Kitchin Exoplanets

Finding, Exploring, and Understanding Alien Worlds
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4614-0644-0
Verlag: Springer
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 281 Seiten

Reihe: Astronomers' Universe

Exoplanets: Finding, Exploring, and Understanding Alien Worlds probes the basis for possible answers to the fundamentals questions asked about these planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. This book examines what such planets might be like, where they are, and how we find them.Until around ten years ago, the only planets that we knew about were within the Solar System. The first genuine planet beyond the confines of the Solar System was discovered only 1988. Since then another 350 or so exoplanets have been detected by various methods, and most of these haven been found in the last ten years. Although many more exoplanets discoveries may be expected to occur even as this book is being read, a large enough data set is now available to form the basis for an informed general account of exoplanets.The topic hence is an extremely 'hot' one - all the more so because the recently launched Kepler spacecraft should soon start uncovering many more exoplanets, some perhaps comparable with the Earth (and therefore possibly alternative homes for mankind, if we could ever reach them). Exoplanets: Finding, Exploring, and Understanding Alien Life gives a comprehensive, balances, and above all accurate account of exoplanets.

Chris Kitchin has written or contributed to over two dozen books, and has published more than 500 articles in the astronomical journals and magazines. He also appears regularly on television, including many appearances on BBC TV's Sky at Night. His works for Springer includes, A Photo Guide to the Constellations: A Self-Teaching Guide to Finding Your Way Around the Heavens (1997), Solar Observing Techniques (2001), Illustrated Dictionary of Practical Astronomy (2002), and most recently Galaxies in Turmoil (2007). In his 'day job' Chris is Emeritus Professor of Astronomy at the University of Hertfordshire, where until recently he was also Head of Physics and Astronomy, and Director of the University Observatory. Like many other astronomers Chris's interest in the subject started early. At the age of fourteen, he constructed an 8-inch Newtonian after spending hundreds of hours grinding and polishing the main mirror from scratch. Despite using some of the largest telescopes in the world since then, Chris still enjoys just 'gazing at the heavens' - though nowadays it's through a German-made Zeiss Maksutov telescope.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kitchin, C. R.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Exoplanets;3
1.1;Preface;7
1.2;About the Author;11
1.3;Acknowledgements;13
1.4;Contents;15
1.5;1. : Because We Live on One! – or – Why Planets and Exoplanets Are Important;17
1.6;2. : A Quick Tour of the Exoplanet Menagerie;23
1.6.1;Hot Jupiters;23
1.6.2;Hot Neptunes;24
1.6.3;Cold Jupiters;24
1.6.4;Super Jupiters;25
1.6.5;Super Earths;26
1.6.6;Exo-Earths, Goldilocks Planets, Twin Earths and Little Blue Dots;26
1.6.7;Free-Floating Planets;27
1.6.8;Just How Many Exoplanets Are There?;28
1.7;3. : An Exoplanet Retrospective;30
1.8;4. : In the Beginning – The First Exoplanet Discoveries;59
1.8.1;Introduction;59
1.8.1.1;Box 4.1 The First Astrophysicist – Sir William Huggins (1824–1910);62
1.8.2;The Real Thing – 51 Peg b;65
1.8.2.1;Box 4.2 Professors Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz;66
1.8.2.2;Box 4.3 Prof. Geoff Marcy and Dr. Paul Butler;69
1.8.3;Near Misses – g Cep A, e Eri and b Gem;73
