Dieses Buch ist bis heute eine der popularsten Darstellungen der Relativitatstheorie geblieben. In der vorliegenden Version haben J. Ehlers und M. Poessel vom Max-Planck-Institut fur Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut) in Golm/Potsdam den Bornschen Text kommentiert und einen den anschaulichen, aber prazisen Stil Borns wahrendes, umfangreiches Erganzungskapitel hinzugefugt, das die sturmische Entwicklung der Relativiatatstheorie bis hin zu unseren Tagen nachzeichnet. Eingegangen wird auf Gravitationswellen und Schwarze Loecher, auf neuere Entwicklungen der Kosmologie, auf Ansatze zu einer Theorie der Quantengravitation und auf die zahlreichen raffinierten Experimente, welche die Gultigkeit der Einsteinschen Theorie mit immer groesserer Genauigkeit bestatigt haben. Damit bleibt dieses Buch nach wie vor einer der unmittelbarsten Zugange zur Relativitatstheorie fur alle die sich fur eine uber das rein popularwissenschaftliche hinausgehende Einfuhrung interessieren.

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.

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)

From the Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a personal meditation on the quest for objective reality in natural science A century ago, thoughtful people questioned how reality could agree with physical theories that keep changing, from a mechanical model of the ether to electric and magnetic fields, and from homogeneous matter to electrons and atoms. Today, concepts like dark matter and dark energy further complicate and enrich the search for objective reality. The Whole Truth is a personal reflection on this ongoing quest by one of the world's most esteemed cosmologists. What lies at the heart of physical science? What are the foundational ideas that inform and guide the enterprise? Is the concept of objective reality meaningful? If so, do our established physical theories usefully approximate it? P. J. E. Peebles takes on these and other big questions about the nature of science, drawing on a lifetime of experience as a leading physicist and using cosmology as an example. He traces the history of thought about the nature of physical science since Einstein, and succinctly lays out the fundamental working assumptions. Through a careful examination of the general theory of relativity, Einstein's cosmological principle, and the theory of an expanding universe, Peebles shows the evidence that we are discovering the nature of reality in successive approximations through increasingly rigorous scrutiny. A landmark work, The Whole Truth is essential reading for anyone interested in the practice of science.

From Nobel Prize-winning physicist P. J. E. Peebles, the story of cosmology from Einstein to today Modern cosmology began a century ago with Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity and his notion of a homogenous, philosophically satisfying cosmos. Cosmology's Century is the story of how generations of scientists built on these thoughts and many new measurements to arrive at a well-tested physical theory of the structure and evolution of our expanding universe. In this landmark book, one of the world's most esteemed theoretical cosmologists offers an unparalleled personal perspective on how the field developed. P. J. E. Peebles was at the forefront of many of the greatest discoveries of the past century, making fundamental contributions to our understanding of the presence of helium and microwave radiation from the hot big bang, the measures of the distribution and motion of ordinary matter, and the new kind of dark matter that allows us to make sense of these results. Taking readers from the field's beginnings, Peebles describes how scientists working in independent directions found themselves converging on a theory of cosmic evolution interesting enough to warrant the rigorous testing it passes so well. He explores the major advances-some inspired by remarkable insights or perhaps just lucky guesses-as well as the wrong turns taken and the roads not explored. He shares recollections from major players in this story and provides a rare, inside look at how science is really done. A monumental work, Cosmology's Century also emphasizes where the present theory is incomplete, suggesting exciting directions for continuing research.

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.

In the sixth century BC, Anaximander of Miletus, an associate of Thales, initiated Western philosophy and science with a theory of how the world order arose, heavens and earth formed, and human beings came into existence. This book makes available a work that is of value for students in classics, philosophy, literature, and the history of science.

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.

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.

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 .

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).

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.

