Oil and Security : A World Beyond Petroleum
This book examines the economic impact of changes in the global demand and supply for fossil fuels both on the major producers in Middle Eastern countries around the Persian Gulf, other producers, as well as the world at large. The economic, social and political life of most countries is not only intimately linked to and influenced by the energy market but also affected by historical developments. Among other issues, it shows how the economic, social and political development of societies in Arabia, the peoples of the Arab Peninsula are influenced by their historic and cultural environment, and what the future may bring to this region when their principal economic assets, petroleum and gas, start to lose markets as alternative sources of fossil fuel, alternative, and renewable energy supply the bulk of global energy needs. It also describes how changing fossil fuel costs, access, security of supply, and environmental impacts may affect future economic, social, and political developments as well as technological advances and changes in priorities.
Observing the Sun with Coronado™ Telescopes
At around the turn of the millennium, the introduction of the Coronado range of solar telescopes and filters heralded the ‘coming of age’ of amateur solar astronomy. Before then, solar astronomy was mostly white-light only. Hydrogen-alpha systems were expensive and difficult to use, but today even the budget-priced Coronado PST (Personal Solar Telescope) provides a band pass of one Angstrom and is thermally stable. That means that today’s amateur solar observers can see – and image – sunspots, flares, prominences, plage, filaments, and active regions of the Sun, all in amazing detail.
Nonlinear Time Series Analysis in the Geosciences : Applications in Climatology, Geodynamics and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
This book presents recent developments in nonlinear time series which have been motivated by present day problems in geosciences. Modern methods of spatio-temporal data analysis, time-frequency analysis, dimension analysis, nonlinear correlation and synchronization analysis and other nonlinear concepts are used to study emerging questions in climatology, geophysics, solar-terrestrial physics and related scientific disciplines. This volume collects contributions of some of the world's leading experts in geoscientific time series analysis.
New Light on Dark Stars : Red Dwarfs, Low-Mass Stars, Brown Stars
There has been very considerable progress in research into low-mass stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets during the past few years, particularly since the fist edtion of this book was published in 2000. In this new edtion the authors present a comprehensive review of both the astrophysical nature of individual red dwarf and brown dwarf stars and their collective statistical properties as an important Galactic stellar population. Chapters dealing with the observational properies of low-mass dwarfs, the stellar mass function and extrasolar planets have been completely revised. Other chapters have been significantly revised and updated as appropriate, including important new material on observational techniques, stellar acivity, the Galactic halo and field star surveys. The authors detail the many discoveries of new brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets made since publication of the first edition of the book and provide a state-of-the-art review of our current knowledge of very low-mass stars, brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets, including both the latest observational results and theoretical work.
Neutrino Geophysics ; Proceedings of Neutrino Sciences 2005
This volume presents a collection of recent articles primarily documenting the nascent science of neutrino geophysics. Most of the articles followed from talks given at Neutrino Sciences 2005: Neutrino Geophysics held at the University of Hawaii in December 2005. However, several other key contributions were solicited to make the collection as comprehensive as possible, enhancing the value of this book.The book offers a unique status report on neutrino geophysics to the expert researcher, as well as a comprehensive introduction into this new field of science to graduate students.
Nanostructured and advanced materials for applications in sensor, optoelectronic and photovoltaic technology ; Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on nanostructured and advanced materials for applications in sensors, optoelectronic and photovoltaic technology ; Sozopol, Bulgaria, 6-17 September 2004
Nanotechnology is an emerging scientific field receiving significant worldwide attention. On a nanometer scale, materials or structures may possess new and unique physical properties. Some of these are now known to the scientific community, but there may well be many properties not yet known to us, rendering it as a fascinating area of research and a suitable subject for a NATO ASI. Yet another aspect of the field is the possibility for creating meta-stable phases with unconventional properties and the ultra-miniaturization of current devices, sensors, and machines. Such nanotechnological and related advanced materials have an extremely wide range of potential applications, viz. nanoscale electronics, sensors, optoelectronics, photonics, nano-biological systems, na- medicine, energy storage systems, etc. This is a wide-ranging subject area and therefore requires the formation of multi-disciplinary teams of physicists, chemists, materials scientists, engineers, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, and others to work together on the synthesis and processing of materials and structures, the understanding of their physical properties, the design and fabrication of devices.
