Space panorama

BOOK REVIEWS K e l v i n deserves some sort of recognition for waging a d e t e r m i n e d a n d (for a while) successful resistance to t h e idea t h a t t h e Sun h a d a n y influence on t h e E a r t h ' s m a g n e t i c field. I t was n o t until d e v e l o p m e n t s in r o c k e t r y h a d opened t h e possibility of direct o b s e r v a t i o n of such a p l a s m a flow t h a t detailed theoretical w o r k was done. Since then, t h e o r y has b a r e l y been able to keep place w i t h t h e w e a l t h of s u b s e q u e n t satellite observations t h a t characterized t h e 1960's, a l t h o u g h current national science policy n o w promises to offer a respite. I t has seemed for some t i m e t h a t an a n n o t a t e d r e p r i n t collection on t h e solar wind w o u l d be a v a l u a b l e c o n t r i b u t i o n to t h e literature. T h e present m o n o g r a p h is e v e n m o r e v a l u a b l e in t h a t t h e a u t h o r has edited his contributions t o g e t h e r w i t h those of others into a uniform c o h e r e n t presentation. This book m a y well p r o v e v a l u a b l e as a s u p p l e m e n t a r y (or e v e n p r i m a r y ) t e x t in i n t r o d u c t o r y Space Science courses i n t e n d e d for senior u n d e r g r a d u a t e s or beginning g r a d u a t e students, a l t h o u g h t h e lack o f a n y problems for t h e s t u d e n t s to w o r k m a y restrict t h e book's usefulness. The p r e s e n t a t i o n seems quite e v e n and t h e result is a well-balanced i n t r o d u c t i o n to t h e solar wind. I n particular, controversial subjects are t r e a t e d exceptionally well, w i t h sufficient basics developed for t h e s t u d e n t to involve himself a n d m a k e up his own mind. Some areas m a y be u n i n t e n t i o n a l l y misleading, owing to the concise coverage given to each subtopic. The d a t a p r e s e n t e d m a y possibly give t h e s t u d e n t t h e erroneous impression t h a t t h e interp l a n e t a r y m a g n e t i c field lines are well described b y a f a m i l y of a r c h i m e d i a n spirals, whereas t h e d a t a a c t u a l l y reveals such a rich v a r i e t y of s t r u c t u r e t h a t t h e spiral s t r u c t u r e is suggested o n l y b y l o n g - t e r m averaging. T h e interaction of the solar wind w i t h t h e Moon is dispatched w i t h t h e c o m m e n t t h a t , " t h e solar wind f i e l d . . , is relatively u n d i s t u r b e d . . . " . A n e x t e n s i v e literature, b o t h theoretical a n d observational, is t h e r e b y ignored. A l t h o u g h two r e l e v a n t observational papers are m e n t i o n e d in t h e bibliography, t h e y are listed erroneously as pertaining to t h e lunar albedo. Indeed, the two concluding chapters ( " I n t e r a c t i o n s in t h e Solar S y s t e m " a n d " I m p a c t on A s t r o p h y s i c s " ) are t o o a m b i t i o u s in scope to be a d e q u a t e l y t r e a t e d in t h e limited space (42 pages) d e v o t e d to t h e m , a n d w h a t is p r e s e n t e d should be seriously d a t e d in a few years. H o w e v e r , t h e f u n d a m e n t a l analyses presented in t h e m a i n b o d y of t h e book will continue to be relevant. This b o o k will be quite useful to s t u d e n t s and

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those working in o t h e r fields who wish a concise o v e r v i e w of a central topic in m o d e m astrophysics. F. CURTIS MICHEL

