Andre Heck – författare

This book is dedicated to the memory of Gisèle Mersch whose life ended prematurely in June 2002. Back in the 1970s, when few people were using them, Gisèle introduced me to the arcane secrets of then advanced m- tivariate statistical methodologies. I was already involved in more classical statistical studies undertaken at Paris Observatory with Jean Jung: developing and applying maxim- likelihood algorithms to stellar photometric and kinematic data in order to derive absolute luminosities, distances and velocities in the solar neighb- hood. But what could be envisaged with those methodologies was something of another dimension: for the first time, I could really see how to extract information from massive amounts of data without calling for elaborated physical or mechanical theories. Several pioneering applications were developed under Gisèle’s guidance and with her collaboration to study the delicate interface between spect- scopic and photometric data. Thus errors in spectral classifications were investigated as well as predictions of spectral classifications from pho- metric indices (see Heck 1976, Heck et al. 1977, Heck & Mersch 1980 and Mersch & Heck 1980), with very interesting results for the time. Gisèle also took part in studies of period determination algorithms (see Mersch & Heck 1981, Manfroid et al. 1983 and Heck et al. 1985).

StarGuides Plus represents the most comprehensive and accurately validated collection of practical data on organizations involved in astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields. This invaluable reference source (and its companion volume, StarBriefs Plus) should be on the reference shelf of every library, organization or individual with any interest in these areas. The coverage includes relevant universities, scientific committees, institutions, associations, societies, agencies, companies, bibliographic services, data centers, museums, dealers, distributors, funding organizations, journals, manufacturers, meteorological services, national norms & standard institutes, parent associations & societies, publishers, software producers & distributors, and so on. Besides astronomy and associated space sciences, related fields such as aeronautics, aeronomy, astronautics, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, communications, computer sciences, data processing, education, electronics, engineering, energetics, environment, geodesy, geophysics, information handling, management, mathematics, meteorology, optics, physics, remote sensing, and so on, are also covered where appropriate. After some thirty years in continuous compilation, verification and updating, StarGuides Plus currently gathers together some 6,000 entries from 100 countries. The information is presented in a clear, uncluttered manner for direct and easy use.

With about 200,000 entries, StarBriefs Plus represents the most comprehensive and accurately validated collection of abbreviations, acronyms, contractions and symbols within astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields. As such, this invaluable reference source (and its companion volume, StarGuides Plus) should be on the reference shelf of every library, organization or individual with any interest in these areas. Besides astronomy and associated space sciences, related fields such as aeronautics, aeronomy, astronautics, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, communications, computer sciences, data processing, education, electronics, engineering, energetics, environment, geodesy, geophysics, information handling, management, mathematics, meteorology, optics, physics, remote sensing, and so on, are also covered when justified. Terms in common use and/or of general interest have also been included where appropriate.

The first two editions of this book have been very well received by the com­ munity, but so many revisions ofthe Maple system have occurred since then that simply reprinting the out-of-stock book would not do anymore. A ma­ jor revision of the book was inevitable, too. The wording "major revision" must be taken seriously because I not only corrected typographical errors, rephrased text fragments, and updated many examples, but I also rewrote complete chapters and added new material. In particular, the chapter on differential equations now discusses Liesymmetry methods, partial differen­ tial equations, and numerical methods. Linear algebra is based throughout the book on the packages LinearAlgebra and VectorCalculus, which re­ place the deprecated package linalg. Maple users are strongly advised to do their work with the new packages. The chapter on simplification has been updated and expanded; it discusses the use of assumptions in more detail now. Last, but not least, a new chapter on Grabner basis theory and the Groebner package in Maple has been added to the book. It includes many applications of Grabner basis theory. Many of the Maple sessions have been rewritten so that they comply with the most recent version of Maple. As a result of all this work, hardly any section in the book has been left untouched. vi Preface to the Third Edition From the Preface of the Second Edition The first edition ofthis book has been very wellreceived by the community.

Intelligent information Retrieval comprehensively surveys scientific information retrieval, which is characterized by growing convergence of information expressed in varying complementary forms of data - textual, numerical, image, and graphics; by the fundamental transformation which the scientific library is currently being subjected to; and by computer networking which as become an essential element of the research fabric. Intelligent Information Retrieval addresses enabling technologies, so-called `wide area network resource discovery tools'', and the state of the art in astronomy and other sciences. This work is essential reading for astronomers, scientists in related disciplines, and all those involved in information storage and retrieval.

