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Underdetermination : An Essay on Evidence and the Limits of Natural Knowledge
Underdetermination. An Essay on Evidence and the Limits of Natural Knowledge is a wide-ranging study of the thesis that scientific theories are systematically "underdetermined" by the data they account for. This much-debated thesis is a thorn in the side of scientific realists and methodologists of science alike and of late has been vigorously attacked. After analyzing the epistemological and ontological ascpects of the controversy in detail, and reviewing pertinent logical facts and selected scientific cases, Bonk carefully examines the merits of arguments for and against the thesis. Along the way, he investigates methodological proposals and recent theories of confirmation, which promise to discriminate among observationally equivalent theories on evidential grounds. He explores sympathetically but critically W.V.Quine and H.Putnam’s arguments for the thesis, the relationship between indeterminacy and underdetermination, and possibilities for a conventionalist solution.
The Urban Sketching Handbook Techniques for Beginners : How to Build a Practice for Sketching on Location
Learn the basics of value, color mixing, and perspective through helpful studies and exercises, whether at home, in studio, and on location. The Urban Sketching Handbook: Techniques for Beginners is perfect for anyone who's just getting started in this fascinating art form, or who wants to develop their observational and drawing aptitude by reinforcing basic concepts. Offers location artists expert instruction on creative techniques, on-location tips and advice, and an abundance of visual inspiration. These handy references come in a compact, easy-to-carry format-perfect to toss in your backpack or artist's tote.
The Universe in X-Rays
In the last 45 years, X-ray astronomy has become an integral part of modern astrophysics and cosmology. There is a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena, where X-rays provide crucial diagnostics. In particular they are well suited to study hot plasmas and matter under extreme physical conditions in compact objects. This book summarizes the present status of X-ray astronomy in terms of observational results and their astrophysical interpretation. It is written for students, astrophysicists as well a growing community of physicists interested in the field. An introduction including historical material is followed by chapters on X-ray astronomical instrumentation. The next two parts summarize in 17 chapters the present knowledge on various classes of X-ray sources in the galactic and extragalactic realm. While the X-ray astronomical highlights discussed in this book are mainly based on results from ROSAT, ASCA, RXTE, BeppoSAX, Chandra and XMM-Newton, a final chapter provides an outlook on observational capabilities and projects discussed for the future.
The Sky is Your Laboratory : Advanced Astronomy Projects for Amateurs
For the experienced amateur astronomer who is wondering if there is something useful, valuable, and permanent that can be done with his or her observational skills, the answer is, "Yes, there is!" This is THE book for the amateur astronomer who is ready to take the next step in his or her astronomical journey.
The Physics of the Early Universe
The Physics of the Early Universe is an edited and expanded version of the lectures given at a recent summer school of the same name. Its aim is to present an advanced multi-authored textbook that meets the needs of both postgraduate students and young researchers interested in, or already working on, problems in cosmology and general relativity, with emphasis on the early universe. A particular strong feature of the present work is the constructive-critical approach to the present mainstream theories, the careful assessment of some alternative approaches, and the overall balance between theoretical and observational considerations. As such, this book will also benefit experienced scientists and nonspecialists from related areas of research.
The Oceanic Thermohaline Circulation : An Introduction
In this book different aspects of the oceanic thermohaline circulation, the dominant meridionally overturning mode of the global ocean circulation, are presented. The topics, presented in this book, are the aspects of thermodynamics of seawater and geophysical fluid dynamics that are important for the understanding of this current system, basic observational hydrographic methods to study the thermohaline circulation, and a description of the thermohaline circulation, based on observational evidence. This includes the deep circulation in the abyssal basins, global deep upwelling, the shallow return flow to high latitudes, and the formation and descent of high-density deep water masses in these cold regions. This book is intended to be used by advanced undergraduates and graduate students in physical oceanography, climatology, geography and environmental sciences, paleoceanography, marine biology and marine chemistry.
