{"product_id":"9781783265244","title":"The Formation of the Solar System: Theories Old and New","description":"This fully-updated second edition remains the only truly detailed exploration of the origins of our Solar System, written by an authority in the field. Unlike other authors, Michael Woolfson focuses on the \u003ci\u003eformation\u003c\/i\u003e of the solar system, engaging the reader in an intelligent yet accessible discussion of the development of ideas about how the Solar System formed from ancient times to the present.  \u003cp\u003eWithin the last five decades new observations and new theoretical advances have transformed the way scientists think about the problem of finding a plausible theory. Spacecraft and landers have explored the planets of the Solar System, observations have been made of Solar-System bodies outside the region of the planets and planets have been detected and observed around many solar-type stars. This new edition brings in the most recent discoveries, including the establishment of dwarf planets and challenges to the ‘standard model’ of planet formation — the Solar Nebula Theory.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eWhile presenting the most up-to-date material and the underlying science of the theories described, the book avoids technical jargon and terminology. It thus remains a digestible read for the non-expert interested reader, whilst being detailed and comprehensive enough to be used as an undergraduate physics and astronomy textbook, where the formation of the solar system is a key part of the course.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eMichael Woolfson is Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at University of York and is an award-winning crystallographer and astronomer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContents:\u003c\/strong\u003e  \u003cul\u003e   \u003cli\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003eIntroduction to the Second Edition\u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003ePrologue: The Dreamer\u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eGeneral Background:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eTheories Come and Theories Go\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMeasuring Atoms and the Universe\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eEnlightenment:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eGreek Offerings\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe Shoulders of Giants\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Solar System: Features and Problems:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe Sun and the Planets\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eSatellites and Rings\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eSmaller Bodies of the Solar System\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe Problem to be Solved\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eEarly Theories:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe French Connection\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eAmerican Catherine-Wheels\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eBritish Big Tides\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eRussian Cloud Capture — With British Help\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eGerman Vortices — With a Little French Help\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMcCrea's Floccules\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eWhat Early Theories Indicate\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew Knowledge:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eDisks Around New Stars\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003ePlanets Around Other Stars\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eWhat a Theory Should Explain Now\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Return of the Nebula:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe New Solar Nebula Theory: The Angular Momentum Problem\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMaking Planets Top-Down\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eA Bottom-Up Alternative\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMaking Planets Faster\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eWandering Planets\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eBack to Top-Down\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eMaking Stars:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThis is the Stuff that Stars are Made Of\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMaking Dense Cool Clouds\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eA Star is Born, Lives and Dies\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eCapture:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eClose to the Madding Crowd\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eClose Encounters of the Stellar Kind\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eEver Decreasing Circles\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eHow Many Planetary Systems?\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eStarting a Family\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eTilting — But not at Windmills\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Biggish Bang Hypothesis:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e    \u003cul\u003e     \u003cli\u003eThe Terrestrial Planets Raise Problems\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eA Biggish Bang Theory: The Earth and Venus\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eBehold the Wandering Moon\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eFleet Mercury and Warlike Mars\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eGods of the Sea and the Nether Regions\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eBits and Pieces — Asteroids, Comets and Dwarf Planets\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eMaking Atoms with a Biggish Bang\u003c\/li\u003e     \u003cli\u003eIs the Capture Theory True?\u003c\/li\u003e    \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e   \u003cli\u003eEpilogue: An Autumn Evening\u003c\/li\u003e  \u003c\/ul\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cstrong\u003eReadership:\u003c\/strong\u003e Professionals and general readers interested in astronomy and cosmology.  \u003cb\u003eKey Features:\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eIt explains the science in a narrative style using a minimum number of equations while preserving scientific integrity\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIn developing the progress of ideas historically it shows how components of failed theories can be incorporated in new theories, making positive contributions to the subject\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIt includes all the most recent observations that must be accounted for in any viable theory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Imperial College Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140047880432,"sku":"9781783265244","price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781783265244_p0.jpg?v=1763723160","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781783265244","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}