Magnetic Universe

The Elusive Traces of an Invisible Force
Erscheinungsjahr 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8018-9302-5
Verlag: Johns Hopkins University Press

Buch, Englisch, 312 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 512 g

A main selection of Scientific American Book Club

Magnetic fields permeate our vast universe, urging electrically charged particles on their courses, powering solar and stellar flares, and focusing the intense activity of pulsars and neutron stars.

Magnetic fields are found in every corner of the cosmos. For decades, astrophysicists have identified them by their effects on visible light, radio waves, and x-rays. J. B. Zirker summarizes our deep knowledge of magnetism, pointing to what is yet unknown about its astrophysical applications.

In clear, nonmathematical prose, Zirker follows the trail of magnetic exploration from the auroral belts of Earth to the farthest reaches of space. He guides readers on a fascinating journey of discovery to understand how magnetic forces are created and how they shape the universe. He provides the historical background needed to appreciate exciting new research by introducing readers to the great scientists who have studied magnetic fields.

Students and amateur astronomers alike will appreciate the readable prose and comprehensive coverage of The Magnetic Universe.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Zirker, J B

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Elektromagnetismus Magnetismus
• Naturwissenschaften Astronomie Astronomie: Allgemeines
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Angewandte Physik Astrophysik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
1. Getting Reacquainted with Magnetism
2. The Earth
3. Sunspots and the Solar Cycle
4. The Violent Sun
5. The Heliosphere: Winds, Waves, and Fields
6. The Earth's Magnetosphere and Space Weather
7. The Planets
8. Magnetic Fields and the Birth of Stars
9. Abnormal Stars
10. Compact Objects
11. The Galaxies
12. Something From Nothing: Seed Fields
Notes
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Zirker, J B
J. B. Zirker, former director of the National Solar Observatory, is the author of Sunquakes: Probing the Interior of the Sun (Johns Hopkins); Journey from the Center of the Sun; and Total Eclipses of the Sun.

J. B. Zirker is an astronomer emeritus at the National Solar Observatory and author of Total Eclipses of the Sun; Journey from the Center of the Sun; Sunquakes: Probing the Interior of the Sun; and An Acre of Glass: A History and Forecast of the Telescope, the last two published by Johns Hopkins.