Astrophysics Books

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Book SynopsisNonlinear dynamo theory is central to understanding the magnetic structures of planets, stars and galaxies. In chapters contributed by some of the leading scientists in the field, this text explores some of the recent advances in the field. Both kinetic and dynamic approaches to the subject are considered, including fast dynamos, topological methods in dynamo theory, physics of the solar cycle and the fundamentals of mean field dynamo. Advances in Nonlinear Dynamos is ideal for graduate students and researchers in theoretical astrophysics and applied mathematics, particularly those interested in cosmic magnetism and related topics, such as turbulence, convection, and more general nonlinear physics.Table of ContentsThe Field, the Mean and the Meaning. Fast Dynamos. On the Theory of Convection in the Earth's Core. Dynamo Action of Magnetostropic Waves. Magnetic Flux Tubes and the Dynamo Problem. Physics of the Solar Cycle. Highly Supercritical Convection in Strong Magnetic Fields. Thin Aspect Ratio Alpha-Omega-Dynamos in Galactic Disks and Stellar Shells. Computational Aspects of Astrophysical MHD and Turbulence. Topological Quantities in Magnetohydrodynamics.

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Book SynopsisCovers areas related to baryon number (B) and lepton number (L) violation in particle physics, nuclear physics, rare decays, and cosmology. This work also includes topics such as B and L violation and grand unified theories; B and L violation in the early universe, cosmology, and astrophysics; and B and L violation and collider physics.Table of ContentsPreface, Symposium Photographs, 1. ? and L Violation, Grand Unified Theories and SUSY, Theory, 2. ? and L Violation, Neutrino Mass and Oscillation, Proton Decay, 3. ? and L Violation, the Early Universe and Cosmology, 4. ? and L Violation and Astrophysics, 5. Lepton Family Number Violation, 6. ? and L Violation and Collider Physics, List of Participants, Author Index

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Book SynopsisThe Correspondence of John Flamsteed discusses this leading figure in the final phases of the seventeenth-century scientific revolution, presents his extensive correspondence with 129 British and foreign scholars all over the world, and touches on many of the scientific discussions of the day. This book, the last volume of the set, contains his letters from number 901 to 1515.Trade Review"John Flamsteed was England's first Astronomer Royal. He lived and worked for over 40 years in Christopher Wren's Royal Observatory at Greenwich. Throughout those years he corresponded with key figures of the British and continental scientific communities. Astronomical observations, scientific instruments, and the publication of results were all discussed. Surviving letters written to and by Flamsteed during the last 16 years of his life are collected together in this third and final volume of correspondence. It is a window onto the life of a diligent astronomer and onto the scientific world of the early 18th Century.The letters … are arranged in chronological order. They are typed versions of handwritten missives in the Cambridge-based Greenwich archive and of others in the UK, St. Petersburg, Basel, New York, and Pisa. Willmoth's introductory essay is an excellent entrance to the letters. She embraces the broad themes, highlights details to look out for, and supplies incisive commentary. Two of Flamsteed's concerns, the publication of his Greenwich observations and his desire to retain independence from the Royal Society, feature in the correspondence.Present and future historians of science owe a debt to the thorough and assiduous work of Flamsteed's editors. They've not only made his correspondence available to a wide readership but have led them into this world of meticulously and expertly annotating each letter. A rich, largely untapped source of study is yours for the picking."-Carole Stott, The ObservatoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments. List of Letters. Abbreviated References. Glossary of Astronomical and Other Technical Terms. List of Symbols. Introduction. Letters 901-1515. Appendix-Official Documents. Agenda to Previous Volumes. Biographical Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Restless Universe: Applications of Gravitational N-Body Dynamics to Planetary Stellar and Galactic Systems stimulates the cross-fertilization of ideas, methods, and applications among the different communities who work in the gravitational N-body problem arena, across diverse fields of astrophysics. The chapters and topics cover three broad themes: the dynamics of the solar system, the dynamics of galaxies and star clusters, and the large scale structure of the universe. The book is essential reading for scientists and graduate students studying N-body dynamics, from the fundamental techniques to the cutting edge of modern research in planetary, stellar, and galactic systems.Trade Review"As a quick guide to the book, the section headings are Solar Systems, Stellar Kinematics and Dynamics, General Dynamics. Most sections contain three to six articles. Inevitably with such a wide range of topics one finds some more interesting than others. In general I found the expositions to be clear and concise and to be good introductions, and in some cases more than introductions to the paritcular topic or method … As a graduate text, the book will remain relevant for some years and as a commentary on the state of the art it is of current interest. As a textbook, selected chapters could be used as a course text or as background reading but individual sections could be useful in providing a quick review or introduction to one or more of the approaches."-D.R. Matravers, University of Portsmouth, Hampshire, UKTable of ContentsSolar systems dynamics. Stellar kinematics and dynamics. Galatic dynamics. Cosmology-Large scale structure dynamics. General dynamics

