Discover how mathematics and science have propelled history

From Ancient Greece to the Enlightenment and then on to modern times, Shifting the Earth: The Mathematical Quest to Understand the Motion of the Universe takes readers on a journey motivated by the desire to understand the universe and the motion of the heavens. The author presents a thought-provoking depiction of the sociopolitical environment in which some of the most prominent scientists in history lived and then provides a mathematical account of their contributions.

From Eudoxus to Einstein, this fascinating book describes how, beginning in ancient times, pioneers in the sciences and mathematics have dramatically changed our vision of who we are as well as our place in the universe. Readers will discover how Ptolemy's geocentric model evolved into Kepler's heliocentric model, with Copernicus as the critical intermediary. The author explains how one scientific breakthrough set the stage for the next one, and he also places the scientists and their discoveries within the context of history, including:

Archimedes, Apollonius, and the Punic Wars

Ptolemy and the rise of Christianity

Copernicus and the Renaissance

Kepler and the Counter-Reformation

Newton and the Enlightenment

Einstein and the detonation of the atom bomb

Each chapter presents the work of a single scientist or mathematician, building on the previous chapters to demonstrate the evolutionary process of discovery. Chapters begin with a narrative section and conclude with a mathematical presentation of one of the scientist's original works. Most of these mathematical presentations, including the section on Einstein's special relativity, are accessible using only basic mathematics; however, readers can skip the mathematical sections and still follow the evolution of science and mathematics.

Shifting the Earth is an excellent book for anyone interested in the history of mathematics and how the quest to understand the motion of the heavens has influenced the broader history of humankind.

Die Funktechnik ermoeglicht die Ausweitung der astronomischen Beobachtungen uber das Licht hinaus auf andere Frequenzbereiche. Dies fuhrte zur Entdeckung zahlreicher kosmischer Radioquellen, deren physikalische Ursachen erlautert werden, ebenso die Funktionsweise eines Radioteleskops. Schon mit kleinen Radioteleskopen kann die Strahlung der Sonne und anderer Radioquellen sowie die 21-cm-Strahlung aus der Milchstrasse beobachtet werden. Durch Interferometrie kann eine wesentlich hoehere Aufloesung als mit einzelnen Radioteleskopen erzielt werden. Dadurch kann die radioastronomische Forschung zu vielen aktuellen Fragen der Astronomie, Kosmologie und Physik beitragen.

This book provides an extensive survey of all the physics necessary to understand the current developments in the field of fundamental cosmology, as well as an overview of the observational data and methods. It will help students to get into research by providing definitions and main techniques and ideas discussed today. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 summarises the fundamentals in theoretical physics needed in cosmology (general relativity, field theory, particle physics). Part 2 describes the standard model of cosmology and includes cosmological solutions of Einstein equations, the hot big bang model, cosmological perturbation theory, cosmic microwave background anisotropies, lensing and evidence for dark matter, and inflation. Part 3 describes extensions of this model and opens up current research in the field: scalar-tensor theories, supersymmetry, the cosmological constant problem and acceleration of the universe, topology of the universe, grand unification and baryogenesis, topological defects and phase transitions, string inspired cosmology including branes and the latest developments. The book provides details of all derivations and leads the student up to the level of research articles.

This book describes the basic concepts of supersymmetric theories. It is aimed at theorists, experimentalists and cosmologists interested in supersymmetry, and its content is correspondingly divided into three distinct tracks of study. The topics covered include a discussion of the motivation for supersymmetry in fundamental physics, a description of the minimal supersymmetric model as well as models of grand unification and string models, a presentation of the main scenarios for supersymmetry breaking, including the concepts and results of dynamical breaking. On the astrophysics/cosmology side, the book includes discussions of supersymmetric dark matter candidates, inflation, dark energy, and the cosmological constant problem. Some very basic knowledge of quantum field theory is needed and extensive appendices (in particular an introduction to the Standard Model of fundamental interactions) allow the reader to refresh and complete their notions.

