Precision Spectroscopy in Astrophysics
Precision Spectroscopy in Astrophysics

Author: Nuno C. Santos

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-01-28

Total Pages: 664

ISBN-13: 3540754849

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High-accuracy Doppler shift measurements and high-precision spectroscopy are primary techniques in the search for exo-planets. Further extremely interesting applications include the analysis of QSO absorption lines to determine the variability of physical constants and the analysis of the isotopic ratios of absorption lines both in stars and in QSOs, and the determination of stellar oscillations through radial velocity measurements. Since the use of high-precision/resolution spectroscopy is closely connected to the ability to collect a large number of photons, the scientific domains using this technique benefit tremendously from the use of 8-meter class telescopes and will fully exploit the tremendous gain provided by future Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). IR high-resolution spectroscopy should soon approach the same accuracy regime achieved in the optical range. This volume comprehensively covers the astrophysical and technical aspects of high-precision spectroscopy with an outlook to future developments, and represents a useful reference work for researchers in those fields.

Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy
Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy

Author: Anil K. Pradhan

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-01-06

Total Pages: 376

ISBN-13: 113949497X

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Spectroscopy enables the precise study of astronomical objects and phenomena. Bridging the gap between physics and astronomy, this is the first integrated graduate-level textbook on atomic astrophysics. It covers the basics of atomic physics and astrophysics, including state-of-the-art research applications, methods and tools. The content is evenly balanced between the physical foundations of spectroscopy and their applications to astronomical objects and cosmology. An undergraduate knowledge of physics is assumed, and relevant basic material is summarized at the beginning of each chapter. The material is completely self-contained and features sufficient background information for self-study. Advanced users will find it handy for spectroscopic studies. A website hosted by the authors contains updates, corrections, exercises and solutions, as well as news items from physics and astronomy related to spectroscopy. A link to this can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521825368.

Decoding the Stars: A Biography of Angelo Secchi, Jesuit and Scientist
Decoding the Stars: A Biography of Angelo Secchi, Jesuit and Scientist

Author: Ileana Chinnici

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2019-06-17

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 9004387331

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Winner of the 2021 Donald E. Osterbrock Book Prize for Historical Astronomy In Decoding the Stars, Ileana Chinnici offers an account of the life of the Jesuit scientist Angelo Secchi (1818-1878). In addition to providing an invaluable account of Secchi’s life and work—something that has been sorely lacking in the English-language scholarship—this biography will be especially stimulating for those interested in the evolution of astrophysics as a discipline from the nineteenth century onward. Despite his eclecticism, reminiscent of the natural philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Secchi was in many ways a very modern scientist: open to innovation and cooperation, and a promoter of popularization and citizen science. Secchi also appears fully inserted in the cultural context of his time: he participated in philosophical and scientific debates, spread new theories and ideas, but also suffered the consequences of political events that marked those years and impacted on his life and activities.

Spectroscopy for Amateur Astronomers
Spectroscopy for Amateur Astronomers

Author: Marc F. M. Trypsteen

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 1107166187

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This accessible guide presents the astrophysical concepts behind astronomical spectroscopy, covering both theoretical and practical elements. Suitable for anyone with only a little background knowledge and access to amateur-level equipment, it will help you understand and practise the scientifically important and growing field of amateur astronomy.

Observational Astrophysics
Observational Astrophysics

Author: Pierre Lena

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-09

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 366202554X

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For the last twenty years astronomy has been developing dramatically. Until the nineteen-fifties, telescopes, spectrometers, and photographic plates consti tuted a relatively simple set of tools which had been refined to a high degree of perfection by the joint efforts of physicists and astronomers. Indeed these tools helped at the birth of modern astrophysics: the discovery of the expan sion of the Universe. Then came radioastronomy and the advent of electronics; the last thirty years have seen the application to astrophysics of a wealth of new experimental techniques, based on the most advanced fields of physics, and a constant interchange of ideas between physicists and astronomers. Last, but not least, modern computers have sharply reduced the burden of dealing with the information painfully extracted from the skies, whether from ever scarce photons, or from the gigantic data flows provided by satellites and large telescopes. The aim of this book is not to give an extensive overview of all the tech niques currently in use in astronomy, nor to provide detailed instructions for preparing or carrying out an astronomical project. Its purpose is methodologi cal: photons are still the main carriers of information between celestial sources and the observer. How we are to collect, sample, measure, and store this infor mation is the unifying theme of the book. Rather than the diversity of tech niques appropriate for each wavelength range, we emphasize the physical and mathematical bases which are common to all wavelength regimes.

