Science

The #1 bestselling author of The Future of the Mind traverses the frontiers of astrophysics, artificial intelligence, and technology to offer a stunning vision of man's future in space, from settling Mars to traveling to distant galaxies. Formerly the domain of fiction, moving human civilization to the stars is increasingly becoming a scientific possibility--and a necessity. Whether in the near future due to climate change and the depletion of finite resources, or in the distant future due to catastrophic cosmological events, we must face the reality that humans will one day need to leave planet Earth to survive as a species. World-renowned physicist and futurist Michio Kaku explores in rich, intimate detail the process by which humanity may gradually move away from the planet and develop a sustainable civilization in outer space. He reveals how cutting-edge developments in robotics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology may allow us to terraform and build habitable cities on Mars. He then takes us beyond the solar system to nearby stars, which may soon be reached by nanoships traveling on laser beams at near the speed of light. Finally, he brings us beyond our galaxy, and even beyond our universe, to the possibility of immortality, showing us how humans may someday be able to leave our bodies entirely and laser port to new havens in space. With irrepressible enthusiasm and wonder, Dr. Kaku takes readers on a fascinating journey to a future in which humanity may finally fulfill its long-awaited destiny among the stars.

The Future of the Mind brings a topic that once belonged solely to the province of science fiction into a startling new reality. This scientific tour de force unveils the astonishing research being done in top laboratories around the world—all based on the latest advancements in neuroscience and physics—including recent experiments in telepathy, mind control, avatars, telekinesis, and recording memories and dreams. The Future of the Mind is an extraordinary, mind-boggling exploration of the frontiers of neuroscience. Dr. Kaku looks toward the day when we may achieve the ability to upload the human brain to a computer, neuron for neuron; project thoughts and emotions around the world on a brain-net; take a “smart pill” to enhance cognition; send our consciousness across the universe; and push the very limits of immortality.

Is our universe dying? Could there be other universes? InParallel Worlds,world-renowned physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku—anauthor who “has a knack for bringing the most ethereal ideas down to earth”(Wall Street Journal)—takes readers on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe. In his first book of physics sinceHyperspace, Michio Kaku begins by describing the extraordinary advances that have transformed cosmology over the last century, and particularly over the last decade, forcing scientists around the world to rethink our understanding of the birth of the universe, and its ultimate fate. In Dr. Kaku’s eyes, we are living in a golden age of physics, as new discoveries from the WMAP and COBE satellites and the Hubble space telescope have given us unprecedented pictures of our universe in its infancy. As astronomers wade through the avalanche of data from the WMAP satellite, a new cosmological picture is emerging. So far, the leading theory about the birth of the universe is the “inflationary universe theory,” a major refinement on the big bang theory. In this theory, our universe may be but one in a multiverse, floating like a bubble in an infinite sea of bubble universes, with new universes being created all the time. A parallel universe may well hover a mere millimeter from our own. The very idea of parallel universes and the string theory that can explain their existence was once viewed with suspicion by scientists, seen as the province of mystics, charlatans, and cranks. But today, physicists overwhelmingly support string-theory, and its latest iteration, M-theory, as it is this one theory that, if proven correct, would reconcile the four forces of the universe simply and elegantly, and answer the question “What happened before the big bang?” Already, Kaku explains, the world’s foremost physicists and astronomers are searching for ways to test the theory of the multiverse using highly sophisticated wave detectors, gravity lenses, satellites, and telescopes. The implications of M-theory are fascinating and endless. If parallel worlds do exist, Kaku speculates, in time, perhaps a trillion years or more from now, as appears likely, when our universe grows cold and dark in what scientists describe as a big freeze, advanced civilizations may well find a way to escape our universe in a kind of “inter-dimensional lifeboat.” An unforgettable journey into black holes and time machines, alternate universes, and multidimensional space,Parallel Worldsgives us a compelling portrait of the revolution sweeping the world of cosmology.

How does the physics we know today - a highly professionalised enterprise, inextricably linked to government and industry - link back to its origins as a liberal art in Ancient Greece? What is the path that leads from the old philosophy of nature and its concern with humankind's place in theuniverse to modern massive international projects that hunt down fundamental particles and industrial laboratories that manufacture marvels?John Heilbron's fascinating history of physics introduces us to Islamic astronomers and mathematicians, calculating the size of the earth whilst their caliphs conquered much of it; to medieval scholar-theologians investigating light; to Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton, measuring, and tryingto explain, the universe. We visit the "House of Wisdom" in 9th-century Baghdad; Europe's first universities; the courts of the Renaissance; the Scientific Revolution and the academies of the 18th century; the increasingly specialised world of 20th and 21st century science. Highlighting the shifting relationship between physics, philosophy, mathematics, and technology - and the implications for humankind's self-understanding - Heilbron explores the changing place and purpose of physics in the cultures and societies that have nurtured it over the centuries.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Understanding PHYSICS just got a whole lot EASIER! Stumped trying to make sense of physics? Here's your solution. Physics Demystified, Second Edition helps you grasp the essential concepts with ease. Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins by covering classical physics, including mass, force, motion, momentum, work, energy, and power, as well as the temperature and states of matter. Electricity, magnetism, and electronics are discussed as are waves, particles, space, and time. Detailed examples, concise explanations, and worked problems make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning. It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about: Scientific notation, units, and constants Newton's laws of motion Kirchhoff's laws Alternating current and semiconductors Optics Relativity theory Simple enough for a beginner, but detailed enough for an advanced student, Physics Demystified, Second Edition helps you master this challenging and diverse subject. It's also the perfect resource to prepare you for higher-level physics classes and college placement tests.

Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. Your coach, physicist John J. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from Isaac Newton. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the game--this time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst. Find out why you ought to put spin on the ball. Get tips on how to improve your free throw and increase your percentage from the charity stripe. You'll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if that's something you've always dreamed of doing. With photographs and simple high school formulas, physics professor Fontanella--who played in college against Pittsburgh and Syracuse--reveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball. He covers almost every aspect of the game, weaving in stories from games he's played and games he's seen, and tales from basketball history and folklore. Physics comes alive as you see how Kobe Bryant, Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Becky Hammon, and J. J. Reddick do naturally the things that Isaac Newton says they should.

This new resource introduces students and researchers to the fundamentals of physics. Entries are written in easy-to-understand language, so readers can use these entries as a solid starting-off point to develop a thorough understanding of this oftentimes confusing subject matter.

Dr Isaac Asimov, famed science fiction writer and science populariser, presents an introduction to the complexities of modern physics.

If your students struggle with using algebra, logarithms or graphs, this is the book for them. This textbook companion will help improve their essential maths skills for physics, whichever awarding body specification you're following. You can use it throughout the course, whenever you feel they need some extra help. - Develop understanding of both maths and physics with all worked examples and questions within a physics context - Improve confidence with a step-by-step approach to every maths skill - Measure progress with guided and non-guided questions - Understand misconceptions with full worked solutions to every question - Feel confident in expert guidance from experienced teacher Ian Lovat, reviewed by Peter Main, Director of Education and Science at the Institute of Physics

The book originated in a series of lectures given at Liverpool in 2013 to a group that included postgraduate and undergraduate students and staff of the Physics Department. They followed from two very successful lectures given to the undergraduate Physical Society. It seemed that there was a very large interest among the students in investigating the foundations of physics in a way that was never done in physics courses, and was not available in books or other outlets. However, the idea was to create a framework in which students (and interested staff) could develop their own thinking relative to the ideas in the lectures. So it was important to create both conceptual and mathematical structures on the issues that are important at this level. The book has the right sort of technical content to allow for this development, but doesn' t lose itself in excessive details. The ideal use for this book would be on postgraduate courses where students would be encouraged to think about the foundations in a way that is well beyond the superficial. However, a course on aspects of this material would also be valuable at the undergraduate level, where students could be stimulated into believing that creative thinking could solve the problems that emerge when we confront foundational problems.

This book presents the latest developments in world physics, including chapters on the neoclassic approach to cosmology based on the invariant integral; the versatile approach to the study of cosmological models; the reexamination of the main method in astronomy; sarma superfluid state in a spin-orbit-coupled fermi gas in a two-dimensional optical lattice; low-cost, high-speed hydrophilic finishing of lightweight polypropylene nonwovens by ambient air plasma; extremely low frequency wave propagation; high harmonic generation and harmonic tuning in undulators for FEL with account for losses; Bose-Einstein-condensate built with focuses electron beam induced processing at room-temperature and novel applications; photodiodes based on thick Ge/Si(001) epilayers; and radiation shielding efficiency of lead zinc borate glasses.

By focusing on the mostly used variational methods, this monograph aspires to give a unified description and comparison of various ways of constructing conserved quantities for perturbations and to study symmetries in general relativity and modified theories of gravity. The main emphasis lies on the field-theoretical covariant formulation of perturbations, the canonical Noether approach and the Belinfante procedure of symmetrisation. The general formalism is applied to build the gauge-invariant cosmological perturbation theory, conserved currents and superpotentials to describe physically important solutions of gravity theories. Meticulous attention is given to the construction of conserved quantities in asymptotically-flat spacetimes as well as in asymptotically constant curvature spacetimes such as the Anti-de Sitter space. Significant part of the book can be used in graduate courses on conservation laws in general relativity. THE SERIES: DE GRUYTER STUDIES IN MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS The series is devoted to the publication of monographs and high-level texts in mathematical physics. They cover topics and methods in fields of current interest, with an emphasis on didactical presentation. The series will enable readers to understand, apply, and develop further, with sufficient rigor, mathematical methods to given problems in physics. The works in this series are aimed at advanced students and researchers in mathematical and theoretical physics. They can also serve as secondary reading for lectures and seminars at advanced levels.

