Louis A. Girifalco
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199228966
- eISBN:
- 9780191711183
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199228966.003.0019
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
Gravity is responsible not only for the existence of stars and planets; it also creates the weirdest objects imaginable. A body with mass greater than 1.4 solar masses cannot remain a white dwarf and ...
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Gravity is responsible not only for the existence of stars and planets; it also creates the weirdest objects imaginable. A body with mass greater than 1.4 solar masses cannot remain a white dwarf and will collapse into a neutron star. But if the mass is greater than about two and a half solar masses, the collapse will continue until it becomes a black hole. This is the strangest object in the universe. Its gravity is so strong that even light cannot get out of it. Anything near it is sucked in, crushed to a point, and approaches infinite density. The laws of physics as now known do not apply at the centre of a black hole and the very meaning of its existence is in doubt.Less
Gravity is responsible not only for the existence of stars and planets; it also creates the weirdest objects imaginable. A body with mass greater than 1.4 solar masses cannot remain a white dwarf and will collapse into a neutron star. But if the mass is greater than about two and a half solar masses, the collapse will continue until it becomes a black hole. This is the strangest object in the universe. Its gravity is so strong that even light cannot get out of it. Anything near it is sucked in, crushed to a point, and approaches infinite density. The laws of physics as now known do not apply at the centre of a black hole and the very meaning of its existence is in doubt.
ROGER B. MANNING
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198203247
- eISBN:
- 9780191675805
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203247.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Early Modern History, Social History
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about social and cultural aspects of the history of unlawful hunting in England during the period from 1485 to 1640. This book ...
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This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about social and cultural aspects of the history of unlawful hunting in England during the period from 1485 to 1640. This book focuses on the early modern sense of unlawful taking of deer. It explores the conflicting uses of land, the awakening of political consciousness, and the form violence that often accompany the confrontations between poachers and gamekeepers. The chapter discusses the role of the Court of Star Chamber in the development of the modern law of public order.Less
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about social and cultural aspects of the history of unlawful hunting in England during the period from 1485 to 1640. This book focuses on the early modern sense of unlawful taking of deer. It explores the conflicting uses of land, the awakening of political consciousness, and the form violence that often accompany the confrontations between poachers and gamekeepers. The chapter discusses the role of the Court of Star Chamber in the development of the modern law of public order.
Charles D. Bailyn
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691148823
- eISBN:
- 9781400850563
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691148823.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Emitting no radiation or any other kind of information, black holes mark the edge of the universe—both physically and in our scientific understanding. Yet astronomers have found clear evidence for ...
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Emitting no radiation or any other kind of information, black holes mark the edge of the universe—both physically and in our scientific understanding. Yet astronomers have found clear evidence for the existence of black holes, employing the same tools and techniques used to explore other celestial objects. This book goes behind the theory and physics of black holes to describe how astronomers are observing these enigmatic objects and developing a remarkably detailed picture of what they look like and how they interact with their surroundings. Accessible to undergraduates and others with some knowledge of introductory college-level physics, this book presents the techniques used to identify and measure the mass and spin of celestial black holes. These key measurements demonstrate the existence of two kinds of black holes, those with masses a few times that of a typical star, and those with masses comparable to whole galaxies—supermassive black holes. The book provides a detailed account of the nature, formation, and growth of both kinds of black holes. The book also describes the possibility of observing theoretically predicted phenomena such as gravitational waves, wormholes, and Hawking radiation. A cutting-edge introduction to a subject that was once on the border between physics and science fiction, this book shows how black holes are becoming routine objects of empirical scientific study.Less
Emitting no radiation or any other kind of information, black holes mark the edge of the universe—both physically and in our scientific understanding. Yet astronomers have found clear evidence for the existence of black holes, employing the same tools and techniques used to explore other celestial objects. This book goes behind the theory and physics of black holes to describe how astronomers are observing these enigmatic objects and developing a remarkably detailed picture of what they look like and how they interact with their surroundings. Accessible to undergraduates and others with some knowledge of introductory college-level physics, this book presents the techniques used to identify and measure the mass and spin of celestial black holes. These key measurements demonstrate the existence of two kinds of black holes, those with masses a few times that of a typical star, and those with masses comparable to whole galaxies—supermassive black holes. The book provides a detailed account of the nature, formation, and growth of both kinds of black holes. The book also describes the possibility of observing theoretically predicted phenomena such as gravitational waves, wormholes, and Hawking radiation. A cutting-edge introduction to a subject that was once on the border between physics and science fiction, this book shows how black holes are becoming routine objects of empirical scientific study.
