark matter problem are also surveyed in order to give the readers profound insight on the subject from different points of view. Comprised of short talks and plenary lectures given by leading experts in the field, some of them with brilliant and historic contributions, the book allows the reader to find readable and referenced surveys in topics like f(R) theories, the dark matter and dark energy issues, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) scenarios, f(T) theories, scalar-tensor theories derived from non-Riemannian geometries, emergent universes, the cosmological constant and other topics of current interest for younger and senior physicists and graduate students.

These proceedings are from the Fourth International Meeting on Gravitation and Cosmology, held in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, from 20 - 25 May, 2012, was sponsored by ICTP- Trieste, Italy and COECyTJAL-Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. This event is a series of scientific meetings started in 2004 in Cuba, focusing on current and selected topics in the fields of gravitation and cosmology."

This book presents a direct measurement of quantum back action, or radiation pressure noise, on a macroscopic object at room temperature across a broad bandwidth in the audio range. This noise source was predicted to be a limitation for gravitational wave interferometers in the 1980s, but it has evaded direct characterization in the gravitational wave community due to the inherent difficult of reducing thermal fluctuations below the quantum back action level. This back action noise is a potential limitation in Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo, and Cripe's experiment has provided a platform for the demonstration of quantum measurement techniques that will allow quantum radiation pressure noise to be reduced in these detectors. The experimental techniques Cripe developed for this purpose are also applicable to any continuous measurement operating near the quantum limit, and could lead to the possibility of observing non-classical behavior of macroscopic objects.

This book presents recent results on the modelling of space plasmas with Kappa distributions and their interpretation. Hot and dilute space plasmas most often do not reach thermal equilibrium, their dynamics being essentially conditioned by the kinetic effects of plasma particles, i.e., electrons, protons, and heavier ions. Deviations from thermal equilibrium shown by these plasma particles are often described by Kappa distributions. Although well-known, these distributions are still controversial in achieving a statistical characterization and a physical interpretation of non-equilibrium plasmas. The results of the Kappa modelling presented here mark a significant progress with respect to all these aspects and open perspectives to understanding the high-resolution data collected by the new generation of telescopes and spacecraft missions. The book is directed to the large community of plasma astrophysics, including graduate students and specialists from associated disciplines, given the palette of the proposed topics reaching from applications to the solar atmosphere and the solar wind, via linear and quasilinear modelling of multi-species plasmas and waves within, to the fundamental physics of nonequilibrium plasmas.