In Minkowski-Space the space-time of special relativity is discussed on the basis of fundamental results of space-time theory. This idea has the consequence that the Minkowski-space can be characterized by 5 axioms, which determine its geometrical and kinematical structure completely. In this sense Minkowski-Space is a prolegomenon for the formulation of other branches of special relativity, like mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics etc. But these applications are not subjects of this book. Contents Basic properties of special relativity Further properties of Lorentz matrices Further properties of Lorentz transformations Decomposition of Lorentz matrices and Lorentz transformations Further structures on Ms Tangent vectors in Ms Orientation Kinematics on Ms Some basic notions of relativistic theories

The book employs oscillatory dynamical systems to represent the Universe mathematically via constructing classical and quantum theory of damped oscillators. It further discusses isotropic and homogeneous metrics in the Friedman-Robertson-Walker Universe and shows their equivalence to non-stationary oscillators. The wide class of exactly solvable damped oscillator models with variable parameters is associated with classical special functions of mathematical physics. Combining principles with observations in an easy to follow way, it inspires further thinking for mathematicians and physicists. Contents Part I: Dissipative geometry and general relativity theory Pseudo-Riemannian geometry and general relativity Dynamics of universe models Anisotropic and homogeneous universe models Metric waves in a nonstationary universe and dissipative oscillator Bosonic and fermionic models of a Friedman-Robertson-Walker universe Time dependent constants in an oscillatory universe Part II: Variational principle for time dependent oscillations and dissipations Lagrangian and Hamilton descriptions Damped oscillator: classical and quantum theory Sturm-Liouville problem as a damped oscillator with time dependent damping and frequency Riccati representation of time dependent damped oscillators Quantization of the harmonic oscillator with time dependent parameters

'Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids and Nuclei provides the foundation for much of one's future work in atomic, molecular, solid state and nuclear physics

Imagine, if you can, the world in the year 2100. In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku--the New York Times bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible--gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century based on interviews with over three hundred of the world's top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs. The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of the revolutionary developments taking place in medicine, computers, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, energy production, and astronautics. In all likelihood, by 2100 we will control computers via tiny brain sensors and, like magicians, move objects around with the power of our minds. Artificial intelligence will be dispersed throughout the environment, and Internet-enabled contact lenses will allow us to access the world's information base or conjure up any image we desire in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, cars will drive themselves using GPS, and if room-temperature superconductors are discovered, vehicles will effortlessly fly on a cushion of air, coasting on powerful magnetic fields and ushering in the age of magnetism. Using molecular medicine, scientists will be able to grow almost every organ of the body and cure genetic diseases. Millions of tiny DNA sensors and nanoparticles patrolling our blood cells will silently scan our bodies for the first sign of illness, while rapid advances in genetic research will enable us to slow down or maybe even reverse the aging process, allowing human life spans to increase dramatically. In space, radically new ships--needle-sized vessels using laser propulsion--could replace the expensive chemical rockets of today and perhaps visit nearby stars. Advances in nanotechnology may lead to the fabled space elevator, which would propel humans hundreds of miles above the earth's atmosphere at the push of a button. But these astonishing revelations are only the tip of the iceberg. Kaku also discusses emotional robots, antimatter rockets, X-ray vision, and the ability to create new life-forms, and he considers the development of the world economy. He addresses the key questions: Who are the winner and losers of the future? Who will have jobs, and which nations will prosper? All the while, Kaku illuminates the rigorous scientific principles, examining the rate at which certain technologies are likely to mature, how far they can advance, and what their ultimate limitations and hazards are. Synthesizing a vast amount of information to construct an exciting look at the years leading up to 2100, Physics of the Future is a thrilling, wondrous ride through the next 100 years of breathtaking scientific revolution.

This invaluable book provides a broad and comprehensive introduction to the fascinating and beautiful subject of timeless approaches in physics, focusing the attention in particular on significant models developed recently by the author. It presents relevant and novel perspectives in 21st century theoretical physics as regards the arena of physical processes and its geometry (both in special relativity, quantum mechanics, the quantum gravity domain and about the quantum vacuum). The timeless approach may be used as a source of reference by researchers in theoretical physics and at the same time it is also suitable for graduate students in physics who wish to have an extend view of some of the classic and fundamental models in the subject.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, has compiled a collection of stunning images from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. Capturing an amazing variety of astronomical phenomena within our solar system and far into deep space, the photos represent the best amateur astrophotography from around the world. The book includes the first six years of the competition (2009-2014) and features overall winners from each year along with a carefully curated selection of shortlisted entries.

This visually stunning book with over 250 full-color illustrations, many of them never before published, is based on Carl Sagan’s thirteen-part television series. Told with Sagan’s remarkable ability to make scientific ideas both comprehensible and exciting,Cosmosis about science in its broadest human context, how science and civilization grew up together. The book also explores spacecraft missions of discovery of the nearby planets, the research in the Library of ancient Alexandria, the human brain, Egyptian hieroglyphics, the origin of life, the death of the Sun, the evolution of galaxies and the origins of matter, suns and worlds. Sagan retraces the fifteen billion years of cos-mic evolution that have transformed matter into life and consciousness, enabling the Cosmos to wonder about itself. He considers the latest findings on life elsewhere and how we might communicate with the beings of other worlds. Cosmosis the story of our long journey of discovery and the forces and individuals who helped to shape modern science, including Democritus, Hypatia, Kepler, Newton, Huy-gens, Champollion, Lowell and Humason. Sagan looks at our planet from an extra-terrestrial vantage point and sees a blue jewel-like world, inhabited by a lifeform that is just beginning to discover its own unity and to ven-ture into the vast ocean of space.