Multiscale processes in the earth’s magnetosphere : From interball to cluster ; Proceedings of the NATO ARW on Multiscale Processes in the Earth's Magnetosphere: From Interball to Cluster, Prague, Czech Republic from 9 to 12 September 2003
The past forty years of space research have seen a substantial improvement in our understanding of the Earth’s magnetosphere and its coupling with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic ?eld (IMF). The magnetospheric str- ture has been mapped and major processes determining this structure have been de?ned. However, the picture obtained is too often static. We know how the magnetosphere forms via the interaction of the solar wind and IMF with the Earth’s magnetic ?eld. We can describe the steady state for various upstream conditions but do not really understand the dynamic processes leading from one state to another. The main dif?culty is that the magnetosphere is a comp- cated system with many time constants ranging from fractions of a second to days and the system rarely attains a steady state. Two decades ago, it became clear that further progress would require multi-point measurements. Since then, two multi-spacecraft missions have been launched — INTERBALL in 1995/96 and CLUSTER II in 2000. The objectives of these missions d- fered but were complementary: While CLUSTER is adapted to meso-scale processes, INTERBALL observed larger spatial and temporal scales. However, the number of papers taking advantage of both missions simul- neously is rather small.
Multiple Stars Across the H-R Diagram ; Proceedings of the ESO Workshop held in Garching, Germany, 12-15 July 2005
Stars show a marked tendency to be in systems of different multiplicity, ranging from simple binaries and triples to globular clusters with several 10,000's of stars. The formation and evolution of multiple systems remains a challenging part of astrophysics, and the contributions in this book report on the significant progress that had been made in this research field in the last years. The reader will find a variety of research topics addressed, such as the dynamical evolution in multiple stars, the effects of the environment on multiple system parameters, stellar evolution within multiple stars, multiplicity of massive stars, pre-main sequence and intermediate mass stars, multiplicity of low-mass stars from embedded protostars to open clusters, and brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets in multiples.
Move : Architecture in Motion - Dynamic Components and Elements
Dynamic components and adaptive elements are becoming increasingly important in contemporary architecture, and not just because of their visual effect. If architects and engineers are engaging more and more with the issue of movement – whether in the form of sun-tracking solar cells, lowerable walls, or intelligently programmed elevators – it’s because they are busy exploring responses to three challenges: How can we control and reduce the energy requirement of buildings? How can we expand the range of possible uses? And how can we represent, illustrate, accommodate, and control dynamic movements in buildings?
Modern Meteor Science : An Interdisciplinary View
"During the past half century meteor research has evolved into a comprehensive multidisciplinary science … . New findings are flowing from the ever-broadening range of investigative techniques that are being employed to great effect by the contributors to this book. This comprehensive overview of leading edge research by well over one hundred authors is an essential resource volume for scientists and engineers conducting studies and exploration of the solar system. It demands a place in the libraries supporting their activities.
Modeling Solar Radiation at the Earth’s Surface : Recent Advances
Solar radiation data is important for a wide range of applications, e.g. in engineering, agriculture, health sector, and in many fields of the natural sciences. A few examples showing the diversity of applications may include: architecture and building design e.g. air conditioning and cooling systems; solar heating system design and use; solar power generation; weather and climate prediction models; evaporation and irrigation; calculation of water requirements for crops; monitoring plant growth and disease control; skin cancer research.
Micrometeorites and the Mysteries of Our Origins
This book relates an attempt to decrypt the still-obscure first billion years of history of the young Earth, during a cataclysmic period during which our planet was heavily bombarded by bodies ranging in size from that of Mars to 0.1 mm sized tiny micrometeorites. It was thus found that micrometeorites played an essential role in the formation of the post-lunar atmosphere. They also provided a surprisingly large diversity of reactions in the organic prebiotic chemistry required for the birth of life on our blue planet. The author presents a wide-ranging review of the type of knowledge required to decrypt this history, which provides extensive background information from astronomy, planetary dynamics, planetology, astrobiology and earth sciences. This book will appeal to both the scientist and the general reader. It will be a source of material for lectures, and possibly new investigations, in these fields.
