Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age PDF Download

Author: Richard de Grijs
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9789402416305
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Knowing the distance of an astrophysical object is key to understanding its formation and evolution. Without an accurate distance, we do not know how bright it is, how large it is, or even when it existed. This volume highlights the tremendous amount of recent and continuing research into a myriad of exciting and promising aspects of accurately pinning down the cosmic distance scale, where possible focused on space-based contributions. These papers go one step further, putting the many recent results and new developments into the broader context of the physics driving cosmic distance determination. Thus, the volume will benefit researchers spanning a wide range of expertise, including theorists, observers, and modelers working on a large variety of spatial scales. Originally published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space Age"

Author: Stephen Webb
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781852331061
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
Recounts the mathematical reasoning which was used to calculate first the size of the earth, then the solar system, and so on up to the universe.

Author: Richard de Grijs
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470511796
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
Distance determination is an essential technique in astronomy, and is briefly covered in most textbooks on astrophysics and cosmology. It is rarely covered as a coherent topic in its own right. When it is discussed the approach is frequently very dry, splitting the teaching into, for example, stars, galaxies and cosmologies, and as a consequence, books lack depth and are rarely comprehensive. Adopting a unique and engaging approach to the subject An Introduction to distance Measurement in Astronomy will take the reader on a journey from the solar neighbourhood to the edge of the Universe, discussing the range of distance measurements methods on the way. The book will focus on the physical processes discussing properties that underlie each method, rather than just presenting a collection of techniques. As well as providing the most compressive account of distance measurements to date, the book will use the common theme of distance measurement to impart basic concepts relevant to a wide variety of areas in astronomy/astrophysics. The book will provide an updated account of the progress made in a large number of subfields in astrophysics, leading to improved distance estimates particularly focusing on the underlying physics. Additionally it will illustrate the pitfalls in these areas and discuss the impact of the remaining uncertainties in the complete understanding of the Universes at large. As a result the book will not only provide a comprehensive study of distance measurement, but also include many recent advances in astrophysics.

Author: Goran Poparić
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3038978507
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
This Special Issue covers a wide range of topics from fundamental studies to applications of ionized gases. It is dedicated to four topics of interest: 1. ATOMIC COLLISION PROCESSES (electron and photon interactions with atomic particles, heavy particle collisions, swarms, and transport phenomena); 2. PARTICLE AND LASER BEAM INTERACTION WITH SOLIDS (atomic collisions in solids, sputtering and deposition, and laser and plasma interactions with surfaces); 3. LOW TEMPERATURE PLASMAS (plasma spectroscopy and other diagnostic methods, gas discharges, and plasma applications and devices); 4. GENERAL PLASMAS (fusion plasmas, astrophysical plasmas, and collective phenomena). This Special Issue of Atoms will highlight the need for continued research on ionized gas physics in different topics ranging from fundamental studies to applications, and will review current investigations.

Author: Space Telescope Science Institute (U.S.). Symposium
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521591645
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
One of the hottest debates in astronomy and cosmology today concerns the value of the Hubble constant. This constant is of paramount importance since it fixes the size and age of the Universe. At a symposium at the Space Telescope Science Institute, experts from around the world presented the latest results from a plethora of techniques for determining the Hubble constant. The value has always been controversial, but at this meeting experts' results agreed for the first time to within about 20%. Based on the meeting, this book presents twenty-three specially written review articles. They provide a comprehensive account of the Hubble-constant debate with the latest results from gravitational lensing, supernovae and novae, the Tully-Fisher relation, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, globular clusters, planetary nebulae, light echoes, and the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project. This timely volume provides a standard reference for graduate students and researchers in astronomy and cosmology.

Author: Hannu Karttunen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9783540001799
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 486

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Book Description
Fundamental Astronomy is a well-balanced, comprehensive introduction to classical and modern astronomy. While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences. This is the fifth edition of the successful undergraduate textbook and reference work. It has been extensively modernized and extended in the parts dealing with extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. You will also find augmented sections on the solar system, extrasolar planets and astrobiology. Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference work for dedicated amateur astronomers.