What has the Hubble Space Telescope revealed about our universe? How should one select and use binoculars and a telescope? What are the simple tools available to measure distances and locate objects in the sky? Night Sky, an Explore Your World ™ handbook, answers these and other questions, providing a captivating blend of information and entertainment about the awesome wonders of the universe. Incorporating the Discovery Channel's unique, authoritative approach and acclaimed visuals, Night Sky goes beyond traditional guides by combining field identification techniques with fascinating background information and practical hands-on advice. Organized in a clear, accessible style, beautifully illustrated with more than 300-full color photographs and illustrations, and packed with the most up-to-date information by expert astrologers, this comprehensive handbook offers stargazers a wealth of information in a single portable source. Night Sky is divided into four main sections: "A Celestial Tour" is a helpful primer designed to help astronomy enthusiasts acquire a strong base of knowledge on the fundamentals of the universe--including a tour of the solar system, an explanation of the birth and death of stars, and an exploration of the galaxies. "The Cutting Edge of Astronomy and Exploration" explains how astronomers observe the universe, how space probes explore the planets, and what attempts are being made to contact potential life in the cosmos. "The Backyard Astronomer" offers practical advice on exploring the night sky firsthand--including basic equipment needs, lunar phases and eclipses, and using coordinates to pinpoint celestial objects and navigate the heavens. "Observing the Nighttime Sky" provides four sky maps of the northern and southern sky, six bimonthly sky maps, plus an alphabetical guide to all 88 constellations. Night Sky is sure to delight, teach, and entertain stargazers and reveal our wondrous universe as never before.

An extensive astronomy reference, beautifully illustrated and expertly written. The Firefly Encyclopedia of Astronomy is organized A-Z with concise details on each topic. The pages are profusely illustrated with vivid computer graphics, photography and archival images. Included are accessible contributions by 650 world-leading astronomers covering: History from the Big Bang to present Famous astronomer bios Key space missions since the launch of Sputnik The work of observatories worldwide. "Backyard stargazing is a lot more fun when you understand what you're looking at. The Orion Nebula is pretty in any telescope, but the view is all the more inspiring when you know that the light you're seeing left the nebula as the Roman Empire fell and that new stars are continually forming from the glowing gas. "It's appropriate that professionals and amateurs should come together to produce such a work, because at the dawn of the twenty-first century the line between the two communities is becoming blurred. Technology is putting state-of-the-art capabilities into the hands of backyard observers, many of whom are now collaborating with professionals to study phenomena as diverse as Martian dust storms and bursts of energetic radiation from distant galaxies. "Wherever your astronomical interests take you, this encyclopedia will be a welcome and valuable companion." Rick Fienberg Editor-in-Chief of Sky and Telescope magazine

Renowned science writers John and Mary Gribbin team up with one of the most historic scientific sites in the world--the Royal Observatory, Greenwich--to take readers on a stunning visual tour of the universe. This riveting journey moves from our home planet outwards to the Moon, Sun, Inner and Outer Solar Systems, Milky Way, and other galaxies. Not only do the Gribbins discuss the always-intriguing topic of alien life, but they divulge little-known facts (Venus is the only planet in our solar system to rotate backwards), as well as all the basics beginning armchair astronomers need to know. Dramatic four-color photographs complement the informative text, giving readers a sense of what it might be like to be an astronaut...and go where no one has gone before.  

From the earliest beginnings of our species, the night sky has been a source of wonder and inspiration. That window on the universe has fired humanity's quest to unlock the secrets of existence, first through myths, then science. This lavishly illustrated volume traces that quest from the Stone Age, to ancient civilizations, to the first telescope, to awe-inspiring high-tech photographs captured by the Planck space telescope today.  Historic images and beautifully reproduced documents of major scientific significance lend hands-on excitement to this majestic story of human discovery and exploration.

