Exploring the origins and evolution of magnetic fields in planets, stars and galaxies, this book gives a basic introduction to magnetohydrodynamics and surveys the observational data, with particular focus on geomagnetism and solar magnetism. Pioneering laboratory experiments that seek to replicate particular aspects of fluid dynamo action are also described. The authors provide a complete treatment of laminar dynamo theory, and of the mean-field electrodynamics that incorporates the effects of random waves and turbulence. Both dynamo theory and its counterpart, the theory of magnetic relaxation, are covered. Topological constraints associated with conservation of magnetic helicity are thoroughly explored and major challenges are addressed in areas such as fast-dynamo theory, accretion-disc dynamo theory and the theory of magnetostrophic turbulence. The book is aimed at graduate-level students in mathematics, physics, Earth sciences and astrophysics, and will be a valuable resource for
Metamaterials have attracted enormous interests from both physics and engineering communities in the past 20 years, owing to their powerful ability in manipulating electromagnetic waves. However, the functionalities of traditional metamaterials are fixed at the time of fabrication. To control the EM waves dynamically, active components are introduced to the meta-atoms, yielding active metamaterials. Recently, a special kind of active metamaterials, digital coding and programmable metamaterials, are proposed, which can achieve dynamically controllable functionalities using field programmable gate array (FPGA). Most importantly, the digital coding representations of metamaterials set up a bridge between the digital world and physical world, and allow metamaterials to process digital information directly, leading to information metamaterials. In this Element, we review the evolution of information metamaterials, mainly focusing on their basic concepts, design principles, fabrication techn
Cosmic magnetic fields play a key role in the formation, structure and evolution of planets, stars and galaxies, and possibly the Universe as a whole. Magnetic fields of celestial bodies have been studied for a century, since the discovery of the first extraterrestrial magnetic field by George Ellery Hale in 1908, but their origin and evolution remain open questions for fundamental physics and astrophysics. IAU Symposium 259 presents the first interdisciplinary and yet comprehensive review of the role of magnetic fields on all scales that involved astronomers and physicists from across the community. It gives a balanced account of both theoretical and observational aspects of topics ranging from Earth's habitability to the origin of the universe. This volume gives a forefront research account on the current state of the art.
Geometric control theory is concerned with the evolution of systems subject to physical laws but having some degree of freedom through which motion is to be controlled. This book describes the mathematical theory inspired by the irreversible nature of time evolving events. The first part of the book deals with the issue of being able to steer the system from any point of departure to any desired destination. The second part deals with optimal control, the question of finding the best possible course. An overlap with mathematical physics is demonstrated by the Maximum principle, a fundamental principle of optimality arising from geometric control, which is applied to time-evolving systems governed by physics as well as to man-made systems governed by controls. Applications are drawn from geometry, mechanics, and control of dynamical systems. The geometric language in which the results are expressed allows clear visual interpretations and makes the book accessible to physicists and engin
In all phases of the life of a star, hydrodynamical processes play a major role. This volume gives a comprehensive overview of the state of knowledge in stellar astrophysical fluid dynamics, and its publication marked the 60th birthday of Douglas Gough, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and leading contributor to stellar astrophysical fluid dynamics. Topics include properties of pulsating stars, helioseismology, convection and mixing in stellar interiors, dynamics of stellar rotation, planet formation and the generation of stellar and planetary magnetic fields. Each chapter is written by leading experts in the field, and the book provides an overview that is central to any attempt to understand the properties of stars and their evolution. With extensive references to the technical literature, this is a valuable text for researchers and graduate students in stellar astrophysics.
Like the Earth and planets, stars rotate. Understanding how stars rotate is central to modelling their structure, formation and evolution, and how they interact with their environment and companion stars. This authoritative volume, first published in 2000, provides a lucid introduction to stellar rotation and the definitive reference to the subject. It combines theory and observation in a comprehensive survey of how the rotation of stars affects the structure and evolution of the Sun, single stars and close binaries. This book will be of primary interest to graduate students and researchers studying solar and stellar rotation and close binary systems. It will also appeal to those with a more general interest in solar and stellar physics, star formation, binary stars and the hydrodynamics of rotating fluids - including geophysicists, planetary scientists and plasma physicists.
Observational Astrophysics provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the whole of modern astrophysics beyond the Solar System. It combines a critical account of observational methods (telescopes and instrumentation) with a lucid description of the Universe, including stars, galaxies and cosmology. The first half describes the techniques used by astronomers to observe the Universe: optical telescopes and instruments are discussed in detail, but observations at all wavelengths are covered, from radio to gamma-rays. After a short interlude describing the appearance of the sky at all wavelengths, the role of positional astronomy is highlighted. In the second half, a clear description is given of the contents of the Universe, including accounts of stellar evolution and cosmological models. Fully illustrated throughout, with exercises given in each chapter, this textbook provides a thorough introduction to astrophysics for all physics undergraduates, and a valuable background f
This book is the final one in a series of three texts which together provide a modern, complete and authoritative account of our present knowledge of the stars. It discusses the internal structure and the evolution of stars, and is completely self-contained. There is an emphasis on the basic physics governing stellar structure and the basic ideas on which our understanding of stellar structure is based. The book also provides a comprehensive discussion of stellar evolution. Careful comparison is made between theory and observation, and the author has thus provided a lucid and balanced introductory text for the student. As for volumes 1 and 2, volume 3 is self-contained and can be used as an independent textbook. The author has not only taught but has also published many original papers in this subject. Her clear and readable style should make this text a first choice for undergraduate and beginning graduate students taking courses in astronomy and particularly in stellar astrophysics.
