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CAN STAR SYSTEMS BE EXPLORED?
The Physics of Star Probes
by Lawrence B Crowell (Alpha Institute of Advanced Studies, USA)
Table of Contents (51k) Preface (55k) Chapter 1: Exploration of Star Systems (74k)
This book is an exposition of classical mechanics and relativity that addresses the question of whether it is possible to send probes to extrasolar systems. It examines largely well-understood physics to consider the possibility of exploring the nearby interstellar environment in a similar fashion to how the solar system has been explored. As such, this book is both a semipopularization of basic physics and an informal study of a likely future technological development. An auxilliary text on basic physics for students and laypersons as well as an illustration of the problems with interstellar exploration, this book is a must-read.
Contents:
- Newtonian Mechanics
- The Physics of Rocketry and Spaceflight
- Power
Systems for Spaceflight
- Elements of Astrodynamics
- Special Relativity
- The Relativistic Rocket
- The Photon Sail
- Scientific and Technical Requirements
- Electromagnetically Accelerated Nano-bots
- Exotic Propulsion Methods
- The Interstellar Neighborhood
- Will Humans go to the Stars?
- Solar System Stability and the Likelihood of Earth-like Planets
- Life on Earth and in the Universe
Readership: Undergraduate students in science and engineering, laypersons
knowledgeable in these two areas.
| 204pp |
Pub. date: Nov 2007 |
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