Hideki Asada, Toshifumi Futamase, and Peter Hogan
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199584109
- eISBN:
- 9780191723421
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199584109.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics
This book focuses attention on two aspects of equations of motion in general relativity: the motion of extended bodies(stars) and the motion of small black holes. The objective is to offer a guide to ...
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This book focuses attention on two aspects of equations of motion in general relativity: the motion of extended bodies(stars) and the motion of small black holes. The objective is to offer a guide to prospective researchers into these areas of general relativity and to point out open questions and topics that are ripe for further development. It is over forty years since a text on this subject was published and in that time the research area of equations of motion in general relativity has undergone extraordinary development stimulated by the discovery of the binary neutron star PSR 1913+16 in 1974, which was the first isolated gravitating system found in which general relativity plays a fundamental role in describing theoretically its evolution, and more recently by the advent of kilometre size interferometric gravitational wave detectors which are expected to detect gravitational waves produced by coalescing binary neutron stars. Included in the book are novel topics in general relativistic celestial mechanics: choreographic configurations and the relativistic motion of small black holes.Less
This book focuses attention on two aspects of equations of motion in general relativity: the motion of extended bodies(stars) and the motion of small black holes. The objective is to offer a guide to prospective researchers into these areas of general relativity and to point out open questions and topics that are ripe for further development. It is over forty years since a text on this subject was published and in that time the research area of equations of motion in general relativity has undergone extraordinary development stimulated by the discovery of the binary neutron star PSR 1913+16 in 1974, which was the first isolated gravitating system found in which general relativity plays a fundamental role in describing theoretically its evolution, and more recently by the advent of kilometre size interferometric gravitational wave detectors which are expected to detect gravitational waves produced by coalescing binary neutron stars. Included in the book are novel topics in general relativistic celestial mechanics: choreographic configurations and the relativistic motion of small black holes.
Alastair Fowler
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198183402
- eISBN:
- 9780191674037
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198183402.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 16th-century and Renaissance Literature
This book explores the extraordinary prominence of astronomical imagery in Renaissance literature. Although the stars were important astrologically, this is at best a ...
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This book explores the extraordinary prominence of astronomical imagery in Renaissance literature. Although the stars were important astrologically, this is at best a partial explanation for the popularity of such imagery, and the impact of astronomical discoveries (particularly their implications for stellification, or translation to the stars) is also an important factor. Seventeenth-century culture was both religious and materialistic and the literature of the period shows a great variety of negotiated reconciliations of the two.Less
This book explores the extraordinary prominence of astronomical imagery in Renaissance literature. Although the stars were important astrologically, this is at best a partial explanation for the popularity of such imagery, and the impact of astronomical discoveries (particularly their implications for stellification, or translation to the stars) is also an important factor. Seventeenth-century culture was both religious and materialistic and the literature of the period shows a great variety of negotiated reconciliations of the two.
Alan Scott
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263616
- eISBN:
- 9780191682612
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263616.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies, Philosophy of Religion
It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an ...
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It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an important position in Greek religion, and speculations on their nature figured prominently in discussions of human psychology and eschatology. In the 3rd century AD the influential Christian theologian Origen included Hellenistic theories on the life and nature of the stars in his cosmology. This marked an interesting episode in the history of the idea, but it also had important implications for early Christian theology. Although he was condemned as heretical for these (and other) speculations, he was successful in incorporating traditional philosophical theories about the stars into a biblical theology.Less
It was widely assumed by intellectuals from antiquity to the Middle Ages that the beauty and regularity of the heavens was a sign of their superior life. Through this belief the stars gained an important position in Greek religion, and speculations on their nature figured prominently in discussions of human psychology and eschatology. In the 3rd century AD the influential Christian theologian Origen included Hellenistic theories on the life and nature of the stars in his cosmology. This marked an interesting episode in the history of the idea, but it also had important implications for early Christian theology. Although he was condemned as heretical for these (and other) speculations, he was successful in incorporating traditional philosophical theories about the stars into a biblical theology.
