History of Planetary Physics

布拉什教授正在继续他的长期项目，研究地球和太阳系其他成员在现代的起源和结构理论。这项研究涵盖了从天文学、物理学到地质学等多个学科。主题范围涉及天体力学、行星和太阳的性质、陨石学、地球的年龄以及地核的物理/化学状态。在这项资助的过程中，Brush教授将专注于自1940年以来围绕天文学和宇宙论的问题。这是一个宇宙演化理论发生根本性变化的时期，其中将包括一些具体的问题，比如哪些理论最成功地获得了认可，以及为什么？用来评估起源假设的标准是什么？这些标准是如何随时间变化的？核天体物理学、宇宙化学和太空计划的发展如何影响有关太阳系起源和发展的理论？事实证明，布拉什教授的著作对历史学家和科学哲学家都非常有用。作为一名训练有素的物理学家，他完全了解这门学科的技术方面。这样的背景对于研究当代科学是必不可少的。此外，他还是一位获奖的历史学家——他对热力学发展的研究获得了该领域的主要图书奖。这些综合的科学和历史资历，加上他已被证明的生产力，实际上保证了这笔资助将在我们对当代理论和实验科学发展过程的理解方面取得重大成果。

Professor Brush is continuing his long-term project examining theories of the origin and structure of the Earth and other members of the solar system in modern times. This study spans a number of disciplines ranging from astronomy and physics to geology. Topics range over issues of celestial mechanics, properties of planets and the sun, meteoritics, the age of the Earth, and the physical/chemical state of its core. During the course of this grant, Professor Brush will concentrate on issues surrounding astronomy and cosmogony since 1940. This is a period of radical changes in theories of cosmogony and will include specific questions about which theories were most successful in gaining acceptance and why? What criteria were used to evaluate hypotheses of origin, and how have these criteria changed over time? How have developments in nuclear astrophysics, cosmochemstry, and the space program affected the theories concerning the origins and development of our solar system? Professor Brush's work has proved to be extraordinarily useful for both historians and philosophers of science. A trained physicist, he fully understands the technical aspects of his subject. Such a background is essential in studying contemporary science. Further, he is an award winning historian--his study of the development of thermodynamics won the major book award in the field. These combined scientific and historical credentials with his proven productivity virtually guarantee that this grant will result in significant results in our understanding of the processes of development of contemporary theoretical and experimental science.