The field of astrophysics is in the midst of a technologically driven renaissance, as fundamental discoveries are being made with astonishing frequency. In the last decade, new detectors in space, on earth, and deep underground have, when coupled with the computational power of modern computers, revolutionized our knowledge and understanding of the astronomical world. This is a great time for a student of any age to become acquainted with the remarkable universe in which we live. This volume is a collection of essays, originally presented orally to a diverse group of students and professionals, which reveal the most fertile areas for future study of astronomy and astrophysics. The emphasis of this work is on the clear description of the current state of our knowledge as a preparation for the future unraveling of the mysteries of the universe that appear today as most fundamental and most amenable to solution.

A stellar group of astronomers and astrophysicists describes the directions and styles of work that they think are most likely to lead to progress. Bibliographical notes at the end of each presentation provide guidance for the reader who wishes to go more deeply into a given subject. "Unsolved Problems in Astrophysics" is a uniquely stimulating introduction to some of the most important topics in modern astrophysics.

This second volume of a comprehensive three-volume work on theoretical astrophysics deals with stellar physics. After reviewing the key observational results and nomenclature used in stellar astronomy, the book develops a solid understanding of central concepts including stellar structure and evolution, the physics of stellar remnants, pulsars, binary stars, the sun and planetary systems, interstellar medium and globular clusters. Throughout, the reader's comprehension is developed and tested with more than seventy-five exercises. This indispensable volume will allow graduate students to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume 1, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume 3, on galaxies and cosmology.

Take a trip to outer space with this weird and wonderful guide to our universe, the perfect gift for both young and old Vargic's beautifully innovative designs will help to explain all of the bizarre and fascinating aspects of the cosmos; from the history of the universe to what makes up our solar system and even how human life fits into the wider picture. Be taken on an unforgettable journey through space with chapters on . . . * Exploring the Cosmos * The Night Sky * Maps of the Inner Solar System * Timeline of the Universe * Cosmologies throughout History * Journey Into Outer Space * Scale of the Universe This is a book that celebrates the scale and spectacle of the universe on every page, and one which you'll treasure forever. _______ '5***** In more than one hundred pages filled with facts and illustrations he takes the reader on a journey through the history of the cosmos' BBC Sky at Night 'Packs in so much of our astronomical knowledge, so many tidbits about the history of astronomy and space exploration that I felt wonderfully enriched by it all. It is visually striking and beautifully illustrated' Dr. Alfredo Carpineti

Jonas Pohl liefert eine didaktisch aufbereitete Einfuhrung in die Gedankenwelt der Allgemeinen Relativitatstheorie. Er gibt einen Einblick in die Grundlagen von 100 Jahren Relativitatstheorie und spannt dabei den Bogen von der Speziellen Relativitatstheorie im Jahr 1905 bis hin zum aktuellsten Ereignis, der Entdeckung der Gravitationswellen im Fruhjahr 2015. Der Autor bietet damit besonders Studierenden des Lehramts die Moeglichkeit, die Essenz der Allgemeinen Relativitatstheorie in verstandlicher und nachvollziehbarer Weise zu erfassen.

This book is an introduction to the theory of supersymmetry, which is a cornerstone to understanding the physics of elementary particles beyond the so-called "Standard Model". Supersymmetry is the first introductory book on this modern and increasingly popular subject.

Jurgen Beetz zeigt zuerst den Ursprung der erdachten Geschichten der Physik aus der Steinzeit, denn vieles ist so einfach, dass es schon Steinzeitmenschen hatten verstehen koennen. Im Anschluss daran untersucht der Autor das Weltall auf seine Bestandteile: Monde, Planeten, Sterne, Galaxien usw. Daraus ergibt sich die Frage nach dessen Struktur und Dynamik: Ist das Universum ewig, endlos, konstant? Nichts davon: Es hat eine Entstehungsgeschichte, es expandiert und verandert sich - zum Teil aus noch ungeklarten Ursachen. Besonderes Augenmerk richtet er auf die Expansion des Weltalls und die sich daraus ergebenden Folgen.

