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17000 results

Page 214 of 850

Asteroids
  • Relics of Ancient Time
  • Michael K. Shepard
  • Published online:
    05 May 2015
    Print publication:
    16 April 2015
  • Where do asteroids come from and what are they made of? What clues do they hold about the evolution of the Solar System? Scientists have catalogued hundreds of thousands of asteroids, and many are thought to contain water and amino acids, the building blocks of life. Michael K. Shepard tells the fascinating story of their discovery, and what they can tell us about the history of our own planet. He describes how we find and study asteroids, what they look like through the eyes of powerful telescopes and spacecraft, and plans for future sample return missions. This timely book interweaves accessible scientific explanations with historical background and personal narrative, providing an engaging read for anyone curious about asteroids and what they may mean for our future - both as threats and opportunities.

Precession, Nutation and Wobble of the Earth
  • V. Dehant, P. M. Mathews
  • Published online:
    05 May 2015
    Print publication:
    16 April 2015
  • Covering both astronomical and geophysical perspectives, this book describes changes in the Earth's orientation, specifically precession and nutation, and how they are observed and computed in terms of tidal forcing and models of the Earth's interior. Following an introduction to key concepts and elementary geodetic theory, the book describes how precise measurements of the Earth's orientation are made using observations of extra-galactic radio-sources by Very Long Baseline Interferometry techniques. It demonstrates how models are used to accurately pinpoint the location and orientation of the Earth with reference to the stars, and how to determine variations in its rotation speed. A theoretical framework is also presented that describes the role played by the structure and properties of the Earth's deep interior. Incorporating suggestions for future developments in nutation theory for the next generation models, this book is ideal for advanced-level students and researchers in solid Earth geophysics, planetary science and astronomy.

Inflation and String Theory
  • Daniel Baumann, Liam McAllister
  • Published online:
    05 May 2015
    Print publication:
    23 April 2015
  • The past two decades have seen transformative advances in cosmology and string theory. Observations of the cosmic microwave background have revealed strong evidence for inflationary expansion in the very early universe, while new insights about compactifications of string theory have led to a deeper understanding of inflation in a framework that unifies quantum mechanics and general relativity. Written by two of the leading researchers in the field, this complete and accessible volume provides a modern treatment of inflationary cosmology and its connections to string theory and elementary particle theory. After an up-to-date experimental summary, the authors present the foundations of effective field theory, string theory, and string compactifications, setting the stage for a detailed examination of models of inflation in string theory. Three appendices contain background material in geometry and cosmological perturbation theory, making this a self-contained resource for graduate students and researchers in string theory, cosmology, and related fields.

Polarimetry of Stars and Planetary Systems
  • Edited by Ludmilla Kolokolova, James Hough, Anny-Chantal Levasseur-Regourd
  • Published online:
    05 May 2015
    Print publication:
    14 May 2015
  • Summarising the striking advances of the last two decades, this reliable introduction to modern astronomical polarimetry provides a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art techniques, models and research methods. Focusing on optical and near-infrared wavelengths, each detailed, up-to-date chapter addresses a different facet of recent innovations, including new instrumentation, techniques and theories; new methods based on laboratory studies, enabling the modelling of polarimetric characteristics for a wide variety of astronomical objects; emerging fields of polarimetric exploration, including proto-planetary and debris discs, icy satellites, transneptunian objects, exoplanets, and the search for extraterrestrial life; and unique results produced by space telescopes, and polarimeters aboard exploratory spacecraft. With contributions from an international team of accomplished researchers, this is an ideal resource for astronomers and researchers working in astrophysics, earth sciences, and remote sensing keen to learn more about this valuable diagnostic tool. The book is dedicated to the memory of renowned polarimetrist Tom Gehrels.

  • 6 - Conclusions and outlook

  • Daniel Baumann, University of Cambridge, Liam McAllister, Cornell University, New York
  • Book:
    Inflation and String Theory
    Published online:
    05 May 2015
    Print publication:
    23 April 2015, pp 262-264

  • Summary

    Our mistake is not that we take our theories too seriously, but that we do not take them seriously enough. It is always hard to realize that these numbers and equations we play with at our desks have something to do with the real world. Even worse, there often seems to be a general agreement that certain phenomena are just not fit subjects for respectable theoretical and observational effort.

    Steven Weinberg, on the Big Bang model [852].

    Consistent theories of quantum gravity do not grow on trees. After a search spanning nearly a century, string theory is the only known example of such a theory. Of course, it does not follow that string theory describes our universe; mathematical consistency is a necessary requirement, but it is far from sufficient. To connect string theory to particle physics and cosmology, we must seek guidance from terrestrial experiments and from observations of the cosmos. One should not be surprised that experimental evidence is elusive, for quantum gravity is naturally relevant at scales many orders of magnitude beyond those accessed on Earth. Running the theory to low energies and extracting predictions that are sensitive to its high-scale origin have proved challenging. However, the early universe provides an arena where ideas about quantum gravity can be tested, and the initial singularity of the Big Bang model is a prime example where a theory of quantum gravity is compulsory. Quantum fluctuations of the metric during inflation, imprinted in primordial B-mode perturbations of the CMB, are the most vivid evidence conceivable for the reality of quantum gravity, and for the significance of quantum gravity in the early history of our universe.

    Inflation defers the singularity problem, allowing us to make predictions for the initial conditions that emerge from the aftermath of the Big Bang. However, as we have shown, the inflationary mechanism retains a subtle sensitivity to Planckscale interactions. This is both a challenge for microscopic theories of inflation, as well as an opportunity for using the early universe as a window on Planck-scale physics. To fulfill this promise, inflationary scenarios in string theory must be developed to an unprecedented level of completeness and sophistication.

Page 214 of 850