Our sun is one star among 50 billion in the galaxy. Our galaxy is only one among 50 billion in the universe. With a vastness this incomprehensible, it is easy to feel like we are mere specks of sand on an endless shore. But our sun is special. Though roughly 150 million kilometers separate us, we could not be more connected. Literally, everything you see comes from the sun. The words you are reading now are really photons that left the sun about 8 minutes ago only to bounce off this page and into your eyes. We owe our very existence to our sun. It provides just enough heat to keep our fragile bodies from freezing to ice or burning to a crisp. Every bite of food we eat we owe to the sun, whose energy is converted into plants that provide sustenance for everything up the food chain. We have understood the sun's importance for millennia. The earliest humans, awestruck by its blazing splendor, left drawings of the sun on cave walls. Nearly every civilization, no matter where it sprang up on the planet, has revered the sun. Myths about the sun were the basis of the earliest deities of ancient Sumerian, Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, and Meso-American cultures. Before Apollo, the ancient Greeks worshiped the sun-god Helios. Before Zeus, the ancient Romans worshiped Sol. Throughout our history, the sun has been central to humanity's quest for meaning in the universe. But our history has been a brief moment in our sun's 4.5 billion year life. Only recently, through advances in science and technology, have we begun to understand our sun - where it came from, how it functions, how it affects our lives and how it eventually will destroy our planet. Our Sun is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to everything we know about our closest star. Illustrated with stunning pictures from NASA's newly-launched Solar Dynamics Observatory, Our Sun will reveal the science behind the sun, trace its impact on human history, and reveal its growing importance to our future way of life.

A basic field guide for beginning observers of the solar system, introducing information on the locations and characteristics of the planets, sun, comets, meteors, and other objects in our solar system.

Space has and confounded human beings since our earliest ancestors captivated first gazed upward toward the starry heavens. From the seventeenth century, when Galileo viewed the moon through his newly invented telescope, to the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope just a few years ago, mankind has pursued the quest to unlock the mysteries of the universe. Indeed, the quest itself seems infinite, as is made abundantly clear by the breadth of scientific theory and research contained within these pages. Now, for the first time in book form, "The Scientific American Book of Astronomy" compiles over thirty articles culled from the magazine, written by some of the biggest names presently working in the field. Included here is Leonard Susskind on "Black Holes and the Information Paradox, " Kenneth R. Lang on newly discovered "Secrets of the Sun, " and David H. Levy and Eugene Shoemaker on the heart-stopping 1995 collision between Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Jupiter. Read about the newest theory of the self-reproducing universe. Learn how a meteorite found in Antarctica offers strong evidence of life on Mars. Divided into categories including "The Universe, " "Galaxies, " and "Planets, " among others, these articles present cutting-edge technology, as well as the history of discoveries that have shaped our understanding of space. With black-and-white illustrations and a color section, this book will take readers to new heights of knowledge and imagination.

It was the astronomers and mathematicians of the Islamic world who provided the theories and concepts that paved the way from the geocentric theories of Claudius Ptolemy in the second century AD to the heliocentric breakthroughs of Nicholas Copernicus and Johannes Kepler in the sixteenth andseventeenth centuries. Algebra, the Arabic numeral system, and trigonometry: all these and more originated in the Muslim East and undergirded an increasingly accurate and sophisticated understanding of the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets. This nontechnical overview of the Islamic advances inthe heavenly sciences allows the general reader to appreciate (for the first time) the absolutely crucial role that Muslim scientists played in the overall development of astronomy and astrology in the Eurasian world.

An accessible guide to the wonders of the night sky, now updated From asteroids to black holes, from quasars to white dwarfs, this new edition of Astronomy For Dummies takes backyard stargazers on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring star maps, charts, gorgeous full-color photographs, and easy-to-follow explanations, this fact-filled guide gives readers a leg up on the basic principles of astronomy and shows how to get the most out of binoculars, telescopes, planetarium visits, and other fun astronomical activities. This updated edition includes an updated color signature and covers the many discoveries made in recent years, as well as new astronomy Web sites.

In the last century, astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology have evolved from observational and theoretical pursuits into more experimental science, with many stellar and planetary processes recreated in physics laboratories and extensively studied. This book provides new research in the field of astrophysics. Chapter One provides a review of theoretical and experimental nuclear reaction and decay data for stellar and explosive nucleosynthesis, as well as modern computation tools and methods. Chapter Two provides a brief overview of the Chelyabinsk meteorite which fell over the region of Chelyabinsk city nearby Southern Ural Mountains (West Siberia) on the February 15, 2013. Chapter Three discusses the local entropy equilibrium condition of an ideal gas in a static gravitational field, and its applications to some topics in astrophysics.

A look up at the night sky reveals a treasury of wonders. Even to the naked eye, the Moon, stars, planets, the Milky Way and even a few star clusters and nebulae illuminate the heavens. For millennia, humans struggled to make sense of what's out there in the Universe, from all we can see to that which lies beyond the limits of even our most powerful telescopes. Beyond the Galaxy traces our journey from an ancient, Earth-centered Universe all the way to our modern, 21st century understanding of the cosmos. Touching on not only what we know but also how we know it, Ethan Siegel takes us to the very frontiers of modern astrophysics and cosmology, from the birth of our Universe to its ultimate fate, and everything in between.

