This book tells the fascinating stories of the valiant women who broke down barriers to join the space program. Beginning with the orbital flight of USSR cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, they became players in the greatest adventure of our time. The author contextualizes their accomplishments in light of the political and cultural climate, from the Cold War in the background to the changing status of women in society at large during the Seventies. The book includes the biographies of,...
Gamma-ray Bursts (AIP Conference Proceedings, #307)
This book reflects the current state of the growing field of gamma-ray burst research and the remarkable progress brought about by recent multiwavelength observations. A full range of topics related to modern burst research is covered, including new observational results, ongoing archival analyses, theoretical modeling, and current/future instrumentation.
The rapid advance of computer capabilities over the last two decades has opened up a new field of numerical simulations in which detailed physical models can be made to represent the most complex processes. IAU Symposium 270 reviews a wide range of topics relevant to computer modeling in the fields of interstellar gas dynamics, star formation and galactic dynamics. It includes numerical techniques for modeling physical processes such as self-gravitating, radiative magnetohydrodynamics, as well a...
Catastrophes and Comets (World Scientific Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics, v. 3)
by Victor Clube and Bill Napier
Focussing upon the more calamitous cosmic events affecting biological evolution and civilization's advance, this book aims to provide a better understanding of the (paradigm) shift in knowledge and social outlook which is taking place at the present time.The book contends that although m an may choose to believe in a benign cosmos, the real cosmos frequently intrudes and these intrusions have a terminating power extending from civilization to the human species as a whole. We now recognize the ha...
Stellar Pulsation - Nonlinear Studies (Astrophysics and Space Science Library, #257)
Stellar pulsations provide a complex system in stars. This complexity is studied by analyzing the non-sinusoidal, semi-regular, or irregular light curves. This unique volume summarizes the application of recent theoretical results obtained from stellar pulsation studies. In addition, the latest developments in hydrodynamic simulations are discussed. A historical sketch of the study of beat Cepheids, first known for their variable amplitudes, is given as an introduction to the book. T...
Space Exploration (Collins Gem) (Collins Gem)
by Harpercollins Publishers Ltd
What will the future hold in regard to comprehending our origins? When it is recognized that origins are deep in the cosmos, and our genetic ancestors lurk among the stars, will our psychology and society be changed forever? This book brings up to date a scientific endeavor that traces our origins back in time and space.
The range of solar sailing is very vast; it is a fully in-space means of propulsion that should allow us to accomplish various mission classes that are literally impossible using rocket propulsion, no matter if nuclear or electric. Fast and very fast solar sailings are special classes of sailcraft missions, initially developed only in the first half of the 1990s and still evolving, especially after the latest advances in nanotechnology. This book describes how to plan, compute and optimize the t...
Proceedings of SPIE present the original research papers presented at SPIE conferences and other high-quality conferences in the broad-ranging fields of optics and photonics. These books provide prompt access to the latest innovations in research and technology in their respective fields. Proceedings of SPIE are among the most cited references in patent literature.
The paradigm of a dark energy- and dark matter-dominated Universe, with the hierarchical merger scenario for the formation of galaxies, has scored impressive successes in matching the observed Universe. However, the theory fails to explain the difficulty in generating ordinary disk galaxies such as the Milky Way, suggesting that some important physics must be missing in current models. IAU Symposium 254 was organized to address this question, gathering researchers from an unusually broad range o...
Astrophysical Turbulence and Convention (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, v. 898)