The Synthesis of the Elements
The Astrophysical Quest for Nucleosynthesis and What It Can Tell Us About the Universe
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Beschreibung
This book describes the origins and evolution of the chemical elements we and the cosmos are made of. The story starts with the discovery of the common elements on Earth and their subsequent discovery in space. How do we learn the composition of the distant stars? How did progress in quantum theory, nuclear physics, spectroscopy, stellar structure and evolution, together with observations of stars, converge to provide an incredibly detailed picture of the universe? How does research in the micro-world explain the macro-world? How does progress in one affect the other, or lack of knowledge in one inhibit progress in the other? In short, Shaviv describes how we discovered the various pieces of the jigsaw that form our present picture of the universe; and how we sometimes put these in the wrong place before finding in the right one.
En route we meet some fascinating personalities and learn about heated controversies. Shaviv shows how science lurched from one dogma to the next, time and again shattering much of what had been considered solid knowledge, until eventually a stable understanding arose.
Beginning with generally accepted science, the book ends in today’s terra incognita of nuclear physics, astrophysics and cosmology. A monumental work that will fascinate scientists, philosophers, historians and lay readers alike.
This book describes the origins and evolution of the chemical elements we and the cosmos are made of. The story starts with the discovery of the common elements on Earth and their subsequent discovery in space. How do we learn the composition of the distant stars? How did progress in quantum theory, nuclear physics, spectroscopy, stellar structure and evolution, together with observations of stars, converge to provide an incredibly detailed picture of the universe? How does research in the micro-world explain the macro-world? How does progress in one affect the other, or lack of knowledge in one inhibit progress in the other? In short, Shaviv describes how we discovered the various pieces of the jigsaw that form our present picture of the universe; and how we sometimes put these in the wrong place before finding in the right one.
En route we meet some fascinating personalities and learn about heated controversies. Shaviv shows how science lurched from one dogma to the next, time and again shattering much of what had been considered solid knowledge, until eventually a stable understanding arose.
Beginning with generally accepted science, the book ends in today’s terra incognita of nuclear physics, astrophysics and cosmology. A monumental work that will fascinate scientists, philosophers, historians and lay readers alike.
A guided historical and scientific tour of our understanding of element synthesis Highly readable but scientifically exact Describes the successes of the past but also the gaps in today’s knowledge Clearly depicts the random walk that is the advance of science All relevant physical terms are explained in a simple way with helpful diagrams A gripping read for all everyone interested in the evolution of matter in the universe Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Autor*in
Giora Shaviv
Themen in »The Synthesis of the Elements«
Big-Bang Element Genesis Element Synthesis First Stars Nuclear Shell Model Stellar Composition Stellar Energy
Stimmen zu »The Synthesis of the Elements«
From the reviews:
“Here, theoretical astrophysicist Shaviv … shows readers where, when, and how they were formed along with the sequence of scientific discovery, the detective work, and the interactions among the many scientific pioneers who contributed their piece of the puzzle to today’s understanding of the field. … This very scholarly approach is valuable for both historians of these subfields and readers seeking modern explanations of how the building blocks of our world were formed. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.” (W. E. Howard III, Choice, Vol. 50 (4), December, 2012)()