The significance of the present IAU symposium, "The Large Scale Structure of the Universe", fortunately requires no elaboration by the editors. The quality of the wide range of observational and theoretical astrophysics contained in this volume speaks for itself. The published version of the proceedings contains all the contributions presented at the symposium with the exception of the introductory lecture by V. A. Ambartsumian. Contributed papers, short contributions and discussions have been included according to the recommendations of the IAU. Many people contributed to the success of the...

ROSAT Observations G. HASINGER Max-Planck-Institut flir extraterrestrische Physik, D-85740 Garching, Germany Abstract. This review describes the most recent advances in the study of the extragalactic soft X-ray background and what we can learn about its constituents. The deepest pointed observations with the ROSAT PSPC are discussed. The logN-logS relation is presented, which reaches to the faintest X-ray fluxes and to the highest AGN surface densities ever achieved. The N(>S) relation shows a 2 density in excess of 400 deg- at the faintest fluxes and a flattening below the Einstein Deep...

be hoped. We have improved measurements by at best a factor of 3. So thIS paper, unfortunately, IS really a status report rather than a progress report. There are, however, a few new results to mention. I shall present the results wIthout glVlng any detaIls of the experImental apparatus. In general, sources of error and problems in these measurements are not determined by the apparatus itself. The most important new result IS that of Paul Henry (1971), who employed a radiometer mounted on a rotatmg platform suspended beneath a balloon. Because he employed a rotatmg platform he was able to...

The twentieth-century witnessed the development of astrophysics and cosmology from subjects which scarcely existed to two of the most exciting and demanding areas of contemporary scientific inquiry. In this book Malcolm Longair reviews the historical development of the key areas of modern astrophysics, linking the strands together to show how they have led to the extraordinarily rich panorama of modern astrophysics and cosmology. While many of the great discoveries were derived from pioneering observations, the emphasis is upon the development of theoretical concepts and how they came to be...

"Das erklarte Universum" ist eine anschauliche, laiengerechte und begeisternde Einfuhrung in die heutigen Kenntnisse der Astronomie und Kosmologie. Mit neuesten Farbbildern des leistungsfahigsten Teleskops der Welt bietet das Buch einen farbenprachtigen Blick auf unser Universum. Malcolm Longair nimmt uns mit auf eine atemberaubende Reise hin zu Entdeckungen, die Forscher uber die Geburt der Sterne, auf der Jagd nach schwarzen Lochern und dunkler Masse, bei Beobachtungen mit Gravitationslinsen und neuesten Tests im Zusammenhang mit dem Urknall gemacht haben. Der Leser lernt die wesentlichen...

"Dies ist kein Lehrbuch der theoretischen Physik, auch kein Kompendium der Physikgeschichte ..., vielmehr eine recht anspruchsvolle Sammlung historischer Miniaturen zur Vergangenheit der theoretischen Physik - ihrer "Sternstunden," wenn man so will. Frei vom Zwang, etwas Erschopfendes vorlegen zu mussen, gelingt dem Autor etwas Seltenes: einen "lebendigen" Zugang zum Ideengebaude der modernen Physik freizulegen, ... zu zeigen, wie Physik in praxi entsteht... Als Vehikel seiner Absichten dienen dem Autor geschichtliche Fallstudien, insgesamt sieben an der Zahl. Aus ihnen extrahiert er das...

Delineating the huge strides taken in cosmology in the past ten years, this much-anticipated second edition of Malcolm Longair's highly appreciated textbook has been extensively and thoroughly updated. Quite simply, it tells the story of modern astrophysical cosmology.