Contains the latest developments and technologies from astronomical observatories and telescope facilities on the ground and in space Accompanied by a companion website with examples, tutorials, Python scripts and resources Authored by an observational astronomer with over thirty years of observing and teaching experience

This graduate textbook on optimal spacecraft trajectories demonstrates the theory and applications of using the minimum amount of propellant possible to reach a target destination. The author aims to produce the only comprehensive treatment of various aspects of this topic. It includes problems at the ends of the chapters and some of the appendices. But it is also suitable as a scholarly reference book as it includes recent research from the author and his colleagues.

Proceedings of the Midnight Sun Conference, held in Tromso, Norway, July 1-8, 1987"

Ever since 1911, the Solvay Conferences have shaped modern physics. The format is quite different from other conferences as the emphasis is placed on discussion. The 26th edition held in October 2014 in Brussels and chaired by Roger Blandford continued this tradition and addressed some of the most pressing open questions in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology, gathering many of the leading figures working on a wide variety of profound problems.The proceedings contain the 'rapporteur talks' giving a broad overview with unique insights by distinguished renowned scientists. These lectures cover the five sessions: 'Neutron Stars', 'Black Holes', 'Cosmic Dawn', 'Dark Matter' and 'Cosmic Microwave Background'.In the Solvay tradition, the proceedings also include the prepared comments to the rapporteur talks. The discussions among the participants - expert, yet lively and sometimes contentious - have been edited to retain to retain their flavor and are reproduced in full. The reader is taken on a breathtaking ride through 42 years of extraordinary discovery since astrophysics was last on the Solvay program and 57 years since cosmology was last discussed.

The field of quantum plasmas has a long and diverse tradition. The subject is becoming of increasing interest. This book synthesizes two fields: classical kinetic theory of collisionless plasmas and quantum electrodynamics. The whole approach is new and not seen in other texts. The book therefore provides a comprehensive introduction to a more general formalism for plasma kinetic and dispersion theory.

* 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

* 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

The previous Saas-Fee Advanced Course dedicated to the interstellar medium took place in 1972. The tremendous scientific advances that have occurred in this field since then, in particular owing to the availabihty of receivers working at completely unexplored wavelength bands, fuUy justified a new set of lectures. As a consequence, the members of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and As tronomy voted that "The Galactic Interstellar Medium" should be the subject of the 1991 course. The 21st Saas Fee Advanced Course took place in Les Diablerets from 18 to 23 March 1991, gathering together about 80 participants from all over the world, but mostly from Europe. According to a rule that has proved to lead to success, but also to chal lenge the lecturers' energy, the format of a Saas-Fee Advanced Course consists traditionally of 28 lectures of 45 minutes which take place in the morning and late afternoon, leaving ample time for discussions, self-study, hiking or skiing. Despite the inordinate work load imposed, this year's lecturers felt that the subject was sufficiently dense to increase the lecture time by 1/3! This proved judicious and left more time for questions and discussions during the lectures.

The book begins at the Sun then travels through the solar system to see the stars, how they work, and ultimately what they mean to us. The idea is to provide an integrated view of the galaxy and its contents. Along the way we look at spectra, atmospheric phenomena, gravity and the laws of motion, telescopes and how they work, interstellar gas and dust, star birth and death, and planets orbiting other stars. Most popular books tend to focus on one particular topic. From the Sun to the Stars is one of the few that tells the story of the Sun against the background of other stars and other planets and, for that matter, of stars and other planets against the background of the Sun and solar system. This presents the subject with a breadth that few other books can match.This book grew out of the OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) lectures given by the author at the University of Illinois. It doesn't require any prior knowledge and is suitable for anyone who is interested in astronomy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This book provides an accessible introduction to the fascinating and topical subject of black holes. It bridges the gap between popular non-mathematical expositions and advanced research texts, using simple undergraduate level calculations and the most basic knowledge of relativity to explain current research. This means the theory can be understood by a wide audience of physicists, including those who are not necessarily interested in learning higher-level mathematical techniques.The third edition links more of the current research trends to fundamental aspects of the physics of black holes. Additionally: This new edition introduces a chapter dedicated to a selection of recent results. Existing chapters have been updated and new explanatory material has been added to aid in the understanding of the physics.This book is recommended reading for advanced undergraduate students and first-year postgraduates who will find it a useful stepping-stone to the advanced literature.