Do you ever look up to the stars and wonder about what is out there? Over the last few centuries, humans have successfully unraveled much of the language of the universe, exploring and defining formerly mysterious phenomena such as electricity, magnetism, and matter through the beauty of mathematics. But some secrets remain beyond our realm of understanding-and seemingly beyond the very laws and theories we have relied on to make sense of the universe we inhabit. It is clear that the quantum, the world of atoms and electrons, is entwined with the cosmos, a universe of trillions of stars and galaxies...but exactly how these two extremes of human understanding interact remains a mystery. Where Did the Universe Come From? And Other Cosmic Questions allows readers to eavesdrop on a conversation between award-winning physicists Chris Ferrie and Geraint F. Lewis as they examine the universe through the two unifying and yet often contradictory lenses of classical physics and quantum mechanics, tackling questions such as: Where did the universe come from?Why do dying stars rip themselves apartDo black holes last forever?What is left for humans to discover?A brief but fascinating exploration of the vastness of the universe, this book will have armchair physicists turning the pages until their biggest and smallest questions about the cosmos have been answered.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts, which has appeared in semi-annual volumes since 1969, is de- voted to the recording, summarizing and indexing of astronomical publications throughout the world. It is prepared under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (according to a resolution adopted at the 14th General Assembly in 1970). Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts aims to present a comprehensive documentation of Iiterature in all fie1ds of astronomy and astrophysics. Every effort will be made to ensure that the average time interval between the date of receipt of the original Iiterature and publication of the abstracts will not exceed eight months. This time interval is near to that achieved by monthly abstracting journals, com- pared to which our system of accumulating abstracts for about six months offers the advantage of greater convenience for the user. Volume 10 contains Iiterature published in 1973 and received before March 15, 1974; some older Iiterature which was received late and which is not recorded in earlier vo1umes is also included. We acknowledge with thanks contributions to this volume by Dr. J. BouSka, who surveyed journals and publications in the Czech language and supplied us with abstracts in English, and by the Common- wealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (C.S.I.R.O.), Sydney, for providing titles and abstracts of papers on radio astronomy.

VII ubernommen habe. Mein eigenes Interesse fur Galaxien ist vor allem in Diskussionen mit Donald Lynden-Bell, Bernard Pagel und Martin Rees geweckt worden. Ich will meinen Dank gegenuber Douglas Meyer bekunden, der wiederum die Diagramme gezeichnet hat, und gegenuber Frau Peggy Nixon fur das sorgfaltige Schreiben des Manuskripts. Ebenso bin ich wiederum meinem Mitarbeiter Alan Everest zu Dank verpflichtet, der zahlreiche Vorschlage zum Text gemacht hat. Ich widme dieses Buch in Respekt und Bewunderung Herrn Professor Jan H. Oort, der nun schon seit uber 50 Jahren fundamentale Beitrage zur Aufklarung der galaktischen Struktur geliefert hat. Lewes, im Februar 1978 R. ]. Tayler Vorwort zur deutschen ubersetzung Obgleich zu den in diesem Buch behandelten Themen in den letzten 6 Jahren eine Fulle von Einzelarbeiten in der Literatur erschienen sind, wurde davon abgesehen, den Text im Rahmen der ubersetzung zu uber- arbeiten, weil die Diskussion einzelner hier behandelter Fragestellungen in vollem Gange ist und gesicherte Endergebnisse noch keineswegs vor- liegen. Es wurde aber der Absicht dieses Buches, das eine allgemein- verstandliche Einfuhrung in die Thematik geben will, widersprechen, wenn neuere, zum Teil kontroverse Einzelarbeiten besonders hervor- gehoben wurden. Der einzige groessere Eingriff in die Textgestaltung, der vorgenommen wurde, betrifft das Kapitel4 Stellardynamik, das geteilt wurde und sich jetzt teilweise im Anhang 2 befindet. Ferner wurde ein Teil der Abbildungen uberarbeitet bzw. neu gestaltet. Tubingen, im Mai 1985 M.

Der neue Kosmos bietet in uberschaubarem Umfang eine zusammenhangende Einfuhrung in das Gesamtgebiet der Astronomie und Astrophysik. Der korrigierte und erweiterte Nachdruck tragt dem rasanten Fortschritt der astronomischen Forschung und Beobachtungsmoeglichkeiten in den zwei Jahren seit dem ersten Erscheinen der 7. Auflage Rechnung. Die wichtigsten neuen Ergebnisse, vor allem bei unserem Planetensystem, bei der Neutrinostrahlung der Sonne, bei den fernsten Galaxien und Quasaren sowie bei der Entwicklung des Universums werden berucksichtigt.

