As end-of-the-world scenarios go, an apocalyptic collision with an asteroid or comet is the new kid on the block, gaining respectability only in the last decade of the 20th century with the realisatio
Aimed at general readers who want to expand their knowledge about the cosmos, this volume examines the relationship between our planet and the rest of the universe, and how phenomena in outer space af
For two-semester courses in astronomy. Exploring the impact of new discoveries on astronomy, science, and life in the universe Building on a long tradition of effective pedagogy and comprehensive
For two-semester courses in astronomy. Exploring the impact of new discoveries on astronomy, science, and life in the universe Building on a long tradition of effective pedagogy and comprehensive
This book presents and analyses two basic assertions Life in the 21st century is threatened by an unprecedented global crisis, which is the result of the exponential increase in the impact of human ac
This book presents and analyses two basic assertions Life in the 21st century is threatened by an unprecedented global crisis, which is the result of the exponential increase in the impact of human ac
This volume presents the lectures of the nineteenth Canary Islands Winter School, dedicated to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). This relict radiation from the very early Universe provides a fundamental tool for precision cosmology. Prestigious researchers in the field present a comprehensive overview of current knowledge of the CMB, reviewing the theoretical foundations, the main observational results and the most advanced statistical techniques used in this discipline. The lectures give coverage from the basic principles to the most recent research results, reviewing state of the art observational and statistical analysis techniques. The impact of new experiments and the constraints imposed on cosmological parameters are emphasized and put into the broader context of research in cosmology. This is an important resource for both graduate students and experienced researchers, revealing the spectacular progress that has been made in the study of the CMB within the last decade.
The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues. This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology, systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not? Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues. This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology, systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not? Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
This volume presents the lectures of the nineteenth Canary Islands Winter School, dedicated to the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). This relict radiation from the very early Universe provides a fundamental tool for precision cosmology. Prestigious researchers in the field present a comprehensive overview of current knowledge of the CMB, reviewing the theoretical foundations, the main observational results and the most advanced statistical techniques used in this discipline. The lectures give coverage from the basic principles to the most recent research results, reviewing state of the art observational and statistical analysis techniques. The impact of new experiments and the constraints imposed on cosmological parameters are emphasized and put into the broader context of research in cosmology. This is an important resource for both graduate students and experienced researchers, revealing the spectacular progress that has been made in the study of the CMB within the last decade.
This book provides a theoretical and observational overview of the state of the art of gamma-ray astrophysics, and their impact and connection with the physics of cosmic rays and neutrinos. With the a
Extragalactic jets provide the direct observational evidence for a connection between supermassive black holes and their surrounding cosmic environments. They deliver the energy released by an accreting black hole across large distances and impact the formation and evolution of surrounding structures, carrying information about the black hole's power, spin, accretion state and characteristic timescales. IAU Symposium 313 brings together observational astronomers working across the electromagnetic spectrum with theorists, to investigate our understanding of the physics of relativistic jets. They address questions on topics such as: unification scenarios for blazars and radio galaxies, the interactions between jets and their environments, jet composition and structure, the role of magnetic fields, mechanisms of particle acceleration, high-energy emissions, and the scaling of physical jet phenomena with black-hole mass, from extragalactic to galactic sources. This volume benefits observer
