Read For the Love of Physics Online
Authors: Walter Lewin
Tags: #Biography & Autobiography, #Science & Technology, #Science, #General, #Physics, #Astrophysics, #Essays
amplitude of,
52
–54,
106
conservation of energy and,
168
–69,
173
–74
period of,
52
,
54
–55,
106
simple,
52
,
109
Perseus cluster,
108
Peterson, Larry,
200
photoelectric absorption,
207
Physical Review Letters
,
215
as natural philosophy,
126
pioneers of,
268
Picasso, Pablo,
268
piccolo,
120
pipe organ,
120
–21
Pissarro, Camille,
267
Planck, Max,
268
Planck mass,
230
plasma (intergalactic medium):
ionization of,
131
sound waves of,
107
–8
platinum,
7
Pluto,
55
Polaris,
152
Polaroid Corporation,
92
Pollock, Jackson,
268
Pooley, David,
xiv
potassium-40,
183
potential energy,
173
pressure,
59
–77
air,
see
air pressure
atmospheric,
63
–64,
66
–68
definition of,
61
direction and,
61
–62
flight and,
73
–75
hydrostatic,
63
–73
neutron degeneracy,
220
straws and,
63
–66
under water,
67
–71
Priestley, Joseph,
146
Principia
(Newton),
50
Privilege of Being a Physicist, The
(Weisskopf),
19
progenitor,
220
in core-collapse supernova,
220
–21
mass of,
229
in plasma,
107
Proxima Centauri,
30
in Crab Nebula,
224
–25
Pythagoras,
115
quasars (quasi-stellar radio sources),
9
,
199
radio telescopes,
187
from Cyg X-1,
240
discovery of,
190
Rainbow
balloon, Olympics,
264
antisolar point of,
84
,
89
,
97
arc shape of,
83
commonness of,
80
conditions for seeing,
81
–82,
84
double,
86
end of,
89
as fogbows,
96
–99,
102
in fountains,
88
–89
glass beads and,
99
–102
glories and,
97
–98
homemade,
86
–88,
87
hunting for,
84
–85
interference (diffraction) and,
95
–96
maximum angles for,
82
–83,
82
in mythology,
80
in ocean waves,
85
in one’s hand,
90
–91
origins of,
80
–81
polarization of light and,
91
–93,
103
refraction and,
80
–83,
82
secondary,
86
,
102
supernumerary,
94
,
96
tertiary,
89
white,
96
Rapid Bursters,
252
–53,
255
–59,
256
cataloging of,
258
disk instability and,
258
energy emitted by,
256
–57
gamma rays and,
258
,
259
national security issue and,
258
–59
see also
X-ray bursts
Rayleigh scattering,
3
–4
reaction lift,
74
–75
Real Paper, The
,
257
recorder (instrument),
119
gravitational,
227
,
232
–33
see also
Doppler effect
red sprites lighting,
147
–48
Redstone missile,
17
reed instruments,
120
Renaissance,
269
Renoir, Pierre-Auguste,
267
resonance,
109
–24
in cars,
117
Chladni plates and,
118
–19
definition of,
109
harmonics and,
111
,
114
–16
lateral,
124
nodes and,
111
resonance frequency and,
109
–12
singers and,
116
in stringed instruments,
111
–13
string theory and,
116
–17
super,
117
–18
in suspension bridge disasters,
123
–24
of turning fork,
109
–10
and vibrating wineglass,
118
whirling tubes and,
122
–23
resonance absorption,
238
Richmann, Georg Wilhelm,
146
–47
Ricker, George,
211
–12
Röntgen, Wilhelm,
191
rope,
110
–11
Rossi, Bruno,
10
,
16
–18,
107
,
193
,
195
,
199
,
201
,
215
Rotary Club,
211
Rotor (amusement park ride),
56
–58,
136
Royal Society,
146
Rumsfeld, Donald,
31
Sagdeev, Roald,
253
–54
St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences,
146
Salam, Abdus,
167
Sandage, Allan,
240
Sanford, Bil,
162
SAS-3 (Third Small Astronomy Satellite),
248
–49,
253
,
254
,
256
,
258
,
259
satellites,
153
see also specific satellites
Saturn (rocket),
17
saxophone,
120
Scarlett, Bob,
258
–59
Schrödinger, Erwin,
268
Schwarzschild, Karl,
228
Schwarzschild radius,
228
Scientific American
,
182
Scorpio (constellation),
195
Scott, David,
42