Book Review: Origin and Evolution of the Elements, Andrew McWilliam, Michael Rauch (Eds.)

Item Type Book review; text

Authors Rayet, M.

Citation Rayet, M. (2005). Book Review: Origin and Evolution of the Elements, Andrew McWilliam, Michael Rauch (Eds.). Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 40(2), 331-332.

DOI 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00385.x

Publisher The Meteoritical Society

Journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science

Rights Copyright © The Meteoritical Society

Download date 24/09/2021 12:31:01

Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Version Final published version

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/655971 Meteoritics & Planetary Science 40, Nr 2, 331–332 (2005)

Book Review

Origin and evolution of the elements, edited by Andrew McWilliam and Michael Rauch. Carnegie Observatories astrophysics series, volume 4, Cambridge University Press, 2004, 496 pp., $130.00, hardcover. (ISBN 0-521-75578-6).

This book is fourth in the new Carnegie Observatories astrophysics series. The series started with the publication of the invited talks from four symposia held by the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena to celebrate the centennial of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The meetings took place during Fall 2002 and Winter 2003; the first three concentrated on coevolution of black holes and galaxies (volume 1), measuring and modeling the universe (volume 2), and clusters of galaxies (volume 3)—these topics all being of historical and current interest at the observatories. Since 1904, with the appointment of astronomer George E. Hale as its director, the Carnegie-sponsored observatory on Mount Wilson in California has played a pivotal role in observing, deciphering, and interpreting atomic spectra in the lab and in the sky. As is recalled by George W. Preston in his introductory talk, Hale’s desire to develop spectroscopy at Mount Wilson led him to hire physicists specializing in atomic physics and optics as well as mechanical and electrical engineers. After ten years of Hale’s directorship and with a staff of 12 (among which there were only three astronomers), Mount Wilson observatory was ready to make major breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe. Among these were studies on the synthesis of chemical elements in stars, culminating in Paul W. Merril’s discovery of technetium in S-stars and the observations of Ba stars by Burbidge and Burbidge (1957), which were quoted by Margaret Burbidge in her too-brief recollection of this pioneering time in astro- nuclear physics. The visionary B2FH paper, triggered by Fred and, more recently, in Japan. No mention of that saga is found Hoyle’s seminal ideas dating back to 1946 and published in in this book, nor will the reader be aware of the still important 1957 in Reviews of modern physics, sealed the fate of uncertainties of the nuclear physics origin that can blur the Gamow’s ideas on the primordial (Big Bang) origin of the predictions obtained via stellar evolution models for the chemical elements and opened an era of numerous high- nucleosynthesis occurring in various astrophysical sites. This quality observations based on high-resolution spectrographs, is particularly true for explosive conditions where many which are now available on most large telescopes (and unstable nuclei are produced, for which very little, if anything sometimes on smaller ones), and of which these proceedings at all, is known experimentally. For example, conclusions on give a comprehensive account through 2003. neutron-rich (r-process) isotope yields, as important as they The “F” in B2FH was Willliam A. Fowler, who began a appear to be for the early chemical evolution of the universe quest in his Caltech laboratory to understand the nuclear and for cosmochronometry, should take such uncertainties reactions at work inside the stars under the specific physical into account, which is unfortunately not the case in the conditions prevailing there. In the 1980s, Europe pursued otherwise detailed discussion of the r-process nucleosynthesis Fowler and collaborators’ experimental work on an unusually given by Cowan and Sneden. This is perhaps an extreme case; large scale and was soon followed by other labs in the U.S. most of the topics covered in the book may well be presented

331 © The Meteoritical Society, 2005. Printed in USA. 332 Book Review without consideration of the nuclear physics intricacies, only in an explanatory framework. Another good point is the which can be found, for example, in the proceedings of the editors’ choice to not deal with the Big Bang nucleosynthesis, “Nuclei in the Cosmos” conferences. which would have been of little interest in this context. I usually find conference proceedings of little use or, The observations cover a comprehensive set of data, more precisely, that their interest rapidly decreases with time. ranging from “Presolar stardust grains” (Clayton and Nittler) In that respect, I would consider this volume four of the and “Interstellar dust” (Draine) to “Chemical composition of Carnegie Observatories series as an exception (I have the intracluster medium” (Loewenstein) and “Quasar unfortunately not seen the other three volumes). With 28 elemental abundances and host galaxy evolution” (Hammann contributions on 469 pages (not including the introduction, et al.). Let me also point out the “Status report 2003” by Dave Burbidge’s recollection, and a conference summary by Arnett, which summarizes very elegantly some of the most Bernard Pagel full of incentive questions), or, in other words, profound questions raised by our present knowledge of stellar with an average of almost 17 pages per contribution, authors evolution and nucleosynthesis. The reader should also enjoy are given enough room to present their paper in a format more the contribution of Bengt Gustafsson, whose title “Model like a chapter in a monography book than like a usual atmospheres and stellar abundance analysis” hides non- proceeding contribution. That is, the figures do not limit the technical and refreshingly critical considerations on the text too much and the bibliographies can be more than an reliability of abundance determinations from atomic spectra. exercise in self-quotation. In conclusion, this book should be present on any good The authority of the contributors and the skill of the astrophysical library and should be very helpful also to editors in establishing the conference program certainly have cosmochemists. Needless to say, my hardcover copy meets much to do with the interest of the book. Taken as a whole, the usual high standards of the Cambridge University Press this volume puts the emphasis more on the observations publications. (“evolution”) than on the production mechanisms (“origin”) Marc Rayet of the elements, but this is a respectable choice that does not Astronomy and Astrophysics Institute hamper a comprehensive vision of the field, as UniversitÈ Libre de Bruxelles cosmochemistry is a field where observations make sense Belgium