This text reviews the changes brought about in the field of astronomy by the release of the Hipparcos catalogue. Chapters by leading experts detail the various approaches of one of the most challenging cosmological issues: the scale of the universe. After summarizing the contribution of the Hipparcos satellite itself, the volume starts with chapters concerning the primary distance indicators (Classical Cepheids, RR Lyrae stars, Miras, subdwarfs). Then our present knowledge of the distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud is reviewed, as well as extragalactic distance determinations with a group of chapters dedicated to secondary indicators. The role of the microlensing surveys is also presented as well as the up-to-date results of stellar evolution theory, together with a frank admission of their limits.

A review of how astronomical information is handled, made available and tuned to various audiences, including education and public outreach. The information flow in astronomy is illustrated from source (cosmic objects) to end (mankind's knowledge). The contributing authors have done their best to write in a way understandable to readers not necessarily specializing in astronomy, while providing specific detailed information as well as pointers and bibliographical elements. There are also "lessons learned" sections where authors make a critical review of the experience gained.

Providing over 140,000 separate entries, this text collects together abbreviations, acronyms, contractions and symbols within astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields. Included are separate sections devoted to Greek letters, mathematical symbols and special signs and characters. Besides astronomy and space sciences, related fields such as: aeronautics; aeronomy; astronautics; atmospheric sciences; chemistry; communications; computer sciences; data processing; education; electronics; engineering; energetics; environmental; geodesy; geophysics; information handling; management; mathematics; meteorology; optics; physics; remote sensing and so on.

This volume offers a collection of chapters dealing with socio-dynamical aspects of the astronomy (and related space sciences) community. Examples include: characteristics of organizations, publication studies, research indicators, space science planning, research communication, and public outreach. The experts contributing to this book aim to provide specific detailed information in an accessible way. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography of publications related to socio-astronomy and to the interactions of the astronomy community with society at large.

This is the second volume under the title "Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy" (OSA). These books are intended to cover a large range of fields and themes: in practice, they aim to consider all aspects of astronomy-related life and environment in the spirit of sharing specific expertise and lessons learned. The book offers a collection of chapters dealing with socio-dynamical aspects of the astronomy (and related space sciences) community: characteristics of organizations, operational techniques, strategies for development, conference series, co-ordination policies, observing practicalities, computing strategies, sociology of large collaborations, publications studies, research indicators, research communication, public outreach, creativity in arts and sciences, and so on. The text aims to be accessible to those not necessarily hyperspecialized in astronomy, while providing specific detailed information and sometimes enlightening "lessons learned" sections. The book concludes with an updated bibliography of publications related to socio-astronomy and to the interactions of the astronomy community with the society at large.

This is the third volume under the title "Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy" (OSA). These OSA books are intended to cover a large range of fields and themes. In practice, all aspects of astronomy-related life and environment are considered in the spirit of sharing specific expertise and lessons learned. This text offers a collection of chapters dealing with socio-dynamical aspects of the astronomy (and related space sciences) community: characteristics of organizations, strategies for development, operational techniques, observing practicalities, educational policies, public outreach, journal and magazine profiles, publication studies, sociology of large collaborations, research communication, evaluation procedures, quality assurance, research indicators, national specificities, contemporary history and so on. The experts contributing to this book have done their best to write in a way understandable to readers not necessarily hyperspecialized in astronomy, while providing specific detailed information and sometimes enlightening "lessons learned" sections.The book concludes with an updated bibliography of publications related to socio-astronomy and to the interactions of the astronomy community with the society at large.

This volume offers a unique review of how astronomical information handling (in the broad sense) evolved during the course of the 20th century, and especially during its second half. It is a natural complement to the book "Information Handling in Astronomy" published in the same series. The scope of these two volumes includes not only dealing with professional astronomical data from the collecting instruments (ground-based and space-borne) to the users / researchers, but also publishing, education and public outreach. In short, the information flow in astronomy is thus illustrated from sources (cosmic objects) to end (mankind's knowledge). The experts contributing to this book have done their best to write in a way understandable to readers not necessarily hyperspecialized in astronomy while providing specific detailed information, as well as plenty of pointers and bibliographic elements. Especially enlightening are some "lessons learned" sections.

