When Chinese alchemists fashioned the first manmade explosion sometime during the tenth century, no one could have foreseen its full revolutionary potential. Invented to frighten evil spirits rather than fuel guns or bombs,neither of which had been thought of yet,their simple mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal went on to make the modern world possible. As word of its explosive properties spread from Asia to Europe, from pyrotechnics to battleships, it paved the way for Western exploration, hastened the end of feudalism and the rise of the nation state, and greased the wheels of the Industrial Revolution.With dramatic immediacy, novelist and journalist Jack Kelly conveys both the distant time in which the devil's distillate" rose to conquer the world, and brings to rousing life the eclectic cast of characters who played a role in its epic story, including Michelangelo, Edward III, Vasco da Gama, Cortes, Guy Fawkes, Alfred Nobel, and E. I. DuPont. A must-read for history fans and military buffs alike, Gunpowder brings together a rich terrain of cultures and technological innovations with authoritative research and swashbuckling style.

Offers an accessible text and reference (a cosmic-ray manual) for graduate students entering the field and high-energy astrophysicists will find this an accessible cosmic-ray manual Easy to read for the general astronomer, the first part describes the standard model of cosmic rays based on our understanding of modern particle physics. Presents the acceleration scenario in some detail in supernovae explosions as well as in the passage of cosmic rays through the Galaxy. Compares experimental data in the atmosphere as well as underground are compared with theoretical models

This thesis is concerned with flows through cascades, i.e. periodic arrays of obstacles. Such geometries are relevant to a range of physical scenarios, chiefly the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of turbomachinery flows. Despite the fact that turbomachinery is of paramount importance to a number of industries, many of the underlying mechanisms in cascade flows remain opaque. In order to clarify the function of different physical parameters, the author considers six separate problems. For example, he explores the significance of realistic blade geometries in predicting turbomachinery performance, and the possibility that porous blades can achieve noise reductions. In order to solve these challenging problems, the author deploys and indeed develops techniques from across the spectrum of complex analysis: the Wiener-Hopf method, Riemann-Hilbert problems, and the Schottky-Klein prime function all feature prominently. These sophisticated tools are then used to elucidate the underlying mathematical and physical structures present in cascade flows. The ensuing solutions greatly extend previous works and offer new avenues for future research. The results are not of simply academic value but are also useful for aircraft designers seeking to balance aeroacoustic and aerodynamic effects.

This book highlights the main features of shipbuilding management which lead to successful completion of shipbuilding projects. A brief review of the market context for the industry, its historical development are given to explain how shipbuilding arrived at its current structure. First pre-production including design, planning, cost estimating, procurement of materials and sub-contracting. Then, the production sequence outlines part preparation, hull assembly and construction, outfitting and painting, testing and completion. The importance of human resources and management organisation are explained. Building a ship is a complex project, so the principles of project management are described, first in general terms and then with specific reference to their application in shipbuilding. Finally managing the progress of a shipbuilding project and achieving completion are emphasised.

This book systematically presents the concept, history, implementation, theory system and basic methods of pulsar and space flight, illustrating the characteristics of pulsars. It also describes the classification of spacecraft navigation systems and the autonomous navigation technologies, as well as X-ray pulsar-based navigation systems (XPNAV) and discusses future navigation satellite systems in detail.

Recent advances in scientific computing have caused the field of aerodynamics to change at a rapid pace, simplifying the design cycle of aerospace vehicles enormously - this book takes the readers from core concepts of aerodynamics to recent research, using studies and real-life scenarios to explain problems and their solutions. This book presents in detail the important concepts in computational aerodynamics and aeroacoustics taking readers from the fundamentals of fluid flow and aerodynamics to a more in-depth analysis of acoustic waves, aeroacoustics, computational modelling and processing. This book will be of use to students in multiple branches of engineering, physics and applied mathematics. Additionally, the book can also be used as a text in professional development courses for industry engineers and as a self-help reference for active researchers in both academia and the industry.

This Palgrave Pivot investigates the efforts of five aerospace companies-SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Orbital Sciences, and the Boeing Company-to launch their entry into the field of commercial space transportation. Can private sector firms raise enough capital to end the usual dependence on government funding? What can historical examples of other large-scale transportation initiatives, such as the first transcontinental railway and the first commercial jetliner, teach us about the prospects of commercial space flight? As Howard E. McCurdy shows, commercializing space is a great experiment, the outcome of which will depend on whether new space entrepreneurs can attract support from a variety of traditional and nontraditional sources.

This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of estimation and dynamical system theory, and their applications in the field of multi-source information fused autonomous navigation for spacecraft. The content is divided into two parts: theory and application. The theory part (Part I) covers the mathematical background of navigation algorithm design, including parameter and state estimate methods, linear fusion, centralized and distributed fusion, observability analysis, Monte Carlo technology, and linear covariance analysis. In turn, the application part (Part II) focuses on autonomous navigation algorithm design for different phases of deep space missions, which involves multiple sensors, such as inertial measurement units, optical image sensors, and pulsar detectors. By concentrating on the relationships between estimation theory and autonomous navigation systems for spacecraft, the book bridges the gap between theory and practice. A wealth of helpful formulas and various types of estimators are also included to help readers grasp basic estimation concepts and offer them a ready-reference guide.       

This book presents the proceedings of the 46th National Symposium on Acoustics (NSA 2017). The main goal of this symposium is to discuss key opportunities and challenges in acoustics, especially as applied to engineering problems. The book covers topics ranging from hydro-acoustics, environmental acoustics, bio-acoustics to musical acoustics, electro-acoustics and sound perception. The contents of this volume will prove useful to researchers and practicing engineers working on acoustics problems.