Problem set 1 for ASTR 221: Stars and Planets
Due in class, Tuesday Sept 2
(1) Using
ADS http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html)
and/or the astronomy library, find the oldest article you can written
in an astronomical journal, or the oldest book (or chapter in a book)
(preferably written for a non-general audience) which discusses a
theory for the formation of the solar system, or of the Earth/giant
planets/asteroids/comets in the context of solar system
formation. (a) Describe the theory that is put forward in the article or book
in 2-3 paragraphs. Your target audience should be other physics and
astronomy students at your level. Describe the important physics that
is used in this theory.
(b) Discuss the evidence that is used to bolster the
theory, and any problematic facts mentioned by the author. Remember
that confronting the theory and the evidence is at the heart of
science.
(c) Is the theory still a viable one, in the light of new evidence that
has come to light in the last 50 or more years?
In total, you should write about 1-2 typed pages.
The articles or books should be pre-1960 at least. You
may talk with each other about your searches, but each student should
hand in a discussion of a different book or article. (Email me to
check that nobody else has it, once you have found your article or chapter.) Include a copy
of the article or chapter with your handed-in work. (Apart from the
Kant/Laplace theories from the 18th century, I have found interesting
articles as early as 1905 in the astronomical literature.) I'll give a
prize for the most interesting paper.