Every 10 years the National Research Council releases a survey of astronomy and astrophysics outlining priorities for the coming decade. The most recent survey, titled New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides overall priorities and recommendations for the field as a whole based on a broad and comprehensive examination of scientific opportunities, infrastructure, and organization in a national and international context.


Panel Reports—New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics is a collection of reports, each of which addresses a key sub-area of the field, prepared by specialists in that subarea, and each of which played an important role in setting overall priorities for the field. The collection, published in a single volume, includes the reports of the following panels:




Cosmology and Fundamental Physics
Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
The Galactic Neighborhood
Stars and Stellar Evolution
Planetary Systems and Star Formation
Electromagnetic Observations from Space
Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground
Particle Astrophysics and Gravitation
Radio, Millimeter, and Submillimeter Astronomy from the Ground


The Committee for a Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics synthesized these reports in the preparation of its prioritized recommendations for the field as a whole. These reports provide additional depth and detail in each of their respective areas. Taken together, they form an essential companion volume to New Worlds, New Horizons: A Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The book of panel reports will be useful to managers of programs of research in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over the agencies supporting this research, the scientific community, and the public.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Part I: Reports of the Astro2010 Science Frontiers Panels
1 Report of the Panel on Cosmology and Fundamental Physics
2 Report of the Panel on the Galactic Neighborhood
3 Report of the Panel on Galaxies Across Cosmic Time
4 Report of the Panel on Planetary Systems and Star Formation
5 Report of the Panel on Stars and Stellar Evolution
Summary Findings
Part II: Reports of the Astro2010 Program Prioritization Panels
6 Report of the Panel on Electromagnetic Observations from Space
7 Report of the Panel on Optical and Infrared Astronomy from the Ground
8 Report of the Panel on Particle Astrophysics and Gravitation
9 Report of the Panel on Radio, Millimeter, and Submillimeter Astronomy from the Ground
Appendixes
Appendix A: Statements of Task for the Astro2010 Panels
Appendix B: Glossary
Appendix C Acronyms