Here is the essential companion to Welcome to the Universe, a New York Times bestseller that was inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course for non-science majors that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton. This problem book features more than one hundred problems and exercises used in the original course--ideal for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the original material and to learn to think like an astrophysicist. Whether you're a student or teacher, citizen scientist or science enthusiast, your guided tour of the cosmos just got even more hands-on with Welcome to the Universe: The Problem Book. * The essential companion book to the acclaimed bestseller* Features the problems used in the original introductory astronomy course for non-science majors at Princeton University* Organized according to the structure of Welcome to the Universe, empowering readers to explore real astrophysical problems that are conceptually introduced in each chapter* Problems are designed to stimulate physical insight into the frontier of astrophysics* Problems develop quantitative skills, yet use math no more advanced than high school algebra* Problems are often multipart, building critical thinking and quantitative skills and developing readers' insight into what astrophysicists do* Ideal for course use--either in tandem with Welcome to the Universe or as a supplement to courses using standard astronomy textbooks--or self-study* Tested in the classroom over numerous semesters for more than a decade* Prefaced with a review of relevant concepts and equations* Full solutions and explanations are provided, allowing students and other readers to check their own understanding

A scientific and globetrotting exploration of the physics experiments changing the ways we understand our universe. Why is the universe expanding? What is the nature of dark matter? Do other universes exist? In this timely and original book, science writer Anil Ananthaswamy embarks on a global journey to some of the world's most inhospitable and dramatic research sites to witness first-hand the audacious physics experiments conducted to answer profound questions about the nature of the universe. From the Atacama Desert in the Chilean Andes to the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope on Mount Paranal to deep inside an abandoned iron mine in Minnesota and to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, Ananthaswamy weaves together stories about the people and places at the heart of this cosmological research. While explaining the immense questions that scientists are trying to answer, Ananthaswamy provides an accessible and unique portrait of the universe and our quest to understand it. An atmospheric, engaging and illuminating read, The Edge of Physics depicts science as a human process and brings cosmology with all its rarefied concepts down to earth. ***PRAISE FOR THE EDGE OF PHYSICS*** 'A travelogue that celebrates the blood, sweat and tears that drive our understanding of the universe.' Guardian 'An excellent book. The author has a great knack of making difficult subjects comprehensible. I thoroughly enjoyed it.' Sir Patrick Moore 'A remarkable narrative that combines fundamental physics with high adventure.' New Scientist 'The ultimate physics-adventure travelogue... brilliant.' Physics World 'A grand tour of modern day cosmology's sacred places... evocative... engaging... refreshing... a taste of science in the heroic mode.' BBC Sky at Night 'Clean, elegant prose, humming with interest.' Robert MacFarlene 'An accomplished and timely overview of modern cosmology and particle astrophysics.' Nature

This Third Edition provides a concise, authoritative study of cosmology at an introductory level. Starting from elementary principles and the history of cosmology, the text carefully guides the student on to curved spacetimes, general relativity, black holes, cosmological models, particles and symmetries, and phase transitions.

Extensively revised, this latest edition includes broader and updated coverage of distance measures, gravitational lensing and waves, dark energy and quintessence, the thermal history of the Universe, inflation, large scale structure formation, and the ‘cosmological coincidence’problem.

• Illustrated throughout and comprehensively referenced with problems at the end of each chapter.
• Includes more material on observational astrophysics and expanded sections on astrophysical phenomena.
• Latest observational results from the WMAP satellite and the 2 degree Field Galaxy Redshift Survey.

Born in 1942, Stephen Hawking is no ordinary scientist. With a career that began over thirty years ago at Cambridge University, he has managed to do more than perhaps any other physicist to broaden our basic understanding of the universe. This skilful portrait of an indefatigable genius traces the course of Hawking's life and science, marrying biography and physics to tell the story of a remarkable man.

As the New Stateman said of the first edition in 1992: 'A gripping account of a physicist whose speculations could prove as revolutionary as those of Albert Einstein…Its combination of erudition, warmth, robustness, and wit is entirely appropriate to their subject.'
 

Tom Van Flandern's book adds a new dimension to cosmology--not only does it present a novel approach to timeless issues, it stands up to the closest scientific scrutiny. Even the most respected scientists today will readily admit that the Big Bang Theory is full of holes. But it takes a new look, like "Dark Matter, Missing Planets, and New Comets," to explain not only why the theory is wrong but what to substitute in its place. If you are curious about such things as the nature of matter and the origin of the solar system, but feel inadequately equipped to grasp what modern science has to say about such things, read this book. You will not get the all too common condescending attempt to water down the mysteries' of modern science into a form intelligible to little non scientist you, but rather a straightforward new theory, logically derived in front of your eyes, which challenges the roots of many of today's complex accepted paradigms, yet whose essence is simple enough to be thoroughly communicated to the intelligent layman without "losing it in the translation."