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Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > Cosmology & the universe
In recent years the subject of relativistic fluid dynamics has found substantial applications in astrophysics and cosmology (theories of gravitational collapse, models of neutron stars, galaxy formation), as well as in plasma physics (relativistic fluids have been considered as models for relativistic particle beams) and nuclear physics (relativistic fluids are currently used in the analysis of the heavy ion reactions). Modern methods of analysis and differential geometry have now also been introduced. The International C.I.M.E. Course brought together expertise and interest from several areas (astrophysics, plasma physics, nuclear physics, mathematical methods) to create an appropriate arena for discussion and exchange of ideas. The main lecture courses introduced the most significant aspects of the subject and were delivered by leading specialists. The notes of these have been written up for this volume and constitute an up-to-date and thorough treatment of these topics. Several contributions from the seminars on specialized topics of complementary interest to the courses are also included.
The authors discuss such topics as "impacts with asteroids, the greenhouse effect, nuclear winter, fringe catastrophism, supernovae and an assessment of risks." (New Scientist)
Given the prevailing consensus among cosmologists that the universe had its beginning approximately 15 billion years ago, and that it will reach its end in the remote yet foreseeable future, we face the momentous intellectual challenge of how to assimilate these scientific claims into our fundamental world view. In this work the distinguished philosopher Milton Munitz provides a lucid account of the chief empirical findings and theories of recent cosmology and a systematic assessment of their broader philosophical implications.
I remember once watching a presentation of the creation of the universe in a planetarium. It was a fascinating experience: lights flashing, particles appearing to rush by as an explosive roar echoed throughout the planetarium. Then suddenly ... black ness. And after a few seconds ... tiny lights--stars blinking into existence. I tried to imagine myself actually going back to this event. Was this really what it was like? It was an interesting facsimile, but far from what the real thing would have been like. The creation of the universe is an event that is impossible to imagine accurately. Fortunately, this has not discouraged peo ple from wondering what it was like. In Creation I have attempted to take you back to the begin ning-the big bang explosion-so that you can watch the uni verse grow and evolve. Starting with the first fraction of a sec ond, I trace the universe from its initial dramatic expansion through to the formation of the first nuclei and atoms. From here I go to the formation of galaxies and the curious distribu tion they have taken in space. Finally I talk about the formation of elements in stars, and the first life on the planets around them.
The Symposium was held at the Great Wall Sheraton Hotel in Beijing, China in the period August 25-30, 1986. The decision to concentrate on the observational aspects of modern cosmology was taken in part because this conference has come in a period when there have been several international meetings on one aspect of modern cosmology, namely the early universe and its possible relationship to particle physics. While that approach is extremely exciting, it has the disadvantage that its connection with much of observational cosmology is very indirect. Thus there has been little opportunity to discuss critically the wealth of new data that are now becoming available which bear on the structure and evolution of the Universe but not always on its early history. This Symposium was planned to cover all aspects of observational cosmology, with only comparatively minor excursions into theory. Nearly 200 participants attended from 21 countries. A total of 26 invited papers and 73 contributed papers were given. This meant that everyone worked hard and long from 9 A.M. to about 5:30 P.M. for five of the six days of the conference. In addition to oral contributions, space was made available for poster papers and 56 of these were available for study for the duration of the conference.
Free yourself from cosmological tyranny! Everything started in a Big Bang? Invisible dark matter? Black holes? Why accept such a weird cosmos? For all those who wonder about this bizarre universe, and those who want to overthrow the Big Bang, this handbook gives you 'just the facts': the observations that have shaped these ideas and theories. While the Big Bang holds the attention of scientists, it isn't perfect. The authors pull back the curtains, and show how cosmology really works. With this, you will know your enemy, cosmic revolutionary - arm yourself for the scientific arena where ideas must fight for survival! This uniquely-framed tour of modern cosmology gives a deeper understanding of the inner workings of this fascinating field. The portrait painted is realistic and raw, not idealized and airbrushed - it is science in all its messy detail, which doesn't pretend to have all the answers.
