The Solar System

by Encrenaz, Therese; Bibring, Jean-Pierre; Blanc, Michel; Barucci, Marie-Antonietta; Roques, Francoise; Zarka, Philippe

• ISBN13: 9783540002413
• ISBN10: 3540002413
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

This text treats our knowledge of the solar system from an astrophysical point of view. Part 1 deals with the formation of the solar system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium. Part 2 presents its various objects: planets and satellites, asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects and interplanetary dust. The final sections on extrasolar planetary systems and on the search for life in the Universe round off an introduction to a field that has grown dramatically following the space missions of the last twenty years. Over the last decade many exciting observations have helped to reshape our understanding of the solar system and planetary science. In the third corrected and revised edition of this classic on the astrophysics of our solar system, students and lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet observers will find a mine of up-to-date information.

Table of Contents

1 General Features of the Solar System	1	(42)
1.1 Mechanics and Dynamics of the Solar System	5	(17)
1.1.1 Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation	5	(2)
1.1.2 Kepler's Laws	7	(3)
1.1.3 The Titius-Bode 'Law'	10	(1)
1.1.4 Resonances	11	(3)
1.1.5 Gravity in a Solid Body: Shape and Tidal Effects	14	(1)
1.1.6 The Roche Limit	15	(2)
1.1.7 Collisions	17	(1)
1.1.8 The N-body Problem	18	(1)
1.1.9 Long-Term Evolution of the Solar System	19	(1)
1.1.10 Specific Configurations in the Earth-Moon System: Eclipses	20	(2)
1.2 Physics of the Solar System	22	(21)
1.2.1 Thermal Radiation and Reflected Solar Radiation	23	(3)
1.2.2 Planets	26	(4)
1.2.3 Satellites	30	(1)
1.2.4 Rings	31	(1)
1.2.5 Asteroids	32	(1)
1.2.6 Comets	33	(2)
1.2.7 Trans-Neptunian Objects	35	(1)
1.2.8 The Interplanetary Medium	35	(8)
2 The Solar System Within the Universe	43	(16)
2.1 Distance Scales	43	(5)
2.2 Primordial Nucleosynthesis in the Big Bang	48	(1)
2.3 Life and Death of the Stars	49	(1)
2.4 Stellar Nucleosynthesis	49	(2)
2.5 The First Stages of Stellar Formation	51	(2)
2.6 The Interstellar Medium	53	(6)
3 Methods of Studying the Solar System	59	(20)
3.1 The Determination of Geometrical and Physical Parameters	59	(3)
3.1.1 Determining Distances	59	(1)
3.1.2 Determining Diameters	60	(1)
3.1.3 Determining Masses	61	(1)
3.1.4 Determining Periods of Rotation	62	(1)
3.2 Physical and Chemical Analysis of Gas and Dust Particles	62	(10)
3.2.1 Analysis of Radiation by Remote Sensing Spectroscopy	62	(6)
3.2.2 Analysis of Radiation as a Function of Phase Angle	68	(1)
3.2.3 Analysis of the Thermal Structure of an Atmosphere by the Stellar Occultation Method	68	(1)
3.2.4 In-Situ Analysis	68	(4)
3.3 The Analysis of Plasma and Magnetic Fields	72	(7)
3.3.1 Observations from the Ground	72	(1)
3.3.2 Observations from Space	73	(6)
4 The Formation of the Solar System	79	(26)
4.1 The History of Models of the Solar System's Formation	79	(3)
4.1.1 The Copernican Model	79	(1)
4.1.2 Different Classes of Models: From the 15th to the 20th Century	80	(2)
4.2 The Observations	82	(6)
4.3 The Emergence of a 'Standard Model'	88	(14)
4.3.1 The Gaseous Protoplanet (or Massive Disk) Model	88	(1)
4.3.2 The 'Standard Model'	89	(1)
4.3.3 The Chronology of Events	89	(13)
4.4 Comparison with Other Systems	102	(3)
4.4.1 Stellar Environments	102	(1)
4.4.2 Extrasolar Planets	103	(2)
5 The Interaction of Solar-System Bodies with the Interplanetary Medium	105	(78)
5.1 The Interplanetary Plasma: Solar Wind and Coronal Expansion	106	(14)
