Download or read book The Census of Warm Debris Disks in the Solar Neighborhood from WISE and Hipparcos written by Rahul I. Patel and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2016-06-17 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Debris disks are optically thin circumstellar disks around mainsequence stars, comprised of micron-sized grains. The dust is generated from destructive collisions of planetesimals, induced from gravitational perturbations by large planets. Debris disks can as signposts for planetary systems, through which, a universal picture can be obtained that encompasses the evolution and architecture of the Solar System's own dust disk and planetary system. The dust in these disks can be detected by their thermal infrared flux, measured as an excess above the photospheric emission. Dust at different circumstellar locations, inferred from the peak wavelength of the detected emission, can act as a probe for local dynamical activity in the system. Over the last thirty years, cold disks, analogous to the Kuiper Belt, have constituted the bulk of debris disk detections. Warm disks, analogous to the Main Asteroid belt, can act as signposts for dynamical activity in the terrestrial planet zone, but are rare in contrast. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope mapped the entire sky in two near-IR and two mid-IR bands in 2012. The two mid-IR bands are well placed to probe dust emission in the terrestrial planet zone of these stars, at sensitivities greater than the last all-sky IR survey in 1983. WISE also provides us for the first time an opportunity to contemporaneously measure the photospheric and IR excess wavelengths of the entire sky, increasing sensitivity to fainter levels of dust. In this thesis, I present an unbiased survey of warm disks around main-sequence Hipparcos stars in the solar neighborhood, detected using data from the WISE All-Sky Database. Our series of surveys builds upon each other to find previously undetected faint, warm debris disks by including bright photometrically saturated stars in WISE, using empirical photospheric colors, removing several non-trivial false-positive sources, and verifying and validating these detected excesses. This thesis adds a substantial number of new disk targets to the census of debris disks, as well as an assessment of the incidence rate of WISE disks in the solar neighborhood. The number and rate of detections can ultimately aid in enhancing our understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems.
Download or read book The Exoplanet Handbook written by Michael Perryman and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-30 with total page 973 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete and in-depth review of exoplanet research, covering the discovery methods, physics and theoretical background.
Download or read book The Sky at Einstein s Feet written by William C. Keel and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-08-29 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Specifically traces the impact of Einstein's ideas on astronomy, including the way we interpret observations of stars and galaxies. Includes comments from principals in important discoveries, illuminating the processes behind these results. Presents many applications of relativity that have not been shown in earlier popular-level books and illustrates how deeply physics permeates the way we interpret many astronomical phenomena. Highlights light-travel delays in cosmic jets, using gravitational lensing to trace cosmic mass distribution. Illustrations employ new and archival data from ground- and space-based observatories.
Download or read book The Terrestrial Planet Finder TPF written by C. A. Beichman and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exoplanet Science Strategy written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-01-17 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The past decade has delivered remarkable discoveries in the study of exoplanets. Hand-in-hand with these advances, a theoretical understanding of the myriad of processes that dictate the formation and evolution of planets has matured, spurred on by the avalanche of unexpected discoveries. Appreciation of the factors that make a planet hospitable to life has grown in sophistication, as has understanding of the context for biosignatures, the remotely detectable aspects of a planet's atmosphere or surface that reveal the presence of life. Exoplanet Science Strategy highlights strategic priorities for large, coordinated efforts that will support the scientific goals of the broad exoplanet science community. This report outlines a strategic plan that will answer lingering questions through a combination of large, ambitious community-supported efforts and support for diverse, creative, community-driven investigator research.
Download or read book Global Geodetic Observing System written by Hans-Peter Plag and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-07-25 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) has been established by the Int- national Association of Geodesy (IAG) in order to integrate the three fundamental areas of geodesy, so as to monitor geodetic parameters and their temporal varia- ?9 tions, in a global reference frame with a target relative accuracy of 10 or b- ter. These areas, often called ‘pillars’, deal with the determination and evolution of (a) the Earth’s geometry (topography, bathymetry, ice surface, sea level), (b) the Earth’s rotation and orientation (polar motion, rotation rate, nutation, etc. ), and (c) the Earth’s gravity eld (gravity, geoid). Therefore, Earth Observation on a global scale is at the heart of GGOS’s activities, which contributes to Global Change - search through the monitoring, as well as the modeling, of dynamic Earth processes such as, for example, mass and angular momentum exchanges, mass transport and ocean circulation, and changes in sea, land and ice surfaces. To achieve such an - bitious goal, GGOS relies on an integrated network of current and future terrestrial, airborne and satellite systems and technologies. These include: various positioning, navigation, remote sensing and dedicated gravity and altimetry satellite missions; global ground networks of VLBI, SLR, DORIS, GNSS and absolute and relative gravity stations; and airborne gravity, mapping and remote sensing systems.