Joshua S. Bloom
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145570
- eISBN:
- 9781400837007
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145570.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest—and, until recently, among the least understood—cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the Cold War, these evanescent high-energy explosions ...
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Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest—and, until recently, among the least understood—cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the Cold War, these evanescent high-energy explosions confounded astronomers for decades. But a rapid series of startling breakthroughs beginning in 1997 revealed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts are caused by the explosions of young and massive stars in the vast star-forming cauldrons of distant galaxies. New findings also point to very different origins for some events, serving to complicate but enrich our understanding of the exotic and violent universe. This book is an introduction to this fast-growing subject, written by an astrophysicist who is at the forefront of today's research into these incredible cosmic phenomena. The book gives readers a concise and accessible overview of gamma-ray bursts and the theoretical framework that physicists have developed to make sense of complex observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. The book traces the history of remarkable discoveries that led to our current understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and reveals the decisive role these phenomena could play in the grand pursuits of twenty-first century astrophysics, from studying gravity waves and unveiling the growth of stars and galaxies after the big bang to surmising the ultimate fate of the universe itself. This book is an essential primer to this exciting frontier of scientific inquiry, and a must-read for anyone seeking to keep pace with cutting-edge developments in physics today.Less
Gamma-ray bursts are the brightest—and, until recently, among the least understood—cosmic events in the universe. Discovered by chance during the Cold War, these evanescent high-energy explosions confounded astronomers for decades. But a rapid series of startling breakthroughs beginning in 1997 revealed that the majority of gamma-ray bursts are caused by the explosions of young and massive stars in the vast star-forming cauldrons of distant galaxies. New findings also point to very different origins for some events, serving to complicate but enrich our understanding of the exotic and violent universe. This book is an introduction to this fast-growing subject, written by an astrophysicist who is at the forefront of today's research into these incredible cosmic phenomena. The book gives readers a concise and accessible overview of gamma-ray bursts and the theoretical framework that physicists have developed to make sense of complex observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. The book traces the history of remarkable discoveries that led to our current understanding of gamma-ray bursts, and reveals the decisive role these phenomena could play in the grand pursuits of twenty-first century astrophysics, from studying gravity waves and unveiling the growth of stars and galaxies after the big bang to surmising the ultimate fate of the universe itself. This book is an essential primer to this exciting frontier of scientific inquiry, and a must-read for anyone seeking to keep pace with cutting-edge developments in physics today.
Anne Marie Oliver and Paul F. Steinberg
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195305593
- eISBN:
- 9780199850815
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195305593.003.0020
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter describes a display suggesting an entire cosmology, composed of 20 to 30 hand-colored mimeographs that have been taped together end on end. Two men in the central panel of the display ...
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This chapter describes a display suggesting an entire cosmology, composed of 20 to 30 hand-colored mimeographs that have been taped together end on end. Two men in the central panel of the display are shown crouching atop a blue Star of David, the major symbol of the state of Israel, loading their pistols, while in the row of panels above them, the theme of promised vanquishment is repeated again in the form of more armed men standing victoriously atop the star, which is cracked and bleeding. Visual imagery such as this abounded in all the media of the intifada — images of spitting, shaking, shuddering, riding, cutting, writhing, stabbing, and bleeding.Less
This chapter describes a display suggesting an entire cosmology, composed of 20 to 30 hand-colored mimeographs that have been taped together end on end. Two men in the central panel of the display are shown crouching atop a blue Star of David, the major symbol of the state of Israel, loading their pistols, while in the row of panels above them, the theme of promised vanquishment is repeated again in the form of more armed men standing victoriously atop the star, which is cracked and bleeding. Visual imagery such as this abounded in all the media of the intifada — images of spitting, shaking, shuddering, riding, cutting, writhing, stabbing, and bleeding.
Steven Kepnes
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195313819
- eISBN:
- 9780199785650
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313819.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter attends to Rosenzweig's attempt to reestablish the relationship God–word–world, which was shattered in modernity. This provides the basis to rehabilitate a notion of miracle and the ...