The contentious history of the idea of the black hole--the most fascinating and bizarre celestial object in the heavens For more than half a century, physicists and astronomers engaged in heated dispute over the possibility of black holes in the universe. The weirdly alien notion of a space-time abyss from which nothing escapes--not even light--seemed to confound all logic. This engrossing book tells the story of the fierce black hole debates and the contributions of Einstein and Hawking and other leading thinkers who completely altered our view of the universe. Renowned science writer Marcia Bartusiak shows how the black hole helped revive Einstein's greatest achievement, the general theory of relativity, after decades during which it had been pushed into the shadows. Not until astronomers discovered such surprising new phenomena as neutron stars and black holes did the once-sedate universe transform into an Einsteinian cosmos, filled with sources of titanic energy that can be understood only in the light of relativity. This book celebrates the hundredth anniversary of general relativity, uncovers how the black hole really got its name, and recounts the scientists' frustrating, exhilarating, and at times humorous battles over the acceptance of one of history's most dazzling ideas.

With a fleet of telescopes in space and giant observatories on the ground, professional astronomers produce hundreds of spectacular images of space every year. These colorful pictures have become infused into popular culture and can found everywhere, from advertising to television shows to memes. But they also invite questions: Is this what outer space really looks like? Are the colors real? And how do these images get from the stars to our screens? Coloring the Universe uses accessible language to describe how these giant telescopes work, what scientists learn with them, and how they are used to make color images. It talks about how otherwise un-seeable rays, such as radio waves, infrared light, X-rays, and gamma rays, are turned into recognizable colors. And it is filled with fantastic images taken in far-away pockets of the universe. Informative and beautiful, Coloring the Universe will give space fans of all levels an insider's look at how scientists bring deep space into brilliant focus.

This book presents a comprehensive review of the methods applied to derive cosmological parameters for a given model and test different cosmological models using the most massive collapsed structures in our Universe: clusters of galaxies. Clusters typically consist of hundreds of galaxies and high-temperature ionised gas trapped in their gravitational field dominated by dark matter extending out to 2-3 Mpc. The formation, evolution, and structure of these massive rare objects are sensitive probes of the assumed cosmology. This is a multidisciplinary field of astrophysics involving multi-wavelength observations, gravity theory, atomic physics, plasma physics, magneto-hydrodynamics, astrophysical cosmology and numerical simulations. Our understanding of the physics of clusters, which is essential when using them for cosmology, has been improved tremendously due to the recent advent of technology and observational strategy in multi-frequency observations, and enhanced by improved numerical simulations made possible by more advanced high performance computers. As a result of these developments, cosmology with clusters of galaxies has become a mature discipline recently, and provided an important contribution to establish our concordance cosmological constant dominated cold dark matter model. In the near future we expect a rapid expansion of this field due to results from new cluster surveys and multi-wavelength observations. This timely volume on this exciting newly established field discusses galaxy cluster physics and provides a detailed description of using clusters to derive cosmological parameters applying accurate measurements of individual clusters as well as using clusters as a statistical tool. A detailed discussion is given on degeneracies between derived parameters and the systematic effects, which are becoming a limiting factor. An account for using clusters to test different cosmological models is also presented. This volume provides an introduction to galaxy cluster cosmology for physics and astronomy graduate students and serves as a reference source for professionals.

This book provides a brief introduction to some basic but important problems in celestial mechanics, and particularly in the few-body problem, such as the permissible and forbidden region of motion, the evolution of moment of inertia of a system, and the orbital stability of asteroids in the solar system. All these are based on some main results in the authors' research works, which are related to the qualitative method of celestial mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. Some of these works are interdisciplinary, involving celestial mechanics, nonlinear dynamics and other disciplines. The book covers a variety of topics for dynamics in the solar system, including the comets, asteroids, planetary rings, Trojan asteroids, etc.As a senior scientist, Professor Sun shares his research experiences in this book. Readers may find plenty of information both about the theoretical and numerical analyses in celestial mechanics, and about the applications of theories and methods to dynamical problems in astronomy.

General Relativity is a beautiful geometric theory, simple in its mathematical formulation but leading to numerous consequences with striking physical interpretations: gravitational waves, black holes, cosmological models, and so on.This introductory textbook is written for mathematics students interested in physics and physics students interested in exact mathematical formulations (or for anyone with a scientific mind who is curious to know more of the world we live in), recent remarkable experimental and observational resultswhich confirm the theory are clearly described and no specialised physics knowledge is required. The mathematical level of Part A is aimed at undergraduate students and could be the basis for a course on General Relativity. Part B is more advanced, but still does not require sophisticatedmathematics.Based on Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat's more advanced text, General Relativity and the Einstein Equations, the aim of this book is to give with precision, but as simply as possible, the foundations and main consequences of General Relativity. The first five chapters from General Relativity and the EinsteinEquations have been updated with new sections and chapters on black holes, gravitational waves, singularities, and the Reissner-Nordstrom and interior Schwarzchild solutions.The rigour behind this book will provide readers with the perfect preparation to follow the great mathematical progress in the actual development, as well as the ability to model, the latest astrophysical and cosmological observations. The book presents basic General Relativity and provides a basisfor understanding and using the fundamental theory.