5.1.1 Coronal Expansion	106	(4)
5.1.2 The Large-Scale Structure of the Heliosphere in the Plane of the Ecliptic	110	(1)
5.1.3 The Three-dimensional Structure of the Heliosphere	111	(3)
5.1.4 Transient Structures in the Solar Wind	114	(3)
5.1.5 The Interaction of the Heliosphere with the Interstellar Medium	117	(3)
5.2 The Outer Gaseous Envelopes of the Planets: Thermospheres and Ionospheres	120	(22)
5.2.1 The Structure of the Neutral Upper Atmosphere	122	(8)
5.2.2 The Structure and Dynamics of Ionospheric Layers	130	(12)
5.3 Interaction of the Solar Wind with Solar-System Objects	142	(41)
5.3.1 The Different Types of Interaction	142	(2)
5.3.2 Interaction of the Solar Wind with Non-magnetic Gaseous Envelopes: Case (b)	144	(8)
5.3.3 Interaction of the Solar Wind with Magnetized Planets: Case (d)	152	(16)
5.3.4 The 'Auroral' Radio Emissions of Planetary Magnetospheres	168	(15)
6 The Terrestrial Planets and Their Satellites	183	(80)
6.1 Mercury	184	(7)
6.1.1 Orbital Parameters and Macroscopic Properties	185	(1)
6.1.2 Mercury's Exosphere and Polar Regions	185	(1)
6.1.3 The Interior of Mercury and Its Magnetic Field	186	(1)
6.1.4 Mercury's Surface	186	(3)
6.1.5 Mercury's Magnetosphere	189	(2)
6.2 Venus	191	(15)
6.2.1 The Observation of Venus	191	(3)
6.2.2 Orbital Parameters and Overall Properties	194	(1)
6.2.3 The Surface and Interior of Venus	194	(5)
6.2.4 The Atmosphere of Venus	199	(7)
6.3 The Earth	206	(19)
6.3.1 Orbital Characteristics	207	(1)
6.3.2 Internal Structure	208	(2)
6.3.3 Plate Tectonics	210	(7)
6.3.4 The Earth's Magnetic Field	217	(2)
6.3.5 The Present-Day Atmosphere	219	(3)
6.3.6 The Terrestrial Climate and the Atmospheric Circulation	222	(3)
6.4 The Moon	225	(12)
6.4.1 Telescopic Observation of the Moon	226	(1)
6.4.2 Observations from Spacecraft	227	(5)
6.4.3 Analysis of Samples in the Laboratory	232	(2)
6.4.4 The Origin of the Moon	234	(1)
6.4.5 The Earth-Moon System	235	(2)
6.5 Mars	237	(22)
6.5.1 Observation of Mars	237	(2)
6.5.2 Orbital Parameters, Overall Physical Properties and Internal Structure	239	(1)
6.5.3 Geological Formations	239	(5)
6.5.4 The Composition of the Martian Surface	244	(4)
6.5.5 The Atmosphere of Mars	248	(6)
6.5.6 Comparative Studies of the Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets	254	(4)
6.5.7 The Search for Fossil Life on Mars	258	(1)
6.6 Phobos and Deimos	259	(4)
7 The Asteroids	263	(20)
7.1 Orbital Characteristics	264	(4)
7.2 The Physical Nature of the Asteroids	268	(3)
7.3 The Chemical and Mineralogical Composition of Asteroids	271	(4)
7.4 Recent Results from Spaceprobe Observations	275	(3)
7.5 The Origin and Evolution of Asteroids	278	(2)
7.6 The Interaction Between Asteroids and the Solar Wind	280	(3)
8 The Giant Planets	283	(66)
8.1 Introduction	283	(2)
8.2 The Neutral Atmosphere of the Giant Planets	285	(33)
8.2.1 The Thermal Structure	287	(3)
8.2.2 Cloud Structure	290	(9)
8.2.3 Molecular Abundances	299	(2)
8.2.4 The Abundance Ratios of Elements and Isotopes	301	(10)
8.2.5 The Upper Atmospheres of the Giant Planets	311	(7)
8.3 The Internal Structure of the Giant Planets	318	(7)
8.3.1 The Experimental Data	318	(2)
8.3.2 Modelling the Internal-Energy State	320	(5)
8.4 The Magnetic Fields and Magnetospheres of the Giant Planets	325	(24)
8.4.1 Jupiter's Magnetic Field	327	(3)
8.4.2 The Structure of Jupiter's Magnetosphere	330	(2)
8.4.3 The Dynamics of Jupiter's Magnetosphere	332	(10)
8.4.4 The Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere of Saturn	342	(4)
8.4.5 The Magnetic Fields of Uranus and Neptune	346	(3)
9 Titan	349	(14)
9.1 The Neutral Atmosphere of Titan	349	(5)
9.1.1 The Chemical Composition of the Atmosphere	349	(3)