Department of Space Science Rice University Houston, Texas

Space Panorama. PAUL D. LOWMAN JR. Weltflugbild R e i n h o l d A. Muller, F e l d m e i l e n / Zurich, Switzerland. 164 pages. $17.50. This book is a collection of color p h o t o g r a p h s of t h e E a r t h t a k e n b y the a s t r o n a u t s during t h e various Gemini orbital flights. The 69 photographs in this book are all of t h e highest quality, and were selected from more t h a n 1000 t a k e n b y t h e Gemini astronauts. These p h o t o g r a p h s were selected for their geological, meteorological, oceanographic, and aesthetic significance, as well as to provide a r e p r e s e n t a t i v e sampling of t h e portions of t h e E a r t h visible f r o m t h e spacecraft. The author, a geologist, is an investigator for terrain p h o t o g r a p h y for t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a l Science Services Administration. The greater p a r t of t h e collection consists of p h o t o g r a p h s of geological interest, showing such features as faults, drainage patterns, sand dunes, exposed rock strata, volcanoes, various t y p e s of m o u n t a i n ranges, and p r e s u m e d m e t e o r i t e i m p a c t craters (Richat). A n u m b e r of these p h o t o g r a p h s are of use in oceanographic research, p r o v i d i n g i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t ocean currents, sediments carried b y rivers, atolls, oil slicks, and t h e state of the sea, as well as giving accurate and u p - t o - d a t e charts of r e m o t e and poorly m a p p e d islands, and changes in the ocean b o t t o m and sand bars due to storms. A n u m b e r of p h o t o g r a p h s are also of considerable meteorological interest. These provide d a t a on such w e a t h e r p h e n o m e n a as prevailing wind direction, circulation patterns, eddies, storms, cloud f o r m a t i o n and formations, a n d cloud distribution over sea and land. The information contained in this book is of v e r y wide application and interest, in a n u m b e r of cases increasing t h e a m o u n t or ease of collecting d a t a b y an order of m a g n i t u d e . I n geology, for instance, surface features can be m a p p e d over large areas, s u p p l e m e n t i n g laborious and t i m e - c o n s u m i n g field work, as well as revealing large-scale features n o t previously recognized. I n aerial p h o t o g r a p h y , there is an order-ofm a g n i t u d e increase in t h e areas which can be p h o t o g r a p h e d simultaneously, preserving deli-

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care s h a d i n g s t h a t w o u l d b e lost in a m o s a i c of c o n v e n t i o n a l p h o t o g r a p h s . Likewise, in m e t e o r e l e g y a n d o c e a n o g r a p h y , large-scale p h e n o m e n a c a n b e s t u d i e d as a whole, r a t h e r t h a n piecemeal. F o r t h e specialist, t h i s b o o k c o n t a i n s a w e a l t h of d e t a i l e d i n f o r m a t i o n , while for t h e g e n e r a l reader, it is w o r t h b u y i n g s i m p l y for t h e s u p e r b l y r e p r o d u c e d color p h o t o g r a p h s . T h e c o m m e n t a r y facing e a c h p h o t o g r a p h , h o w e v e r , is a b i t t e c h n i c a l for t h e g e n e r a l reader, a n d c o u l d h a v e b e e n e x p a n d e d in a n u m b e r o f cases. DAVID C. WALLACE

Laboratory for Planetary Studies CorneU University Ithaca, New York 14850

Exobiology. E d i t e d b y MARTI~ M. FREUNDLICH AI~D BERNARD M. WAGN-ER. z~AS P u b l i c a t i o n s Office, T a r z a n a , California, 1969. 172 pages.

$9.75. T h i s little b o o k is a n a c c o u n t of t h e p r o c e e d i n g s of a s y m p o s i u m o n exobiology, s p o n s o r e d b y t h e A m e r i c a n A s t r o n a u t i c a l Society a n d t h e A m e r i c a n A s s o c i a t i o n for t h e A d v a n c e m e n t o f Science. The book comprises seven review papers and a r e c o r d of t h e discussions t h a t followed t h e pres e n t a t i o n o f t h e s e p a p e r s o n D e c e m b e r 30, 1967, t h e d a y of t h e s y m p o s i u m . Since o v e r t w o y e a r s h a v e e l a p s e d since t h e s e p a p e r s were given, some of t h e c o n t e n t s o f t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n are o u t of d a t e a n d are, c o n s e q u e n t l y , of historical interest. It should be recalled that t h e successful flights of M a r i n e r 6 a n d 7, of V c n e r a 5 a n d 6, a n d of Apollo 11 a n d 12 h a v e all t r a n s p i r e d since t h i s s y m p o s i u m . A n d w h a t m a y h a v e s e e m e d a n e x c i t i n g p r e d i c t i o n in 1 9 6 7 s u c h as t h e p o s s i b i l i t y of finding l i v i n g o r g a n i s m s on the Moon--has been supplanted by the reality t h a t t h i s is n o t so. T h e p o i g n a n t pleas, in 1967, t o s p e e d u p p l a n e t a r y e x p l o r a t i o n Vishniac, i n his p a p e r says, " T h e first t i m e we discussed t h i s m a t t e r was in 1958, a n d a t t h a t t i m e I was a s s u r e d t h a t t h e r e m i g h t b e a l a n d i n g o n Mars in 1961, or 1963 a t t h e l a t e s t " - - c o m e b a c k t o us as w e a k echoes t o d a y . N o n e t h e l e s s , i t is f u n t o r e a d t h e book. Carl S a g a n b e g i n s t h e v o l u m e w i t h a b r i e f s u r v e y of p o t e n t i a l t a r g e t s , in t h e solar s y s t e m , in t h e s e a r c h for e x t r a t e r r e s t r i a l life. H i s s c a n i n c l u d e s t h e Moon, M e r c u r y , V e n u s , Mars, J u p i t e r , a n d t h e asteroids. H e c o n c l u d e s t h a t all o f t h e s e arc p o t e n t i a l l y of biological i n t e r e s t , e i t h e r b e c a u s e t h e y m a y c o n t a i n organic m a t t e r or b e c a u s e t h e y m a y h a v e e n v i r o n m e n t s t h a t fall w i t h i n t h e l i m i t s for life. F r o m one of t h e q u e s t i o n s a s k e d

