This volume contains a comprehensive treatment of X-ray spectroscopy, as applied in astrophysics. It is presented in the form of extensive notes of lectures given by seven distinguished scientists at the Tenth Summer School of the European Astrophysics Doctoral Network. The subjects covered are: basic line and continuum radiation processes in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy; atomic physics of collision- and radiation-dominated plasmas; X-ray spectroscopic observations with ASCA and BeppoSAX; future X-ray spectroscopy missions; X-ray optics, and X-ray spectroscopy instrumentation. The book, which will appeal to both researchers and graduate students, is timely in view of the scheduled launches of the big X-ray observatories AXAF and XMM in 1999.

"A classic of physics ... the first systematic presentation of Einstein's theory of relativity" - British Journal for Philosophy and Science. Long one of the standard texts in the field, this excellent introduction probes deeply into Euclidean space, Riemann's space, Einstein's general relativity, gravitational waves and energy, laws of conservation...

Ever since Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity burst upon the world in 1915 some of the most brilliant minds of our century have sought to decipher the mysteries bequeathed by that theory, a legacy so unthinkable in some respects that even Einstein himself rejected them. Which of these bizarre phenomena, if any, can really exist in our universe? Black holes, down which anything can fall but from which nothing can return; wormholes, short spacewarps connecting regions of the cosmos; singularities, where space and time are so violently warped that time ceases to exist and space becomes a kind of foam; gravitational waves, which carry symphonic accounts of collisions of black holes billions of years ago; and time machines, for traveling backward and forward in time. Kip Thorne, along with fellow theorists Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, a cadre of Russians, and earlier scientists such as Oppenheimer, Wheeler and Chandrasekhar, has been in the thick of the quest to secure answers. In this masterfully written and brilliantly informed work of scientific history and explanation, Dr. Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, leads his readers through an elegant, always human, tapestry of interlocking themes, coming finally to a uniquely informed answer to the great question: what principles control our universe and why do physicists think they know the things they think they know? Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has been one of the greatest best-sellers in publishing history. Anyone who struggled with that book will find here a more slowly paced but equally mind-stretching experience, with the added fascination of a rich historical and human component.

The Local Group is a small cluster of galaxies of which thirty-five members are currently known, including the Milky Way. With characteristic clarity of expression, Sidney van den Bergh provides a complete overview of all that is known about the galaxies of the Local Group and their evolution. He also places this knowledge in the wider context of continuing studies of galaxy formation and evolution, the cosmic distance scale, and the conditions in the early Universe. This volume thoroughly details our current understanding of each of the thirty-five members of the Local Group, as well as those galaxies previously regarded as possible members. The book goes on to examine the mass, stability and evolution of the Local Group as a whole and includes many important, previously unpublished results and conclusions.

This book provides the most complete academic treatment on the application of polytropes ever published. It is primarily intended for students and scientists working in Astrophysics and related fields. It provides a full overview of past and present research results and is an indispensible guide for everybody wanting to apply polytropes.

This thoroughly revised textbook is a basic introduction to plasma phenomena in solar and stellar coronae emphasizing non-MHD aspects. The natural way in which the author unifies observations and theory gives a wide perspective to the subject. An important feature is the lucidly written presentation of the fundamentals of plasma physics. The basic theory thus developed is then extended to some exemplary and important observations of coronal dynamics, such as coronal currents, particle acceleration, propagation of particle beams, and shocks.

In Out of the Blue skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena, what you will see and how to improve your chances of seeing it. Naylor takes in both the night and the day sky, and deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and assuming only basic scientific knowledge, Out of the Blue is for everyone who enjoys being outdoors and who feel curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical.John Naylor was born in England, but spent his childhood in Peru. A graduate of London University with a degree in philosophy, he teaches physics at a secondary school in London.

This book is about the origin questions - the questions of how the planets, the stars, the galaxies, and the Universe itself were formed. These are the biggest questions in astronomy, and in the last decade, there has been a revolution in observational astronomy which has meant that we are very close to answering three of the four big questions. It is therefore a propitious time for this book.

"Marswalk One: First Steps on a New Planet" addresses the question of why we should embark on a journey to Mars, documenting what the first human crew will do when they place their feet in the red dust of the planet. The book also addresses why we need to carry out these tasks and, more importantly, what a human crew could achieve that an automated mission could not. Understanding the clear benefits of sending a human crew to the surface of Mars, and how these benefits can be seen back on Earth, is the key to sustained long-term public and political support for the programme in terms of cash and commitment. The book accepts that the journey will be made, but does not specify precisely when. Flight time, and how to get to and from the planet are discussed briefly, to understand why the suggested duration spent at Mars is reasonable. The main objective of the work is to look at what science will be done on the surface – supported by orbital operations – and what hardware and technology will be employed to achieve the mission objectives. This analysis is drawn from previous experiences in manned and unmanned space programmes, including Apollo, Skylab, Salyut/Mir, Shuttle and ISS, Viking, Luna/Lunokhod, and recent Mars missions such as Pathfinder and Global Surveyor. In addition, new interviews with key personalities involved in planning Martian exploration, and discussions about current thoughts on what we need to accomplish on Mars when we get there, will provide a lively and thought provoking account that could generate fresh debate. When the decision is finally made to go to Mars, it will be made in the knowledge that most of the world knows why we are going and what benefits mankind will see for the effort. The authors’ primary objective is to begin this understanding.

Papers from the Discussion Conference on Recent Advances in General Relativity, held at the U. of Pittsburgh, May 1990, survey the interacting fields of classical general relativity, astrophysics, and quantum gravity. Some of the remarks made following the invited papers are also included. The conference also included three workshops--on classical gravity, quantum gravity, and numerical relativity - which are reported on by their organizers.