Satellite observations in various previously unexplored spectral regions have provided a host of data on novae over the last decade. This carefully refereed conference volume is devoted to classical novae and related objects. Around 30 papers discuss observations (basic properties of novae, outbursts, and nebular ejecta), theoretical considerations, and models of observations. In addition the reader will find an introductory review on binary stars by R.P. Kraft and a summary by P. Eggleton of the papers and posters presented at the conference. To help the reader in finding any specific subject or stellar object the volume concludes with a detailed index.

The contributions to this volume provide new experiences in hydrocarbon exploration, especially to basin analysis methods and risk assessment by computer modelling. Covering mainly the North Sea and adjacent areas also examples from Paris basin, off-Southern Italy, Pannonian basin, Bulgaria, Turkey, Russian platform and Baltic Sea are presented. New approaches in risk-weighting are performed by Monte Carlo simulations, by application of expert-system technology but also by taking into account the importance of man-made mechanical effects, resulting from stress-sensitivity measurements from log and core data.

Leading experts give an overview of very low frequency radio astronomy. They present for the first time in a single conference the astrophysical need for and possible instrumentation for implementing ground-based, ground-to-space, space-based, and lunar-based observations. The papers cover a wide range of topics such as solar astronomy, planetary science, supernova remnants, pulsars, interstellar thermal material, interstellar plasma refraction and diffraction, cosmic rays, extragalactic radio galaxies and quasars, ancient "fossil" radio sources, and new, coherent emission mechanisms.

Helio- and asteroseismology are fast- developing new fields of research that probe the internal structure of stars. The complicated multi-periodic oscillations are studied from both theoretical and observational points of view. Nine articles review the state of the art, including modeling the sun, excitations of oscillations, inverse problems, and the observations of seismic phenomena. One section is devoted to the seismology of stars, a field of research still in its very early development. In addition the reader will find about forty research papers on these subjects.

The Second Volume of Equilibrium between Phases of Matter, when compared with the First Volume, by H.A.J. Oonk and M.T. Calvet, published in 2008, amounts to an extension of subjects, and a deepening of understanding. In the first three sections of the text an extension is given of the theory on isobaric binary systems. The fourth section gives an account of the thermodynamic analyses of four isobaric binary key systems, highlighting the power of empirical, (exo)thermodynamic correlations. The fifth section is devoted to the thermodynamic description of ternary systems. The last three sections concentrate on the properties of materials, and the phase behaviour of systems under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure conditions that prevail in the interior of the Earth. A new equation of state is the subject of the sixth section. In the seventh section a move is made to statistical thermodynamics and vibrational models; the description of the systems has changed from mathematical to physical. The last section is on the system MgO SiO2, looked upon from a geophysical point of view.

Throughout the work high priority is given to the thermodynamic assessment of experimental data; numerous end-of-section exercises and their solutions are included. Along with the First Volume, the work is useful for materials scientists and geophysicists as a reference text.

Audience

Volume II is a lecture book for postgraduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering, geology and metallurgy. It is highly useful as a recommended text for teachers and researchers in all fields of materials science.

"

The controversial question of whether the majority of the narrow absorption lines observed in QSO spectra represent cosmological intervening systems or ejecta from the QSO themselves is settled. QSO absorption line spectroscopy, initially a mere technique, has matured into an essential extragalactic research tool for understanding the content of the Universe at redshifts between 0 and 4, and beyond. The only previous important meeting devoted to "QSO Absorption Lines" was held in May 1987 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Since that time, nearly a decade ago, research has been ex tremely active in this now well-established field of astrophysics. Theoretical stud ies and simulations have taken advantage of the constant progress in computer technology, and during these last few years, the observational results have bene fited largely from the new facillities offered by the Hubble Space Telescope in the UV wavelength range and the Keck Telescope for high-resolution spectroscopy.

The existence of jets emanating from the central sources of radio galaxies and quasars was perhaps the most important discovery for our understanding of the nature of active galactic nuclei. These proceedings present reviews and research papers on extragalactic radio sources. The book begins witha discussion of the phenomenology and models of radio sources. The main partis devoted to detailed studies of jets by VLBI, to the information obtained about the structure of the central source as deduced from variability studies, to production, confinement and velocity of jets as well as to numerical simulations of the jet phenomenon. Reviews of the two best studied jets - those in the radio galaxy M87 and the quasar 3C273 - illustrate our current observational picture of extragalactic radio jets in all accessible wavelength ranges. A section on the influence of the environment on radio galaxies concludes the book. This topical volume addresses researchers and graduate students in astrophysics.

Understanding the formation and evolution of early galaxies is one of the most challenging problems in modern astronomy. In this volume leading specialists describe observations of high and intermediate redshift galaxies as well as the deep survey activities. Further topics include cosmology, and modelling and computer simulations of galaxy formation. Thus the reader will find here a fairly complete picture of the state of the art in this active field of astrophysics research.

This book is based on the Proceedings of the 9th European Workshop on White Dwarfs, the most recent in a series of meetings which have become the most important events in this field. Many of the contributions, however, have been expanded considerably by the authors to include introductory material. This makes this volume a useful, up-to-date introduction into the present status of observations and theory of white dwarf stars.