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Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller A luminous companion to the phenomenal bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.Trade Review"Scintillating....Tyson’s latest is a stimulating companion to his Astrophysics for People in a Hurry and both are recommended for inspiring readers wary of science to give it a chance." -- Booklist (starred review)

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Book SynopsisExpose Your Students to the Elegant World of Physics in an Enticing WayPhysics from Planet Earth - An Introduction to Mechanics provides a one-semester, calculus-based introduction to classical mechanics for first-year undergraduate students studying physics, chemistry, astronomy, or engineering. Developed from classroom-tested materials refined and updated for over ten years at Colgate University, the book guides students on a journey beyond standard approaches that use blocks, projectiles, and inclined planes to grander themes involving interplanetary travel, exoplanets, asteroid collisions, and dark matter.Beginning students are often bewildered by the rapid-fire presentation of physical concepts, mathematics, and problem-solving strategies in traditional introductory textbooks. In contrast, this text:Introduces the three conservation laws (momentum, energy, and angular momentum) as fundamental laws of nature from Trade Review"Reading this book makes me want to teach intro physics right away!"—James Battat, Wellesley College "… a special and unique text for teaching basic mechanics. … the authors are excellent writers, possessing literary acuity and sensitivity in unusual measure."—Dr. Lyle Roelofs, President, Berea College "Astronomy is overflowing with exciting discoveries, ranging from Earth-planets orbiting other stars to exotic phenomena such as black holes and neutron stars. This book brilliantly leverages these topics to entice students to a deeper study of classical mechanics."—David Charbonneau, Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University "A refreshing departure from mainstream textbooks on classical mechanics that any ingenuous and inquisitive student will love."—Stefano Moretti, Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton Table of ContentsMathematical Toolbox. Conservation of Momentum. Conservation of Energy. Conservation of Angular Momentum. Going Beyond. Appendices. Index.