Since the last International Astronomical Union Symposium that dealt with matters cosmological, there have been dramatic advances, both on the observational and theoretical fronts. Modern high-efficiency detectors have made possible extensive magnitude-limited redshift surveys, which have permitted observational cosmologists to construct three-dimensional maps of large regions of space. What seems to emerge is a distribution of matter in extensive, flat, but probably filamentary, and possibly interconnected, superclusters, serving as interstices between vast voids in space. Meanwhile, theoretical ideas that were highly speculative a few years ago have begun to be taken seriously as possibly describing conditions in the very early universe. And brand new ideas, such as that of the inflationary universe, hold promise of solving outstanding observational, theoretical, and philosophical problems in cosmology. A new look at grand unified theories and concepts of supersymmetry have brought observational and theoretical cosmologists to a common meeting ground with modern particle physicists.
The past two decades have seen transformative advances in cosmology and string theory. Observations of the cosmic microwave background have revealed strong evidence for inflationary expansion in the very early universe, while new insights about compactifications of string theory have led to a deeper understanding of inflation in a framework that unifies quantum mechanics and general relativity. Written by two of the leading researchers in the field, this complete and accessible volume provides a modern treatment of inflationary cosmology and its connections to string theory and elementary particle theory. After an up-to-date experimental summary, the authors present the foundations of effective field theory, string theory, and string compactifications, setting the stage for a detailed examination of models of inflation in string theory. Three appendices contain background material in geometry and cosmological perturbation theory, making this a self-contained resource for graduate students and researchers in string theory, cosmology, and related fields.
Jan H. Dort's work Ad: r>iaan Blaauw Meritus Emeritus Harry van der Laan 21 Jan Hendrik Dort and Dutch astronomy H. G. van Bueren 31 Dort's scientific importance on a world-wide scale Bengt Stromgren 39 Gart and international co-operation in astronomy D. H. Sadler 45 Reminiscences of the early nineteen-twenties Peter Van de Kamp 51 The first five years of Jan Dort at Leiden, Bart J. Bok 1924-1929 55 Early galactic structure Per Olof Lindblad 59 Early galactic radio astronomy at Kootwijk C. A. Muller 65 W. N. Christiansen Dort and his large radiotelescope 71 Ten years of discovery with Dort's Synthesis Radio Telescope R. J. Allen and R. D. Ekers 79 Gort's work on comets Maarten Schmidt 111 The evolution of ideas on the Crab Nebula L. WoUjer 117 Gort's work reflected in current studies of galactic CO W. B. Burton 123 On high-energy astrophysics V. L. Ginzburg 129 Dort and extragalactic astronomy Margaret and Geoffrey Burbidge 141 Birthday wishes John A. and Janette Wheeler 151 The Earth and the Universe Abraham H. Oort 153 The challenge of Jan Dort J. H. Bannier 157 Jan Dort at the telescope Fjeda Walraven 161 Gart Westerhout Personal recollections 163 Style of research Henk van de Hulst 165 Manuscript Jan H.
The significance of the present IAU symposium, "The Large Scale Structure of the Universe," fortunately requires no elaboration by the editors. The quality of the wide range of observational and theoretical astrophysics contained in this volume speaks for itself. The published version of the proceedings contains all the contributions presented at the symposium with the exception of the introductory lecture by V. A. Ambartsumian. Contributed papers, short contributions and discussions have been included according to the recommendations of the IAU. Many people contributed to the success of the symposium. First of all, thanks are due to the USSR Academy of Sciences and to the Estonian Academy of Sciences for sponsoring this symposium in Tallinn. The efforts of Academician K. Rebane, President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, are particularly appreciated. The astronomical hosts of the symposium were the members of the W. Struve Astrophysical Observatory of Tartu who made outstanding efforts to lavish participants with Estonian hospitality which was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by them and their guests. The members of the Scientific and Local Organising Committees are listed below and we thank all of them for their contributions which were central to the success of the symposium. In addition are listed members of the Technical Organising Committee who were responsible for all details of the organisation and whose vigilance ensured that all aspects of the symposium ran smoothly and efficiently. Their contributions are all gratefully acknowledged.
