San Antonio College Library

One of the most vigorous sciences of our time, astrophysics constantly changes under the impact of new discoveries about everything from our own sun to the most distant and exotic of extragalactic phenomena. In chapters written especially for this volume, twelve distinguished scientists actively pursuing astrophysical research offer up-to-date reviews and commentary on new developments in their fields. With a little grounding in astronomy or physics,...

A concise but thorough introduction to the observational data and theoretical concepts underlying modern astronomy,

"Binney shows how the field of astrophysics has expanded rapidly in the past century, with vast quantities of data gathered by telescopes exploiting all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, combined with the rapid advance of computing power, which has allowed increasingly effective mathematical modelling. He illustrates how the application of fundamental principles of physics - the consideration of energy and mass, and momentum - and the two pillars...

Jo Dunkley combines her expertise as an astrophysicist with her talents as a teacher and writer in this lively and exceptionally clear introduction to the structure and history of the universe and its enduring mysteries. Most of us have heard of black holes and supernovas, galaxies and the Big Bang. But few of us understand more than the bare facts about the universe we call home. What is really out there? How did it all begin? Where are we going?...

An exploration of the theory of hyperspace by a professor of theoretical physics discusses the superstring theory and the concept of a jigsaw-puzzle universe.

"Offering a sweeping tour of fantastic physics and cosmic history, Gravity's Engines provides a view of the most fearsome places in the universe, and finally asks what it will take to see the event horizon of a black hole"--

"During the last twenty years, dramatic improvements in methods of observing astrophysical phenomena from the ground and in space have added to our knowledge of what the universe is like now and what it was like in the past, going back to the hot big bang. In this overview of today's physical cosmology, P.J.E. Peebles shows how observation has combined with theoretical elements to establish the subject as a mature science, while he also discusses...

"New fundamental forces of Nature? New forms of 'dark' energy? Signals from epochs preceding the Big Bang? Is our space-time unique? Only a joint study of the three topics examined in this book--gravity, strings and particles--may provide answers to these questions. Such a study may also provide the key to solving one of the most fascinating mysteries of modern science, namely: besides time and the three spatial dimensions, how many other dimensions...

Presents a general introduction to modern (20th century) astronomy.