Download or read book Cosmic Dawn written by George Rhee and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes the reader on an exploration of the structure and evolution of our universe. The basis for our knowledge is the Big Bang theory of the expanding universe. This book then tells the story of our search for the first stars and galaxies using current and planned telescopes. These telescopes are marvels of technology far removed from Galileo's first telescope but continuing astronomy in his ground breaking spirit. We show the reader how these first stars and galaxies shaped the universe we see today. This story is one of the great scientific adventures of all time.
Download or read book Light Curves of Variable Stars written by C. Sterken and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1996-10-28 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most complete and up-to-date reference volume available on variable stars, their classification and properties.
Download or read book Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics V written by Jose M. Diego and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-03-18 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astronomy is a scienti?c discipline that has developed a rapid and impressive growth in Spain. Thirty years ago, Spain occupied a purely anecdotal presence in the international context, but today it occupies the eighth position in the world in publication of astronomical articles, and, among other successes, owns and op- ates ninety per cent of the world’s largest optical telescope GTC (Gran Telescopio Canarias). The Eighth Scienti?c Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (Sociedad Espanol ̃ a de Astronom ́ a, SEA), held in Santander in July 7–11 2008, whose p- ceedings are in your hands, clearly shows the enthusiasm, motivation and quality of the present Spanish astronomical community. The event brought together 322 participants, who represent almost 50% of Spanish professional astronomers. This percentage, together with the continuously increasing, with respect to previous SEA meetings, number of oral presentations and poster contributions (179 and 127 respectively), con?rms that the SEA conferences have become a point of reference to assess the interests and achievements of astrophysical research in Spain. The most important and current topics of modern Astrophysics were taken into accountat thepreliminarymeeting,aswell as the numberandqualityofparticipants and their contributions, to select the invited speakers and oral contributors. We took a week to enjoy the high quality contributions submitted by Spanish astronomers to the Scienti?c Organizing Committee. The selection was dif?cult. We wish to acknowledge the gentle advice and commitment of the SOC members.
Download or read book The X ray Universe written by Wallace H. Tucker and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beyond the range of optical perception--and of ordinary imaginings--a new and violent universe lay undetected until the advent of space exploration. Supernovae, black holes, quasars and pulsars--these were the secrets of the highenergy world revealed when, for the first time, astronomers attached their instruments to rockets and lofted them beyond the earth's x-ray-absorbing atmosphere. The X-Ray Universe is the story of these explorations and the fantastic new science they brought into being. It is a first-hand account: Riccardo Giacconi is one of the principal pioneers of the field, and Wallace Tucker is a theorist who worked closely with him at many critical periods. The book carries the reader from the early days of the Naval Research Laboratory through the era of V-2 rocketry, Sputnik, and the birth of NASA, to the launching of the Einstein X-Ray Observatory. But this is by no means just a history. Behind the suspenseful, sometimes humorous details of human personality grappling with high technology lies a sophisticated exposition of current cosmology and astrophysics, from the rise and fall of the steady-state theory to the search for the missing mass of the universe.
Download or read book The Power of Stars written by Bryan E. Penprase and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-05 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Completely revised and updated, this new edition provides a readable, beautifully illustrated journey through world cultures and the vibrant array of sky mythology, creation stories, models of the universe, temples and skyscrapers that each culture has created to celebrate and respond to the power of the night sky. Sections on the archaeoastronomy of South Asia and South East Asia have been expanded, with original photography and new research on temple alignments in Southern India, and new material describing the astronomical practices of Indonesia, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. Beautiful photographs of temples in India and Asia have been added, as well as new diagrams explaining the alignment of these structures and the astronomical underpinnings of temples within the Pallava and Chola cultures. From new fieldwork in the Four Corners region of North America, Dr. Penprase has included accounts of Pueblo skywatching and photographs of ceremonial kivas that help elucidate the rich astronomical knowledge of the Pueblo people. The popular “Archaeoastronomy of Skyscrapers” section of the book has been updated as well, with new interpretations of skyscrapers in Indonesia, Taiwan and China.With the rapid pace of discovery in astronomy and astrophysics, entirely new perspectives are emerging about dark matter, inflation and the future of the universe. The Power of Stars puts these discoveries in context and describes how they fit into the modern perspective of cosmology, which has arisen from the universal human response to the sky that has inspired both ancient and modern cultures.
