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Planets and life (Paperback)
Therese Encrenaz, James Lequeux, Fabienne Casoli
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R5,418
R3,979
Discovery Miles 39 790
Save R1,439 (27%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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This volume focuses on isotopic signatures of volatile elements as
tracers for evolutionary processes during the formation of the Sun
and the planets from an interstellar molecular cloud and, in turn,
illuminates how the isotopic compositions of the present-day solar
system objects have been established.
The book is an integrated collection of articles by experts in
planetary science, solar and plasma physics, astrophysics,
mineralogy and chemistry that met for an interdisciplinary workshop
at the International Space Science Institute in Bern in January
2002. The authors present analyses of isotope abundance ratios for
volatile elements in the sun, planets, satellites, comets,
meteorites and interplanetary dust particles, as well as a review
of isotopic ratios in star-forming interstellar clouds. This
provides insight into the physical and chemical processes in the
pre-solar molecular cloud that collapsed to form the Sun and the
solar accretion disk. Furthermore, information is presented on
dynamical processes and conditions inside this protoplanetary disk,
in particular the degree of reprocessing of interstellar solid
material, the formation of solids inside the disks, and the
formation of terrestrial and giant planets and their satellites.
Isotopic fractionation processes discussed in this book include
chemical reactions such as ion-molecule and photochemical
reactions, nuclear processes inside the sun and in its atmosphere,
plasma processes, gravitational escape of gases from planetary
atmospheres exposed to the solar wind and solar radiation,
thermodynamic processes, a variety of accretion and adsorption
processes and mixing of material from the interstellar environment
with the material of the evolving solar system.
The volume is intended to provide active researchers in the fields
of planetary science and space physics with an up-to-date status
report on the topic, and also to serve graduate students with
introductory material into the field.
Over the past ten years, the discovery of extrasolar planets has
opened a new field of astronomy, and this area of research is
rapidly growing, from both the observational and theoretical point
of view. The presence of many giant exoplanets in the close
vicinity of their star shows that these newly discovered planetary
systems are very different from the solar system. New theoretical
models are being developed in order to understand their formation
scenarios, and new observational methods are being implemented to
increase the sensitivity of exoplanet detections. In the present
book, the authors address the question of planetary systems from
all aspects. Starting from the facts (the detection of more than
300 extraterrestrial planets), they first describe the various
methods used for these discoveries and propose a synthetic analysis
of their global properties. They then consider the observations of
young stars and circumstellar disks and address the case of the
solar system as a specific example, different from the newly
discovered systems. Then the study of planetary systems and of
exoplanets is presented from a more theoretical point of view. The
book ends with an outlook to future astronomical projects, and a
description of the search for life on exoplanets. This book
addresses students and researchers who wish to better understand
this newly expanding field of research.
In this third corrected and revised edition students and
lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet
observers will find a mine of up-to-date information on the solar
system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium, its
various objects, comparative planetology, discussion of questions
for further research and future space exploration.
In Searching for Water in the Solar System, Therese Encrenaz takes
the reader on a journey through the Universe in search of water.
She begins by introducing the most well-known of molecule H2O, its
physical and chemical characteristics and its cosmic Formation and
abundance. She examines the methods by which the presence of water
is detected, both within the solar system and beyond. One by one
she visits a diversity of locations in the cosmos, from the nearest
planets to the furthest galaxies, where water has been discovered.
In the formation of the solar system, she explains how the water
molecule played a major part, with the so-called 'ice frontier'
determining the natures of the terrestrial and giant planets. The
book explores the presence of water in the various bodies of the
Solar System: in the giant planets, with their rings and systems of
satellites, in comets, asteroids and in the terrestrial planets. By
tracing the history of water in the atmospheres of Mars, Venus and
the Earth, the author explains how small differences in
temperatures, causing water to exist in different states on
different planets - vapour on Venus, liquid on Earth and solid ice
on Mars - have led to a great divergence in the evolutions of the
three planets. The story of water on Mars, an aspect of great
topical interest, offers an insight into the possibility (still
only a theory) that there was once life on that planet. The book
concludes by looking at the important role played by water in
studies of habitable exoplanets.
Representatives of several scientific communities, such as
planetary scientists, astronomers, space physicists, chemists and
astrobiologists have met with the aim to review the knowledge on
four major themes: (1) the study of the formation and evolution
processes of the outer planets and their satellites, beginning with
the formation of compounds and planetesimals in the solar nebula,
and the subsequent evolution of the interiors of the outer planets,
(2) a comparative study of the atmospheres of the outer planets and
Titan, (3) the study of the planetary magnetospheres and their
interactions with the solar wind, and (4) the formation and
properties of satellites and rings, including their interiors,
surfaces, and their interaction with the solar wind and the
magnetospheres of the outer planets. Beyond these topics, the
implications for the prebiotic chemical evolution on Europa and
Titan are reviewed. At the time of publication, the study of the
outer planets is particularly motivated by the fact that the Saturn
system is being investigated by the Cassini-Huygens mission.
This text treats our knowledge of the solar system from an astrophysical point of view. Part 1 deals with the formation of the solar system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium. Part 2 presents its various objects: planets and satellites, asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects and interplanetary dust. The final sections on extrasolar planetary systems and on the search for life in the Universe round off an introduction to a field that has grown dramatically following the space missions of the last twenty years. Over the last decade many exciting observations have helped to reshape our understanding of the solar system and planetary science. In the third corrected and revised edition of this classic on the astrophysics of our solar system, students and lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet observers will find a mine of up-to-date information.
