The Transactions XXVIIA Reports on Astronomy 2006-2009 provides a comprehensive and authoritative review of what has been achieved in astronomy during the years 2006 to 2009. These insightful and up-to-date reviews have been written by the presidents and chairpersons of the IAU scientific bodies: the Divisions, the Commissions, and the Working Groups. Topics covered in this wide-ranging volume include: fundamental astronomy; the Sun and heliosphere; planetary sciences; stars; variable stars; interstellar matter; the Galactic system; galaxies and the Universe; optical and infrared techniques; radio astronomy; space and high-energy astrophysics; and other IAU activities. The reviews have been written at a level suitable for colleagues in the same fields, but will also be useful for students and researchers wishing to gain an overview of astronomical fields beyond their own research area.

The variability of the Sun's magnetic field is the main driver of solar activity. IAU S233 was held to further our understanding of solar magnetic processes and its interplanetary consequences. The Symposium was organised into seven sessions covering: the generation and transport of solar magnetic fields; magnetic fields and coupling processes in the solar atmosphere, coronal heating and small-scale dynamics; large-scale coronal structure; the origin and evolution of the solar wind; flares, CMEs and SEPs; and new instrumentation and missions. Each session included contributions by world-wide leading scientists in the form of tutorials, research reviews and presentations of the latest results. A special eighth session was dedicated to educating young national and international astronomers. With reviews and research contributions covering a broad range of disciplines in solar and heliospheric research, this volume is a valuable interdisciplinary resource for professional astronomers and graduate students.

A complete record of the formal organisational and administrative proceedings of the XXVII General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union.

This textbook is intended as an introduction to the physics of solar and stellar coronae, emphasizing kinetic plasma processes. It is addressed to observational astronomers, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates without a ba- ground in plasma physics. Coronal physics is today a vast field with many different aims and goals. So- ing out the really important aspects of an observed phenomenon and using the physics best suited for the case is a formidable problem. There are already several excellent books, oriented toward the interests of astrophysicists, that deal with the magnetohydrodynamics of stellar atmospheres, radiation transport, and radiation theory. In kinetic processes, the different particle velocities play an important role. This is the case when particle collisions can be neglected, for example in very brief phenomena – such as one period of a high-frequency wave – or in effects produced by energetic particles with very long collision times. Some of the most persistent problems of solar physics, like coronal heating, shock waves, flare energy release, and particle acceleration, are likely to be at least partially related to such p- cesses. Study of the Sun is not regarded here as an end in itself, but as the source of information for more general stellar applications. Our understanding of stellar processes relies heavily, in turn, on our understanding of solar processes. Thus an introduction to what is happening in hot, dilute coronae necessarily starts with the plasma physics of our nearest star.

Since 1995, when Costas Fotakis first brought together restorers and scientists to discuss the potential of lasers in art conservation, the field has grown enormously in importance, and today restorers and laser scientists work together to develop new applications. This book presents the more than six dozen research papers prepared for LACONA V (Lasers in Art Conservation), held in Osnabrueck/Germany in September 2003. The fifth congress once again gathered restorers, art historians, museum staff, laser scientists and laser manufacturers. The topics include, among others: laser cleaning of artworks (case studies and side effects), removal of former conservation layers, fundamentals of laser-artwork interaction, online monitoring and process control, laser diagnostics, spectroscopy for monitoring and identification, networks and cooperation projects.

The variability of the Sun's magnetic field is the main driver of solar activity. IAU S233 was held to further our understanding of solar magnetic processes and its interplanetary consequences. The Symposium was organised into seven sessions covering: the generation and transport of solar magnetic fields; magnetic fields and coupling processes in the solar atmosphere, coronal heating and small-scale dynamics; large-scale coronal structure; the origin and evolution of the solar wind; flares, CMEs and SEPs; and new instrumentation and missions. Each session included contributions by world-wide leading scientists in the form of tutorials, research reviews and presentations of the latest results. A special eighth session was dedicated to educating young national and international astronomers. With reviews and research contributions covering a broad range of disciplines in solar and heliospheric research, this volume is a valuable interdisciplinary resource for professional astronomers and graduate students.

Gain at-a-glance management from one handy reference -- the new second edition of Current Diagnosis and Treatment. It depicts 230 of the most common clinical conditions, with full-color photos to help speed your diagnoses and treatment decisions. * Features 37 new conditions, including alcohol problems, basal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia, knee injuries, low back pain, male impotence, menopause, osteoarthritis, pressure ulcers, urinary incontinence, and more! * Each disorder is covered on a two-page spread: diagnosis on the left and treatment on the right * Highlights differential diagnosis, etiology, epidemiology, treatment options, prognosis, follow-up, and management for each disorder