Evolution of the protoplanetary cloud and formation of the earth and the planets (NASA TT F-677) [Hardcover]

V. S Safronov (Author)

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Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 206 pages
• Publisher: Israel Program for Scientific Translations (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0706512251
• ISBN-13: 978-0706512250
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,631,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic reference for the theory of planet formation, December 18, 2006

By 

Philip Armitage - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Evolution of the protoplanetary cloud and formation of the earth and the planets (NASA TT F-677) (Hardcover)

Safronov's monograph on the "Evolution of the protoplanetary cloud and formation of the earth and the planets" is widely acknowleged to be the classic reference for the modern theory of planet formation. It is widely cited in the technical literature, though, given the relative scarcity of copies, I suspect many of those citing it haven't ever seen a copy. Reading it with a modern perspective is fascinating - not to say humbling. Observations of protoplanetary disks have advanced beyond recognition over the last 35 years, so it's no surprise that the background material dealing with disks in Safronov appears dated (though there is an fascinating discussion on what we now call the magnetorotational instability that shows how close Safronov was to understanding aspects of disk physics obtained only in the 1990s). Conversely the treatment of planet formation itself - especially the formation of km scale planetesimals and terrestrial planets - is astonishingly perceptive and could be used without much modification in a graduate class today. I wouldn't pay $1000 for a copy, but the $100 or so I spent was well worth it.