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Solar System History from Isotopic Signatures of Volatile Elements - Volume Resulting from an ISSI Workshop 14-18 January 2002, Bern, Switzerland (Hardcover, Reprinted from Space Science Reviews journal, Vol. 106/1-4)
R. Kallenbach, Therese Encrenaz, Johannes Geiss, Konrad Mauersberger, Tobias Owen, …
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R4,579
Discovery Miles 45 790
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
|
This volume focuses on isotopic signatures of volatile elements as
tracers for evolutionary processes during the formation of the Sun
and the planets from an interstellar molecular cloud and, in turn,
illuminates how the isotopic compositions of the present-day solar
system objects have been established.
The book is an integrated collection of articles by experts in
planetary science, solar and plasma physics, astrophysics,
mineralogy and chemistry that met for an interdisciplinary workshop
at the International Space Science Institute in Bern in January
2002. The authors present analyses of isotope abundance ratios for
volatile elements in the sun, planets, satellites, comets,
meteorites and interplanetary dust particles, as well as a review
of isotopic ratios in star-forming interstellar clouds. This
provides insight into the physical and chemical processes in the
pre-solar molecular cloud that collapsed to form the Sun and the
solar accretion disk. Furthermore, information is presented on
dynamical processes and conditions inside this protoplanetary disk,
in particular the degree of reprocessing of interstellar solid
material, the formation of solids inside the disks, and the
formation of terrestrial and giant planets and their satellites.
Isotopic fractionation processes discussed in this book include
chemical reactions such as ion-molecule and photochemical
reactions, nuclear processes inside the sun and in its atmosphere,
plasma processes, gravitational escape of gases from planetary
atmospheres exposed to the solar wind and solar radiation,
thermodynamic processes, a variety of accretion and adsorption
processes and mixing of material from the interstellar environment
with the material of the evolving solar system.
The volume is intended to provide active researchers in the fields
of planetary science and space physics with an up-to-date status
report on the topic, and also to serve graduate students with
introductory material into the field.
The detection and exploration of extrasolar planets is one of the
most exciting and fast moving areas of astronomical research at the
present time. With over forty research programmes ongoing, and just
as many planned, the search for these new worlds has become the
main objective for a new generation of giant ground-based
telescopes as well as many future space missions. Experimental
methods and observational techniques are pushing existing
instruments to their limits. The most exciting possibility offered
by this research is the discovery of Earth-like extrasolar planets,
with a mass comparable to that of Earth, located at the right
distance from its star to host liquid water - in other words, a
place where life could evolve. The authors tackle this challenging
field of research by first looking at early searches for extrasolar
planets, the very first discoveries and the observational
techniques involved. They, then examine the very wide range of
extrasolar planets that have been discovered during the past ten
years and look at what we can learn about such planets by studying
the bodies in our own solar system.The formation of planetary
systems, the way in which such systems may evolve and the final
systems of planets that result are then discussed. Finally, Drs
Casoli and Encrenaz examine the possibilities for life on
extrasolar planets, again using our own solar system as a model,
and look to the plans for future extrasolar planet searches. A
number of Appendices summarise the extrasolar planet discoveries to
date.
Proceedings of the workshop on title], held in Les Houches, France,
June 1991, designed to help the astronomical community in the
preparation of observations for the Infrared Space Observatory
(ISO) satellite. This mission, which will explore the infrared sky
during 18 months (1994-1995) in Earth orbit, will be one of the
major projects of space a
Over the past ten years, the discovery of extrasolar planets has
opened a new field of astronomy, and this area of research is
rapidly growing, from both the observational and theoretical point
of view. The presence of many giant exoplanets in the close
vicinity of their star shows that these newly discovered planetary
systems are very different from the solar system. New theoretical
models are being developed in order to understand their formation
scenarios, and new observational methods are being implemented to
increase the sensitivity of exoplanet detections. In the present
book, the authors address the question of planetary systems from
all aspects. Starting from the facts (the detection of more than
300 extraterrestrial planets), they first describe the various
methods used for these discoveries and propose a synthetic analysis
of their global properties. They then consider the observations of
young stars and circumstellar disks and address the case of the
solar system as a specific example, different from the newly
discovered systems. Then the study of planetary systems and of
exoplanets is presented from a more theoretical point of view. The
book ends with an outlook to future astronomical projects, and a
description of the search for life on exoplanets. This book
addresses students and researchers who wish to better understand
this newly expanding field of research.
What is a planet? The answer may seem obvious; still, the
definition of a planet has continuously evolved over the centuries,
and their number has changed following successive discoveries. In
2006, the decision endorsed by the International Astronomical Union
to remove Pluto from the list of planets has well illustrated the
difficulty associated with their definition. The recent discovery
of hundreds of exoplanets around nearby stars of our Galaxy opens a
new and spectacular dimension to astrophysics. We presently know
very little about the physical nature of exoplanets. In contrast,
our knowledge on solar system planets has made huge progress over
the past decades, thanks, especially, to space planetary
exploration. The purpose of this book is first to characterize what
planets are, in their global properties and in their diversity.
Then, this knowledge is used to try to imagine the physical nature
of exoplanets, starting from the few parameters we know about them.
Throughout, we keep in mind the ultimate question of the search for
possible extraterrestrial life: Could life exist or have existed in
the solar system and beyond?Therese Encrenaz is Emeritus Senior
Scientist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. She
works at the Observatoire de Paris, at the Laboratoire d'Etudes
Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA). She is a
specialist of the study of planetary atmospheres, and has been
involved in several space missions.
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