Science : Astrophysics & Space Science

In 1912 Victor Franz Hess made the revolutionary discovery that ionizing radiation is incident upon the Earth from outer space. He showed with ground-based and balloon-borne detectors that the intensity of the radiation did not change significantly between day and night. Consequently, the sun could not be regarded as the sources of this radiation and the question of its origin remained unanswered. Today, almost one hundred years later the question of the origin of the cosmic radiation still remains a mystery. Hess' discovery has given an enormous impetus to large areas of science, in particular to physics, and has played a major role in the formation of our current understanding of universal evolution. For example, the development of new fields of research such as elementary particle physics, modern astrophysics and cosmology are direct consequences of this discovery. Over the years the field of cosmic ray research has evolved in various directions: Firstly, the field of particle physics that was initiated by the discovery of many so-called elementary particles in the cosmic radiation. There is a strong trend from the accelerator physics community to reenter the field of cosmic ray physics, now under the name of astroparticle physics. Secondly, an important branch of cosmic ray physics that has rapidly evolved in conjunction with space exploration concerns the low energy portion of the cosmic ray spectrum. Thirdly, the branch of research that is concerned with the origin, acceleration and propagation of the cosmic radiation represents a great challenge for astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology. Presently very popular fields of research have rapidly evolved, such as high-energy gamma ray and neutrino astronomy. In addition, high-energy neutrino astronomy may soon initiate as a likely spin-off neutrino tomography of the Earth and thus open a unique new branch of geophysical research of the interior of the Earth. Finally, of considerable interest are the biological more...

Price: $275.00

Many of the world's leading players in cosmology look at the strengths and weaknesses of the current big bang model in explaining certain puzzling data. A comprehensive coverage of the expanding field of cosmology, this text will be valuable for graduate students and researchers in cosmology and theoretical astrophysics. more...

Price: $100.00

Aurorae have been the object of scientific curiosity for centuries. Only recently have we been able to detect noontime aurorae and persistent aurorae deep within the polar cap. This text provides a morphological and theoretical framework for understanding these dayside and polar cap aurorae. more...

Price: $125.00

Es darf als gesichert gelten, dass Einstein bereits 1895-1896, whrend er sich an der Aargauischen Kantonsschule auf die Maturittsprfung vorbereitete, erste Ideen zur Relativittstheorie entwickelte. Die Publikation befasst sich eingehend mit der Aarauer Zeit des spter zu Weltruhm gelangten Physikers und bespricht die grundlegenden Ideen seiner Arbeiten von 1905, die diesen Weltruhm begrndeten. Aus dem Inhalt: - Kommentierte Originalabdrucke dreier vom siebzehnjhrigen Einstein verfasster Maturittsprfungsarbeiten - Spezielle Relativittstheorie: Eine bung im berwinden von Denkgewohnheiten -  ber die Herkunft der Speziellen Relativittstheorie - Einsteins Analyse der Brownschen Bewegung - Einstein und die Begrndung der Quantentheorie - Relativittstheorie und der Friedhof der Sterne Beitragsautoren: Domenico Giulini, Herbert Hunziker, Walter Pfeifer, Heinrich Staehelin, Norbert Straumann more...

Price: $36.00

Since the last joint IAU and COSPAR Colloquium in Gainesville in 1995, there have been dramatic changes in the field resulting from in-situ space experiments, Earth orbiting satellites and ground based observations. The brightest comet since the early years of the twentieth century, comet Hale-Bopp, appeared, giving an invaluable opportunity to see in action one great source of interplanetary dust. Similarly, the Leonid meteor shower has been at its most active since 1966, producing spectacular displays of meteors and allowing for an array of observational techniques, not available in 1966 to be used, while theory has also been refined to a level where very accurate predictions of the timing of meteor storms has become possible. Prior to the meeting a total eclipse of the Sun in South West England and North Europe was observed, traditionally a good opportunity to observe the Zodiacal cloud. The knowledge of the Near-Earth Asteroid population has also increased dramatically, with the increased study arising from the heightened awareness of the danger to Earth from such bodies. Extrasolar planets have been discovered since the last meeting and it is recognised that interplanetary dust in other Planetary Systems can now be studied. Since much of the dust observed in such systems is at a distance of order 100 AU from the star, this brings into focus the production of dust in the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt of our own system. Recent years have seen a recognition of the importance of dust originating outside our own system, that is now present in the near-Earth environment. As is always the case when great strides take place observationally, much theoretical work follows, and the same is true in this instance. While data about the planetary medium from Venus to Jupiter was beginning to be available at the meeting in 1995, the data from both Galileo and Ulysses have now been more fully analysed, with a corresponding increase in our knowledge. This book reflects the thematic appr more...

Price: $227.00