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Book Synopsis1 Finding Your Way Around the Sky.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Constellations.- 1.3 Star Hopping.- 1.4 Positions in the Sky.- 1.5 Star Charts and Other Helpful Items.- 2 Your Telescope and How to get the Best Out of It.- 2.1 Telescope Designs.- 2.2 Eyepieces.- 2.3 Collimation.- 2.4 Mountings.- 2.5 Optics.- 2.6 Cleaning and Aluminising.- 2.7 Dewing-up.- 2.8 Observing Techniques.- 2.9 Twinkling.- 2.10 Finder Charts.- 2.11 Keeping a Log Book.- 2.12 Discoveries.- 3 The Sun.- 3.1 Warning.- 3.2 Observing the Sun.- 3.3 Solar Observing Programmes.- 3.4 More Advanced Work.- 4 The Moon.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Naked-eye Work and Binoculars.- 4.3 The Moon through the Telescope.- 4.4 An Optimum Telescope for Lunar Work.- 4.5 More Advanced Investigations.- 5 The Planets and Minor Solar System Objects.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.- 5.3 Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the Asteroids.- 6 Comets.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Cometary Orbits.- 6.3 The Structure of Comets.- 6.4 Origins.- 6.5 Famous Comets.- 6.6 Nomenclature of Comets.- 6.7 Observing Comets.- 7 Stars.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Brightness.- 7.3 Variable Stars.- 7.4 Visual Double and Binary Stars.- 7.5 Star Clusters.- 8 Nebulae.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Gas and Dust Clouds.- 8.3 Dark Nebulae.- 8.4 Reflection Nebulae.- 8.5 Emission Nebulae.- 8.6 Supernova Remnants.- 8.7 Planetary Nebulae.- 9 Galaxies.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Spiral Galaxies.- 9.3 Elliptical Galaxies.- 9.4 Irregular Galaxies.- 9.5 Quasars, Seyfert Galaxies and Other Active Galaxies.- 10 Unaided Observations.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 The Moon.- 10.3 The Sun.- 10.4 Meteors.- 10.5 The Milky Way, the Zodiacal Light and Aurorae.- 10.6 Comets and Planets.- 10.7 Spacecraft.- 10.8 UFOs.- 11 Advanced Work.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Nebular and Light-pollution Filters.- 11.3 Colour Filters.- 11.4 Photography with Your Telescope.- 11.5 CCDs.- 11.6 Photometry.- 11.7 Occultations.- 11.8 Computers in Astronomy.- 11.9 Spectroscopy.- Appendix 1: Astronomical Societies.- Appendix 2: Bibliography.- Appendix 3: Messier and Caldwell Catalogues.- Appendix 4: A Selection of Choice Astronomical Objects for Viewing.- Appendix 5: The Greek Alphabet.- Appendix 6: Constellations.- Appendix 7: Useful World-Wide-Web and Internet Addresses.- Appendix 8: Terminology.Table of Contents1 Finding Your Way Around the Sky.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Constellations.- 1.2.1 Getting Started.- 1.2.2 Moving Onwards.- 1.3 Star Hopping.- 1.4 Positions in the Sky.- 1.5 Star Charts and Other Helpful Items.- 2 Your Telescope and How to get the Best Out of It.- 2.1 Telescope Designs.- 2.1.1 The Refractor.- 2.1.2 The Newtonian Reflector.- 2.1.3 The Cassegrain Reflector.- 2.1.4 The Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope.- 2.2 Eyepieces.- 2.2.1 Magnification.- 2.2.2 Other Properties of Eyepieces.- 2.2.3 Choosing an Eyepiece.- 2.3 Collimation.- 2.4 Mountings.- 2.4.1 The Equatorial Mounting.- 2.4.2 The Alt-Azimuth Mounting.- 2.5 Optics.- 2.5.1 Light Grasp.- 2.5.2 Resolution.- 2.6 Cleaning and Aluminising.- 2.7 Dewing-up.- 2.8 Observing Techniques.- 2.8.1 Dark Adaption.- 2.8.2 Averted Vision.- 2.8.3 Seeing.- 2.8.4 Finding.- 2.8.5 Guiding.- 2.8.6 Apodisation.- 2.9 Twinkling.- 2.10 Finder Charts.- 2.11 Keeping a Log Book.- 2.12 Discoveries.- 3 The Sun.- 3.1 Warning.- 3.2 Observing the Sun.- 3.2.1 Stopping-down.- 3.2.2 Eyepiece Projection.- 3.2.3 Full-aperture Filters.- 3.2.4 Solar Diagonals.- 3.2.5 Finding the Sun.- 3.3 Solar Observing Programmes.- 3.4 More Advanced Work.- 3.4.1 The Prominence Spectroscope.- 3.4.2 The H-? Filter.- 3.4.3 The Spectrohelioscope.- 3.4.4 The Coronagraph.- 3.4.5 Solar Spectroscopy.- 4 The Moon.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Naked-eye Work and Binoculars.