Addresses considerable unease among plasma scientists about the continued vitality of their field. Assesses the health of the discipline from the most abstract basic science through experimental efforts to applications in industry, defense, health, and other areas. Identifies the major issues confronting plasma science including future needs and personnel requirements, and makes recommendations to federal agencies and the scientific community for supporting education and research. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Gravitational Physics assesses the achievements of the field over the past decade in both theory and experiment, identifies the most promising opportunities for research in the next decade, and describes the resources necessary to realize those opportunities. A major theme running through the opportunities is the exploration of strong gravitational fields, such as those associated with black holes.
The book, part of the ongoing decadal survey Physics in a New Era, examines topics such as gravitational waves and their detection, classical and quantum theory of strong gravitational fields, precision measurements, and astronomical observations relevant to the predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity.