Cosmogonical Processes Proceedings of the Symposium Held in Boulder, Colorado, 25-27 March 1985

Cosmogony deals with no less than the genesis and development of the universe, the solar system and the earth. This book was developed from a symposium in honour of Prof. A.G.W. Cameron of Harvard University on his 60th birthday, and suitably reflects his broad and influential interests. Appropriate to this perspective, a wide variety of topics are reviewed by internationally recognized experts. Beginning with cosmology and the question of dark matter, the spotlight moves to galaxy formation and then evolution. This is followed by the topic of the production of atomic nuclei in supernovae, the clues for nucleosynthesis from isotopic anomalies, and the age of the universe from nuclear chronology. Next come supernovae and neutron stars and their exotic behaviour, then molecular clouds, star formation and the primitive solar nebula. Topics of giant protoplanets, planet formation, and comets close the discussion. A short essay by Cameron provides a fascinating personal insight into the development of some of the most interesting new interdisciplinary areas of modern science. Of particular interest in his narrative is the interplay of theory, observation, experiment and computer simulation, as seen by an active participant.