The 20th century can truly be called the `Century of Space Science', for it was in the 20th century that the multidisciplinary study of space science (as opposed to astronomy) was conceived. Today, as we start a new century of discovery, we are able to cast our perspective back in order to chronicle how the field began, review how it developed, and discuss how it reached its current levels. We are able to overview the historical development and to put early discoveries in context, to document our current understanding and to look forward to the coming century with some degree of optimism.
One of the most attractive features of this young discipline is that many of the original pioneers and key players involved are still available to describe their field. Hence, at this point in history we are in a unique position to gain first-hand insight into the field and its development. To this end, The Century of Space Science, a scholarly, authoritative, reference book presents a chapter-by-chapter retrospective of space science as studied in the 20th century. The level is academic and focuses on key discoveries, how these were arrived at, their scientific consequences and how these discoveries advanced the thoughts of the key players involved.
With over 90 world-class contributors, such as James Van Allen, Cornelis de Jager, Eugene Parker, Reimar Lüst, and Ernst Stuhlinger, and with a Foreword by Lodewijk Woltjer (past ESO Director General), this book will be immensely useful to readers in the fields of space science, astronomy, and the history of science. Both academic institutions and researchers will find that this major reference work makes an invaluable addition to their collection. The work is published in two large-format volumes and contains colour images throughout. It includes several appendices (for example a basic chronology of the field and a complete list of every space science mission ever launched) and is extensively and comprehensively indexed.
The scientific editorial team consists of Johan A.M. Bleeker (of SRON, The Netherlands), Johannes Geiss (of the International Space Science Institute, Berne) and Martin Huber (of ESA) and history consultant Arturo Russo (of the University of Palermo, Italy).
Table of Contents:
1. The century of space science.- The Beginnings.- 2. The space age and the origin of space research.- 3. Enabling technology for space transportation.- The Early Epoch of Space Science.- 4. The cosmic radiation.- 5. Magnetospheric physics.- 6. Barium cloud experiments in the upper atmosphere.- 7. Alkali metal cloud experiments in the upper atmosphere.- 8. Early solar space research.- 9. A history of the solar wind concept.- 10. The terrestrial planets at the dawn of the space age.- 11. The Moon before Apollo.- 12. From the ionosphere to high energy astronomy -a personal experience.- 13. Early ultraviolet spectroscopy from space.- 14. The early days of infrared space astronomy.- Fundamental Science in Space.- 15. Verification of general relativity: tests in the Solar System.- 16. Verification of general relativity: strong fields and gravitational waves.- 17. The cosmological constants.- 18. COBE, dark matter and large-scale structure in the Universe.- 19. The origin of the light elements in the early Universe.- 20. Gravitational lensing.- Extragalactic Astronomy.- 21. Clusters of galaxies.- 22. Gamma-ray bursts.- 23. Quasars.- 24. Blazars.- 25. X-ray and infrared properties of normal galaxies.- The Milky Way.- 26. The hot part of the interstellar medium.- 27. Space-borne observations of the life cycle of interstellar gas and dust.- 28. The interstellar medium of our Galaxy.- 29. Galactic cosmic rays.- 30. Stellar populations and dynamics in the Milky Way galaxy.- 31. Pulsars and isolated neutron stars.- 32. Evolutionary concepts of binaries with compact objects.- 33. White dwarf binaries.- 34. Low mass X-ray binaries.- 35. High-mass X-ray binaries.- 36. Black-hole binaries.- 37. The formation of stars and protoplanetary disks.- 38. High-energy radiation from outer stellar atmospheres.- 39. Mass loss from stars.- 40. Planetary nebulae.- 41. Supernovae and supernova remnants.- The Solar System.- 42. Acceleration processes of heliospheric particle populations.- 43. Reconnection.- 44. The solar interior.- 45. The solar atmosphere.- 46. The active Sun.- 47. The solar wind.- 48. The heliosphere.- 49. The dusty heliosphere.- 50. The interaction of the heliosphere with the interstellar medium.- 51. Comets: coma and beyond.- 52. The morphology of cometary nuclei.- 53. The constituents of cometary nuclei.- 54. The Moon and terrestrial planets: geology and geophysics.- 55. Radiometric chronology of the Moon and Mars.- 56. Chemical evolution of the Moon and the terrestrial planets.- 57. The atmospheres of the terrestrial planets.- 58. Jupiter.- 59. The planets beyond Jupiter.- 60. The satellites of the outer planets.- 61. Planetary and lunar magnetism.- The Earth and its Plasma Environment.- 62. The magnetosphere as a plasma laboratory.- 63. Earth’s magnetosphere.- 64. Earth’s ionosphere.- 65. Oceanography.- 66. Satellite geodesy and geosciences.- 67. Chemistry and physics of the atmosphere.- Appendices.- A basic chronology of the space age.- Catalog of space science launches 1957–2000.- Indices.- Abbreviations and acronyms.- Index of cited authors.- Name index.