Microbiology of Extreme Soils
This volume provides an excellent introduction to the study of extreme soil micro-biology, and a variety of the challenging and fascinating environments that Earth-bound microbes face. Some are natural, and some are the result of human activity, and all of them have lessons to teach us about life’s adaptations within the “extreme” hori-zons of terrestrial soils. What’s more, each of these chapters (including the chapter on the soils of Mars by Ronald L. Crawford and David A. Newcombe) can give us insights into strategies that may make life possible beyond the safe confines of our present-day biosphere, to other worlds in this solar system and beyond
Mercury
Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, is different in several respects from the other three terrestrial planets. In appearance, it resembles the heavily cratered surface of the Moon, but its density is high, it has a magnetic field and magnetosphere, but no atmosphere or ionosphere. This book reviews the progress made in Mercury studies since the flybys by Mariner 10 in 1974-75, based on the continued research using the Mariner 10 archive, on observations from Earth, and on increasingly realistic models of its interior evolution.
Io After Galileo : A New View of Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon
A New View of Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon is the first book dedicated to this unique satellite, and it does justice to Io’s dubious charms.a thoughtful collection of articles ranging from the history of Io exploration through the satellite’s remarkable and hostile surface geology to its interaction with the harsh Jovian environment.
Introduction to Planetary Science : The Geological Perspective
This textbook is intended to be used in a lecture course for college students majoring in the Earth Sciences. Planetary Science provides an opportunity for these students to apply a wide range of subject matter pertaining to the Earth to the study of other planets of the solar system and their principal satellites. As a result, students gain a wider perspective of the different worlds that are accessible to us and they are led to recognize the Earth as the only oasis in space where we can live without life-support systems.The subject matter is presented in 24 chapters that lead the reader through the solar system starting with historical perspectives on space exploration and the development of the scientific method. The presentations concerning the planets and their satellites emphasize that their origin and subsequent evolution can be explained by applications of certain basic principles of physics, chemistry, and celestial mechanics and that the surface features of the solid bodies in the solar system can be interpreted by means of the principles of geology.
Interplanetary Mission Analysis and Design
The book describes current mission analysis and design techniques that may be applied to a very wide range of interplanetary missions from those targeting the inner planets to those destined for the outer planets and Solar System escape trajectories.
Ice, Rock, and Beauty : A Visual Tour of the New Solar System
Ice, Rock, and Beauty is a book for anybody who lives in the solar neighborhood, and takes an interest in its significance to us as residents.The book gathers images from a rich pool, many from national and international organizations such as NASA and ESA, some directly from academic astronomers, and a few from private individuals. Together they tell a story of the Solar System, and of its beauty, that has not been told before.
Human vision and the night sky : How to improve your observing skills
This book is not for beginners. Nor is it for experts – instead it addresses the needs of practical amateur astronomers who want to make the jump to the new challenges of serious visual observing. Second Steps in Observational Astronomy begins by teaching you, as an amateur astronomer, to use the most important tool you have: your eyes. Visual observing is very definitely a skill that can be learned. Of course it is important to have your other optical equipment – telescope and accessories – set up and operating as perfectly as possible. This book describes how. After these vital preliminaries, subsequent chapters include a series of observing challenges that will entertain you and push your observing skills to continually higher levels of excellence for years to come. Take a tour of the solar-system as you never viewed it before, then beyond into the realm of deep space – using just your own eyes to reveal more detail than you ever thought possible.
How to photograph the moon and planets with your Digital camera
Using just a regular digital camera along with an amateur astronomical telescope, anyone can produce spectacular photographs of the Moon, as well as surprisingly good images of major planets.Purpose-made astronomical CCD cameras are still very expensive, but technology has now progressed so that digital cameras – the kind you use for everyday photos – are more than capable of being used for astronomy. Tony Buick has written this illustrated step-by-step manual for anyone who has a telescope (of any size) and a digital camera. Look inside at the beautiful color images he has produced – you could do the same.



















