The Formation of the Solar System : Theories Old and New: 2nd Edition
Language: English
Pages: 440
ISBN: 1783265221
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This fully-updated second edition remains the only truly detailed exploration of the origins of our Solar System, written by an authority in the field. Unlike other authors, Michael Woolfson focuses on the formation of the solar system, engaging the reader in an intelligent yet accessible discussion of the development of ideas about how the Solar System formed from ancient times to the present. Within the last five decades new observations and new theoretical advances have transformed the way scientists think about the problem of finding a plausible theory. Spacecraft and landers have explored the planets of the Solar System, observations have been made of Solar-System bodies outside the region of the planets and planets have been detected and observed around many solar-type stars. This new edition brings in the most recent discoveries, including the establishment of dwarf planets and challenges to the 'standard model' of planet formation - the Solar Nebula Theory. While presenting the most up-to-date material and the underlying science of the theories described, the book avoids technical jargon and terminology. It thus remains a digestible read for the non-expert interested reader, whilst being detailed and comprehensive enough to be used as an undergraduate physics and astronomy textbook, where the formation of the solar system is a key part of the course. Michael Woolfson is Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of York and is an award-winning crystallographer and astronomer.
Edge of the Universe: A Voyage to the Cosmic Horizon and Beyond
A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos
Physics of Space Storms: From the Solar Surface to the Earth
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Seen when a fine stream of water coming from a tap suddenly breaks up into a stream of droplets. For the water stream it is a property of a liquid called surface tension that causes the break up. For the gas filament it is the force of gravity that creates the blobs. If the material in the gas stream has temperature T (absolute scale) and density ρ then the length of each blob within the stream is given by l= πkT Gρµ (9.1) where k is Boltzmann’s constant 1.38 × 10−23 J kg−1 K−1 (joules per.
Difficult problems of science, although there are those who attempt to explain it in terms of computer technology by asserting that human beings resemble rather complex computers. The topic of this book is not as important as those mentioned above and in many ways it is much more mundane. The Solar System is a collection of objects — the Sun, planets, satellites etc. — made of ordinary matter — iron, silicates, ices and gases, the properties of which we well understand. The Universe is full of such.
And there to provide scientific substance together with narrative to explain what they mean. In addition, for xviii fm FA1 August 30, 2007 10:19 spi-b525 The Formation of the Solar System 9in x 6in Introduction those who wish to delve more deeply into the subject, reference will be given to a small selection of books and papers in scientific journals — but I stress, these are not essential reading! Hopefully, this text alone will provide an account in a form that should both be understood.
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