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This chapter attends to Rosenzweig's attempt to reestablish the relationship God–word–world, which was shattered in modernity. This provides the basis to rehabilitate a notion of miracle and the signs of liturgy for contemporary Jews. For Rosenzweig, liturgy is a form of reasoning about time that provides answers to the age‐old aporias that Augustine exposed in his Confessions. The first part of the chapter ends with an analysis of the psalms that are chanted in the Hallel service as keys to the liturgical relation to eternity. The second part of this chapter focuses on Rosenzweig's liturgical reasoning with each of the central festivals of the yearly Jewish calendar. These festivals are presented as expressions of three theological terms (creation, revelation, redemption) and the temporal tenses (past, present, future). The chapter concludes with an attempt to revise Rosenzweig's theology of Christianity through the Jewish‐Christian‐Islamic movement of “Scriptural Reasoning.”Less
This chapter attends to Rosenzweig's attempt to reestablish the relationship God–word–world, which was shattered in modernity. This provides the basis to rehabilitate a notion of miracle and the signs of liturgy for contemporary Jews. For Rosenzweig, liturgy is a form of reasoning about time that provides answers to the age‐old aporias that Augustine exposed in his Confessions. The first part of the chapter ends with an analysis of the psalms that are chanted in the Hallel service as keys to the liturgical relation to eternity. The second part of this chapter focuses on Rosenzweig's liturgical reasoning with each of the central festivals of the yearly Jewish calendar. These festivals are presented as expressions of three theological terms (creation, revelation, redemption) and the temporal tenses (past, present, future). The chapter concludes with an attempt to revise Rosenzweig's theology of Christianity through the Jewish‐Christian‐Islamic movement of “Scriptural Reasoning.”
ALAN SCOTT
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263616
- eISBN:
- 9780191682612
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263616.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies, Philosophy of Religion
Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few ...
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Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few Ionians had a profound philosophical and religious impact in their day. Plato recognized that their astronomical discoveries had been a source of intellectual and social chaos. The impact of this approach on subsequent Greek philosophy and religion was enormous, and lasted down to Origen's day. Origen's assessment of the stars' proper place in the world was complicated by his interest in traditions outside of the traditional Hellenistic schools. While agreeing with pagan thought that the stars had a significant impact on terrestrial life, he limited his influence to the regulation of the natural order. The modern age no longer believes that the stars have souls, but astronomical progress has not robbed them of their power.Less
Examination of the starry heavens is usually regarded as an impractical use of the intellect. But the study of the impractical has far-reaching implications and the astronomical advances of a few Ionians had a profound philosophical and religious impact in their day. Plato recognized that their astronomical discoveries had been a source of intellectual and social chaos. The impact of this approach on subsequent Greek philosophy and religion was enormous, and lasted down to Origen's day. Origen's assessment of the stars' proper place in the world was complicated by his interest in traditions outside of the traditional Hellenistic schools. While agreeing with pagan thought that the stars had a significant impact on terrestrial life, he limited his influence to the regulation of the natural order. The modern age no longer believes that the stars have souls, but astronomical progress has not robbed them of their power.
Leon Mestel
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198526728
- eISBN:
- 9780191707049
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198526728.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Most stars appear to show some degree of magnetic activity. For example, the varying magnetic field of the Sun shows up in the familiar sun-spot cycle. Similar behaviour is observationally inferred ...
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Most stars appear to show some degree of magnetic activity. For example, the varying magnetic field of the Sun shows up in the familiar sun-spot cycle. Similar behaviour is observationally inferred in other solar-type stars. Radio and X-ray pulsars are enormously dense, rapidly rotating neutron stars that carry nearly steady magnetic fields, which are far stronger than the average magnetic field of the Sun. Likewise, many uncollapsed stars behave like rotating permanent magnets. Furthermore, magnetic fields may partly control the formation of new stars, especially through interaction with angular momentum, as well as the spectacular phenomena observed in galactic nuclei. Stellar magnetism is therefore a rapidly developing field of astrophysics. In this book, most of the important topics are treated in mathematical depth, with reference given to other relevant literature. Some of the studies, especially those on accretion discs, dynamos, and winds are applicable to galaxies and galactic nuclei.Less
Most stars appear to show some degree of magnetic activity. For example, the varying magnetic field of the Sun shows up in the familiar sun-spot cycle. Similar behaviour is observationally inferred in other solar-type stars. Radio and X-ray pulsars are enormously dense, rapidly rotating neutron stars that carry nearly steady magnetic fields, which are far stronger than the average magnetic field of the Sun. Likewise, many uncollapsed stars behave like rotating permanent magnets. Furthermore, magnetic fields may partly control the formation of new stars, especially through interaction with angular momentum, as well as the spectacular phenomena observed in galactic nuclei. Stellar magnetism is therefore a rapidly developing field of astrophysics. In this book, most of the important topics are treated in mathematical depth, with reference given to other relevant literature. Some of the studies, especially those on accretion discs, dynamos, and winds are applicable to galaxies and galactic nuclei.
