A concise history of solar and stellar physics / / Jean-Louis Tassoul and Monique Tassoul

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910463796703321
• Autore: Tassoul Jean Louis
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Princeton, New Jersey ; ; Oxford, England : , : Princeton University Press, , 2004; ©2004
• ISBN: 0-691-16592-0; 1-4008-6539-5
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (299 pages) : illustrations
• Disciplina: 523.01/09
• Soggetti: Stars - History; Astrophysics - History; Electronic books.; Sun History
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and indexes.
• Nota di contenuto: Front matter -- Contents -- List of Figures -- Preface -- Chapter 1. The Age of Myths and Speculations -- Chapter 2. Three Centuries of Optical Discoveries: 1610-1910 -- Chapter 3. The Time of Pioneers: 1840-1910 -- Chapter 4. The Formative Years: 1910-1940 -- Chapter 5. The Golden Age: 1940-1970 -- Chapter 6. The Era of Specialization: 1970- -- Epilogue -- Appendix A-G -- General Bibliography -- Index of Names -- Index of Subjects
• Sommario/riassunto: This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of ideas about the sun and the stars, from antiquity to modern times. Two theoretical astrophysicists who have been active in the field since the early 1960's tell the story in fluent prose. About half of the book covers most of the theoretical research done from 1940 to the close of the twentieth century, a large body of work that has to date been little explored by historians. The first chapter, which outlines the period from about 3000 B.C. to 1700 A.D., shows that at every stage in history human beings have had a particular understanding of the sun and ; stars, and that this has continually evolved over the centuries. Next the authors systematically address the immense mass of observations astronomy accumulated from the early seventeenth century to the early twentieth. The remaining four chapters examine the history of the field from the physicists perspective, the emphasis being on theoretical work from the mid-1840s to the late 1990's--from thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, from nuclear physics and magnetohydrodynamics to the remarkable advances through to the late 1960's, and finally, to more recent theoretical work. Intended mainly for students and teachers of astronomy, this book will also be a useful reference for practicing astronomers and scientifically curious general readers.