A quantitative introduction to the Solar System and planetary systems science for advanced undergraduate students, this engaging new textbook explains the wide variety of physical, chemical and geological processes that govern the motions and properties of planets. The authors provide an overview of our current knowledge and discuss some of the unanswered questions at the forefront of research in planetary science and astrobiology today. They combine knowledge of the Solar System and the properties of extrasolar planets with astrophysical observations of ongoing star and planet formation, offering a comprehensive model for understanding the origin of planetary systems. The book concludes with an introduction to the fundamental properties of living organisms and the relationship that life has to its host planet. With more than 200 exercises to help students learn how to apply the concepts covered, this textbook is ideal for a one-semester or two-quarter course for undergraduate students.
• Offers a detailed discussion of the physical and chemical processes that shape planets and planetary systems • Provides a broad-based and up-to-date introduction to planetary studies appropriate for advanced undergraduate students • Includes hundreds of problems to help students learn how to apply the concepts covered • The authors' previous textbook, Planetary Sciences, was awarded the Chambliss Prize for Writing from the American Astronomical Society
Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Dynamics; 3. Solar heating and energy transport; 4. Planetary atmospheres; 5. Planetary surfaces; 6. Planetary interiors; 7. Magnetic fields and plasmas; 8. Meteorites; 9. Minor planets; 10. Comets; 11. Planetary rings; 12. Extrasolar planets; 13. Planet formation; 14. Planets and life; Index.
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