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.

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

Tom Kibble is an inspirational theoretical physicist who has made profound contributions to our understanding of the physical world. To celebrate his 80th birthday a one-day symposium was held on March 13, 2013 at the Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London. This important volume is a compilation of papers based on the presentations that were given at the symposium.The symposium profiled various aspects of Tom's long scientific career. The tenor of the meeting was set in the first talk given by Neil Turok, director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, who described Tom as "our guru and example". He gave a modern overview of cosmological theories, including a discussion of Tom's pioneering work on how topological defects might have formed in the early universe during symmetry-breaking phase transitions. Wojciech Zurek of Los Alamos National Laboratory continued with this theme, surveying analogous processes within the context of condensed matter systems and explaining the Kibble-Zurek scaling phenomenon. The day's events were concluded by Jim Virdee of Imperial College, who summarized the epic and successful quest of finding the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. At the end of the talk, there was a standing ovation for Tom that lasted several minutes.In the evening, Steven Weinberg gave a keynote presentation to a capacity audience of 700 people. He talked eruditely on symmetry breaking and its role in elementary particle physics. At the banquet dinner, Frank Close of Oxford University concluded the banquet speeches by summarizing the significance of Tom's contributions to the creation of the Standard Model.

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 . . .

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.

The book begins with a historical review of four major theories for the origin of the Solar System in particular, or of planets in general, which highlight the major problems that need to be solved by any plausible theory. In many theories, including that which form the major theme of this book, the formation of planets and stars is intimately linked, so four chapters are devoted to the processes that can be described as the birth, life and death of stars. Recent observations that have revealed the existence of planets around many Sun-like stars are described in detail, followed by a clear exposition of the Capture Theory for the origin of planets. Many aspects of this theory are illustrated with sophisticated computer modelling that convincingly demonstrates the plausibility of the theory. The Capture Theory is in complete accord with all observations, including the estimate it gives for the proportion of Sun-like stars with planets. It is the only theory that sits comfortably with all present observational and theoretical constraints. The general theory of planet formation does not explain the detailed structure of the Solar System. An early postulated collision of two major planets is shown to explain many disparate features of the Solar System - the nature of the terrestrial planets, surface features of the Moon and its relationship with Earth, asteroids, comets and dwarf planets, the relationship between Neptune, Triton and Pluto and the characteristics of meteorites, including the isotopic anomalies found in them. The postulate of a planetary collision is given support by a 2009 NASA observation of the residue of such an event around a distant young star.

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.

The book begins with a historical review of four major theories for the origin of the Solar System in particular, or of planets in general, which highlight the major problems that need to be solved by any plausible theory. In many theories, including that which form the major theme of this book, the formation of planets and stars is intimately linked, so four chapters are devoted to the processes that can be described as the birth, life and death of stars.Recent observations that have revealed the existence of planets around many Sun-like stars are described in detail, followed by a clear exposition of the Capture Theory for the origin of planets. Many aspects of this theory are illustrated with sophisticated computer modelling that convincingly demonstrates the plausibility of the theory. The Capture Theory is in complete accord with all observations, including the estimate it gives for the proportion of Sun-like stars with planets. It is the only theory that sits comfortably with all present observational and theoretical constraints.The general theory of planet formation does not explain the detailed structure of the Solar System. An early postulated collision of two major planets is shown to explain many disparate features of the Solar System - the nature of the terrestrial planets, surface features of the Moon and its relationship with Earth, asteroids, comets and dwarf planets, the relationship between Neptune, Triton and Pluto and the characteristics of meteorites, including the isotopic anomalies found in them. The postulate of a planetary collision is given support by a 2009 NASA observation of the residue of such an event around a distant young star.

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

• 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.”

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.