Photochemistry of Planetary Atmospheres [Hardcover]

Yuk L. Yung (Author), William B. DeMore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1998 | ISBN-10: 019510501X | ISBN-13: 978-0195105018 | Edition: 1st ptg.

Eleven planetary atmospheres are included for detailed study in this reference/text, four for the giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), four for the small bodies (Io, Titan, Triton, and Pluto), and three for the terrestrial planets (Mars, Venus, and Earth). The authors have carried out a comprehensive survey of the principal chemical cycles that control the present composition and past history of planetary atmospheres, using the database provided by recent spacecraft missions supplemented by Earth-based observations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Presents] a comprehensive treatment of the photochemical processes taking place on the terrestrial planets, giant planets and their moons, and Pluto. The basics of biogeochemical cycles and climate change are presented in the context of Earth. The first four of the book's ten chapters give general background information pertinent to photochemistry in any atmosphere. . . . In the rest of the book, photochemical processes specific to the inner and the outer planets are discussed. . . . An extensive bibliography is given for each chapter at the end of the book. The authors do a commendable job of presenting our current understanding of the composition and the associated photochemistry and evolution of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus. . . . Overall, I found [this book] enjoyable reading, a source of useful information and ideas. . . . The book should serve as a useful reference to those already engaged in research in planetary photochemistry and those who are contemplating to do so."--Eos

"Yung . . . and coauthor DeMore . . . introduce college seniors and first-year graduate students to the photochemistry in the planetary atmospheres of Earth and extraterrestrial planets. There is a comprehensive survey of the chemical reactions that control the make up of planetary atmospheres. The book details the history of the various planetary atmospheres, not only the gas giants but also the more evolved atmospheres of small bodies. Physical constants and astronomical and atmospheric data are extensively tabulated for the 11 planetary atmospheres investigated. The presentation begins with planets other than Earth and then moves to the question of the uniqueness of Earth: what is the place of life in the universe and how does the human presence impact planetary evolution? The order of presentation is as follows: cosmic origins, Jovian planets, satellites and Pluto, Mars, Venus, Earth. Tables and figures are referenced. . . . Upper-division undergraduates through faculty."--Choice

"This book provides an introduction to the atmospheric photochemical processes of the planets. Understanding its contents does not require an extensive background in physics, mathematics, or chemistry, although its possible use as a textbook is probably limited to upper-division and graduate courses. An interesting feature is the inclusion of 'Unsolved Problems' related to planetary atmospheres."--Journal of the American Chemical Society

"This book is truly ambitious in scope, covering in some depth the atmospheres of the inner and outer palnets of the solar system. . .The structure of the book also works well in encouraging the reader to view the Earth's atmosphere in novel ways. . .Most importantly, a huge amount of material has been brought together in a single text and synthesized by the wide vision of the authors. Much of the material is derived from undergraduate and graduate lecture courses at Caltech. This comes across in the very readable prose style and large number of fascinating nuggets of information that prevent iterest flagging. . .Hence, this book should become a standard text for graduate students and research scientists entering the field of planetary atmospheric chemistry. It should also be a very useful comparative text for the much greater number of chemists working on the Earth's atmosphere. In summary, it is highly recommended."--Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry

About the Author

Yuk L. Yung is at California Institute of Technology. William B. DeMore is at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st ptg. edition (December 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019510501X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195105018
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,749,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Chemistry > Photochemistry

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Treats the solar system as a unified whole, June 28, 2004

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W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Photochemistry of Planetary Atmospheres (Hardcover)

A spinoff from successful decades of planetary exploration. The missions to the inner planets and the overwhelmingly spectacular Voyager 1 and 2 flybys of the 1970s and 1980s have contributed to the results presented here.

The overall theme treats the various atmospheres of the planets as part of a coherent picture of the entire solar system. A unifying idea that the authors use is that of the formation of the solar nebula and its condensation into the planets, comets and asteroids. The lengthiest discussion is about Earth and the crucial (to us!) ways it differs from its siblings. Along the way, the authors give a good explanation of the greenhouse effect on a planet.

An undergraduate background in chemistry should suffice nicely to understand the book. You should be thoroughly familiar with rate equations.