- 4.3 The Moon through the Telescope.- 4.4 An Optimum Telescope for Lunar Work.- 4.5 More Advanced Investigations.- 5 The Planets and Minor Solar System Objects.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.- 5.2.1 Mercury.- 5.2.2 Venus.- 5.2.3 Mars.- 5.2.4 Jupiter.- 5.2.5 Saturn.- 5.3 Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the Asteroids.- 6 Comets.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Cometary Orbits.- 6.2.1 Long-period Comets.- 6.2.2 Short-period Comets.- 6.2.3 Orbital Inclinations.- 6.3 The Structure of Comets.- 6.3.1 Composition.- 6.3.2 Coma and Tail.- 6.3.3 The View from Earth.- 6.4 Origins.- 6.5 Famous Comets.- 6.5.1 Halley’s Comet.- 6.5.2 Kohoutek’s Comet.- 6.5.3 Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.- 6.6 Nomenclature of Comets.- 6.7 Observing Comets.- 6.7.1 Observing Information.- 6.7.2 What You Can Observe.- 6.7.3 Discovering Comets.- 7 Stars.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 Brightness.- 7.2.1 Magnitudes.- 7.2.2 Estimating Visual Magnitudes.- 7.3 Variable Stars.- 7.3.1 Observing Variable Stars.- 7.3.2 Types of Variable Star.- 7.4 Visual Double and Binary Stars.- 7.5 Star Clusters.- 7.5.1 Galactic Clusters.- 7.5.2 Globular Clusters.- 8 Nebulae.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Gas and Dust Clouds.- 8.3 Dark Nebulae.- 8.3.1 Introduction.- 8.3.2 Nebulae.- 8.4 Reflection Nebulae.- 8.4.1 Introduction.- 8.4.2 Nebulae.- 8.5 Emission Nebulae.- 8.5.1 Introduction.- 8.5.2 The Spectra of Emission Nebulae and Planetary Nebulae.- 8.5.3 Nebulae.- 8.6 Supernova Remnants.- 8.6.1 Introduction.- 8.6.2 Nebulae.- 8.7 Planetary Nebulae.- 8.7.1 Introduction.- 8.7.2 Nebulae.- 9 Galaxies.- 9.1 Introduction.- 9.2 Spiral Galaxies.- 9.2.1 Observing Spiral Galaxies.- 9.3 Elliptical Galaxies.- 9.4 Irregular Galaxies.- 9.5 Quasars, Seyfert Galaxies and Other Active Galaxies.- 10 Unaided Observations.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 The Moon.- 10.3 The Sun.- 10.4 Meteors.- 10.5 The Milky Way, the Zodiacal Light and Aurorae.- 10.6 Comets and Planets.- 10.7 Spacecraft.- 10.8 UFOs.- 11 Advanced Work.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Nebular and Light-pollution Filters.- 11.2.1 Introduction.- 11.2.2 Nebular Filters.- 11.2.3 Light-pollution Filters.- 11.2.4 Comet Filters.- 11.2.5 Practical Considerations.- 11.3 Colour Filters.- 11.3.1 Introduction.- 11.3.2 Types and Fittings.- 11.3.3 Planetary Observations.- 11.3.4 Imaging.- 11.3.5 Tri-colour Imaging.- 11.4 Photography with Your Telescope.- 11.4.1 Introduction.- 11.4.2 Piggyback Photography.- 11.4.3 Cameras for Telescopes.- 11.4.4 Focal Plane Photography through the Telescope.- 11.4.5 Using Telecompressors.- 11.4.6 Use of a Tele-extender for Eyepiece Projection.- 11.4.7 Guiding.- 11.4.8 Choice of Film and Processing.- 11.4.9 Projects.- 11.5 CCDs.- 11.5.1 Introduction.- 11.5.2 Camcorders.- 11.5.3 Purpose-designed CCD Cameras.- 11.5.4 CCD Chips.- 11.5.5 Sensitivity to Light.- 11.5.6 Astrometric Measurements.- 11.6 Photometry.- 11.6.1 Introduction.- 11.6.2 Photographic Photometry.- 11.6.3 Photometers.- 11.6.4 Filter Sets.- 11.6.5 CCD Photometry.- 11.6.6 Observing Projects.- 11.7 Occultations.- 11.7.1 Introduction.- 11.7.2 Lunar Occultations.- 11.7.3 Asteroid Occultations.- 11.7.4 Satellite Eclipses and Mutual Events.- 11.8 Computers in Astronomy.- 11.8.1 Introduction.- 11.8.2 Choice of Computer.- 11.8.3 “Planetarium” Programs.- 11.8.4 Databases.- 11.8.5 Ephemerides.- 11.8.6 Images and Image Processing.- 11.8.7 Data Processing.- 11.8.8 The Internet.- 11.9 Spectroscopy.- 11.9.1 Introduction.- 11.9.2 Objective Prisms.- 11.9.3 The Direct Vision Spectrograph.- 11.9.4 Slit Spectrographs.- 11.9.5 Observing Projects in Spectroscopy.- Appendix 1: Astronomical Societies.- Appendix 2: Bibliography.- Appendix 3: Messier and Caldwell Catalogues.- Appendix 4: A Selection of Choice Astronomical Objects for Viewing.- Appendix 5: The Greek Alphabet.- Appendix 6: Constellations.- Appendix 7: Useful World-Wide-Web and Internet Addresses.- Appendix 8: Terminology.

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