A concise history of solar and stellar physics / Jean-Louis Tassoul and Monique Tassoul.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tassoul, Jean Louis, author.

Tassoul, Monique, 1942- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stars--History.

Stars.

Astrophysics--History.

Astrophysics.

Sun--History.

Sun.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (299 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey ; Oxford, England : Princeton University Press, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of ideas about the sun and the stars, from antiquity to modern times. Two theoretical astrophysicists who have been active in the field since the early 1960's tell the story in fluent prose. About half of the book covers most of the theoretical research done from 1940 to the close of the twentieth century, a large body of work that has to date been little explored by historians. The first chapter, which outlines the period from about 3000 B.C. to 1700 A.D., shows that at every stage in history human beings have had a particular understanding of the sun and stars, and that this has continually evolved over the centuries. Next the authors systematically address the immense mass of observations astronomy accumulated from the early seventeenth century to the early twentieth. The remaining four chapters examine the history of the field from the physicists perspective, the emphasis being on theoretical work from the mid-1840s to the late 1990's--from thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, from nuclear physics and magnetohydrodynamics to the remarkable advances through to the late 1960's, and finally, to more recent theoretical work. Intended mainly for students and teachers of astronomy, this book will also be a useful reference for practicing astronomers and scientifically curious general readers.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

List of Figures

Preface

Chapter 1. The Age of Myths and Speculations

Chapter 2. Three Centuries of Optical Discoveries: 1610-1910

Chapter 3. The Time of Pioneers: 1840-1910

Chapter 4. The Formative Years: 1910-1940

Chapter 5. The Golden Age: 1940-1970

Chapter 6. The Era of Specialization: 1970-

Epilogue

Appendix A-G

General Bibliography

Index of Names

Index of Subjects

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691165929

0691165920

9781400865390

1400865395

OCLC:

896646293