F. Richard Stephenson and David A. Green
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198507666
- eISBN:
- 9780191709876
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507666.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This book reviews both the historical observations of supernovae (SNe) seen in our Galaxy over the last two millennia — and recorded in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) as ‘guest stars’, Europe and ...
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This book reviews both the historical observations of supernovae (SNe) seen in our Galaxy over the last two millennia — and recorded in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) as ‘guest stars’, Europe and the Arab dominions — together with modern observations of the remnants of these supernovae. Introductory chapters provide background information on the historical observations and our modern understanding of supernovae and novae, and of supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsars. One chapter discusses the young SNR Cassiopeia A, and the proposed sighting of its SN in AD 1680 by Flamsteed. Subsequent chapters discuss the historical observations of the well-defined historical SNe and modern observations of their remnants. These chapters cover Kepler's SN of AD 1604, Tycho's SN of AD 1572, the SN of AD 1181, the SN of AD 1054 that produced the well-known Crab Nebula; and the especially bright SN of AD 1006. Earlier probable and possible supernovae of the preceding millennium chronicled in China are also discussed, along with their possible remnants. Other less certain observations of SNe, and the future potential for additional historical observations, are briefly discussed. This book also includes, as an appendix, a catalogue of over two hundred known Galactic SNRs.Less
This book reviews both the historical observations of supernovae (SNe) seen in our Galaxy over the last two millennia — and recorded in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) as ‘guest stars’, Europe and the Arab dominions — together with modern observations of the remnants of these supernovae. Introductory chapters provide background information on the historical observations and our modern understanding of supernovae and novae, and of supernova remnants (SNRs) and pulsars. One chapter discusses the young SNR Cassiopeia A, and the proposed sighting of its SN in AD 1680 by Flamsteed. Subsequent chapters discuss the historical observations of the well-defined historical SNe and modern observations of their remnants. These chapters cover Kepler's SN of AD 1604, Tycho's SN of AD 1572, the SN of AD 1181, the SN of AD 1054 that produced the well-known Crab Nebula; and the especially bright SN of AD 1006. Earlier probable and possible supernovae of the preceding millennium chronicled in China are also discussed, along with their possible remnants. Other less certain observations of SNe, and the future potential for additional historical observations, are briefly discussed. This book also includes, as an appendix, a catalogue of over two hundred known Galactic SNRs.
Charles D. Bailyn
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691148823
- eISBN:
- 9781400850563
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691148823.003.0004
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter examines stellar-mass black holes. The empirical study of black holes began in the 1960s with the discovery of quasars and the advent of X-ray astronomy. X-ray detectors could detect ...
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This chapter examines stellar-mass black holes. The empirical study of black holes began in the 1960s with the discovery of quasars and the advent of X-ray astronomy. X-ray detectors could detect X-rays coming from a particular direction—as the instrument rotated, the detector scanned the sky. It was not expected that X-ray sources from outside the solar system would be detectable. However, it was quickly discovered that there were strong X-ray sources that appeared in the same position in every scan. The inferred luminosity of the sources was hundreds or thousands of times brighter than the Sun. When coincident optical stars were identified, they proved to be relatively faint. Thus, it was clear that a new class of celestial sources must exist whose radiation is predominantly in the form of X-rays, with a total luminosity comparable to or greater than that of ordinary stars.Less
This chapter examines stellar-mass black holes. The empirical study of black holes began in the 1960s with the discovery of quasars and the advent of X-ray astronomy. X-ray detectors could detect X-rays coming from a particular direction—as the instrument rotated, the detector scanned the sky. It was not expected that X-ray sources from outside the solar system would be detectable. However, it was quickly discovered that there were strong X-ray sources that appeared in the same position in every scan. The inferred luminosity of the sources was hundreds or thousands of times brighter than the Sun. When coincident optical stars were identified, they proved to be relatively faint. Thus, it was clear that a new class of celestial sources must exist whose radiation is predominantly in the form of X-rays, with a total luminosity comparable to or greater than that of ordinary stars.