This definitive guide provides advanced students and researchers with a detailed yet accessible overview of all of the central topics of meteor science. Leading figures from the field summarise their active research on themes ranging from the physical composition of meteoroids to the most recent optical and radar observations and ongoing theoretical developments. Crucial practical issues are also considered, such as the risk posed by meteoroids - to spacecraft, and on the ground - and future avenues of research are explored. Taking advantage of the latest dynamical models, insights are offered into meteor flight phenomena and the evolution of meteoroid streams and complexes, as well as describing the in-depth laboratory analysis of recovered material. The rapid rate of progress in twenty-first-century research makes this volume essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand how recent developments broaden our understanding of meteors, meteoroids and their origins.
337 F(e) = (z) where the angle between the directions III and 112 is equal to 8. r is the angular diameter effective distance of the epoch for recombination. F (8) ~ve have F(e) : f (e) ~ (S" ) e. . ~ is a Bessel function. It is assumed here that the spectrum of gravitational waves takes the form 1\ hI'::: hoK for all relevant wavelengths, a is beam width of the radio antenna, d\= d~, and ~ is the duration of the process of recombinations in \-time. The results for different beam widths are shown in Fig. 1. 338 I. D. NOVIKOV 1-. . . -__ 0. 5 1 1. 5 2 e' 0. 5 o and for a l' (solid line) and Fig. 1. The function f(8) for n for a = 2' (dotted line). These formula should be used in analysing the implications of future observations. Comparison with the observational data now available enables us to establish an upper limit for the energy density of long gravitational waves. This method is most sensitive for gravitational waves with A ~ ct The fluctuations ~; due to these waves have scale ~ 0. 03 GW rec 4 radian. If, according to modern observations, we take ~; < 10- , then 8 26 ~GW/Ey < 10- for those gravitational waves which have A = 5. 10 cm GW today where Ey is the energy density of relict radiation. The fluctuations ~TT due to long gravitational waves with A = ct .
This book discusses cosmology from both an observational and a strong theoretical perspective. The first part focuses on gravitation, notably the expansion of the universe and determination of cosmological parameters, before moving onto the main emphasis of the book, the physics of the early universe, and the connections between cosmological models and particle physics. The book provides links with particle physics and with investigations of the theories beyond the Standard Model, especially in connection to dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetry puzzles. Readers will gain a comprehensive account of cosmology and the latest observational results, without requiring prior knowledge of relativistic theories, making the text ideal for students. Features: Provides a self-contained discussion of modern cosmology results without requiring any prior knowledge of relativistic theories, enabling students to learn the first rudiments needed for a rigorous comprehension of cosmological concepts Contains a timely discussion of the latest cosmological results, including those from WMAP and the Planck satellite, and discuss the cosmological applications of the Nobel Prize 2017 awarded discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO interferometer and the very high energy neutrinos discovered by the IceCube detector Includes original figures complementing mathematical derivations and accounting for the most important cosmological observations, in addition to a wide variety of problems with a full set of solutions discussed in detail in an accompanying solutions manual (available upon qualifying course adoption) To view the errata please visit the authors personal webpage.