Astronomyhasalwaysbeenoneoftheeasiestofthesciencestoconveyto the public. That is partly because it produces spectacular pictures that can be explained (at least in part) and admired, partly because understanding of astronomy usually does not depend upon a knowledge of a complex cl- si?cation system or esoteric terminology, and partly because its extremes in distances and times challenge our imagination and philosophies. Most scientists enjoy sharing with others the discoveries made by th- selves and their colleagues. The primary purpose of scienti?c research is to discover, to learn, and to understand. When we succeed, we enjoy sh- ing that understanding. Education is most pleasurable when our audience wishes to learn and we have something important to convey. A?eldthatdoesnotcommunicatee?ectivelywiththepublicsoonlooses its interest and support. Author Andr´ e Heck explains the many di?erent ways in which professional communication now occurs while Leslie Sage explains how such communication should be done. Astronomy done with spacecraft and large equipment is very expensive and the funds for those ultimately come from the public. The cost of astronomy prorated over the number of research astronomers is perhaps the highest in all the sciences. If astronomers do not share their results with the public, they will loose its support. However, for most astronomers the desire to share and educate dominates over the pragmatic need to win public support. With the advent of new communication techniques (television, videos, CDs, DVDs, animation, simulations) we have new methods to commu- cate, in addition to the conventional ones of the printed and spoken word.

This book offers a unique collection of chapters dealing with socio-dynamical aspects of the astronomy (and related space sciences) community: characteristics of organizations, society activities, strategies for development, operational techniques, observing practicalities, environmental constraints, educational policies, public outreach, journal and magazine profiles, publication studies, electronic-media problematics, research communication, evaluation and selection procedures, research indicators, national policies and specificities, expertise sharing, contemporary history, and so on.

When working in the highly technical fields of astronomy and the related space sciences, the practitioner is constantly confronted with a baffling array of different abbreviations, acronyms, contractions and symbols. The identification and differentiation of these terms is a task which, all too often, can prove to be a near impossible one. With about 200,000 entries, StarBriefs Plus represents the most comprehensive and accurately validated collection of abbreviations, acronyms, contractions and symbols within astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields. As such, this invaluable reference source (and its companion volume, StarGuides Plus) should be on the reference shelf of every library, organization or individual with any interest in these areas. Besides astronomy and associated space sciences, related fields such as aeronautics, aeronomy, astronautics, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, communications, computer sciences, data processing, education, electronics, engineering, energetics, environment, geodesy, geophysics, information handling, management, mathematics, meteorology, optics, physics, remote sensing, and so on, are also covered when justified. Terms in com

StarGuides Plus represents the most comprehensive and accurately validated collection of practical data on organizations involved in astronomy, related space sciences and other related fields. This invaluable reference source (and its companion volume, StarBriefs Plus) should be on the reference shelf of every library, organization or individual with any interest in these areas. The coverage includes relevant universities, scientific committees, institutions, associations, societies, agencies, companies, bibliographic services, data centers, museums, dealers, distributors, funding organizations, journals, manufacturers, meteorological services, national norms & standard institutes, parent associations & societies, publishers, software producers & distributors, and so on. Besides astronomy and associated space sciences, related fields such as aeronautics, aeronomy, astronautics, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, communications, computer sciences, data processing, education, electronics, engineering, energetics, environment, geodesy, geophysics, information handling, management, mathematics, meteorology, optics, physics, remote sensing, and so on, are also covered where appropriate. A

Anyone who doubts that astronomy is enjoying a golden age has only to browse the pages of Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy, Vol. 5. Our golden age is defined not only by the enormity of new discoveries of dark energy, dark matter, extra-solar planets, and the evolution of Mars, but also by the breadth, diversity, and creativity within our community. This volume records our history, in a period of such rapid change and growth that individual astronomers are hard-pressed to keep abreast of their own fields and neighborhoods, much less of developments world-wide. Since the 1950's, changes in the landscape of astronomy are manifold. We have witnessed two epochs of big telescope construction, the 4-meter class telescopes of the '60s and '70s and the 8-to lO-meter class telescopes of the '90s, continuing through today. We accomplished the transition from photographic to digital data, and we continue to improve the size and sen­ sitivity of astronomical detectors. We have witnessed the flowering of radio astronomy and the opening of the full electromagnetic spectrum through space astronomy. We have seen the growth of national and international astronomy facilities, and a dramatic broadening of the accessibility of data, both through observing facilities available through open competition based on scientific merit and through deep, rich archives of data.