1.8.4;The Very First Exoplanets – PSR 1257±12 B and PSR 1257±12 C;76
1.8.4.1;Box 4.4 Professors Aleksander (Alex) Wolszczan and Dale Frail;78
1.8.5;Methuselah – The Oldest of Them All – PSR B1620-26 b;82
1.9;5. : On the Track of Alien Planets – The Radial Velocity or Doppler Method (~70% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries);85
1.10;6. : On the Track of Alien Planets – The Transit Method (~23% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries);90
1.11;7. : On the Track of Alien Planets – Direct Imaging and Observation (~2.9% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries or ~6% if Free Floating Planets are Included);118
1.12;8. : On the Track of Alien Planets – Gravitational Microlensing (~2.3% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries);131
1.13;9. : On the Track of Alien Planets – Timing (~1.9% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries);139
1.14;10. : On the Track of Alien Planets – Other Approaches (0% of All Exoplanet Primary Discoveries);144
1.14.1;Astrometry;144
1.14.2;Polarimetry;147
1.14.3;Circumstellar Disks;149
1.14.4;White Dwarf Atmospheres;151
1.14.5;Radio-Based Methods;152
1.15;11. : Where Do We Go from Here? – Future Approaches to Exoplanet Detection and Study;154
1.15.1;Innovative and Different Approaches Based Upon New Physical Principles;154
1.15.2;More of the Same, but Better/Faster/ More Precise/More Detailed/More Stars and Planets/etc.;158
1.16;12. : Exoplanets Revealed – What They Are Really Like;167
1.16.1;Introduction;167
1.16.2;Hot Jupiters;169
1.16.3;Super-Jupiters;177
1.16.4;Warm and Cold Jupiters and Super-Jupiters;178
1.16.5;Eccentric Jupiters;179
1.16.6;Hot and Cold Neptunes;180
1.16.7;Super-Earths;180
1.16.8;Free-Floating Exoplanets;182
1.16.9;Exoplanetary Systems;183
1.16.10;Exoplanets in Binary or Multiple Star Systems;186
1.16.11;Host Stars and Their Effects upon Their Exoplanets;189
1.16.12;Gas and Dust Disks;194
1.16.13;What else Might Be Out There?;197
1.17;13. : Exoplanets and Exoplanetary Systems: Pasts and Futures;201
1.18;14. : Future Homes for Humankind?;213
1.18.1;Introduction;213
1.18.2;Could We (or Un-manned Probes) Ever Travel to an Exoplanet?;214
1.18.3;A Beginner’s Guide to Gardening on Mars: or Could We Really Live on Another Planet?;229
1.18.4;Terra-forming;232
1.18.5;No Vacancies: The ETs Got There First;236
1.19;Appendix I Nomenclature – or – What’s in a Name?;243
1.19.1;Planets, Dwarf Planets and Exoplanets;243
1.19.2;Exoplanet Names and Labels;245
1.19.3;Greek Alphabet;247
1.20;Appendix II Note on Distances, Sizes and Masses, etc.;248
1.20.1;Distance;248
1.20.2;Mass;249
1.20.3;Size;249
1.20.4;Angle;250
1.20.5;Wavelength and Frequency;250
1.21;Appendix III Further Reading;252
1.21.1;Web Sites;252
1.21.2;Magazines and Journals;253
1.21.3;Books;253
1.21.3.1;Exoplanets and Alien Life;253
1.21.3.2;Introductory Astronomy Books;254
1.21.3.3;Practical Astronomy Books;255
1.21.3.4;Reference Books;255
1.22;Appendix IV Technical Background – Some of the Mathematics and Physics Involved in the Study of Exoplanets;256
1.22.1;The Spectral and Luminosity Classification of Stars;256
1.22.1.1;Stellar Luminosity Classes;257
1.22.2;Exoplanet Mass Determination from Radial Velocity Measurements;258
1.22.3;Data from Exoplanet Transits;259
1.22.4;Adaptive Optics;261
1.22.5;Coronagraphs;262
1.22.6;Gravitational Lensing and Microlensing;264
1.22.6.1;Gravitational Lensing;264
1.22.6.2;Gravitational Microlensing;267
1.22.7;Gravitational Microlensing – Sorting out the Data;268
1.22.8;The Jeans’ Mass;269
1.22.9;Population Growth – or Malthus Will Be Right (Eventually);271
1.22.10;The Greenhouse Effect;276
1.23;Appendix V Names, Acronyms and Abbreviations;277
1.24;Index;281