Astrophotonics
Astrophotonics

Author: Stefano Minardi

Publisher: VCH

Published: 2012-04-04

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 9783527411108

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Written by well-known scientists in the field with vast experience in teaching astrophotonics, this is the first book to bridge astronomy and photonics for the benefit of developing new astronomical instrumentation. The textbook is clearly structured and covers four main methods relevant to observational astronomy: adaptive optics, photometry, interferometry and spectroscopy. It follows a progressive didactical path in photonics, starting from fundamentals of wave- and micro-optics and developing step-by-step the formalisms required for the treatment of optical multilayers, fiber optics and diffraction/holographic gratings. This approach allows students with a physics/engineering background to learn about the problematic of observational astronomy, while, conversely, students of astronomy are exposed to topics in modern photonics. Each chapter is divided into three main sections devoted to the discussion of astronomical concepts required to size an instrument designed for the particular method, the photonic concepts that most suit that instrument, and an analysis of existing, related photonic instruments. A set of exercises and a bibliography complete each chapter. Appendices include a short review of fundamentals of wave optics and photon detectors, plus an overview of project design and management using a real-life example of an astronomical instrumentation project. With its review of the latest instrumentation and techniques, this is invaluable for graduate and post-graduate students in astronomy, physics and optical engineering.

High Precision X-Ray Measurements
High Precision X-Ray Measurements

Author: Alessandro Scordo

Publisher: MDPI

Published: 2019-08-26

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 3039213172

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Since their discovery in 1895, the detection of X-rays has had a strong impact on and various applications in several fields of science and human life. Impressive efforts have been made to develop new types of detectors and new techniques, aiming to obtain higher precision both in terms of energy and position. Depending on the applications, solid state detectors, microcalorimeters, and various types of spectrometers currently serve as the best options for spectroscopic and imaging detectors. Recent advancements in micron and meV precision have opened the door for groundbreaking applications in fundamental physics, medical science, astrophysics, cultural heritage, and several other fields. The aim of this Special Issue is to compile an overview, from different communities and research fields, of the most recent developments in X-ray detection and their possible impacts in various sectors, such as in exotic atom measurements, quantum physics studies, XRF, XES, EXAFS, plasma emission spectroscopy, monochromators, synchrotron radiation, telescopes, and space engineering. All the papers included in this Special Issue contribute to emphasizing the importance of X-ray detection in a very broad range of physics topics; most of these topics are covered by the published works, and several others are mentioned in the paper references, providing an interesting and very useful synopsis, from a variety of different communities and research fields, of the most recent developments in X-ray detection and their impact in fundamental research and societal applications.

Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
Radiative Processes in Astrophysics

Author: George B. Rybicki

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-09-26

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 352761818X

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Radiative Processes in Astrophysics: This clear, straightforward, and fundamental introduction is designed to present-from a physicist's point of view-radiation processes and their applications to astrophysical phenomena and space science. It covers such topics as radiative transfer theory, relativistic covariance and kinematics, bremsstrahlung radiation, synchrotron radiation, Compton scattering, some plasma effects, and radiative transitions in atoms. Discussion begins with first principles, physically motivating and deriving all results rather than merely presenting finished formulae. However, a reasonably good physics background (introductory quantum mechanics, intermediate electromagnetic theory, special relativity, and some statistical mechanics) is required. Much of this prerequisite material is provided by brief reviews, making the book a self-contained reference for workers in the field as well as the ideal text for senior or first-year graduate students of astronomy, astrophysics, and related physics courses. Radiative Processes in Astrophysics also contains about 75 problems, with solutions, illustrating applications of the material and methods for calculating results. This important and integral section emphasizes physical intuition by presenting important results that are used throughout the main text; it is here that most of the practical astrophysical applications become apparent.

Exoplanet Science Strategy
Exoplanet Science Strategy

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2019-01-17

Total Pages: 187

ISBN-13: 030947941X

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The past decade has delivered remarkable discoveries in the study of exoplanets. Hand-in-hand with these advances, a theoretical understanding of the myriad of processes that dictate the formation and evolution of planets has matured, spurred on by the avalanche of unexpected discoveries. Appreciation of the factors that make a planet hospitable to life has grown in sophistication, as has understanding of the context for biosignatures, the remotely detectable aspects of a planet's atmosphere or surface that reveal the presence of life. Exoplanet Science Strategy highlights strategic priorities for large, coordinated efforts that will support the scientific goals of the broad exoplanet science community. This report outlines a strategic plan that will answer lingering questions through a combination of large, ambitious community-supported efforts and support for diverse, creative, community-driven investigator research.