9.1.2 The D/H Ratio in Titan's Atmosphere	352	(1)
9.1.3 Thermal Structure of the Atmosphere	353	(1)
9.1.4 Aerosols and Clouds	354	(1)
9.2 Titan's Upper Atmosphere	354	(4)
9.2.1 Composition and Structure of the Upper Atmosphere	354	(1)
9.2.2 Interaction with the Magnetosphere	355	(1)
9.2.3 The Aeronomy of Titan and the Formation of Complex Molecules	356	(2)
9.3 The Surface and Interior of Titan	358	(3)
9.3.1 The Surface of Titan	358	(1)
9.3.2 The Interior of Titan	359	(2)
9.4 Titan's Interaction with Saturn's Magnetosphere	361	(2)
10 Bodies Without Atmospheres in the Outer Solar System	363	(1)
10.1 The Satellites of the Giant Planets	363	(36)
10.1.1 The Satellites of Jupiter	363	(12)
10.1.2 The Satellites of Saturn	375	(4)
10.1.3 The Satellites of Uranus	379	(2)
10.1.4 The Satellites of Neptune	381	(3)
10.2 Pluto and Charon	384	(1)
10.2.1 Historical	384	(1)
10.2.2 Exploration of the Pluto-Charon System	384	(1)
10.2.3 Pluto: Atmosphere and Surface	385	(2)
10.2.4 Charon	387	(1)
10.2.5 The Origin of the Pluto-Charon Pair	387	(1)
10.3 The Rings of the Giant Planets	388	(1)
10.3.1 The Formation of Planetary Rings	388	(2)
10.3.2 Jupiter's Rings	390	(2)
10.3.3 Saturn's Rings	392	(3)
10.3.4 The Rings of Uranus	395	(1)
10.3.5 Neptune's Rings	395	(4)
11 Comets	399	(1)
11.1 The Nomenclature of Comets	400	(1)
11.2 The Orbits of Comets and the Problem of Their Origin	400	(7)
11.3 Measuring the Brightness of Comets	407	(2)
11.4 The Physics of Comets	409	(24)
11.4.1 The Nucleus	411	(5)
11.4.2 The Coma	416	(8)
11.4.3 The Cometary Dust	424	(3)
11.4.4 Cometary Material and the Interstellar Medium	427	(1)
11.5 The Interaction of Comets with the Solar Wind	428	(5)
12 New Frontiers	433	(1)
12.1 Introduction	433	(1)
12.2 The Discovery of Distant Objects	433	(2)
12.3 Orbital Characteristics of the Trans-Neptunian Objects	435	(1)
12.4 The Centaurs	436	(1)
12.5 Physical Properties and Composition	437	(6)
13 Interplanetary Dust, Micrometeorites and Meteorites	443	(1)
13.1 Introduction	443	(1)
13.2 The Mass Distribution	444	(2)
13.3 The Spatial Distribution of Interplanetary Material	446	(3)
13.4 Meteorites	449	(14)
13.4.1 Classification	450	(1)
13.4.2 The Origin of Meteorites	451	(1)
13.4.3 Martian Meteorites	452	(1)
13.4.4 The Chemical Composition of Meteorites	453	(1)
13.4.5 The Isotopic Composition of Meteorites	454	(4)
13.4.6 Isotopic Anomalies and the Origin of the Solar System	458	(3)
13.5 Collecting Cometary Material	461	(2)
14 New Planetar Systems	463	(1)
14.1 Introduction	463	(1)
14.2 The Limits of the Planetary Domain	463	(1)
14.3 Circumstellar Disks	464	(23)
14.3.1 Beta Pictoris	464	(1)
14.3.2 Other Circumstellar Disks	465	(1)
14.4 Extrasolar Planets	465	(1)
14.4.1 Two Stages: 1992 and 1995	465	(1)
14.4.2 Search Methods	466	(5)
14.4.3 The Range of Extrasolar Planets	471	(3)
14.5 Knowledge Acquired and Remaining Questions	474	(1)
14.5.1 The Outcome of the Observations	474	(4)
14.5.2 Theoretical Questions Posed by the Initial Discoveries	478	(3)
14.5.3 Some Observational Projects	481	(3)
14.6 Conclusions	484	(3)
15 The Search for Life in the Universe	487	(1)
15.1 What Is Life?	488	(1)
15.2 The Laboratory Experiments	489	(1)
15.3 The Search for Life in the Solar System	489	(8)
15.3.1 The Analysis of Lunar Samples	490	(1)
15.3.2 Meteorites, Micrometeorites, and Comets	490	(1)
15.3.3 Mars	490	(2)
15.3.4 The Giant Planets	492	(1)
15.3.5 Europa	492	(1)
15.3.6 Titan	493	(1)
15.4 Possibilities for Life in the Universe	493	(1)
15.4.1 What Is the Likelihood of Life Existing in the Universe?	494	(1)
15.4.2 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life	494	(3)
References	497	(6)
Index	503