All humans share three origins: the beginning of our individual lives, the appearance of life on Earth, and the formation of our planetary home. Life through Time and Space brings together the latest discoveries in both biology and astronomy to examine our deepest questions about where we came from, where we are going, and whether we are alone in the cosmos. A distinctive voice in the growing field of astrobiology, Wallace Arthur combines embryological, evolutionary, and cosmological perspectives to tell the story of life on Earth and its potential to exist elsewhere in the universe. He guides us on a journey through the myriad events that started with the big bang and led to the universe we inhabit today. Along the way, readers learn about the evolution of life from a primordial soup of organic molecules to complex plants and animals, about Earth's geological transformation from barren rock to diverse ecosystems, and about human development from embryo to infant to adult. Arthur looks closely at the history of mass extinctions and the prospects for humanity's future on our precious planet. Do intelligent aliens exist on a distant planet in the Milky Way, sharing the three origins that characterize all life on Earth? In addressing this question, Life through Time and Space tackles the many riddles of our place and fate in the universe that have intrigued human beings since they first gazed in wonder at the nighttime sky.
be hoped. We have improved measurements by at best a factor of 3. So thIS paper, unfortunately, IS really a status report rather than a progress report. There are, however, a few new results to mention. I shall present the results wIthout glVlng any detaIls of the experImental apparatus. In general, sources of error and problems in these measurements are not determined by the apparatus itself. The most important new result IS that of Paul Henry (1971), who employed a radiometer mounted on a rotatmg platform suspended beneath a balloon. Because he employed a rotatmg platform he was able to look for amsotropy over a WIde area area of the sky (about one-half of the northern hemIsphere), not Just a CIrcle of con- stant dechnatIOn. In a smgle mght, he was able to obtam enough data to establIsh a value for the component of the 'dIpole' anisotropy parallel to the spm aXIS of the Earth It IS LI T = (3. 2 +- 0 8) x 10-3 K in the direction (X = I Oh-ll hand () = - 30 . HIS results are conSIstent WIth the earher results of Conkhn (1969), but provIde the Im- portant addItIonal datum that the motion of the Earth with respect to the co-movmg coordinate system (and parallel to the spm aXIS of the Earth) IS small. MeanwhIle, Conklin refined and repeated hIS earher measurement and reduced the statIstical error. The results of his work are reported m the IAU Symp. 44 (1972).
"It is said that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, and nowhere is that more true than in the case of black holes. Black holes are stranger than anything dreamed up by science fiction writers." In 2016 Professor Stephen Hawking delivered the BBC Reith Lectures on a subject that fascinated him for decades - black holes. In these flagship lectures the legendary physicist argued that if we could only understand black holes and how they challenge the very nature of space and time, we could unlock the secrets of the universe.
In Losing the Nobel Prize, cosmologist and inventor of the BICEP (Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization) experiment Brian Keating tells the inside story of BICEP2's mesmerising discovery and the scientific drama that ensued. In an adventure story that spans the globe, Keating takes us on a personal journey of revelation and discovery, bringing to vivid life the highly competitive, take-no-prisoners, publish-or-perish world of modern science. Along the way, he provocatively argues that the Nobel Prize, instead of advancing scientific progress, may actually hamper it, encouraging speed and greed while punishing collaboration and bold innovation.
Up to date and comprehensive in its coverage, Neutrinos in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology reviews the whole landscape of neutrino physics, from state-of-the-art experiments to the latest phenomenological and theoretical developments to future advances. With contributions from internationally recognized leaders in the field, the book covers the basics of the standard model and neutrino phenomenology. It also discusses Big Bang cosmology, neutrino astrophysics, CP violation, leptogenesis, and solar neutrino physics, including the standard solar model. The contributors present experimental aspects of accelerator and reactor neutrino experiments as well as nuclear physics experiments that deal with neutrinoless double beta decay and tritium decay. They also focus on neutrino detectors, neutrino beams, and the neutrino factory. Drawn from the lectures of the Scottish Universities Summer Schools in Physics, this resource provides an essential foundation for anyone working in the exciting area of neutrino physics.