The Observers Year : 366 Nights in the Universe
There are 365 nights in every year (366 in a leap year!) and from an amateur astronomer’s point of view, no two are alike.And that is why Sir Patrick Moore – the world’s most widely known and respected TV broadcaster and writer on astronomy – has produced this unique book to highlight special objects of interest on each and every night of the year. Using easy-to-follow star maps, he talks about the science and history of stars, double stars, galaxies, nebulae, the Moon, planets, constellations and even asteroids.This second edition has been fully updated for astronomical events through until the year 2010.
The observational method in civil engineering : Minimising risk, maximising economy
Its key features are highlighted in The Observational Method in Civil Engineering through twelve case histories from major infrastructure projects. They cover protection of adjacent structures including buildings and railway systems, bored and jacked tunnels, shafts and cofferdams, retaining walls, embankments, deep foundations, ground improvement and groundwater control. They illustrate how the OM can achieve more effective collaboration between the client and the design and construction teams, as well as how it can enhance the industry’s ability to learn from experience, thus improving future practice and stimulating innovation.
The Multi-Messenger Approach to High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources ; 3rd Workshop on the Nature of Unidentified High-Energy Sources
This book provides a theoretical and observational overview of the state of the art of gamma-ray astrophysics, and their impact and connection with the physics of cosmic rays and neutrinos. With the aim of shedding new and fresh light on the problem of the nature of the gamma-ray sources, particularly those yet unidentified, this book summarizes contributions to a workshop that continues with the series initiated by the meeting held at Tonantzintla in October 2000, and Hong-Kong in May 2004. This books will be of interest for all active researchers in the field of high energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics, as well as for graduate students entering into the subject.
The Future of the Universe
A lot has been written about the history of the universe, from the Big Bang through the evolution of galaxies and stars, to the eventual appearance of life and intelligence. Much less has been written about what comes next. Informed scientific speculation about these biggest of all questions is difficult but by no means impossible, and The Future of the Universe brings together current thinking on the subject. Beginning with a searching look at how our own Sun will probably evolve and the effect this will have on the planets of the solar system, Jack Meadows then turns his spotlight on the stars, galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. Finally he considers the various possible fates of the universe itself, and looks at our present understanding of this ultimate enigma.
The Caspian Sea Environment
The systematic description of the knowledge accumulated on the physical oceanography, marine chemistry and pollution, and marine biology of the Caspian Sea forms the basics of this book. It presents the principal characteristic features of the environmental conditions of the sea and their changes in the second half of the 20th century. At present, the principal problems of the Caspian Sea are related to the interannual sea level changes and their forecast and to the estimation of the intensity of the chemical pollution of the sea and its impact upon the biota. Special attention is paid to socio-economic, legal, and political issues in the Caspian Sea region. This publication is based on numerous observational data collected by the authors of the chapters during sea expeditions, on the archive data of several Russian oceanographic institutions, as well as on the broad scientific literature mainly published in Russian editions. This book is addressed to the specialists concerned in research in various fields of physical oceanography, marine chemistry, pollution studies, and biology; solving a wide scope of problems from the regional climate to the mesoscale processes; and using a variety of methods from remote sensing of the seas to numerical and laboratory modeling.
Star Clusters and How to Observe Them
Part one of this detailed book provides a comprehensive review of star clusters – including open, globular, extragalactic, and even cluster remnants – along with their evolution and physics. Part two is about observing. The larger clusters can be observed through the most basic equipment – normal binoculars or budget telescopes – but Mark Allison talks about instrumentation and accessories, for observers from beginner to expert. Finally there is an observing guide and a comprehensive observing list for a wide range of telescope apertures.
