The formation of the solar system : theories old and new /

This update to the original 2007 edition integrates the advancements made in solar science over the past seven years. Given all the breakthroughs in exoplanet research experienced over that time frame combined with more advanced hypotheses of solar system formulation, this new work is certainly justified. Woolfson (emeritus, theoretical physics, Univ. of York) does an adequate job presenting the history of the field, its major paradigm shifts, and elucidating the ramifications of theories such as the "Biggish Bang" hypothesis and the new solar nebula theory. Make no mistake about it, this book is not for the novice reader who has only a passing interest in astrophysics. Woolfson's examination is an attractive and solid but mathematically complex study of the formation of planets and the solar system that begins with a thoughtful survey of the history of the field and continues into a complicated discussion that includes the implications of quantum mechanics. VERDICT Recommended for readers with a background in solar physics. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.