Anyone who doubts that astronomy is enjoying a golden age has only to browse the pages of Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy, Vol. 5. Our golden age is defined not only by the enormity of new discoveries of dark energy, dark matter, extra-solar planets, and the evolution of Mars, but also by the breadth, diversity, and creativity within our community. This volume records our history, in a period of such rapid change and growth that individual astronomers are hard-pressed to keep abreast of their own fields and neighborhoods, much less of developments world-wide. Since the 1950''s, changes in the landscape of astronomy are manifold. We have witnessed two epochs of big telescope construction, the 4-meter class telescopes of the ''60s and ''70s and the 8-to lO-meter class telescopes of the ''90s, continuing through today. We accomplished the transition from photographic to digital data, and we continue to improve the size and sen­ sitivity of astronomical detectors. We have witnessed the flowering of radio astronomy and the opening of the full electromagnetic spectrum through space astronomy. We have seen the growth of national and international astronomy facilities, and a dramatic broadening of the accessibility of data, both through observing facilities available through open competition based on scientific merit and through deep, rich archives of data.

Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory is quite an interesting place for historians: several changes of nationality between France and Germany, high-profile scientists having been based there, big projects born or installed within its walls, and so on.Most of the documents circulating on the history of the Observatory and on related matters have however been so far poorly referenced, if at all. This made necessary the compilation of a volume such as this one, offering fully-documented historical facts and references on the first decades of the Observatory history, authored by both French and German specialists.The experts contributing to this book have done their best to write in a way understandable to readers not necessarily hyperspecialized in astronomy nor in the details of European history.Several appendices conclude the book: lists of council members and of Observatory scientific personnel, as well as a compendium of the institutional publications until the year 2000.

When I wasa child, growing up in South America,I often went camping in the wild and hence had direct access to the wondrous Southern sky; the Southern Cross was all mine at the time. Little did I know then that the study of the sky would take such a huge importance in my life, and that in the end astronomy and astrophysics would in many ways become my country and my religion. I have lived in several di?erent countries, and when asked my nationality, I am always very tempted to reply: astronomer. I started as a theorist, and my only dream in my youth was to spend nights thinking and calculating, with paper and pencil, and to have the impression by dawn that I had understood something new. So at the time astronomy was seen or dreamt by me as a solitary endeavour, with periodic encounters with my wise adviser and professors; it is this model that I adopted when doing my PhD work. My generation has lived through many revolutions of all kinds. Those in astronomy, I believe, remain particularly remarkable, and I am a true product of them. Now, I elect to live and work in large organizations, and to share my endeavours with many people. And I relish the series of Andr´ e Heck on Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy, which help us recover our memories, reconstitute our own story, and read with glee about our neighbouring or far-away colleagues.

When I wasa child, growing up in South America,I often went camping in the wild and hence had direct access to the wondrous Southern sky; the Southern Cross was all mine at the time. Little did I know then that the study of the sky would take such a huge importance in my life, and that in the end astronomy and astrophysics would in many ways become my country and my religion. I have lived in several di?erent countries, and when asked my nationality, I am always very tempted to reply: astronomer. I started as a theorist, and my only dream in my youth was to spend nights thinking and calculating, with paper and pencil, and to have the impression by dawn that I had understood something new. So at the time astronomy was seen or dreamt by me as a solitary endeavour, with periodic encounters with my wise adviser and professors; it is this model that I adopted when doing my PhD work. My generation has lived through many revolutions of all kinds. Those in astronomy, I believe, remain particularly remarkable, and I am a true product of them. Now, I elect to live and work in large organizations, and to share my endeavours with many people. And I relish the series of Andr´ e Heck on Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy, which help us recover our memories, reconstitute our own story, and read with glee about our neighbouring or far-away colleagues.

Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime–fromthe big bang to in?nity –, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation’sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.

Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime–fromthe big bang to in?nity –, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation’sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.

The first two editions of this book have been very well received by the com­ munity, but so many revisions ofthe Maple system have occurred since then that simply reprinting the out-of-stock book would not do anymore. A ma­ jor revision of the book was inevitable, too. The wording "major revision" must be taken seriously because I not only corrected typographical errors, rephrased text fragments, and updated many examples, but I also rewrote complete chapters and added new material. In particular, the chapter on differential equations now discusses Liesymmetry methods, partial differen­ tial equations, and numerical methods. Linear algebra is based throughout the book on the packages LinearAlgebra and VectorCalculus, which re­ place the deprecated package linalg. Maple users are strongly advised to do their work with the new packages. The chapter on simplification has been updated and expanded; it discusses the use of assumptions in more detail now. Last, but not least, a new chapter on Grabner basis theory and the Groebner package in Maple has been added to the book. It includes many applications of Grabner basis theory. Many of the Maple sessions have been rewritten so that they comply with the most recent version of Maple. As a result of all this work, hardly any section in the book has been left untouched. vi Preface to the Third Edition From the Preface of the Second Edition The first edition ofthis book has been very wellreceived by the community.

