Astrophysics in the Next Decade

Astrophysics in the Next Decade PDF Author: Harley A. Thronson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402094574
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 523

Get Book Here

Book Description
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), planned for operation in about five years, will have the capability to investigate – and answer – some of the most challenging questions in astronomy. Although motivated and designed to study the very early Universe, the performance of the observatory’s instruments over a very wide wavelength range will allow the world’s scientific community unequaled ability to study cosmic phenomena as diverse as small bodies in the Solar System and the formation of galaxies. As part of preparation to use JWST, a conference was held in Tucson, Arizona in 2007 that brought together astronomers from around the world to discuss the mission, other major facilities that will operate in the coming decade, and major scientific goals for them. This book is a compilation of those presentations by some of the leading researchers from all branches of astronomy. This book also includes a “pre-history” of JWST, describing the lengthy process and some of the key individuals that initiated early work on the concepts that would evolve to become the premier space observatory of the next decade.

Astrophysics in the Next Decade

Astrophysics in the Next Decade PDF Author: Harley A. Thronson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402094574
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 523

Get Book Here

Book Description
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), planned for operation in about five years, will have the capability to investigate – and answer – some of the most challenging questions in astronomy. Although motivated and designed to study the very early Universe, the performance of the observatory’s instruments over a very wide wavelength range will allow the world’s scientific community unequaled ability to study cosmic phenomena as diverse as small bodies in the Solar System and the formation of galaxies. As part of preparation to use JWST, a conference was held in Tucson, Arizona in 2007 that brought together astronomers from around the world to discuss the mission, other major facilities that will operate in the coming decade, and major scientific goals for them. This book is a compilation of those presentations by some of the leading researchers from all branches of astronomy. This book also includes a “pre-history” of JWST, describing the lengthy process and some of the key individuals that initiated early work on the concepts that would evolve to become the premier space observatory of the next decade.

Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life

Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life PDF Author: Ralph Pudritz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781107412866
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Get Book Here

Book Description
Several major breakthroughs have helped contribute to the emerging field of astrobiology. Focusing on these developments, this fascinating book explores some of the most important problems in this field. It examines how planetary systems formed, and how water and the biomolecules necessary for life were produced. It then focuses on how life may have originated and evolved on Earth. Building on these two themes, the final section takes the reader on a search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. It presents the latest results of missions to Mars and Titan, and explores the possibilities of life in the ice-covered ocean of Europa. This interdisciplinary book is an enjoyable overview of this exciting field for students and researchers in astrophysics, planetary science, geosciences, biochemistry, and evolutionary biology. Colour versions of some of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521875486.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Final Report of the Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP)

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Final Report of the Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP) PDF Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437980120
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 51

Get Book Here

Book Description


Forging the Future of Space Science

Forging the Future of Space Science PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309215897
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Get Book Here

Book Description
From September 2007 to June 2008 the Space Studies Board conducted an international public seminar series, with each monthly talk highlighting a different topic in space and Earth science. The principal lectures from the series are compiled in Forging the Future of Space Science. The topics of these events covered the full spectrum of space and Earth science research, from global climate change, to the cosmic origins of life, to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, to the scientific research required to support human spaceflight. The prevailing messages throughout the seminar series as demonstrated by the lectures in this book are how much we have accomplished over the past 50 years, how profound are our discoveries, how much contributions from the space program affect our daily lives, and yet how much remains to be done. The age of discovery in space and Earth science is just beginning. Opportunities abound that will forever alter our destiny.

James Webb Space Telescope Update

James Webb Space Telescope Update PDF Author: Terry D Blair
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
"JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE UPDATE" is a comprehensive guide capturing the latest advancements and discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This book delves into the recent findings as of 2024, exploring the JWST's groundbreaking observations and their profound implications in the field of astronomy. Readers will journey through the fascinating insights into the early universe's quasars, the dynamic Beta Pictoris star system, and the enigmatic brown dwarfs. The book also examines the intriguing 'Green Monster' in the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant, a collaborative discovery with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. With detailed analysis, this book is an invaluable resource for enthusiasts and professionals alike, offering a deeper understanding of the universe and the JWST's role in unraveling its mysteries. It is a testament to human ingenuity and a glimpse into the future prospects of space exploration and astrophysics.

Complete Guide to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project - Report on Spacecraft, Instruments and Mirror, Science, Infrared Astronomy, Independent Review Reports, Congressional Hearings

Complete Guide to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Project - Report on Spacecraft, Instruments and Mirror, Science, Infrared Astronomy, Independent Review Reports, Congressional Hearings PDF Author: World Spaceflight News
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781549878213
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 198

Get Book Here

Book Description
Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), currently under construction and planned for launch sometime near 2018, is provided in this unique compilation of official NASA material. There is complete data on the JWST mission, science investigations, instruments and subsystems, unique mirror technology, the L2 orbit, special gyros, sunshield, infrared astronomy science to be obtained by the JWST, plus in-depth coverage of the funding controversy regarding the large cost overruns and schedule delays encountered by the project - with testimony from Congressional hearings, GAO reports, and the report of the Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP) along with NASA's response. Contents: PART 1 - JWST Basic Information: Spacecraft And Science Data, Project Status Updates; PART 2 - GAO Reports On JWST; PART 3 - Independent Comprehensive Review Panel (ICRP) Final Report; PART 4 - December 2011 Congressional Hearings on JWST. Dr. Roger Blandford noted in his testimony: JWST (formerly known as Next Generation Space Telescope) is a 6.5 meter diameter telescope. It is much larger than the Hubble Space Telescope (HST-2.4 meter diameter) and unlike HST, it will observe the universe from near the "second Lagrange Point", roughly four times as far away from the Earth as the moon but along the opposite direction to the sun. It will be protected from the sun by an elaborate sunshield. JWST is an engineering marvel and its 18 beryllium mirrors will be furled up within a rocket for launch and then deployed at its destination. This operation has to work perfectly as there will be no means of servicing it after launch. The principal scientific goals of JWST are bold and exciting and a culmination of nearly fifty years of extraordinary discovery about the universe and our place in it. They are: - to observe the very first stars, galaxies and black holes which formed at a time when the universe was about four percent of its present age - to discover how stars and planets actually form today within our Galaxy - to study planets orbiting nearby cool stars and assess their habitability However, JWST will also operate as an astronomical observatory and many, and perhaps most, areas of astronomy will be transformed by JWST in much the same way as they have been revolutionized by HST. JWST is specialized to observe in the infrared region of the spectrum. This is relevant because, although much light emitted by the most distant galaxies is in the optical and ultraviolet spectral bands, the wavelengths of this light are stretched roughly tenfold through the expansion of the universe into the infrared band, as we push out to greater distance and earlier times. There is a second reason why it is preferred to observe in the infrared and this is that the star-forming regions that will be intensively studied by JWST are filled with tiny grains of dust. These dust grains absorb and scatter optical and ultraviolet light but leave infrared radiation alone, enabling us to see deep inside them at these wavelengths. In addition, the light that is absorbed by dust will be re-emitted at infrared wavelengths and we can also observe the dust itself as a tell-tale tracer of star formation. As well as being the natural successor of HST, JWST is the infrared successor of the much smaller (0.85 meter diameter) Spitzer Space Telescope, with over 50 times the light-gathering ability and 40 times the resolution as well as the Herschel telescope, led by the European Space Agency, which only observes at longer infrared wavelengths than JWST. Given this huge increase in performance over and complementarity to previous telescopes, JWST promises to be a scientific "game changer".

James Webb Space Telescope( JWST)

James Webb Space Telescope( JWST) PDF Author: Ben Hanks
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
This tutorial describes the high-tech construction and scientific capabilities of the Webb infrared telescope in an accessible language The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope developed largely to tackle infrared astronomy. As the greatest optical telescope in space, its greatly enhanced infrared resolution and sensitivity allow it to observe things too old, remote, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. This is designed to enable a broad range of study covering the areas of astronomy and cosmology, such as detection of the first stars and the creation of the earliest galaxies, and full atmospheric characterisation of possible habitation

From Jars to the Stars

From Jars to the Stars PDF Author: Todd Neff
Publisher: Earthview Media
ISBN: 0982958315
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 482

