Planetary Sciences (Hardcover)

by Imke de Pater (Author), Jack J. Lissauer (Author) "Since ancient times, people have been intrigued by the wonders of the night sky, the Moon and the Sun..." (more)
Key Phrases: corpuscular drag, ring optical depth, collisional radius, New York, Mars Global Surveyor, University of Arizona Press (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'I am really impressed ... The book covers the important physical processes in all areas of planetary science. My favorite derivations are all there, along with the important figures, graphs, and tables that show the data. The numerous homework problems challenge the student to understand the equations and think independently. The book sets the standard for what we should be teaching those who want to become professionals in this field. I will recommend it to all my students and look forward to using it in my courses.' Andrew P. Ingersoll, Professor of Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology 'Planetary Sciences presents a comprehensive coverage of this fascinating and expanding field at a level ... The book explains the wide variety of physical, chemical and geological processes that govern the motions and properties of planets ... a very useful book ... an excellent textbook for anyone studying astronomy and planetary geology ... a rich source of knowledge ... Highly recommended.' Richard Taylor, Spaceflight '... a comprehensive overview of the planetary science field ...' Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin '... the book is essentially excellent. Given their formidable task, de Pater and Lissauer have done as good a job as can be imagined, and I can't imagine two other authors doing a better job on a first edition ... this book could serve as a valuable introduction to aspects of planetary science that graduate students might never study at all ... the discussions are generally so comprehensive and up-to-date that active scientists will find the individual chapters to be excellent 'primers' on subjects outside their formal training. There really is no other book at this level like Planetary Sciences.' William B. McKinnon, EOS '... a massive achievement, and the well-considered problems and exercises at the end of each chapter will be particularly useful to students and to test one's own understanding.' William B. Hubbard, Physics Today 'The illustrations and images are excellently produced ... This hardback volume should serve the degree student well throughout their years of study.' Popular Astronomy --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"...an easily digested though not trivial overview of the origin, structure and physical properties of planets. The breadth of the material covered in the text is truly impressive." Pure Applied Geophysics

"A comprehensive overview..." Science

"Would I use Planetary Sciences as a text? Yes, almost certainly. It is a massive achievement, and the well-considered problems and exercises at the end of each chapter will be particularly useful to students and to test one's own understanding." Physics Today

"...the book is essentially excellent. Given their formidable task, de Pater and Lissauer have done as good a job as can be imagined, and I can't imagine two other authors doing a better job on a first edition... this book could serve as a valuable introduction to aspects of planetary science that graduate students might never study at all... the discussions are generally so comprehensive and up-to-date that active scientists will find the individual chapters to be excellent 'primers' on subjects outside their formal training. There really is no other book at this level like Planetary Sciences." William B. McKinnon, EOS

"...if you have a hankering to calculate the energy involved when an ion in the lo plasma torus impacts lo, this is the book for you!" TPO

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (December 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521482194
• ISBN-13: 978-0521482196
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #293,481 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #31 in

  Books > Science > Astronomy > Comets, Meteors & Asteroids

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding textbook on planetary science, November 15, 2004

By	Jill Malter ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

What's the best book to use as a text in a senior-year course on planetary science? This one gets my vote! It seems to cover everything.

After a nice introductory chapter comes the first test for this book: a 20-page chapter on dynamics with 5 pages of exercises. And this book does a great job. It explains Lagrangian points, orbital resonances, the chaotic nature of the orbit of Pluto, tides, the Yarkovski effect, and so on. And it just gets better after that, with more than 70 pages on planetary atmospheres (structure, composition, clouds, winds, photochemistry, escape). This is followed by hefty sections on planetary surfaces, planetary interiors, and planetary magnetospheres, each of which discuss the individual planets and satellites separately.

Next is a chapter on meteorites, along with radiometric dating. A chapter on asteroids: their orbits, size distribution, collisional evolution, surfaces, structures, and asteroid observing techniques. And a chapter on comets, including their origins and constraints on planetary system formation theories.

We return to dynamics for the ensuing chapter, on planetary rings: thicknesses, resonances, density waves, and shepherding. Following that is a chapter on planet formation, followed by a short concluding chapter on extrasolar planets.

The exercises are instructive and useful throughout. I learned a great deal of material from this book, even though it was nowhere near my first exposure to planetary science.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, January 4, 2004

By	"klrgrizz" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a superb book, if a little complex. You do need some mathematical and physics background to really follow all the topics. Well written, and having taken a class from Imke de Pater at Cal, a great representation of her work.