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All papers have been peer-reviewed. This book contains the lectures given at the joint meeting Ninth Torino Workshop on Evolution and Nucleosynthesis in AGB Stars and Second Perugia Workshop in Nuclear Astrophysics , held together in Perugia (Italy) from October 21 to October 26, 2007. In the present book, the fields covered by the lecturers are quite wide: the joining of the Torino Workshops strictly focused on AGB stars, and of the Perugia Workshops dedicated to a broader view of Nuclear Astrophysics, resulted in a coordinated, but widely interdisciplinary discussion, where AGB nucleosynthesis could be integrated by complementary issues concerning nuclear processes in massive stars, while the observational sessions usually dominated by spectroscopic results on stellar atmospheres and laboratory measurements on solar and pre-solar system materials could be complemented by the rich information now coming from space-borne infrared photometry.

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Alsos was a scientific intelligence mission launched by the Allies in the autumn of 1943 to determine the progress of German research on the atom bomb. With the suspense of a thriller, Goudsmit recounts the circumstances leading up to the mission, the methods its participants used to do their scientific sleuthing, and the reaction of the German scientists on the day the atom bomb fell on Hiroshima. With a new introduction by David Cassidy.

About the Author: Samuel Goudsmit was born in The Netherlands and in 1925 he and fellow student George Uhlenbeck discovered electron spin. In 1927 he emigrated to the U.S., working at the University of Michigan and later at MIT until being detailed to the War Department to participate in the Alsos Mission. He served as a senior scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory from 1954 to 1970 and was the founder of Physical Review Letters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A unique view of the intelligence analysis process
I purchased this book as a supplemental reference to other reading (The Farmhall Transcripts, Stan Ulam's Memoir, Larry Badash's reading list) and had already read Goudsmit's before this purchase.

Basically, the current value of this book is how intelligence officers not schooled in nuclear weapons learn about why some of this technology is not easily found in a garage (unlike portions of the computer industry).The writing style is 1st person and fun, and not intended to be any sort of historic analysis.Some people might find running around France looking for radioactive wine a waste, but some people can't take a joke.The book humanizes Boris Pash more than other books.

The book is only intended as a account, not the final word.The latter editions of this book may include photographs, diagrams, and other media not found in earlier editions and can resolve some of the thinking about German atomic piles which the text alone can't convey.It's not a book for every one, it's very context sensitive and other historic reading could put some of this into context (usually Richard Rhoades Atomic Bomb history or equivalent {R. Jungk would work}).

Enjoy yourself.

ALSOS
I heard Goudsmit speak on this (and read the book - library copy) when I was at Brookhaven in the 1950's. I found it an interesting tale. ALSOS was the code name of the scientific mission that Goudsmit led to see how far the Nazi scientists had gotten on the atom bomb (without tipping our hand on how far the Americans had gotten!) Goudsmit was able to sift through German scientists because he knew personally everyphysicist in Germany capable of making an atom bomb.

By the way, the subtitle (History of Modern Physics and Astronomy, Vol 1) is erronious, the book is the same ALSOS I read in the 50's and has no such subtitle.

Fascinating piece of WWII history
I am in no way disappointed with Dr. Goudsmit's account of the Alsos project, especially after reading the truly tedious account written by Boris Pash.For those who do not know the story, Dr. Goudsmit was the foremost nuclear physicist that was not attached to one of the three Manhattan Project labs.He was sent into Nazi Germany with what amounted to a small special forces team to seekout the German atomic bomb project and to achieve three goals - report on the progress of the German scientists, bring as many of their physicists and their materials into Allied hands as possible, and discourage the remainder from going over to the Soviets.There is a mix of humor (radioactive wine!) and deep tragedy (Dr. Goudsmit's parent's house) that make for enthralling reading.This book, along with "Assault in Norway" and "The Farm Hall Reports" give a first hand account of the threat of atomic energy had it been achieved by the Nazis.Highly recommended.

A Tiny Bit Disappointing
Supposedly about the scientific intelligence teams that wandered through post-war (just) Germany trying to locate the Reich's scientific secrets...

