A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud


Book Description

In the summer and autumn of 2006 I read several interviews with Brian May in which he mentioned his desire to complete the PhD that he had abandoned in 1974. I looked up the papers he had published while a PhD student, which were on spectroscopic studies of the motion of the dust responsible for the zodiacal light, and felt that there was a basis for a thesis. Since he had been a student at Imperial, I knew, as Head of the Astrophysics Group at Imperial, that it would be good for the Group if he came and worked with us. I got in touch with him by email and suggested he come and talk about it. He replied enthusiastically and said that he was working on typing up what he had completed by 1974. I gradually realized that I was the only staff member at Imperial who had previously worked on zodiacal dust, so that I would have to act as his supervisor. Eventually we met and I tried to assess whether he would be able to find time for the huge amount of work that finishing off a thesis involves, particularly if it has not been touched for over 30 years. Since some of Brian’s emails were coming from the recording studio I knew there was strong competition for his time.




Interplanetary Dust


Book Description

An excellent handbook on the physics of interplanetary dust, a topic of interest not only to astronomers and space scientists but also to engineers. The following topics are covered in the book: historical perspectives; cometary dust; near-Earth environment; meteoroids and meteors; properties of interplanetary dust, information from collected samples; in situ measurements of cosmic dust; numerical modeling of the Zodiacal Cloud structure; synthesis of observations; instrumentation; physical processes; optical properties of interplanetary dust; orbital evolution of interplanetary dust; circumplanetary dust, observations and simple physics; interstellar dust and circumstellar dust disks. No doubt, the text will be regarded as the standard reference on interplanetary dust for many years to come.




Physical Studies of Minor Planets


Book Description

" ... Some papers and discussions included in this book even though they were not presented at the meeting. In some respects, therefore, the book is independent of the colloquium. Several papers had been invited long beforehand with the request to publish them as review papers. The lack of a modern textbook on minor planets is keenly felt, and the proceedings of this meeting, with these additions, should provide a good reference book."--Page viii




Physics of the Inner Heliosphere II


Book Description

Physics of the Inner Heliosphere gives for the first time a comprehensive and complete summary of our knowledge of the inner solar system. Using data collected over more than 11 years by the HELIOS twin solar probes, one of the most successful ventures in unmanned space exploration, the authors have compiled six extensive reviews of the physical processes of the inner heliosphere and their relation to the solar atmosphere. Researchers and advanced students in space and plasma physics, astronomy, and solar physics will be surprised to see just how closely the heliosphere is tied to, and how sensitively it depends on, the sun. Volume 2 deals with particles, waves, and turbulence, with chapters on: - magnetic clouds - interplanetary clouds - the solar wind plasma and MHD turbulence - waves and instabilities - energetic particles in the inner solar system




Planets, Stars and Nebulae Studied with Photopolarimetry


Book Description

“The polarization study of celestial objects is a valuable part of optical astronomy, and the author has done exceptionally well in bringing together contributions treating all aspects of the polarimetry field. . . . The first section contains a fine introduction and an excellent and definitive history of the subject. . . . The volume is well illustrated. . . . Highly recommended.”—Choice “The high quality of this book is clearly due to strict editorial attention to each paper and the discussions. Gehrels’s book will surely stand for many years as the fundamental reference source for polarization studies in astronomy as well as in atmospheric physics.”—Journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers










Origin and Evolution of Interplanetary Dust


Book Description

THE THE KYOTO KYOTO COLLOQUIUM COLLOQUIUM It It has has almost almost become become a a tradition tradition to to periodically periodically review review the the progress progress of of our our knowledge knowledge of of interplanetary interplanetary dust dust at at an an interdisciplinary interdisciplinary level. level. After After the the Honolulu Honolulu (1967), (1967), Heidelberg Heidelberg (1975), (1975), Ottawa Ottawa (1979) (1979) and and Marseilles Marseilles (1984) (1984) meetings, meetings, it it was was decided decided to to hold hold a a meeting meeting specially specially devoted devoted to to the the Origin Origin and and Evolution Evolution of of Interplanetary Interplanetary Dust Dust in in Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan Japan on on 27-30 27-30 August August 1990. 1990. This This colloquium colloquium was was certainly certainly appropriate appropriate in in location, location, timing timing and and objective. objective. The The choice choice of of the the location location was was most most appropriate, appropriate, not not only only because because of of the the charm charm of of the the beautiful beautiful city city of of Kyoto, Kyoto, but but also also because because of of the the important important involvement involvement of of our our Japanese Japanese colleagues, colleagues, both both in in observations observations of of interplanetary, interplanetary, cometary, cometary, meteoritic, meteoritic, circumplanetary circumplanetary or or circumstellar circumstellar dust, dust, and and in in physico-chemical physico-chemical analysis analysis or or theoretical theoretical developments. developments.