Solar-Type Activity in Main-Sequence Stars
In this monograph observational results are summarized in a systematic and comprehensive fashion. The analysis of the various manifestations of such stellar activity leads to the identification of these phenomena with macroscopic non-linear processes in a magnetized plasma. Comparative study of flare stars and the Sun has become increasingly fruitful and is presently an active field of research involving stellar and solar physicists, experts in plasma physics and high-energy astrophysicists. This book will provide them with both an introduction and overview of observational results from the first optical photometry and spectroscopy, from the satellite telescopes International Ultraviolet Explorer to Hubble Space Telescope, XMM-Newton and Chandra, as well as with the present physical interpretation of solar-type activity in main sequence stars. Gershberg's 40-year career studying UV Cet type stars and related objects enables him to provide readers with expert insight into the characteristics of such stars in both the quiescent state and during flares and the reliability of the data over the electromagnetic spectrum and wide temporal scales.
Solar, Stellar and Galactic Connections between Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Collects extended and specialized reviews on topics linking astrophysics and particle physics at a level intermediate between a graduate student and a young researcher. The book includes also three reviews on observational techniques used in forefront astrophysics and short articles on research performed in Latin America.
Solar particle radiation storms forecasting and analysis : The HESPERIA HORIZON 2020 Project and beyond
Discusses the forecasting operational tools developed within the project, and presents progress to SEP research contributed by HESPERIA both from the observational as well as the SEP modelling perspective. Using multi-frequency observational data and simulations HESPERIA investigated the chain of processes from particle acceleration in the corona, particle transport in the magnetically complex corona and interplanetary space, to the detection near 1 AU. The book also elaborates on the unique software that has been constructed for inverting observations of relativistic SEPs to physical parameters that can be compared with spac e-borne measurements at lower energies. Introductory and pedagogical material included in the book make it accessible to students at graduate level and will be useful as background material for Space Physics and Space Weather courses with emphasis on Solar Energetic Particle Event Forecasting and Analysis.
Science with Adaptive Optics ; Proceedings of the ESO Workshop Held at Garching, Germany, 16-19 September 2003
Presents the proceedings of the ESO Workshop on Science with Adaptive Optics held in the fall of 2003. The book provides an overview on AO instrumentation, data acquisition and reduction strategies, and covers observations of the sun, solar system objects, circumstellar disks, substellar companions, HII regions, starburst environments, late-type stars, the galactic center, active galaxies, and quasars. The contributions present a vivid picture of the multitude of science topics being addressed by AO in observational astronomy.
SAS for Data Analysis : Intermediate Statistical Methods
This book is an integrated treatment of applied statistical methods, presented at an intermediate level, and the SAS programming language. It serves as an advanced introduction to SAS as well as how to use SAS for the analysis of data arising from many different experimental and observational studies. While there are many introductory texts on SAS programming, statistical methods texts that solely make use of SAS as the software of choice for the analysis of data are rare. While this is understandable from a marketability point of view, clearly such texts will serve the need of many thousands of students and professionals who desire to learn how to use SAS beyond the basic introduction they usually receive from taking an introductory statistics course.
Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology : A Primer
This book offers a succinct and self-contained treatment of general relativity and its application to neutron stars, black holes, gravitational waves and cosmology, at an intermediate level. The required mathematical concepts are introduced informally, following geometrical intuition as much as possible. The approach is theoretical, but there is ample discussion of observational aspects and instrumental issues where appropriate.
Planck Scale Effects in Astrophysics and Cosmology
Composed of extensive and detailed notes from the lectures given at the 40th Karpacz Winter School. This school focussed on quantum gravity phenomenology with emphasis on its relation to observational astrophysics and cosmology. These notes have been carefully edited with the aim to give advanced students and young researchers a balanced and accessible introduction to an rather heavily mathematical subject.
Photopolarimetry in Remote Sensing ; Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute, held in Yalta, Ukraine, 20 September - 4 October 2003
Photopolarimetric remote sensing is vital in fields as diverse as medical diagnostics, astrophysics, atmospheric science, environmental monitoring and military intelligence. The areas considered here include: radiative transfer; dynamic systems; backscatter polarization; biological systems; astrophysical phenomena; comets; and instrumentation. Subtopics include observational information including determining morphology and chemistry, light-scattering models, and characterization methodologies. While this introductory text highlights the latest advances in this multi-disciplinary topic, it is also a reference guide for the advanced researcher.