'Mindblowing' Michael Pollan Why do we know so much more about the cosmos than our own consciousness? Are there limits to the scientific method? Why do we assume that only science, mathematics and technology reveal truth? The Flip shows us what happens when we realise that consciousness is fundamental to the cosmos and not some random evolutionary accident or surface cognitive illusion; that everything is alive, connected, and 'one'. We meet the people who have made this visionary, intuitive leap towards new forms of knowledge: Mark Twain's prophetic dreams, Marie Curie's seances, Einstein's cosmically attuned mind. But these forms of knowledge are not archaic; indeed, they are essential in a universe that has evolved specifically to be understandable by the consciousnesses we inhabit. The Flip peels back the layers of our beliefs about the world to reveal a visionary, new way of understanding ourselves and everything around us, with huge repercussions for how we live our lives. After all, once we have flipped, we understand that the cosmos is not just human. The human is also cosmic.
This is the first comprehensive treatment of active galactic nuclei--the cosmic powerhouses at the core of many distant galaxies. The term "active galactic nuclei" refers to quasars, radio galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, blazars, and related objects, all of which are believed to share a similar central engine--a supermassive black hole many times the mass of the Sun. Astrophysicists have studied these phenomena for the past several decades and have begun to develop a consensus about many of their properties and internal mechanisms. Julian Krolik, one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, sums up leading ideas from across the entire range of research, making this book an invaluable resource for astronomers, physicists interested in applications of the theory of gravitation, and graduate students. Krolik begins by addressing basic questions about active galactic nuclei: What are they? How can they be found? How do they evolve? He assesses the evidence for massive black holes and considers how they generate power by accretion. He discusses X-ray and g-ray emission, radio emission and jets, emission and absorption lines, anisotropic appearance, and the relationship between an active nucleus and its host galaxy. He explores the mysteries of what ignites, fuels, and extinguishes active galactic nuclei, and concludes with a general review of where the field now stands. The book is unique in paying careful attention to relevant physics as well as astronomy, reflecting in part the importance of general relativity to understanding active galactic nuclei. Clear, authoritative, and detailed, this is crucial reading for anyone interested in one of the most dynamic areas of astrophysics today.
Following their New York Times-bestselling graphic novel Feynman, Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick deliver a gripping biography of Stephen Hawking, one of the most important scientists of our time. From his early days at the St Albans School and Oxford, Stephen Hawking's brilliance and good humor were obvious to everyone he met. A lively and popular young man, it's no surprise that he would later rise to celebrity status. At twenty-one he was diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Though the disease weakened his muscles and limited his ability to move and speak, it did nothing to limit his mind. He went on to do groundbreaking work in cosmology and theoretical physics for decades after being told he had only a few years to live. He brought his intimate understanding of the universe to the public in his 1988 bestseller, A Brief History of Time. Soon after, he added pop-culture icon to his accomplishments by playing himself on shows like Star Trek, The Simpsons, and The Big Bang Theory, and becoming an outspoken advocate for disability rights. In Hawking, writer Jim Ottaviani and artist Leland Myrick have crafted an intricate portrait of the great thinker, the public figure, and the man behind both identities.
Illustrated with breathtaking images of the Solar System and of the Universe around it, this book explores how the discoveries within the Solar System and of exoplanets far beyond it come together to help us understand the habitability of Earth, and how these findings guide the search for exoplanets that could support life. The author highlights how, within two decades of the discovery of the first planets outside the Solar System in the 1990s, scientists concluded that planets are so common that most stars are orbited by them. The lives of exoplanets and their stars, as of our Solar System and its Sun, are inextricably interwoven. Stars are the seeds around which planets form, and they provide light and warmth for as long as they shine. At the end of their lives, stars expel massive amounts of newly forged elements into deep space, and that ejected material is incorporated into subsequent generations of planets. How do we learn about these distant worlds? What does the exploration of other planets tell us about Earth? Can we find out what the distant future may have in store for us? What do we know about exoworlds and starbirth, and where do migrating hot Jupiters, polluted white dwarfs, and free-roaming nomad planets fit in? And what does all that have to do with the habitability of Earth, the possibility of finding extraterrestrial life, and the operation of the globe-spanning network of the sciences? |
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