Try to imagine a spaceship that could pass right through the Earth without even noticing it was there. And one that could cross the vastness of space at the speed of light, and then penetrate into the very heart of subatomic matter to seek out its fundamental structure. Imagine, then, a particle that is almost nothing that can tell you almost everything about the structure of matter and the evolution of the Universe. Impossible? In fact, all of these descriptions can be applied to the neutrino, a subatomic particle that is so elusive it is almost undetectable. Spaceship Neutrino charts the history of the neutrino, from its beginnings in the 1930s, when it was postulated as a way of explaining an otherwise intractable problem in physics, to its crucial role in modern theories of the Universe. Christine Sutton is well known for her popular science writing. In this book she describes how the detection and measurement of neutrino properties have tested technology to its limits, requiring h
Dynamo theory, the study of the generation and maintenance of magnetic fields by fluid motions, is important in many areas of physics, ranging from stellar and galactic dynamics, through solar physics and geomagnetism, to reactor physics. This volume contains the lectures given by leading specialists, for an intensive course held at the Newton Institute, as part of a NATO Advanced Study Institute. The course was intended for beginning graduate students, so starts with background material, before leading on to describe areas closer to current research. Topics covered include planetary and solar dynamos, fast dynamos and the use of symmetry principles to derive evolution equations. Detailed bibliographies are provided. As the only modern introduction to the subject, this will be welcome reading for students in planetary and solar physics, plasma physics and astrophysics.
This textbook offers a modern approach to the physics of stars, assuming only undergraduate-level preparation in mathematics and physics, and minimal prior knowledge of astronomy. It starts with a concise review of introductory concepts in astronomy, before covering the nuclear processes and energy transport in stellar interiors, and stellar evolution from star formation to the common stellar endpoints as white dwarfs and neutron stars. In addition to the standard material, the author also discusses more contemporary topics that students will find engaging, such as neutrino oscillations and the MSW resonance, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, advanced nucleosynthesis, neutron stars, black holes, cosmology, and gravitational waves. With hundreds of worked examples, explanatory boxes, and problems with solutions, this textbook provides a solid foundation for learning either in a classroom setting or through self-study.
Exploring the origins and evolution of magnetic fields in planets, stars and galaxies, this book gives a basic introduction to magnetohydrodynamics and surveys the observational data, with particular focus on geomagnetism and solar magnetism. Pioneering laboratory experiments that seek to replicate particular aspects of fluid dynamo action are also described. The authors provide a complete treatment of laminar dynamo theory, and of the mean-field electrodynamics that incorporates the effects of random waves and turbulence. Both dynamo theory and its counterpart, the theory of magnetic relaxation, are covered. Topological constraints associated with conservation of magnetic helicity are thoroughly explored and major challenges are addressed in areas such as fast-dynamo theory, accretion-disc dynamo theory and the theory of magnetostrophic turbulence. The book is aimed at graduate-level students in mathematics, physics, Earth sciences and astrophysics, and will be a valuable resource for
Stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB stars) play an important role due to their high luminosity and production of heavy elements and cosmic dust. They are prime laboratories for studying situations where different physical and chemical processes work simultaneously, on different time scales. IAU Symposium 343 builds a bridge between research on AGB stars themselves and their applications to the modelling of stellar populations and the chemical evolution of galaxies. Our understanding of these complex stars is given using insights into many aspects of physics and chemistry, while very high-angular resolution observations of AGB stars and their surroundings provide strong constraints on stellar theory and how they lose matter through strong stellar winds. This volume also highlights the difficulties in estimating the importance of AGB stars for various aspects of galaxies. Current developments and challenges of these complex objects are discussed for a broad, interdisciplinary audie
The role that neutrinos have played in the evolution of the Universe is the focus of one of the most fascinating research areas that has stemmed from the interplay between cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics. In this self-contained book, the authors bring together all aspects of the role of neutrinos in cosmology, spanning from leptogenesis to primordial nucleosynthesis, their role in CMB and structure formation, to the problem of their direct detection. The book starts by guiding the reader through aspects of fundamental neutrino physics, such as the standard cosmological model and the statistical mechanics in the expanding Universe, before discussing the history of neutrinos in chronological order from the very early stages until today. This timely book will interest graduate students and researchers in astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics, who work with either a theoretical or experimental focus.