Author: Sir Robert Wilson
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400887518
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
When astronomers today look up at the night sky they picture a spectacular and infinite universe--full of pulsars, quasars, and black holes and ruled by arcane laws of space and time. Once, ancient astronomers looked up and saw only points of light tracing calm movements across the heavens. But they too were moved to wonder about the meaning of what they saw. In Astronomy through the Ages, Sir Robert Wilson tells the story of how our understanding of the universe has evolved through history--of how the sedate and stable star field of ancient times has been replaced by the vast and explosive universe we know today. Wilson, one of the most distinguished astronomers of the twentieth century, begins by tracing the astronomical studies of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks and reviews important early contributions from India, China, and the Islamic world. He explains the development of the sun-centered model of the universe in Renaissance Europe. He then tells how the development of the telescope, photography, and spectroscopy pushed back the limits of the observable universe and eventually brought astronomy into the twentieth century. Finally, he describes the rapid advances in radio and space astronomy and other methods over the past fifty years that have ushered in a new "golden age" of astronomy. These advances have not only allowed observation of deep space but also enabled scientists to unlock the secrets of the universe itself from its origin to its possible fate. Wilson himself has played an important role in these discoveries as the developer of one of the most successful astronomical satellites ever launched, the International Ultraviolet Explorer. While focusing on the human side of astronomical discovery, Wilson also provides readers with a basic understanding of difficult concepts, explaining relativity and quantum mechanics without using technical language or mathematics. Remarkable in its scope and clarity,Astronomy through the Ages provides an accessible view of historical discoveries and modern advances and shows why excitement about astronomy is even greater today than when Galileo first gazed in wonder at the rings of Saturn. Originally published in 1998. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Author: Thérèse Encrenaz
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3662031647
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
Since the first edition of this book appeared in 1990, planetology has seen a number of fascinating discoveries that have increased our knowledge of the Solar System. These have come from both ground- and space-based observa tional programmes. Although some space probe missions have ended in fail ure, even they have added to our store of information about the planetary environment. The Galileo probe, despite being crippled by its incompletely deployed main antenna, has already achieved some spectacular results. For the first time we have obtained pictures of asteriods, with the images that Galileo returned of Gaspra, Ida, and the latter's satellite, Dactyl. The main objective, the drop ping of an instrumented capsule into Jupiter's atomosphere, and prolonged in-situ investigation of the planet, will take place at the end of 1995. Saturn's turn will come early in the next century with the Cassini mission (to be launched in 1997), which will study the planet for an extended period and attempt to land the Huygens probe on the surface of Titan. NASA's Magellan mission proved to be a great success, with its highly detailed radar mapping of the surface, and atmospheric studies. The exploration of Mars was less fortunate with the failure of both spaceprobes of the Soviet Phobos mission, as well as NASA's Mars Observer probe. Despite this set back, plans are in hand for future, collaborative exploration of the planet, using both surface stations (possibly active rovers), surface penetrators and balloon probes, as well as orbiters.

Author: Dean Miller
Publisher: Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1627125493
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
In this book, a breakdown of the life and work of some of history's pioneers in the study of astronomy and cosmology are thoroughly explored. This volume provides excellent biographical sketches for trailblazers in the sciences. Articles are devoted to specific scientists, covering the contributions to their field, specifically addressing how their research, discoveries, and inventions impacted human understanding and experience. This historical review includes scientists from around the world and throughout the centuries, with a chapter specifically devoted to the top scientific contributors of the 21st century.

Author: Paul Dickson
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 0801891159
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
"The launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 ushered in an exciting era of scientific and technological advancement. As television news anchors, radio hosts, and journalists reported the happenings of the American and the Soviet space programs to millions of captivated citizens, words that belonged to the worlds of science, aviation, and science fiction suddenly became part of the colloquial language. What's more, NASA used a litany of acronyms in much of its official correspondence in an effort to transmit as much information in as little time as possible. To translate this peculiar vocabulary, Paul Dickson has compiled the curious lingo and mystifying acronyms of NASA in an accessible dictionary of the names, words, and phrases of the Space Age." "This dictionary captures a broader foundation for the language of the Space Age based on the historical principles employed by the Oxford English Dictionary and Webster's Third New International Dictionary. Word histories for major terms are detailed in a conversational tone, and technical terms are deciphered for the interested student and lay reader. This is a must-own reference for space history buffs." --Book Jacket.