When I first ordered this book, I assumed that it would be anexciting blend of adventure and science. Ah, no. Rather, the writer spendsan inordinate amount of time telling us about himself, Atomic Theory,pre-war Germany, his role in winning the war and so on. As it turns out,he's had a fairly interesting life, so the book isn't a total bust, but Iwould have liked to have learned more about the grunts in the field and therisks they took. ... Read more

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This is a Latin translation made in the mid-12th century of a lost Arabic astrological text on nativities and anniversaries, probably by Masha'allah (762-c.815). The Latin text, the work of Hugo of Santalla, who was in the entourage of Michael, Bishop of Tarazona, in 1145, sheds light on the early stage of Arabic astrology in Baghdad, which was based on Greek and Middle Persian sources, and it includes a bibliography of these sources. This work provides English translations of the parallel passages based on Masha'allah's text - the "Book of Nativities" of Sahl b. Bishr. The book concludes with an index of the sources mentioned and a comprehensive word index. ... Read more

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A reprint edition of a 1966 biography of foremost astronomer George Ellery Hale, who laid much of the foundation of modern astrophysics and observational cosmology. He's best known for the planning and building of the 200-inch Hale Telescope of the Palomar Mountain Observatory. This book features a new introduction by Allan Sandage and an index not included in the original work. Since the history of astrophysics is mostly undocumented, this work provides a rare look at Hale's scientific achievements: his invention of the spectroheliograph, his discovery of the magnetic nature of sunspots, and his legendary leadership in founding the Yerkes, Mount Wilson, and Palomar Mountain Observatories. ... Read more

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"An eminent man of science"
The number of influential astronomers whose last names begin with "h" is truly amazing. Hipparchus, Halley, Herschel (the elder and junior), Humason, and Hubble. Not as well known, though no less important in his many contributions to the science, is the subject of Helen Wright's admirable biography, George Ellery Hale.

Hale is perhaps justifiably he is remembered as the builder of giant telescopes. He built three of the greatest of all time, and spearheaded a fourth - the Palomar 200 inch - though he did not live to see it completed and named in his honor. However, Hale's considerable life's work goes much further. He was a groundbreaking solar astronomer, inventing new instruments and methods of studying the sun's activity. His invention of the spectroheliograph and subsequent discovery of the magnetic field lines of sunspots nearly earned him a Nobel prize (Hale was nominated for the Nobel prize in physics by many other recipients of that award - including Millikan. Wright repeats the story that Alfred Nobel did not like astronomers and wanted no astronomer to win that award, a bias which was not overcome until the 1970's). The Nobel Prize was the only major scientific honor that eluded Hale. He won the Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London, the Janssen Medal of the Paris Academy of Sciences (twice), the Rumford Medal, the Gold Medal of the RAS, the Draper Medal of the NAS, the Bruce Medal, the list goes on.

Wright's work is organized by project rather than strictly chronologically. She details the founding of the Astrophysical Journal; his central role in the formation of the International Astronomical Union and the American Astronomical Society. Another chapter is devoted to his vision for the transformation of the Throop Institute of Pasadena into the venerable California Institute of Technology and attracting top-notch talent to its teaching and research staff. She spends considerable time detailing his network of friends and colleagues around the formation of the the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council. One comes away with the distinct impression that Hale was a central and essential figure in burgeoning scientific establishment of the first half of the century.

The degree to which he was esteemed by his colleagues is clear from the fact that he was offered the presidency of MIT and the position of Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He turned down both. He also eventually resigned as director of the Mt. Wilson Observatory, both for health reasons and to allow him time to return to his own solar observatory.

Though her work is perhaps slanted toward Hale's organizational and building activities, she also makes it clear throughout that his true love always remained that of plumbing the depths of stellar evolution, and he was always anxious to return to his own solar research.

Though Wright does not explicitly point it out, it is implicit that Hale's greatest achievement was bridging the gap between the observational astronomy of the 19th century (and before) to the 20th century study of physics and physical phenomenon. More than any other individual, Hale recognized that astronomy and physics made the perfect marriage, and he pioneered methods to bring the physical laboratory and the astronomer's telescope together.

As good as it is, and Wright's is one of the best scientific biographies available, she does stand guilty of starting a terrible misconception about Hale's mental state. It is generally well known that Hale suffered from nervous breakdowns that were at times completely incapacitating. Wright gets the credit for starting the story about Hale's supposed little "elf" that visited and talked to him, and who has come to represent his illness. Historians William Sheehan and Donald Osterbrock trace it to a misunderstanding of one of Hale's letters to a friend and note that the "'demon' (the word he actually used) was a metaphor, referring either to his conscience or to his depressed mood (like Winston Churchill's 'black dog'), and certainly not an apparition." ...This book easily earns its five-star rating. It is simply one of the best scientific biographies available. ... Read more