Charles D. Bailyn
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691148823
- eISBN:
- 9781400850563
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691148823.003.0006
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter discusses the formation and evolution of black holes. Stellar-mass black holes are generally understood to be created in supernova explosions that mark the end of the life of a massive ...
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This chapter discusses the formation and evolution of black holes. Stellar-mass black holes are generally understood to be created in supernova explosions that mark the end of the life of a massive star. However, many supernovae create neutron stars rather than black holes, and the precise conditions under which black holes form are still not fully understood. If the black hole is to be detected, further events are required, such as the formation of a binary star system of a kind that can be observed, and in which the existence of a black hole can be demonstrated. In contrast with stellar-mass black hole formation, there is no obvious route to the creation of a supermassive black hole directly from collapsing interstellar gas. Most discussions of the origin and evolution of supermassive black holes posit an initial “seed” black hole of relatively low mass, which then grows over time.Less
This chapter discusses the formation and evolution of black holes. Stellar-mass black holes are generally understood to be created in supernova explosions that mark the end of the life of a massive star. However, many supernovae create neutron stars rather than black holes, and the precise conditions under which black holes form are still not fully understood. If the black hole is to be detected, further events are required, such as the formation of a binary star system of a kind that can be observed, and in which the existence of a black hole can be demonstrated. In contrast with stellar-mass black hole formation, there is no obvious route to the creation of a supermassive black hole directly from collapsing interstellar gas. Most discussions of the origin and evolution of supermassive black holes posit an initial “seed” black hole of relatively low mass, which then grows over time.
F. Richard Stephenson and David A. Green
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198507666
- eISBN:
- 9780191709876
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198507666.003.0012
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
The main emphasis in this brief chapter is the prospect of uncovering further reports of potential SNe in the history of Europe, East Asia, the Arab lands, India, and Babylon. Possible further ...
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The main emphasis in this brief chapter is the prospect of uncovering further reports of potential SNe in the history of Europe, East Asia, the Arab lands, India, and Babylon. Possible further sources may include medieval European and Arab chronicles. However, perhaps the most promising individual sources are two extremely detailed day-to-day chronicles of Korea: the Yijo Sillok and the Sungjongwon-Ilgi. Both works contain vast numbers of astronomical records. With regard to individual SNRs, advances in instrumentation should lead to better estimates of remnants, possibly leading to unique identification of the remnants of SNe occurring before AD 1000.Less
The main emphasis in this brief chapter is the prospect of uncovering further reports of potential SNe in the history of Europe, East Asia, the Arab lands, India, and Babylon. Possible further sources may include medieval European and Arab chronicles. However, perhaps the most promising individual sources are two extremely detailed day-to-day chronicles of Korea: the Yijo Sillok and the Sungjongwon-Ilgi. Both works contain vast numbers of astronomical records. With regard to individual SNRs, advances in instrumentation should lead to better estimates of remnants, possibly leading to unique identification of the remnants of SNe occurring before AD 1000.
Joshua S. Bloom
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145570
- eISBN:
- 9781400837007
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145570.003.0005
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter discusses the object or objects responsible for gramma-ray bursts (GRBs). Until now, there are few absolute certainties with regard to the progenitors of GRBs. One clear standout is the ...