Of all the natural disasters that could befall us, only an Earth impact by a large comet or asteroid has the potential to end civilization in a single blow. Yet these near-Earth objects also offer tantalizing clues to our solar system's origins, and someday could even serve as stepping-stones for space exploration. In this book, Donald Yeomans introduces readers to the science of near-Earth objects--its history, applications, and ongoing quest to find near-Earth objects before they find us. In its course around the sun, the Earth passes through a veritable shooting gallery of millions of nearby comets and asteroids. One such asteroid is thought to have plunged into our planet sixty-five million years ago, triggering a global catastrophe that killed off the dinosaurs. Yeomans provides an up-to-date and accessible guide for understanding the threats posed by near-Earth objects, and also explains how early collisions with them delivered the ingredients that made life on Earth possible. He shows how later impacts spurred evolution, allowing only the most adaptable species to thrive--in fact, we humans may owe our very existence to objects that struck our planet. Yeomans takes readers behind the scenes of today's efforts to find, track, and study near-Earth objects. He shows how the same comets and asteroids most likely to collide with us could also be mined for precious natural resources like water and oxygen, and used as watering holes and fueling stations for expeditions to Mars and the outermost reaches of our solar system.

Neutron stars represent natural laboratories where all kinds of processes and reactions take place in unusual and extremely dense matter. Neutron stars, being the compact objects of close attention for physicists and astronomers, are the sources of strictly periodic pulsed radiation. Every neutron star has its own unique characteristics of pulse frequency, radiation spectrum and intensity, but there are also the glitches and pauses that occur suddenly. All of this together raises many questions. For instance, what is the physics concerning these phenomena in general, and what changes can emerge in the properties of matter under extreme conditions specific to neutron stars? Investigation of some of these issues is one of the aims of this book, which is dedicated to the physics of neutron stars, in particular the influence of external fields and rotation on the properties of neutron stars, and reactions and transition of matter in its envelopes and depth. In this regard, the authors review the models of neutron stars involving not only local charge neutrality cases, but also the most recent models fulfilling global charge neutrality. The weak interactions are taken into account by requiring the β stability of the system. The strong interactions, processes and reactions are described on the basis of the methods of few-body and cluster physics in a wide range of densities. Both electromagnetic and gravitational interactions are accounted for when constructing the equation of the neutron star matter and the equilibrium structure of the system. The Einstein field equations are solved for static and rotating neutron stars equilibrium configurations. Basic parameters of neutron stars such as mass-radius relations, mass-central density relation and so on are calculated by fulfilling stability criteria required for stable neutron star configurations. The relativistic quadrupole moment takes into account the deviations due to rotation and deformation. In this respect, the class of axisymmetric static and stationary quadrupolar metrics, which satisfy Einsteins equations in empty space and in the presence of matter represented by a perfect fluid, is considered. The physical conditions that must be satisfied for a particular spacetime metric to describe the gravitational field of compact stars are formulated. It is also important to develop powerful tools for investigating the processes in nuclear cluster studies in association with stellar environment, including neutron stars. These tools are different variants of microscopic cluster models, which allow one to study and to predict the dynamics of numerous processes and nuclear reactions taking place at various objects in our Universe. The effects of density oscillation in some layers of neutron star envelopes are investigated in the frame of Faddeev equations in the case of neutron resonances that appear in crystalline nuclei structures. The authors formulate new experiments of thermal neutron scattering on piezo crystalline targets to imitate oscillation effects in neutron star envelopes. The main purpose of this book is to investigate processes, phenomena and reactions in neutron star physics with fundamental interactions described in a self-consistent manner to highlight some interesting effects using few-body and other analytical/numerical methods.

New astronomical facilities, such as the under-construction Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and planned 30-meter-class telescopes, and new instrumentation on existing optical and infrared (OIR) telescopes, hold the promise of groundbreaking research and discovery. How can we extract the best science from these and other astronomical facilities in an era of potentially flat federal budgets for both the facilities and the research grants? Optimizing the U.S. Ground-Based Optical and Infrared Astronomy System provides guidance for these new programs that align with the scientific priorities and the conclusions and recommendations of two National Research Council (NRC) decadal surveys, New Worlds, New Horizons for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Vision and Voyages for Planetary Sciences in the Decade 2013-2022, as well as other NRC reports. This report describes a vision for a U.S. OIR System that includes a telescope time exchange designed to enhance science return by broadening access to capabilities for a diverse community, an ongoing planning process to identify and construct next generation capabilities to realize decadal science priorities, and near-term critical coordination, planning, and instrumentation needed to usher in the era of LSST and giant telescopes.

Solar Flares refer to solar coronal mass ejections (CME), also known as geomagnetic storms. Solar flares are an important part of solar activity, associated with rapid and intense energy release in active regions of the solar atmosphere. In this book, Chapter One discusses the origin of solar flares and their threat to our civilization. Chapter Two presents a study of time and space variations of electron density characteristics during a solar X-ray flare influence. Chapter Three provides an analysis of the ionospheric D-region disturbances in response to the effects of solar X-ray flares. Chapter Four updates an analysis from January 2011 through July 2016 and discusses whether new research sheds any light on the ongoing Cycle 24 unusual structure and on its future. Chapter Five explores the latest news on zebra patterns in solar radio emissions.

