Dynamics of Comets and Asteroids and Their Role in Earth History: Proceedings of a Workshop held at the Dynic Astropark 'Ten-Kyu-Kan', August 14-18, 1997 / Edition 1

by Shin Yabushita, Jacques Henrard

Overview

The last decade of this century has seen a renewed interest in the dynamics and physics of the small bodies of the Solar System, Asteroids, Comets and Meteors. New observational evidences such as the discovery of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, refined numerical tools such as the symplectic integrators, analytical tools such as semi-numerical perturbation algorithms and in general a better understanding of the dynamics of Hamiltonian systems, all these factors have converged to make possible and worthwhile the study, over very long time spans, of these "minor" objects. Also the public, the media and even some political assell}blies have become aware that these "minor" objects of our planetary environnement could become deadly weapons. Apparently they did have a role in Earth history and a role more ominous than "predicting" defeat (or victory, why not?) to batches of credulous rulers. Remembering what may have happened to the dinosaurs but keeping all the discretion necessary to avoid creating irrational scares, it may not be unwise or irrelevant to improve our knowledge of the physics and dynamics of these objects and to study in particular their interactions with our planet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789048150816
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	11/19/2010
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 1998
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

Eugene Shoemaker and the Impact Paradigm in Earth and Planetary Science.- Eugene Shoemaker — Bibliography of Impact Papers.- Shoemaker Impact Structure in Western Australia.- A Statistical Test of Correlations and Periodicities in the Geological Records.- The Galactic Theory of Mass Extinctions: an Update.- NEOs and Impacts: the Galactic Connection.- Oort Cloud Comet Perihelion Asymmetries: Galactic Tide, Shower or Observational Bias?.- Monte-Carlo Simulations of Comet Capture from the Oort Cloud.- The Dynamical Evolution of the Atens.- An Asteroid in a Earth-like Orbit.- Secular Dynamics of Asteroids in the Inner Solar System.- Towards a Dynamical History of ‘Proto-Encke’.- On the Lack of Asteroids in the Hecuba Gap.- The Effect of the Great Inequality on the Hecuba Gap.- Meteor Fallings and other Natural Phenomena between 1500–1750.- Meteor Showers Associated with the Taurid Complex Asteroids.- On the Shasticity of the Asteroid Belt.- Dust Cloud Enhancement around Small Celestial Bodies due to Meteor Stream Impacts.- Hazards to Civilization from the Collision of Minor Bodies.- Historical Variations in the Meteor Flux as Found in the History of the Koryo Dynasty.- A Possible Interstellar Origin of Ancient Microspherules Recovered from Paleozoic and Mesozoic Radiolarian Chert in Japan: a Mechanism of their Intrusion into the Solar System.

Editorial Reviews

The dinosaurs, of course, and the hazards to civilization, are the underlying impetus for such studies. But the authors of the 21 research reports and literature reviews keep a sober scientific lid on their findings and speculations to avoid even the appearance of sensationalism. Among their topics are the work of impact-research founder Eugene Shoemaker (1928-97), an update on the galactic theory of mass extinctions, the secular dynamics of asteroids in the inner solar system, the lack of asteroids in the Hecuba Gap, Monte-Carlo simulations of comet capture from the Oort Cloud, historical variations in the meteor flux as found in the history of the Korean Koryo Dynasty (AD 918-1392), and a possible interstellar origin of ancient microspherules recovered from Paleozoic and Mesozoic radiolarian chert in Japan along with a mechanism for their intrusion into the solar system. Partly reprinted from vol. 69, nos. 1-2 (1997/98). No index. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews