Clements Infrared Astronomy – Seeing the Heat

from William Herschel to the Herschel Space Observatory
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4822-3728-3
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 290 Seiten

Uncover the Secrets of the Universe Hidden at Wavelengths beyond Our Optical Gaze

William Herschel’s discovery of infrared light in 1800 led to the development of astronomy at wavelengths other than the optical. Infrared Astronomy – Seeing the Heat: from William Herschel to the Herschel Space Observatory explores the work in astronomy that relies on observations in the infrared. Author David L. Clements, a distinguished academic and science fiction writer, delves into how the universe works, from the planets in our own Solar System to the universe as a whole.

The book first presents the major telescopes in the world of observational infrared astronomy, explains how infrared light is detected through various kinds of telescopes, and describes practical problems that send infrared astronomers to the tops of mountains and their telescopes into orbit and beyond. Much of the book focuses on what infrared astronomers find in their observations. You’ll discover what infrared astronomy reveals about the planets, moons, and other bodies that constitute our Solar System; star formation and stellar evolution; the processes that shape galaxies; and dark energy and dark matter.

Infrared astronomy has revolutionized our understanding of the universe and has become essential in studying cosmology. Accessible to amateur astronomers, this book presents an overview of the science and technology associated with infrared astronomy. With color figures, it shows you how infrared astronomy provides insights into the workings of the universe that are unavailable at other wavelengths.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Clements, David L.

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Angewandte Physik Astrophysik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Finding the Heat

Introduction

William Herschel Discovers the Infrared

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Thermal Radiation

Emission Lines

Telescopes, Backgrounds, and the Atmosphere

Feeling the Heat

Introduction: The Pastie Detector

The History of Astronomy is the History of Detection

Eyeballs to Chips

Into the Infrared

Longer Wavelengths

The Enemy: What Gets in the Way

Local Heat

Introduction: Observing SL9 at Calar Alto

Planets

Asteroids

Comets

Interplanetary Dust

Heat of the Stars

Introduction

The Main Sequence

Remnants of Planet Formation

Ageing Stars: Mass Loss

Stellar Death

Supernovae

Young Heat

Introduction

Star Formation: Background

Star Forming Regions

Young Stellar Objects

Planet Formation

Distant Heat

Introduction: The Mauna Kea Experience

Next-Door Neighbours

The Normal Universe

The AGN Connection

The IRAS Revolution

Ancient Heat

Introduction: Launch Day

Galaxy Evolution

The Cosmic Infrared Background

Searches for Distant ULIRGs

The Herschel Revolution

First Heat

Introduction

The Early History of the Universe

Making and Finding the CMB

Sound in the Darkness

The Planck Revolution

Future Heat

Introduction: SPICA, the Early Days

What Remains to be Done

JWST

Euclid

SPICA

Further in the Future

Endnotes

Über Autor(innen)

Dr David L Clements is a Senior Lecturer in the Physics Department of Imperial

College London. He has a degree in physics and a PhD in astrophysics from

Imperial College. He has worked at Oxford University, The European Southern

Observatory Headquarters, near Munich, the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale,

near Paris, and at Cardiff University. His research is in the broad areas of

extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology, specialising in studies of

dust in galaxies and the role that dusty galaxies play in galaxy formation and

evolution. He has worked on the Herschel and Planck missions as Manager of

the London Planck Analysis Centre, and head of the Herschel Data Processing

and Science Analysis Software Centre London. As an infrared astronomer he

has used data from all the major infrared satellite missions, from IRAS to Herschel,

and many ground based telescopes. He is the author of over 200 scientific

papers and also writes science fiction stories and popular science articles, which

have been published in Analog, Nature Futures and Astronomy Now among

others. His blog can be found at http://davecl.wordpress.com, which also

hosts material associated with this book, and on twitter at @davecl42. This

is his first book.