If you have ever wondered about space travel, now you have the opportunity to understand it more fully than ever before. Traveling into space and even emigrating to nearby worlds may soon become part of the human experience. Scientists, engineers, and investors are working hard to make space tourism and colonization a reality. As astronauts can attest, extraterrestrial travel is incomparably thrilling. To make the most of the experience requires serious physical and mental adaptations in virtually every aspect of life, from eating to intimacy. Everyone who goes into space sees Earth and life on it from a profoundly different perspective than they had before liftoff. Astronomer and former NASA/ASEE scientist Neil F. Comins has written the go-to book for anyone interested in space exploration. He describes the wonders that travelers will encounter--weightlessness, unparalleled views of Earth and the cosmos, and the opportunity to walk on another world--as well as the dangers: radiation, projectiles, unbreathable atmospheres, and potential equipment failures. He also provides insights into specific trips to destinations including suborbital flights, space stations, the Moon, asteroids, comets, and Mars--the top candidate for colonization. Although many challenges are technical, Comins outlines them in clear language for all readers. He synthesizes key issues and cutting-edge research in astronomy, physics, biology, psychology, and sociology to create a complete manual for the ultimate voyage.

The paradox of global universe rotation, as it seems, is today one of its greatest mysteries of nature. The idea originated less than a hundred years, and getting the most correct answer was possible only after the creation of modern cosmology. In this book, the authors forward their visions on the universal rotation problem. At the same time, the arguments in favor of its global rotation absence are presented as well. In fact, different theoretical and observational aspects of evidence that supports the possible rotation of the universe on different cosmological scales were investigated. It was shown that there are correlations between angular momentum and size of the structures. The presented observational picture is that the galaxies, their pairs and compact groups have a non vanishing angular momentum. Moreover, these momenta have the definite tendency to their alignment. An analysis of the distribution of position angles of more than ten thousand extended radio sources shows that the spatial orientation of axes of these objects is anisotropic: they are mostly oriented not in the direction of the celestial pole, but rather in the equatorial direction. The probability that the sky distribution of axes is isotropic is less than 0.00004. It was argued that our universe rotates differentially. Based on the spinning part of Papapetrous equations, it was shown that the rotation radically depends on the properties of the epoch of universal growth. The universes angular velocities have been calculated for three main cosmological epochs: the matter dominated epoch, the transient from matter to vacuum dominated epoch, and the vacuum dominated epoch. In the framework of general relativity, the nonstationary Bianchi type VIII cosmological models with rotation were proposed. As the sources of gravity have been chosen, they are known as comoving perfect fluid with non-comoving dust, comoving perfect fluid with pure radiation, and comoving anisotropic fluid. All of the models contain a rotating dark energy. Recent observations, such as the anomalies in the temperature angular distribution of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), indicate a preferred direction in the universe. The foundation of modern cosmology, however, relies on a homogeneous and isotropic distribution of matter on large scales. Here, the authors consider the preferred axis in the CMB parity violation. The authors also found that this axis coincides with the preferred axes of the CMB quadrupole and octopole, and they all align with the direction of the CMB kinematic dipole, which does not have a cosmological origin. The several exact non-stationary Goedel-type solutions that belong to a large class of shear-free spatially homogeneous spacetimes were presented. The observational effects of the universal rotation in cosmology are analyzed. It was shown that the pure cosmic rotation does not produce either causality violations, parallax effects, or anisotropy of the microwave background radiation. A possible way to detect the cosmic rotation is to search for the angular dependencies of the standard cosmological tests, and a number of new observations can be proposed.

Comets have not only blazed across the celestial vault throughout human history, they have embellished the night sky since the Earth itself formed some 4.5 billion years ago. Comets were among the first-born solid bodies in the solar system, and their frozen nuclei tell of the primordial chemistry and chaos that ultimately resulted in the formation of the planets, the evolution of life and us. For all this, however, comets have long been celestial oddities: they baffled our distant ancestors, and human society continues to marvel and speculate wildly at their appearance even to the present day. Cutting against the perceived constancy of the stars, comets seemingly present themselves at random times and they are often interpreted as harbingers of terrestrial change - both good and ill. How then are we to tame the comet: where do they form, how do they move, and can their appearances be predicted? Such questions have preoccupied astronomers for centuries but comets have only gradually allowed the secrets of their wayward flight to be revealed. In this book I explore the historical struggle to understand not only the place of comets within a societal context, but also the scientific quest to make their paths amenable to mathematical certitude. The latter narrative is the more technical in content, but it took tactile form with the invention, in 1732, of the cometarium, a mechanical device to demonstrate the first two of Kepler's planetary laws. And, this development was later paralleled, in the mid to late 19th century, by the development of various mechanical devices (analog computers) to help obtain solutions to Kepler's Problem - the problem which asks, exactly where in its orbit is a given comet at some specific set time. The telling of the wayward comets story covers the past two millennia of human history, and it takes us from the phenomenological musings of Aristotle, through the exactitude of Newton's gravitational theory and calculus, to the truly incredible study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, in the modern era.