For the Love of Physics (51 page)

amplitude of,
52
–54,
106

conservation of energy and,
168
–69,
173
–74

period of,
52
,
54
–55,
106

simple,
52
,
109

Perseus cluster,
108

Peterson, Larry,
200

photoelectric absorption,
207

photons,
208
,
238

Physical Review Letters
,
215

physics,
5
–6,
50
,
261
,
262

as natural philosophy,
126

pioneers of,
268

piano,
112
,
113
,
114
,
116

Picasso, Pablo,
268

piccolo,
120

Piene, Otto,
263
–64,
267

pipe organ,
120
–21

Pissarro, Camille,
267

Planck, Max,
268

Planck mass,
230

plasma (intergalactic medium):

ionization of,
131

sound waves of,
107
–8

platinum,
7

Pluto,
55

plutonium,
170
,
186

Polaris,
152

Polaroid Corporation,
92

Pollock, Jackson,
268

Pooley, David,
xiv

potassium-40,
183

potential energy,
173

pressure,
59
–77

air,
see
air pressure

atmospheric,
63
–64,
66
–68

definition of,
61

direction and,
61
–62

flight and,
73
–75

hydrostatic,
63
–73

neutron degeneracy,
220

straws and,
63
–66

under water,
67
–71

Priestley, Joseph,
146

Principia
(Newton),
50

Privilege of Being a Physicist, The
(Weisskopf),
19

progenitor,
220

protons,
6
,
9
,
40
,
130
,
153
,
245

in core-collapse supernova,
220
–21

mass of,
229

in plasma,
107

Proxima Centauri,
30

pulsars,
9
,
198
,
199

in Crab Nebula,
224
–25

Pythagoras,
115

quantum mechanics,
96
,
238

quarks,
9
,
18
,
116

quasars (quasi-stellar radio sources),
9
,
199

radio telescopes,
187

radio waves,
104
,
224

from Cyg X-1,
240

discovery of,
190

Rainbow
balloon, Olympics,
264

rainbows,
78
–100,
237

antisolar point of,
84
,
89
,
97

arc shape of,
83

commonness of,
80

conditions for seeing,
81
–82,
84

double,
86

end of,
89

as fogbows,
96
–99,
102

in fountains,
88
–89

glass beads and,
99
–102

glories and,
97
–98

homemade,
86
–88,
87

hunting for,
84
–85

interference (diffraction) and,
95
–96

maximum angles for,
82
–83,
82

in mythology,
80

in ocean waves,
85

in one’s hand,
90
–91

origins of,
80
–81

polarization of light and,
91
–93,
103

refraction and,
80
–83,
82

secondary,
86
,
102

supernumerary,
94
,
96

tertiary,
89

white,
96

Rapid Bursters,
252
–53,
255
–59,
256

cataloging of,
258

disk instability and,
258

energy emitted by,
256
–57

gamma rays and,
258
,
259

national security issue and,
258
–59

see also
X-ray bursts

Rayleigh scattering,
3
–4

reaction lift,
74
–75

Real Paper, The
,
257

recorder (instrument),
119

redshift,
237
,
238
–39

gravitational,
227
,
232
–33

see also
Doppler effect

red sprites lighting,
147
–48

Redstone missile,
17

reed instruments,
120

Renaissance,
269

Renoir, Pierre-Auguste,
267

Resistance,
14
,
15

resonance,
109
–24

in cars,
117

Chladni plates and,
118
–19

definition of,
109

harmonics and,
111
,
114
–16

lateral,
124

nodes and,
111

resonance frequency and,
109
–12

singers and,
116

in stringed instruments,
111
–13

string theory and,
116
–17

super,
117
–18

in suspension bridge disasters,
123
–24

of turning fork,
109
–10

and vibrating wineglass,
118

whirling tubes and,
122
–23

resonance absorption,
238

Richmann, Georg Wilhelm,
146
–47

Ricker, George,
211
–12

Röntgen, Wilhelm,
191

rope,
110
–11

Rossi, Bruno,
10
,
16
–18,
107
,
193
,
195
,
199
,
201
,
215

Rotary Club,
211

Rotor (amusement park ride),
56
–58,
136

Royal Society,
146

Rumsfeld, Donald,
31

Sagdeev, Roald,
253
–54

St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences,
146

Salam, Abdus,
167

Sandage, Allan,
240

Sanford, Bil,
162

SAS-3 (Third Small Astronomy Satellite),
248
–49,
253
,
254
,
256
,
258
,
259

satellites,
153

see also specific satellites

Saturn (planet),
165
,
282

Saturn (rocket),
17

saxophone,
120

Scarlett, Bob,
258
–59

Schrödinger, Erwin,
268

Schwarzschild, Karl,
228

Schwarzschild radius,
228

Scientific American
,
182

Scorpio (constellation),
195

Scott, David,
42

Sco X-1 (X-ray source),
31
,
195
–96,
198
,
201
,
247
,
248