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From Library Journal: "This four-volume set contains over 3000 articles covering a broad range of topics in astronomy and astrophysics, making it one of the largest reference sources available on the topic. Murdin (End of Fire: The Supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud) and his editorial board have assembled more than 800 astronomers and astrophysicists, who produced both lengthy main articles tackling main themes in astronomy and briefer, unsigned entries. The 600-plus main articles range from 2500 to 5000 words and offer illustrations and bibliographic references, which sometimes include web sites. The shorter, unsigned articles are descriptions of space vehicles and missions, messier objects, observatories, definitions, and biographies. Most of the 2000 illustrations are black and white, with a few color-plate inserts grouped in the middle of each volume. Interest in astronomy is growing, fueled by recent discoveries, and the current encyclopedia serves as an updated, comprehensive resource. It is considerably more inclusive than either the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Astronomy (LJ 4/15/93) or The Encyclopedia of Astronomy & Astrophysics (Van Nostrand Reinhold: Wiley, 1992). Suitable for scientists, students, and amateur astronomers, this work is recommended for academic libraries. Teresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville"Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. ... Read more

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A must have for any student, scholor or fan of Astronomy
This is literally an encyclopedic work containing articles on every topic relating to Astronomy and Astrophysics. With contributions from over 8,000 astronomers and astrophysicists, this title is a must have for any serious collection of Astronomy materials. ... Read more

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Technological advances in X-ray astronomy have recently led to the discovery of a large number of previously undetected accreting binaries, increasing by an order of magnitude their known population in the Galaxy. This meeting addressed the current state of observational and theoretical research into the X-ray binary population as a whole, including both well-studied systems and the newly discovered populations, and examined the interaction of X-ray binaries with their environment within our own Galaxy and in external galaxies.

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Text introduces the concepts and historical development of astronomy. Presents positional measurements and celestial mechanics, and describes the techniques and instrumentation of astronomical observation and measurement. For undergraduate students in physics and astronomy. Previous edition: c1991. Softcover. ... Read more

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This first comprehensive history in a Western language of the development of Japanese astronomy has interest beyond its immediate subject area, for astronomy has often been the focus of the transmission of a wide range of scientific ideas from one culture to another, and, concomitantly, the focus of conflict between opposing modes of thought.

In its earlier phases, Japanese astronomy was completely dominated by Chinese concepts. The author begins his study with a description of the three major aspects of Chinese astronomy--astrology, calendar-making, cosmology--and its influence in Japan from the sixth to the early sixteenth centuries. Up to now little has been known outside the East of the slow evolution of Chinese astronomy during this era.

Mr. Nakayama goes on in Part II to examine the period between the late sixteenth and early eighteenth centuries in which Western ideas challenged the Chinese tradition in Japan. In Part III, which covers the years between the mid-eighteenth and the late nineteenth centuries, the author traces the growing recognition in Japan of the supremacy of Western astronomy.

Mr. Nakayama explains the historical background, with particular emphasis on the accessibility of foreign ideas at different times. Pointing out that, although technical astronomical data are essentially the same regardless of origin, their interpretation is largely determined by cultural factors, the author thoroughly examines the superimposition of Western cosmology on the radically different Chinese modes of thought prevalent in Japan. His study provides evidence on which aspects of Western astronomy were truly universal and which solely Western.

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) is an on-line astronomical database for astronomers that collates and cross-correlates astronomical information on extragalactic objects (galaxies, quasars, radio, x-ray and infrared sources, etc.). NED is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the campus of the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA.As of 31 March 2008, NED contains 10.4 million distinct astronomical objects with 16.0 million cross-identifications across multiple wavelengths, with redshift measurements for 1.4 million objects, 0.5 million photometric data points, 6.2 million diameter measurements and 2.3 million images, maps and external links, together within links to journal articles, notes and abstracts. ... Read more

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Updated and expanded to include the many exciting developments in modern astronomy and experimental observations, Astronomy: Structure of the Universe, Fourth Edition explores the observable features of the universe and contains new information derived from recent experiments and space missions. The first part describes our solar system and its members, giving special attention to the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The second section treats the nature of matter and its behavior in stellar bodies and interstellar matter under a wide range of physical conditions. The third part discusses our galaxy in detail before considering external galaxies and ending with questions of cosmology and cosmogony. The book also includes many worked examples, problems with answers, and a selection of practical projects.This fourth edition of Roy and Clarke's classic textbook is one of two textbooks written to meet the current need for a comprehensive and systematic treatment of astronomy, including the physical and mathematical groundwork so often omitted from other textbooks. This book and its companion volume Astronomy: Principles and Practice comprise a complete two-year course in astronomy, while portions of the text may be selected as the basis of a preliminary science or liberal arts course at the first-year university level. Although primarily intended for undergraduate use, these books will also afford serious amateur astronomers a welcome opportunity to study their subject as a working science. ... Read more