The first two editions of this book have been very well received by the com­ munity, but so many revisions ofthe Maple system have occurred since then that simply reprinting the out-of-stock book would not do anymore. A ma­ jor revision of the book was inevitable, too. The wording "major revision" must be taken seriously because I not only corrected typographical errors, rephrased text fragments, and updated many examples, but I also rewrote complete chapters and added new material. In particular, the chapter on differential equations now discusses Liesymmetry methods, partial differen­ tial equations, and numerical methods. Linear algebra is based throughout the book on the packages LinearAlgebra and VectorCalculus, which re­ place the deprecated package linalg. Maple users are strongly advised to do their work with the new packages. The chapter on simplification has been updated and expanded; it discusses the use of assumptions in more detail now. Last, but not least, a new chapter on Grabner basis theory and the Groebner package in Maple has been added to the book. It includes many applications of Grabner basis theory. Many of the Maple sessions have been rewritten so that they comply with the most recent version of Maple. As a result of all this work, hardly any section in the book has been left untouched. vi Preface to the Third Edition From the Preface of the Second Edition The first edition ofthis book has been very wellreceived by the community.

The first edition of this book has been very well received by the community. The new version 4 of Maple V contains so many new mathematical features and improvements in the user interface that Waterloo Maple Inc. markets it as "the Power Edition. " These two facts have made it necessary to write a second edition within a short period of the first. I corrected typographical errors, rephrased text, updated and improved many examples, and added much new material. Hardly any chapter has been left untouched. Substan­ tially changed or added sections and chapters address the assume facility, I/O, approximation theory, integration, composite data types, simplifica­ tion, graphics, differential equations, and matrix algebra. Tables summa­ rize features, command options, etc. , and constitute a quick reference. The enlarged index of the book has been carefully compiled to make locating search items quick and easy. Many new examples have been included show­ ing how to use Maple as a problem solver, how to assist the system during computations, and how to extend its built-in facilities. About the Maple Version Used The second edition of this book is fully revised and updated to Maple V Release 4. More precisely, the second edition of this book was produced with Maple V Release 4, beta 3 on a SUN SPARCstation 20, Model 71. There should be hardly any difference between this beta version and the final release; only minor differences in the user interface are not excluded.

In symbolic computation on computers, also known as computer algebra, keyboard and display replace the traditional pencil and paper in doing mathematical computations. Interactive computer programs, which are called computer algebra systems, allow their users to compute not only with numbers, but also with symbols, formulae, equations, and so on. Many mathematical computations such as differentiation, integration, and series expansion of functions, and inversion of matrices with symbolic entries, can be carried out quickly, with emphasis on exactness of results, and without much human effort. Computer algebra systems are powerful tools for mathematicians, physicists, chemists, engineers, technicians, psychologists, sociologists, ... , in short, for anybody who needs to do mathematical computations. Com­ puter algebra systems are indispensable in modern pure and applied scien­ tific research and education. This book is a gentle introduction to one of the modern computer algebra systems, viz., Maple. Primary emphasis is on learning what can be done with Maple and how it can be used to solve (applied) mathematical problems. To this end, the book contains many examples and exercises, both elementary and more sophisticated. They stimulate you to use Maple and encourage you to find your way through the system. An advice: read this book in conjunction with the Maple system, try the examples, make variations of them, and try to solve the exercises.

''Fractal geometry addressesitselfto questions that many people have been asking themselves. It con­ cerns an aspect of Nature that almost everybody had been conscious of, but could not address in a formal fashion. '' ''Fractal geometry seems to be the proper language to describe the complezity of many very compli­ cated shapes around us. '' (Mandelbrot, 1990a) ''I believe that fractals respond to a profound un­ easiness in man. '' (Mandelbrot, 1990b) The catchword fractal, ever since it was coined by Mandelbrot (1975) to refer to a class of abstract mathematical objects that were already known at the turn ofthe 19th century, has found an unprecedented resonance both inside and outside the scientific community. Fractal concepts, far more than the concepts of catastrophe theory introduced a few years earlier, are currently being applied not only in the physical sciences, but also in biology and medicine (Goldberger and West 1987). In the mid-eighties, Kadanoff (1986) asked the question: ''Why all the fuss about /ractals''! ''. He offered a twofold answer: in the first place, it is ''because of the practical, technological importance of fractal objects''. Indeed he emphasised the relevance of these structures for materials scientists and oil drilling engineers, in search of structures with novel properties, or models for the flow of oil through the soil. His second answer was: ''Because of the intellectual interest of fractals ''.