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This chapter discusses the object or objects responsible for gramma-ray bursts (GRBs). Until now, there are few absolute certainties with regard to the progenitors of GRBs. One clear standout is the progenitors of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) which are very obviously neutron stars. There are a number of corroborating lines of evidence for this progenitor association: (1) some well-localized SGRs are associated with supernova remnants, suggesting they are byproducts of recent supernovae; (2) there is quiescent X-ray emission from the sites of SGRs, similar to a class of neutron stars called “anomalous X-ray pulsars”; (3) Galactic SGRs tend to be found in the Galactic plane, where most young neutron stars reside; and (4) the ringdown emission after SGR pulses is periodic, with periods comparable to that of slowly rotating neutron stars (few seconds).Less
This chapter discusses the object or objects responsible for gramma-ray bursts (GRBs). Until now, there are few absolute certainties with regard to the progenitors of GRBs. One clear standout is the progenitors of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) which are very obviously neutron stars. There are a number of corroborating lines of evidence for this progenitor association: (1) some well-localized SGRs are associated with supernova remnants, suggesting they are byproducts of recent supernovae; (2) there is quiescent X-ray emission from the sites of SGRs, similar to a class of neutron stars called “anomalous X-ray pulsars”; (3) Galactic SGRs tend to be found in the Galactic plane, where most young neutron stars reside; and (4) the ringdown emission after SGR pulses is periodic, with periods comparable to that of slowly rotating neutron stars (few seconds).
Joshua S. Bloom
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145570
- eISBN:
- 9781400837007
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145570.003.0006
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter focuses on how gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are emerging as unique tools in the study of broad areas of astronomy and physics by virtue of their special properties. The unassailable fact ...
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This chapter focuses on how gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are emerging as unique tools in the study of broad areas of astronomy and physics by virtue of their special properties. The unassailable fact about GRBs that makes them such great probes is that they are fantastically bright and so can be seen to the farthest reaches of the observable Universe. In parallel with the ongoing study of GRB events and progenitors, new lines of inquiry have burgeoned: using GRBs as unique probes of the Universe in ways that are almost completely divorced from the nature of GRBs themselves. Topics discussed include studies of gas, dust, and galaxies; the history of star formation; measuring reionization and the first objects in the universe; neutrinos, gravitational waves, and cosmic rays; quantum gravity and the expansion of the universe; and the future of GRBs.Less
This chapter focuses on how gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are emerging as unique tools in the study of broad areas of astronomy and physics by virtue of their special properties. The unassailable fact about GRBs that makes them such great probes is that they are fantastically bright and so can be seen to the farthest reaches of the observable Universe. In parallel with the ongoing study of GRB events and progenitors, new lines of inquiry have burgeoned: using GRBs as unique probes of the Universe in ways that are almost completely divorced from the nature of GRBs themselves. Topics discussed include studies of gas, dust, and galaxies; the history of star formation; measuring reionization and the first objects in the universe; neutrinos, gravitational waves, and cosmic rays; quantum gravity and the expansion of the universe; and the future of GRBs.
D. W. Yalden and U. Albarella
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199217519
- eISBN:
- 9780191712296
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199217519.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Ornithology
This chapter covers the period from about 15,000 years ago, as the ice sheets of the Last Glaciation retreated, through the Late Glacial and Younger Dryas periods and the post-glacial warming at ...
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This chapter covers the period from about 15,000 years ago, as the ice sheets of the Last Glaciation retreated, through the Late Glacial and Younger Dryas periods and the post-glacial warming at about 11,000 years ago, into the forested Mesolithic period. There is a good Late Glacial record of bird bones from cave sites in the Mendips, Gower Peninsula, and at Creswell Crags: northern species such as Ptarmigan and Red Grouse were then common even in southern Britain, but such interesting species as Great and Little Bustard were also present. In the postglacial period, as tree cover increased, so did species of woodlands (e.g., eagle owl) and wetlands (e.g., crane at Star Carr). Some open ground remained, as evidenced by species like grey partridge, but the Mesolithic record, except in coastal sites (like Oronsay), is patchy. A fuller consideration of the likely bird fauna (especially passerines) requires extrapolation from what we know of habitats available, and the likely bird fauna of those habitats.Less
This chapter covers the period from about 15,000 years ago, as the ice sheets of the Last Glaciation retreated, through the Late Glacial and Younger Dryas periods and the post-glacial warming at about 11,000 years ago, into the forested Mesolithic period. There is a good Late Glacial record of bird bones from cave sites in the Mendips, Gower Peninsula, and at Creswell Crags: northern species such as Ptarmigan and Red Grouse were then common even in southern Britain, but such interesting species as Great and Little Bustard were also present. In the postglacial period, as tree cover increased, so did species of woodlands (e.g., eagle owl) and wetlands (e.g., crane at Star Carr). Some open ground remained, as evidenced by species like grey partridge, but the Mesolithic record, except in coastal sites (like Oronsay), is patchy. A fuller consideration of the likely bird fauna (especially passerines) requires extrapolation from what we know of habitats available, and the likely bird fauna of those habitats.