For a better understanding of supernova explosions the contributors to this volume provide researchers and graduate students in astrophysics with a broad spectrum of alternatives. The confrontation of different theories in one volume should prompt further exploration of the driving piston for the explosions and deeper understanding of the experimental data. Properties of supernova shells are discussed, such as their kinematics, ages, sizes, temperatures, spectra, polarizations, energetics and morphologies. Special attention is given to a few shells of extreme age, viz. G 70.68+1.20, Kepler's SN, and CTB 80, as well as to their statistics.

The interaction of the solar and heat radiation with the atmosphere and surface is the subject of the book. It is useful also for wide circle scientists involved in environmental studies. The book contains the description of 17 computer studying programs supporting different topics of courses. It includes only the base ground for comprehension of key topics and provides the accomplishment of practical works with using specially elaborated computer programs. Themes of practical works reflect main sections of mentioned courses of lectures. The packet of computer programs is added for solution of direct and inverse problems. It promotes deep and reliable comprehension of corresponding topics by students. All described approaches and computer programs are valuable resources for solving radiative transfer problems and they could be used by students for courses and diploma studies concerned atmospheric optics.

Modern researchers in plate tectonics may be concerned with the analysis of distributed deformation across diffuse plate boundaries and triple junction zones. This book extends classic methods of kinematic analysis first developed in the 1960s to the more general scenarios of diffuse deformation zones between plates. The analytic methods presented specifically target the non-rigid deformation implied by unstable triple junction configurations. These methods are then applied to the tectonic evolution of western Caribbean region which provides new ways to test and challenge the established Pacific model of Caribbean tectonics. Possible advantages of the new Pirate model of Caribbean tectonics are discussed in terms of paleo-geography and paleo-ocean connections, as well as mineral and hydrocarbon potential and seismic risks across the region.

Internal wave dynamics in lakes (and oceans) is an important physical component of geophysical fluid mechanics of 'quiescent' water bodies of the Globe. The formation of internal waves requires seasonal stratification of the water bodies and generation by (primarily) wind forces. Because they propagate in basins of variable depth, a generated wave field often experiences transformation from large basin-wide scales to smaller scales. As long as this fission is hydrodynamically stable, nothing dramatic will happen. However, if vertical density gradients and shearing of the horizontal currents in the metalimnion combine to a Richardson number sufficiently small (< 1/4), the light epilimnion water mixes with the water of the hypolimnion, giving rise to vertical diffusion of substances into lower depths. This meromixis is chiefly responsible for the ventilation of the deeper waters and the homogenization of the water through the lake depth. These processes are mainly formed as a result of the physical conditions, but they play biologically an important role in the trophicational state of the lake.

Cosmogenic radionuclides are radioactive isotopes which are produced by natural processes and distributed within the Earth system. With a holistic view of the environment the authors show in this book how cosmogenic radionuclides can be used to trace and to reconstruct the history of a large variety of processes. They discuss the way in which cosmogenic radionuclides can assist in the quantification of complex processes in the present-day environment. The book aims to demonstrate to the reader the strength of analytic tools based on cosmogenic radionuclides, their contribution to almost any field of modern science, and how these tools may assist in the solution of many present and future problems that we face here on Earth. The book provides a comprehensive discussion of the basic principles behind the applications of cosmogenic (and other) radionuclides as environmental tracers and dating tools. The second section of the book discusses in some detail the production of radionuclides by cosmic radiation, their transport and distribution in the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, their storage in natural archives, and how they are measured. The third section of the book presents a number of examples selected to illustrate typical tracer and dating applications in a number of different spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere, solar physics and astronomy). At the same time the authors have outlined the limitations of the use of cosmogenic radionuclides. Written on a level understandable by graduate students without specialist skills in physics or mathematics, the book addresses a wide audience, ranging from archaeology, biophysics, and geophysics, to atmospheric physics, hydrology, astrophysics and space science.

Seismic interferometry is an exciting field in geophysics utilising multiple scattering events to provide unprecedented views of the Earth's subsurface. This is a comprehensive book describing the theory and practice of seismic interferometry with an emphasis on applications in exploration seismology. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter, and the text is supplemented by online MATLAB codes that illustrate important ideas and allow readers to generate synthetic traces and invert these to determine the Earth's reflectivity structure. Later chapters reinforce these principles by deriving the rigorous mathematics of seismic interferometry. Incorporating examples that apply interferometric imaging to synthetic and field data, from applied geophysics and earthquake seismology, this book is a valuable reference for academic researchers and oil industry professionals. It can also be used to teach a one-semester course for advanced students in geophysics and petroleum engineering.