"Almost fifty years after the beginning of space flight, Belbruno's work offers a realistic beginning for minimum--fuel and maximum--payload trajectories for interplanetary operations. It is a mark of sophistication in the evolution of space travel that simplified solutions to the vexing many-body problem are found to have practical applications. Belbruno's three-body solution for low-thrust minimum-fuel trajectories serves well not only the future of space flight but helps astronomy in understanding the sometimes erratic motions of celestial bodies."--Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14 astronaut

""Fly Me to the Moon" is a fast, easy read that explains in simple nonscientific terms very complex matters of celestial mechanics, and it is delightful reading for students and professionals to update or learn very important new background materials. It is also a must-read for the lawyer-scientist."--Ambassador Edward R. Finch, Jr.

"This is an excellent book. The author succeeds in writing an exciting story about his research on low-fuel space travel, a subject that is not widely known but that will interest many readers. Moreover, the mathematical aspects of chaos in the context of space missions is well treated at the level of the nonexpert."--Florin Diacu, University of Victoria

"This is a good story. It is rare to see a nonpedantic book on celestial mechanics that gives some backroom stories about trajectory geeks. Belbruno ties very abstract concepts to real problems and situations."--Wendell W. Mendell, NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science Directorate

"This is an excellent book. It is an inside look at the important new field of chaotictrajectories by one of the masters and originators of the field. As we continue into space, I think we will be hearing more and more about these clever trajectories. Ed Belbruno has covered in a beautiful and interesting way the important applications of chaos to astrophysics and spacecraft trajectories. He also tells a very interesting personal story of his battles to get these trajectories used, and how he was able to save the Hiten spacecraft and get it to the moon. This is a great story, and he tells it very well."--Richard Gott, Princeton University

"The author's newly discovered interplanetary highways offer a romantic reflection of the pre-rocket, pre-airplane era, where balloons would transport us, with hardly any energy of our own, from one unexplored vista to another."--From the foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History, author of "Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries"

Man kann ohne Obertreibung sagen, daE es die Astronomie seit tiber fUnftausend J ahren als exakte Wissenschaft gibt. In dieser ganzen Zeit beriihrte sie die letzten Fragen der Mensch- heit. Ihre Geschichte niederzuschreiben stellt uns vor zahlIose Probleme. Wir beginnen mit einer Zeit, die wir weitgehend durch Schlu&folgerungen kennen; wir gehen dann zu Zeiten tiber, von denen wir wissen, da& das meiste Indizienmaterial verlorengegangen ist; und wir enden bei den letzten Dekaden eines Jahrhunderts, das den Astronomen Beachtung und wirtschaftliche Mittel in nie dagewesenem Umfang beschert hat. Aus einem typischen Jahrhundert der hellenistischen Ara, einem goldenen Zeitalter der Astronomie, mogen wir eine Handvoll Texte haben. 1m Gegensatz dazu werden heute jedes Jahr mehr als zwanzig- tausend astronomische Artikel veroffentlicht, und, tiber fUnfJahre genommen, ist die Zahl der Astronomen, unter deren Namen diese erscheinen, von der Ordnung vierzigtausend. Wenn diese Geschichte also am Anfang wie eine Skizze anmutet, ist sie notwendiger- weise am Schlu& eine Silhouette, die den Gegenstand ebenso durch das definiert, was sie ausla&t, als dadurch, was sie enthalt. Sie schreitet in einem solchen Ma& immer schneller voran, daE der Raum, der einem Dutzend hochstwichtiger neuer Bticher gewidmet wird, ein kleiner Bruchteil davon ist, was am Anfang einer heute ganz trivial erscheinenden Aussage eingeraumt wird. Das ist kein Zufall.

This volume contains a selection of chapters based on papers to be presented at the Fifth Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy Symposium. The symposium will be held June 13-15th at Penn State University. Modern astronomical research faces a vast range of statistical issues which have spawned a revival in methodological activity among astronomers. The Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy V conference will bring astronomers and statisticians together to discuss methodological issues of common interest. Time series analysis, image analysis, Bayesian methods, Poisson processes, nonlinear regression, maximum likelihood, multivariate classification, and wavelet and multiscale analyses are all important themes to be covered in detail. Many problems will be introduced at the conference in the context of large-scale astronomical projects including LIGO, AXAF, XTE, Hipparcos, and digitized sky surveys.