Derek B. Scott
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195309461
- eISBN:
- 9780199871254
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195309461.003.0001
- Subject:
- Music, History, Western
London, New York, Paris, and Vienna became important musical centers as a consequence of the social and economic conditions that gave rise to an active concert life in each of them. The 19th century ...
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London, New York, Paris, and Vienna became important musical centers as a consequence of the social and economic conditions that gave rise to an active concert life in each of them. The 19th century was an age of musical entrepreneurialism, and new markets for professionalism and commerce were created, such as blackface minstrelsy and music hall. Ticket prices were used to produce a class hierarchy of concerts. Cheap concerts were plentiful in the 1850s. The railways gave a boost to the music business. Women began to find professional musical employment, perhaps performing in a “Ladies' Orchestra” or, more often, becoming piano teachers. Alongside the promotion of public performances, music publishing and piano making were the most important musical enterprises of the new commercial age. Inevitably copyright and performing rights became crucial matters. This chapter argues that the status of popular music changed profoundly with the development of the music market.Less
London, New York, Paris, and Vienna became important musical centers as a consequence of the social and economic conditions that gave rise to an active concert life in each of them. The 19th century was an age of musical entrepreneurialism, and new markets for professionalism and commerce were created, such as blackface minstrelsy and music hall. Ticket prices were used to produce a class hierarchy of concerts. Cheap concerts were plentiful in the 1850s. The railways gave a boost to the music business. Women began to find professional musical employment, perhaps performing in a “Ladies' Orchestra” or, more often, becoming piano teachers. Alongside the promotion of public performances, music publishing and piano making were the most important musical enterprises of the new commercial age. Inevitably copyright and performing rights became crucial matters. This chapter argues that the status of popular music changed profoundly with the development of the music market.
Suzanne Vromen
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195181289
- eISBN:
- 9780199870752
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181289.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The chapter is based on interviews with formerly hidden children and is illustrated by numerous quotes. It describes various responses to the wearing of the yellow star and the desperate search for ...
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The chapter is based on interviews with formerly hidden children and is illustrated by numerous quotes. It describes various responses to the wearing of the yellow star and the desperate search for hiding places that follows the sudden and brutal roundups of the Jewish population in the summer of 1942. Life in the convents in which the children are hidden is detailed through the reactions of the children to prayers, baptism, confession, and communion. These reactions vary greatly from resistance to acceptance; remnants of Judaism persist for some. New attitudes to the body considered as shameful are learned, and lice fought, hunger endured, native language and identity concealed. Relationships with priests and nuns range from caring, tender, and maternal to cruel and punishing. In the aftermath of the liberation, the impact of Catholic institutions varies; many hidden children return to their Jewish identity and a few remain converted. The children face great difficulties due to the ravages in their families, and gender differences in opportunities offered to orphans are resented to this day.Less
The chapter is based on interviews with formerly hidden children and is illustrated by numerous quotes. It describes various responses to the wearing of the yellow star and the desperate search for hiding places that follows the sudden and brutal roundups of the Jewish population in the summer of 1942. Life in the convents in which the children are hidden is detailed through the reactions of the children to prayers, baptism, confession, and communion. These reactions vary greatly from resistance to acceptance; remnants of Judaism persist for some. New attitudes to the body considered as shameful are learned, and lice fought, hunger endured, native language and identity concealed. Relationships with priests and nuns range from caring, tender, and maternal to cruel and punishing. In the aftermath of the liberation, the impact of Catholic institutions varies; many hidden children return to their Jewish identity and a few remain converted. The children face great difficulties due to the ravages in their families, and gender differences in opportunities offered to orphans are resented to this day.
