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The scope of the book is to give an overview of the history of astroparticle physics, starting with the discovery of cosmic rays (Victor Hess, 1912) and its background (X-ray, radioactivity).
The book focusses on the ways in which physics changes in the course of this history. The following changes run parallel, overlap, and/or interact:
- Discovery of effects like X-rays, radioactivity, cosmic rays, new particles but also progress through non-discoveries (monopoles) etc.
- The change of the description of nature in physics, as consequence of new theoretical questions at the beginning of the 20th century, giving rise to quantum physics, relativity, etc.
- The change of experimental methods, cooperations, disciplinary divisions.
With regard to the latter change, a main topic of the book is to make the specific multi-diciplinary features of astroparticle physics clear.
List of contents
1 Introduction.-.- 2 From the discovery of radioactivity to first accelerator experiments.- 3 Development of Cosmology:From a Static Universe to Accelerated Expansion.- 4 Evolution of Astrophysics5.1 Introduction and General Overview.- 5 Development of Ultra High-Energy Cosmic Ray Research.- 6 Very-High Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy.- 7 Search for the neutrino mass and low energy neutrino astronomy.- 8 From Particle Physics to Astroparticle Physics: Proton Decay and the Rise of Non-Accelerator Physics.- 10 From Waves to Particle Tracks and Quantum Probabilities.- A Timetable.- B Nobel prizes.- C Textbooks.- C.1 Textbooks 1987-2012.- C.2 Textbooks 1962-1986.- C.3 Textbooks 1937-1961.- C.4 Textbooks 1912-1936.- D Books in History of Physics
About the author
Brigitte Falkenburg studierte Physik an der Universität Erlangen, der Technischen Universität Berlin und der Universität Heidelberg, und Philosophie an den Universitäten Bielefeld und Heidelberg. Sie promovierte 1985 zum Dr. phil mit einer Arbeit aus der Naturphilosophie und 1986 zum Dr.rer.nat. auf dem Gebiet der Hochenergiephysik. Seit 1997 ist sie Professorin für Philosophie der Wissenschaft und Technik an der Technischen Universität Dortmund. Sie ist Mitglied in der Académie Internationale de la Philosophie des Sciences , Brüssel, und der European Academy of Science . Zudem ist sie Sprecherin des Arbeitskreises Philosophie der Physik der DPG. Für ihre Arbeit zur Philosophie der Wissenschaft wurde sie mehrfach mit Preisen ausgezeichnet und hat zahlreiche Bücher und Schriften zur Philosophie der Physik, Natur- und Technikphilosophie veröffentlicht.
Summary
The scope of the book is to give an overview of the history of astroparticle physics, starting with the discovery of cosmic rays (Victor Hess, 1912) and its background (X-ray, radioactivity).
The book focusses on the ways in which physics changes in the course of this history. The following changes run parallel, overlap, and/or interact:
- Discovery of effects like X-rays, radioactivity, cosmic rays, new particles but also progress through non-discoveries (monopoles) etc.
- The change of the description of nature in physics, as consequence of new theoretical questions at the beginning of the 20th century, giving rise to quantum physics, relativity, etc.
- The change of experimental methods, cooperations, disciplinary divisions.
With regard to the latter change, a main topic of the book is to make the specific multi-diciplinary features of astroparticle physics clear.
Additional text
From the reviews:
“This book is a collection of ten articles written by expert contributors who describe current work in a technological and historical context. … Each article gives a thorough account and includes many references for further study. … This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the field and a useful supplement to lecture courses. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals.” (M. Dickinson, Choice, Vol. 50 (11), July, 2013)
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From the reviews:
"This book is a collection of ten articles written by expert contributors who describe current work in a technological and historical context. ... Each article gives a thorough account and includes many references for further study. ... This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the field and a useful supplement to lecture courses. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals." (M. Dickinson, Choice, Vol. 50 (11), July, 2013)
