
A History of Modern Planetary Physics: Volume 3, The Origin of the Solar System and of the Moon from Chamberlain to Apollo
Fruitful Encounters
Stephen G. Brush(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 18. December 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-0-521-10144-8 (ISBN)
Description
Where did we come from? Before there was life there had to be something to live on - a planet, a solar system. During the past 200 years, astronomers and geologists have developed and tested several different theories about the origin of the solar system and the nature of the Earth. Together, the three volumes that make up A History of Modern Planetary Physics present a survey of these theories. The early twentieth century saw the replacement of the Nebular Hypothesis with the Chamberlain-Moulton theory that the solar system resulted from the encounter of the Sun with a passing star. Fruitful Encounters follows the eventual refutation of the encounter theory and the subsequent revival of a modernised Nebular Hypothesis. Professor Brush also discusses the role of findings from the Apollo space programme, especially the analysis of lunar samples, culminating in the establishment, in the 1980s, of the 'giant impact' theory of the Moon's origin.
Reviews / Votes
Review of the hardback: '... can be highly recommended as a reference on the history of plantogonies.' Meteorite Review of the hardback: 'These three volumes give a very interesting overview of the historic development of theories beginning with the 17th century and ending in the 1980s, which have led to our present day understanding of the possible processes that have been involved in the formation of our solar system including Earth.' Geological Society JournalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
19 Halftones, unspecified; 22 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
559 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-10144-8 (9780521101448)
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Cambridge University Press
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12/2008
Cambridge University Press
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Content
Illustrations; Preface; Part I. Planetesimals and Stelllar Encounters: 1. Introduction; 2. A geologist among astronomers: the Chamberlin-Moulton theory; 3. Jeans, Jeffreys and the decline of encounter theories; Part II. Nebular Rebirth and Stellar Death: 4. Introduction; 5. Methodology; 6. Nuclear cosmochronology and Hoyle's research programme; 7. Cameron's programme; 8. Isotopic anomalies and the supernova trigger; Part III. Planetogony and Plasma: 9. Safronov's programme; 10. The giant planets; 11. Chemical cosmogony: the terrestrial planets; 12. Alfven's electromagnetic programme; Part IV. Whence the Moon?; 13. Introduction; 14. Early history of selenogony; 15. Harold Urey and the origin of the moon; 16. History of modern selenogony; Abbreviations; Reference list and citation index; Index.