d u r i n g t h e s u b s e q u e n t discussion, i t is e v i d e n t t h a t S a g a n p r e s e n t e d a t least one slide d u r i n g h i s t a l k , b u t t h e t e x t c o n t a i n s n o figures or t a b l e s , a n d t h i s is u n f o r t u n a t e . N o r are t h e r e a n y references a t t h e e n d o f his p a p e r . I n fact, o n l y 39 references a r e c i t e d in t h e e n t i r e book, a n d all of t h e s e a p p e a r in j u s t t w o of t h e s e v e n p a p e r s ,r H o w e v e r , i n m i t i g a t i o n it s h o u l d b e s t a t e d t h a t m a n y o f t h e p a p e r s were p r e p a r e d f r o m t a p e r e c o r d i n g s of t h e A A A S m e e t i n g . G i l b e r t L e v i n a n d R i c h a r d Y o u n g e a c h discussed v a r i o u s a p p r o a c h e s t o "life d e t e c t i o n " in p a p e r s t i t l e d " A u t o m a t e d Microbial M e t a b o l i s m L a b o r a t o r y " a n d " L i f e D e t e c t i o n Techniques," respectively. In the former paper, some d a t a are g i v e n o n t h e d e t e c t i o n o f o r g a n i s m s u s i n g A T P analysis, p h o s p h a t e d i s a p p e a r a n c e , incorporation of labeled sulfate or carbon dioxide, a n d a s s i m i l a t i o n o f l a b e l e d s u b s t r a t e s . A t t h e t i m e of p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h i s t a l k , some o f these techniques had apparently been engineered i n t o a c t u a l h a r d w a r e , while o t h e r s were largely c o n c e p t u a l . Y o u n g r a i s e d a m u l t i t u d e of questions about such techniques---questions regarding s t e r i l i z a b i l i t y o f d e t e c t i o n devices, s a m p l i n g problems, etc.--emphasizing the enormous technological hurdles that must be overcome before a n a l y s e s c a n b e m a d e r e m o t e l y o n o t h e r planets. Taking many of the known--or assumed-e n v i r o n m e n t a l p r o p e r t i e s of t h e M a r t i a n surface, W o l f V i s h n i a c in his p a p e r p r o c e e d e d t o d e v e l o p a m o d e l of M a r t i a n ecology. S u c h i t e m s as t h e lack of a t m o s p h e r i c oxygen, s c a r c i t y o f w a t e r , a n d h i g h u l t r a v i o l e t flux were n e a t l y b r u s h e d aside--using the biologist's brush. Taking analogies f r o m t e r r e s t r i a l b i o l o g y - - a n d s t r e t c h ing t h e m o u t j u s t a wee b i t h e r e a n d t h e r e - V i s h n i a c m a d e a p l a u s i b l e case for life o n Mars. Everett Hafner's paper, "Techniques of Interstellar Communication," reviewed the n u m e r o l o g y of t e c h n i c a l civilizations a n d c a m e t o agree w i t h e s t i m a t e s of o t h e r s in t h i s field t h a t i n t e l l i g e n t civilizations a r e w i d e s p r e a d in t h e u n i v e r s e a n d are, o n t h e a v e r a g e , 100 t o 1000 l i g h t y e a r s f r o m e a c h o t h e r . H e felt t h a t comm u n i c a t i o n w i t h m a n y of t h e s e is a l r e a d y possible. U s i n g p o w e r f u l r a d a r pulses t h a t are a v a i l a b l e a n d t h e g i a n t r a d i o r e c e i v e r a t Arecibo, P u e r t o Rico, a b o u t 2500 s t a r s w i t h p o t e n t i a l l y h a b i t a b l e planets could be reached, according to his e s t i m a t e s . H a f n e r goes o n f u r t h e r to assess t h e b e s t " s i g n a l " t o b e u s e d for c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h o t h e r civilizations, a n d suggests t h a t h y d r o x y l r a d i c a l e m i s s i o n a t 18 c m m a y b e useful in t h i s regard. F i n a l l y , h e a n a l y z e s t h e p r o b l e m of w h a t " l a n g u a g e " w h a t pieces of k n o w l e d g e - - - w o u l d be used by one civilization in trying to contact