This book deals with the theory and the applications of a new time domain, termed natural time domain, that has been forwarded by the authors almost a decade ago (P.A. Varotsos, N.V. Sarlis and E.S. Skordas, Practica of Athens Academy 76, 294-321, 2001; Physical Review E 66, 011902, 2002). In particular, it has been found that novel dynamical features hidden behind time series in complex systems can emerge upon analyzing them in this new time domain, which conforms to the desire to reduce uncertainty and extract signal information as much as possible. The analysis in natural time enables the study of the dynamical evolution of a complex system and identifies when the system enters a critical stage. Hence, natural time plays a key role in predicting impending catastrophic events in general. Relevant examples of data analysis in this new time domain have been published during the last decade in a large variety of fields, e.g., Earth Sciences, Biology and Physics. The book explains in detail a series of such examples including the identification of the sudden cardiac death risk in Cardiology, the recognition of electric signals that precede earthquakes, the determination of the time of an impending major mainshock in Seismology, and the analysis of the avalanches of the penetration of magnetic flux into thin films of type II superconductors in Condensed Matter Physics. In general, this book is concerned with the time-series analysis of signals emitted from complex systems by means of the new time domain and provides advanced students and research workers in diverse fields with a sound grounding in the fundamentals of current research work on detecting (long-range) correlations in complex time series. Furthermore, the modern techniques of Statistical Physics in time series analysis, for example Hurst analysis, the detrended fluctuation analysis, the wavelet transform etc., are presented along with their advantages when natural time domain is employed.

The book is comprised of lectures and selected contributions presented at the Enzo Levi and XVI Annual Meeting of the Fluid Dynamic Division of the Mexican Physical Society in 2010. It is aimed at fourth year undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scientists in the fields of physics, engineering and chemistry with an interest in fluid dynamics from the experimental and theoretical point of view. The lectures are introductory and avoid the use of complicated mathematics. The other selected contributions are also geared to fourth year undergraduate and graduate students. The fluid dynamics applications include multiphase flow, convection, diffusion, heat transfer, rheology, granular material, viscous flow, porous media flow, geophysics and astrophysics. The material contained in the book includes recent advances in experimental and theoretical fluid dynamics and will be of great use to those involved in either teaching and/or research.

The book introduces readers to and summarizes the current ideas and theories about the basic mechanisms for transport in chaotic flows. Typically no single paradigmatic approach exists as this topic is relevant for fields as diverse as plasma physics, geophysical flows and various branches of engineering. Accordingly, the dispersion of matter in chaotic or turbulent flows is analyzed from different perspectives. Partly based on lecture courses given by the author, this book addresses both graduate students and researchers in search of a high-level but approachable and broad introduction to the topic.

This book presents contributions to the 9th International Workshop on Bifurcation and Degradation in Geomaterials held in Porquerolles, France, May 23-26, 2011. This series of conferences, started in the early 1980s, is dedicated to the research on degradation and instability phenomena in geomaterials.

The volume gathers a series of manuscripts by brilliant international scholars reflecting recent trends in theoretical and experimental research in geomechanics. It incorporates contributions on topics like instability analysis, localized and diffuse failure description, multi-scale modeling and applications to geo-environmental issues.

This book will be valuable for anyone interested in the research on degradation and instabilities in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering, appealing to graduate students, researchers and engineers alike."

Spontaneous potential (SP) well-logging is one of the most common and useful well-logging techniques in petroleum exploitation. This monograph is the first of its kind on the mathematical model of spontaneous potential well-logging and its numerical solutions. The mathematical model established in this book shows the necessity of introducing Sobolev spaces with fractional power, which seriously increases the difficulty of proving the well-posedness and proposing numerical solution schemes. In this book, in the axisymmetric situation the well-posedness of the corresponding mathematical model is proved and three efficient schemes of numerical solution are proposed, supported by a number of numerical examples to meet practical computation needs.

This is the second ESO workshop in aseries dedicated to science oppor tunities with the VLT. At the first workshop all areas of astronomical research were discussed. This second workshop is dedicated to research projects on the early Universe and has provided a forum for discussing strategies for studying faint distant objects in the optical and infrared spectral regions. This field is evolving very rapidly. There are several new surveys of galax ies and clusters of galaxies at intermediate redshift and quasars at very high redshift. Major advances in the morphological studies of distant galaxies, surveys of galaxies at high redshift and searches for primeval galaxies have been rendered possible by the new facilities provided by the Rubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescope. Observational constraints on the evolution and formation of galaxies and large-scale structures as well as the cosmic chemical evolution were criti cally discussed with regard to theory and numerical simulations. In this context, the VLT first generation instrument capabilities were presented comprehensively and their use as cosmological tools discussed . The concluding remarks of the workshop focussed on the analysis of var ious possibilities for the VLT second generation instrumentation. Many of these topics were covered by invited reviews and talks, as well as some contributed talks. They are included in this volume together with the poster papers.

This book provides an in-depth coverage of modern research on dynamical systems. The first part discusses stellar dynamics, integrable systems, the transition to chaos and instabilities in stellar dynamics as well as the dynamics of spiral galaxies. Models are given and compared with observations. The second part is devoted to the direct method of N-body simulations, to gas dynamics simulations and to galaxy formation.
Special care is taken to give to a pedagogical presentation of the material which makes this a unique text well suited for graduate courses in astrophysics.

This is an exhaustive survey of present-day solar research including both theory and observations. It deals with eruptive flares, filament eruption in x-rays and radio waves, energy release and transport, and terrestrial response to solar flares. Details of the most recent SOLAR-A project (launched shortly after the conference) are also presented.