Get Book Here

Book Description
How did a company best known for its glass jars hit a comet 83 million miles away? The answer involves technical expertise, heroic dedication, an industrial giant’s push to modernize, Hitler’s V-2 rocket, speakers destined for a Hall & Oates summer concert tour, and the search for life’s origins. In “From Jars to the Stars: How Ball Came to Build a Comet-Hunting Machine,” award-winning science journalist Todd Neff presents an inside look at the backgrounds and motivations of the men and women who actually create the spacecraft on which the American space program rides. A timeless story of science, engineering, politics and business strategy intertwining to bring success in the brutal business of space, “From Jars to the Stars” is a lively account of one of mankind’s great modern achievements. It is a story about people, foremost those on the Deep Impact mission, which smashed a spacecraft into the comet Tempel 1. “From Jars to the Stars” explores the improbable beginnings of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which built the comet hunter, and the evolution of the American space agency that funded it. The book begins with the story of a group of University of Colorado students who built a “sun seeker” for the noses of sounding rockets studying the home star. The pathbreaking device sparked the creation and development of both Ball Aerospace and the University of Colorado’s formidable Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. “From Jars to the Stars” describes how Ed Ball, president of the Ball Brothers Company of Muncie, Indiana, ended up owning a space business in Boulder, Colorado, through a combination of strategic intent and serendipity. Neff explores the personalities and the technologies behind Ball’s pioneering spacecraft, the Orbiting Solar Observatory launched in 1962. The Ball orbiter prepares the ground for Deep Impact, showing readers how much—and how little—changed across four decades of American space exploration. Neff goes on to show how Ball Aerospace evolved into an organization capable of building seven Hubble Space Telescope instruments as well as the comet hunter at the center of the story. The author describes the development of the American space enterprise as it went from emphasizing big-budget “gigabuck” missions to “faster, better, cheaper” spacecraft of the sort Ball specialized in. Neff pays special mind to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the world leader in interplanetary space exploration and Ball’s partner on Deep Impact. It was often a rocky marriage. Throughout, Neff makes clear that robotic space missions are indeed manned: the people just happen to stay on the ground.

Nasas James Webb Space Telescope

Nasas James Webb Space Telescope PDF Author: United States Government Accountability Office
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781976363030
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 36

Get Book Here

Book Description
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is being designed to explore the origins and nature of the universe. It should allow scientists to look deeper into space-and thus farther back in time-than ever before. The program, however, has experienced cost growth of more than $1 billion and its schedule has slipped nearly 2 years. NASA recently restructured the program and now anticipates a launch no sooner than June 2013. Because of the cost and schedule problems, under the Comptroller General's authority, we reviewed the JWST program to determine the extent to which this procurement follows NASA acquisition policy and GAO best practices for ensuring that adequate product knowledge is used to make informed investment decisions

New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics

New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309157994
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324

Get Book Here

Book Description
Driven by discoveries, and enabled by leaps in technology and imagination, our understanding of the universe has changed dramatically during the course of the last few decades. The fields of astronomy and astrophysics are making new connections to physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science. Based on a broad and comprehensive survey of scientific opportunities, infrastructure, and organization in a national and international context, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics outlines a plan for ground- and space- based astronomy and astrophysics for the decade of the 2010's. Realizing these scientific opportunities is contingent upon maintaining and strengthening the foundations of the research enterprise including technological development, theory, computation and data handling, laboratory experiments, and human resources. New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics proposes enhancing innovative but moderate-cost programs in space and on the ground that will enable the community to respond rapidly and flexibly to new scientific discoveries. The book recommends beginning construction on survey telescopes in space and on the ground to investigate the nature of dark energy, as well as the next generation of large ground-based giant optical telescopes and a new class of space-based gravitational observatory to observe the merging of distant black holes and precisely test theories of gravity. New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics recommends a balanced and executable program that will support research surrounding the most profound questions about the cosmos. The discoveries ahead will facilitate the search for habitable planets, shed light on dark energy and dark matter, and aid our understanding of the history of the universe and how the earliest stars and galaxies formed. The book is a useful resource for agencies supporting the field of astronomy and astrophysics, the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over those agencies, the scientific community, and the public.