Nicolas Thomas – författare

Written by a leading expert on comets, this textbook is divided into seven main elements with a view to allowing advanced students to appreciate the interconnections between the different elements. The author opens with a brief introductory segment on the motivation for studying comets and the overall scope of the book. The first chapter describes fundamental aspects most usually addressed by ground-based observation. The author then looks at the basic physical phenomena in four separate chapters addressing the nucleus, the emitted gas, the emitted dust, and the solar wind interaction. Each chapter introduces the basic physics and chemistry but then new specific measurements by Rosetta instruments at comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko are brought in. A concerted effort has been made to distinguish between established fact and conjecture. Deviations and inconsistencies are brought out and their significance explained. Links to previous observations of comets Tempel 1, Wild 2, Hartley 2, Halley and others are made. The author then closes with three smaller chapters on related objects, the loss of comets, and prospects for future exploration. This textbook includes over 275 graphics and figures – most of which are original. Thorough explanations and derivations are included throughout the chapters. The text is therefore designed to support MSc. students and new PhD students in the field wanting to gain a solid overview of the state-of-the-art.

Written by a leading expert on comets, this textbook is divided into seven main elements with a view to allowing advanced students to appreciate the interconnections between the different elements. The author opens with a brief introductory segment on the motivation for studying comets and the overall scope of the book. The first chapter describes fundamental aspects most usually addressed by ground-based observation. The author then looks at the basic physical phenomena in four separate chapters addressing the nucleus, the emitted gas, the emitted dust, and the solar wind interaction. Each chapter introduces the basic physics and chemistry but then new specific measurements by Rosetta instruments at comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko are brought in. A concerted effort has been made to distinguish between established fact and conjecture. Deviations and inconsistencies are brought out and their significance explained. Links to previous observations of comets Tempel 1, Wild 2, Hartley 2, Halley and others are made. The author then closes with three smaller chapters on related objects, the loss of comets, and prospects for future exploration. This textbook includes over 275 graphics and figures – most of which are original. Thorough explanations and derivations are included throughout the chapters. The text is therefore designed to support MSc. students and new PhD students in the field wanting to gain a solid overview of the state-of-the-art.

The study of the Solar system, particularly of its newly discovered outer parts, is one of the hottest topics in modern astrophysics with great potential for revealing fundamental clues about the origin of planets and even the emergence of life.The three lecturers of the 35th Saas-Fee Advanced Course cover the field from observational, theoretical and numerical perspectives. Highly sensitive, wide-field electronic detectors have enabled the discovery and the exploration of the Kuiper Belt, while fast computers allow for numerical simulations to be made with a degree of sophistication previously unimaginable. Additionally, the perception of the Solar system in the bigger context of the galactic disk is changing, particularly as planets encircling other stars are detected. This volume, reviewing what is known about the Solar system, is therefore extremely timely, and the style it is written in conveys the excitement this field of research holds.

The study of the Solar system, particularly of its newly discovered outer parts, is one of the hottest topics in modern astrophysics with great potential for revealing fundamental clues about the origin of planets and even the emergence of life.The three lecturers of the 35th Saas-Fee Advanced Course cover the field from observational, theoretical and numerical perspectives. Highly sensitive, wide-field electronic detectors have enabled the discovery and the exploration of the Kuiper Belt, while fast computers allow for numerical simulations to be made with a degree of sophistication previously unimaginable. Additionally, the perception of the Solar system in the bigger context of the galactic disk is changing, particularly as planets encircling other stars are detected. This volume, reviewing what is known about the Solar system, is therefore extremely timely, and the style it is written in conveys the excitement this field of research holds.

The study of the Solar system, particularly of its newly discovered outer parts, is one of the hottest topics in modern astrophysics with great potential for revealing fundamental clues about the origin of planets and even the emergence of life.The three lecturers of the 35th Saas-Fee Advanced Course cover the field from observational, theoretical and numerical perspectives. Highly sensitive, wide-field electronic detectors have enabled the discovery and the exploration of the Kuiper Belt, while fast computers allow for numerical simulations to be made with a degree of sophistication previously unimaginable. Additionally, the perception of the Solar system in the bigger context of the galactic disk is changing, particularly as planets encircling other stars are detected. This volume, reviewing what is known about the Solar system, is therefore extremely timely, and the style it is written in conveys the excitement this field of research holds.

This book gives a status report on where we stand today in studies of cometary nuclei and their immediate environment. The papers were derived from a Horizon 2020 project called MiARD (Multi-instrument Analysis of Rosetta Data), which was designed to use multiple datasets from the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to place further constraints on the properties of the nucleus of the comet and its immediate environment.The individual chapters are the result of a significant effort by leading researchers to establish clear statements on what we know from current cometary data. Based on a workshop held in 2018 at the International Space Sciences Institute, the book focuses on the nucleus itself and the relationship between the surface properties and the observed outgassing. Additionally, it makes a first critical assessment of the Rosetta dataset, establishing what would be an appropriate next step in cometary research.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Comets: Post 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko Perspectives”

This book gives a status report on where we stand today in studies of cometary nuclei and their immediate environment. The papers were derived from a Horizon 2020 project called MiARD (Multi-instrument Analysis of Rosetta Data), which was designed to use multiple datasets from the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to place further constraints on the properties of the nucleus of the comet and its immediate environment.The individual chapters are the result of a significant effort by leading researchers to establish clear statements on what we know from current cometary data. Based on a workshop held in 2018 at the International Space Sciences Institute, the book focuses on the nucleus itself and the relationship between the surface properties and the observed outgassing. Additionally, it makes a first critical assessment of the Rosetta dataset, establishing what would be an appropriate next step in cometary research.Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Comets: Post 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko Perspectives”

A story about an optimistic young man that eventually loses everything as a result of the dissolution of a Fortune 1000 corporation. 401K, IRA, home, and nearly life itself. Standing alone fighting some of the top executives.  It takes twenty years to get there and another twenty years to get from there. It describes power games of executives and survival games of employees. And how both contribute to the downfall. It is about Yankees and Texans, "e;Big Dogs"e; and "e;peons,"e; corruption and integrity, deception and honesty. It is about certainty and uncertainty and the destructive nature of silence. I decided to deny, argue, debate, disagree, and challenge everything. If I wasn't going to get recognition when I should have, then I'd give them reason not to. With this written response to my review, my insubordination was now on paper. I was proud that I was the only one to not receive a raise. It told me that they were really angry because they lost their little game. That was the best reward I could have received. I had come to feel that the worst statement of my worthiness would be if they thought I was worthy. Things were becoming seriously nasty. Corporations and Big Dogs are at fundamental odds. If everyone were working on their careers instead of just working, no work would get done. Corporations need these people to make everyone think that none of this is true. They pay big dollars for precisely the kind of people they don't really want. It is a delicate balance because if there are too few of them the peons might start figuring things out. If there are too many of them the Corporation will go right down the tubes.