Auf den Spuren der NASA: Zu den faszinierendsten Moglichkeiten fur Sternfreunde zahlt die eigene Erkundung des Sonnensystems. WOlkenwirbel aiuf Jupter, Jahrszeitenwechsel auf Mars oder Sonnenaufgange auf dem Mond werden im Fernrohr zum personlichen Erlebnis. Mit Zeichnungen, Fotos und hochauflosender CCD-Technik kann der Amateur kosmische Landschaften dokumentieren. Das praxisnahe Mehrautorenbuch 'Plaeten beobachten', herausgegeben von Gunter D. Roth in der 5.Auflage vermittelt unentbehrliche Tipps und Tricks fur perfekte Weltraumerlebnisse."

The field of astrometry, the precise measurement of the positions, distances and motions of astronomical objects, has been revolutionized in recent years. As we enter the high-precision era, it will play an increasingly important role in all areas of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. This edited text starts by looking at the opportunities and challenges facing astrometry in the twenty-first century, from space and ground. The new formalisms of relativity required to take advantage of micro-arcsecond astrometry are then discussed, before the reader is guided through the basic methods required to transform our observations from detected photons to the celestial sphere. The final section of the text shows how a variety of astronomical problems can be solved using astrometric methods. Bringing together work from a broad range of experts in the field, this is the most complete textbook on observational astrometry and is ideal for graduate students and researchers alike.

Scopo del testo e' introdurre i concetti base della fisica stellare, della fisica delle galassie e della cosmologia con approccio essenzialmente fisico. La prima parte presenta le tecniche osservative sia nella banda ottica, sia nelle alte frequenze e nella banda radio. La parte dedicata alle stelle discute modelli di struttura e l evoluzione. La terza parte e dedicata alle galassie, morfologia, formazione ed evoluzione, per giungere allo studio della distribuzione sulle grandi scale. La sezione di cosmologia presenta i modelli cosmologici relativistici, con la discussione del big-bang, inflazione, materia oscura, energia oscura. Il testo rappresenta la raccolta delle lezioni tenute dall autore per i corsi introduttivi di astrofisica delle lauree specialistiche in Fisica e Astrofisica nei passati 30 anni, ma include elementi avanzati utili per corsi introduttivi di astrofisica nel dottorato in Fisica. Il testo e' anche stato utilizzato in forma preliminare da colleghi di altre sedi.

Si ripercorre la storia della cosmologia moderna, dal XVIII secolo fino alle piu recenti scoperte (l'opera e aggiornata fino alla fine 2010). La cosmologia fa uso di concetti complessi, che vengono spesso fraintesi, o che non vengono compresi del tutto, da chi non e specialista del campo. Lo scopo del volume e di trattare esaustivamente tali concetti, entrando nel dettaglio per far cogliere intuitivamente il loro significato autentico anche ai non addetti: a questo scopo, si fa uso di metafore calzanti, di analogie newtoniane, di trattazioni quantitative che richiedono solo le conoscenze di fisica e di matematica di uno studente di scuola media superiore. Vengono discusse le idee piu importanti e controverse che sono attualmente al centro del dibattito cosmologico, come la materia oscura e l'energia oscura. Vengono sviluppati i concetti di base della Relativita Generale e del Modello Standard delle particelle elementari.

The aim of this book is to become a major reference text for gravitational-wave physics, covering in detail both the experimental and the theoretical aspects. It is the only existing book on gravitational waves to date, and it will likely remain unique for its broadness and scope. It brings the reader to the forefront of present-day research, both theoretical and experimental, assuming no previous knowledge of gravitational-wave physics. Part I of Volume 1 is devoted to the theory of gravitational waves. Here we have re-derived - in a coherent way - most of the results that we present, clarifying or streamlining existing derivations. Part II of Volume 1 is devoted to a description of experimental gravitational-wave physics. We discuss in great detail existing and planned experiments, as well as data analysis techniques.