Download or read book Eclipsing Binary Stars written by Josef Kallrath and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focussing on the formulation of mathematical models for the light curves of eclipsing binary stars, and on the algorithms for generating such models, this book provides astronomers, both amateur and professional, with a guide for - specifying an astrophysical model for a set of observations - selecting an algorithm to determine the parameters of the model - estimating the errors of the parameters. It is written for readers with knowledge of basic calculus and linear algebra; appendices cover mathematical details on such matters as optimisation, co-ordinate systems, and specific models. While emphasising the physical and mathematical framework, the discussion remains close to the problems of actual implementation. The book concludes with chapters on specific models and approaches and the authors'views on the structure of future light-curve programs.
Download or read book Parting the Cosmic Veil written by Kenneth R. Lang and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-12-31 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes our gradual awareness of a vast, previously concealed Universe. It is a story of expanding horizons and the discovery of invisible worlds. This voyage of discovery is presented within universal themes, such as invisibility, motion, content, form, impermanence, violence and emptiness, beginnings and ends. These are topics that concern us all, helping us take the Universe personally, so each chapter begins with the human aspect of some of these themes. The book is additionally broadened by including the perceptions of artists, poets and writers, as well as with line drawings that forcefully compact a scientific insight.
Download or read book Utilization of Space written by Berndt Feuerbacher and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-03-06 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the various fields of application of astronautics and the underlying technology. Written on a level understandable for non-specialists. Provides an outlook on the future of this fascinating field.
Download or read book Very Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs written by Rafael Rebolo and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-11-27 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a state-of-the-art review of our current knowledge of brown dwarfs and very low-mass stars. The hunt for and study of these elusive objects is currently one of the most dynamic areas of research in astronomy for two reasons. Brown dwarfs bridge the gap between stars and planets, and they may constitute an important part of the 'dark matter' of the Universe. This volume presents review articles from a team of international authorities who gathered at a conference in La Palma to assess the spectacular progress that has been made in this field in the last few years.
Download or read book Galaxies written by Francoise Combes and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-03-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Galaxies are vast ensembles of stars, gas and dust, embedded in dark matter halos. They are the basic building blocks of the Universe, gathered in groups, clusters and super-clusters. They exist in many forms, either as spheroids or disks. Classifications, such as the Hubble sequence (based on mass concentration and gas fraction) and the colormagnitude diagram (which separates a blue cloud from a red sequence) help to understand their formation and evolution. Galaxies spend a large part of their lives in the blue cloud, forming stars as spiral or dwarf galaxies. Then, via a mechanism that is still unclear, they stop forming stars and quietly end in the red sequence, as spheroids. This transformation may be due to galaxy interactions, or because of the feedback of active nuclei, through the energy released by their central super-massive black holes. These mechanisms could explain the history of cosmic star formation, the rate of which was far greater in the first half of the UniverseÂs life. Galaxies delves into all of these surrounding subjects in six chapters written by dedicated, specialist astronomers and researchers in the field, from their numerical simulations to their evolutions.
Download or read book Open Issues in Local Star Formation written by Jacques Lépine and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-04-18 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The international colloquium Open Issues in Local Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution was focused on: the physics of young stellar objects, which are observed with increasing angular resolution by the new generation of telescopes; and the processes that triggered large scale star formation in the solar neighbourhood. The scientific presentations were not limited to these two main topics as many new and interesting results related to star formation have been obtained.; The participants presented new findings in the fields of stellar groups and associations; young stellar objects; disks; outflows and jets; the ISM conditions for star formation; and early stages of star formation. The discussions on open issues, representing problems and unanswered questions, should make this book particularly useful for researchers and PhD students.