Philosophy of Astrophysics : : Stars, Simulations, and the Struggle to Determine What Is Out There.

• Superior document: Synthese Library ; v.472
• Author: Mills Boyd, Nora.
• TeilnehmendeR: De Baerdemaeker, Siska.; Heng, Kevin.; Matarese, Vera.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2023.; ©2023.
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Synthese Library
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (330 pages)

Table of Contents

Intro -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- About the Editors -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Philosophy of Astrophysics Until Today -- 1.2 Philosophy of Astrophysics in This Volume -- References -- Part I Theory, Observation, and the Relation Between Them -- 2 Laboratory Astrophysics: Lessons for Epistemologyof Astrophysics -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Astrophysics as So-Called Observational Science -- 2.3 Laboratory Supernova Research and Physical Similarity Arguments -- 2.4 Attend to "Empirical" Not "Experimental" -- 2.5 Lessons for Epistemology of Astrophysics -- References -- 3 A Crack in the Track of the Hubble Constant -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 How to Track the Hubble Constant -- 3.2.1 Jack and the Magic Bean: Building a Cosmic Distance Ladder in the Local Universe -- 3.2.2 Hubble Constant in the Early Universe -- 3.3 A Tale of Two Values: The Hubble Crisis -- 3.3.1 The Blossoming of New Measurement Techniques -- 3.3.2 Houston, We have a Rogue Measure -- 3.4 Should We Call it a Crisis? -- 3.4.1 From Robustness to Reliability -- 3.4.2 Temporary Discrepancy vs. Residual Discrepancy -- 3.4.2.1 The Example of Time-Delay Cosmography -- 3.4.2.2 Systematic Replication and Unknown Unknowns -- 3.5 Conclusion -- References -- 4 Theory Testing in Gravitational-Wave Astrophysics -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Epistemic Challenges for Theory Testing -- 4.3 Testing General Relativity -- 4.4 Theory-Testing Beyond Individual Events -- 4.4.1 Binary Black Hole Formation Channels -- 4.4.2 Measuring the Hubble Constant -- 4.5 Conclusion -- References -- 5 Hybrid Enrichment of Theory and Observation in Next-Generation Stellar Population Synthesis -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Stellar Population Synthesis in Astrophysics -- 5.3 Next-Generation Population Synthesis -- 5.3.1 High-Resolution Surveys and Theoretical Reasoning -- 5.3.2 Model-Based Measurement of Physical Parameters.

5.4 Conclusion -- References -- 6 Doing More with Less: Dark Matter &amp -- Modified Gravity -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Astronomical and Cosmological Explananda -- 6.3 Unification and Simplicity -- 6.4 Assessment -- 6.5 Philosophical Lessons -- 6.6 Conclusion -- References -- Part II Models and Simulations -- 7 Stellar Structure Models Revisited: Evidence and Data in Asteroseismology -- 7.1 Three Aims in the Philosophy of Stellar Astrophysics -- 7.2 A Very Brief History of Stellar Astrophysics -- 7.3 `Fictional Conditionals' in Stellar Structure Modelling -- 7.4 Asteroseismology: The Observational Basis of Stellar Astrophysics Revisited -- 7.5 From Experimenter's Regress to Modeller's Nest -- 7.6 Conclusions -- References -- 8 Idealizations in Astrophysical Computer Simulations -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Epistemic Challenges in Astrophysical Methodology -- 8.3 Case Study: Collisional Ring Galaxies and Their Computer Simulations -- 8.4 Idealizations, De-idealizations, and Representation in Astrophysical Computer Simulations -- 8.4.1 Kinds of Idealizations in Astrophysical Computer Simulations -- 8.4.2 Idealizations and the Aims of Astrophysical Computer Simulations -- 8.4.3 De-idealizations &amp -- Astrophysical Computer Simulations -- 8.4.4 Idealizations, De-idealizations, and Epistemic Status of Simulations -- 8.5 Conclusion -- References -- 9 Simulation Verification in Practice -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 A Survey of Galaxy MHD Simulation Codes -- 9.3 Fluid-Mixing Instabilities and Test Development -- 9.4 Leveraging Both Physics and Numerics -- 9.5 Conclusion -- References -- 10 (What) Do We Learn from Code Comparisons? A Case Study of Self-Interacting Dark Matter Implementations -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Code Comparisons in Astrophysics -- 10.3 Comparing Self-Interacting Dark Matter Implementations -- 10.3.1 SIDM in Gizmo and Arepo.

10.3.2 Methodology of Our Code Comparison -- 10.3.3 Results of Our Code Comparison -- 10.4 Discussion -- 10.4.1 Avoiding Tensions -- 10.4.2 The Eliminative Approach -- 10.4.3 Code Comparison as Eliminative Reasoning -- 10.5 Conclusion -- References -- 11 Simulation and Experiment Revisited: Temporal Data in Astronomy and Astrophysics -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Epistemology of Simulations and Experiments -- 11.3 Materiality and Representation -- 11.3.1 Intervention and Observation -- 11.4 A&amp -- A Simulation and Temporal Data -- 11.4.1 The Nature of Temporal Data -- 11.4.2 Examples -- 11.4.3 Challenges -- 11.4.4 Discussion -- 11.5 Conclusion -- References -- 12 What's in a Survey? Simulation-Induced Selection Effects in Astronomy -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Selection Effects in Astrophysics -- 12.3 Case Study: What Triggers Quasar Activity? -- 12.4 Conclusion -- References -- Part III Black Holes -- 13 On the Epistemology of Observational Black Hole Astrophysics -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Epistemic Access to Black Holes -- 13.2.1 No Interventions on Black Holes -- 13.2.2 Indirect Observability of Black Holes -- 13.3 Interpreting Many Definitions of Black Holes -- 13.3.1 Cluster Concepts, Perspectives, and Other Possible Reactions to the Many Definitions of Black Holes -- 13.3.2 Relationships Between Different Definitions of Black Holes -- 13.3.3 Consequences of Relationships Between Many Definitions -- 13.4 Short Dynamical Timescales -- 13.4.1 Timescales in Black Hole Astrophysics -- 13.4.2 Consequences of Short Dynamical Timescales -- 13.5 Conclusions -- References -- 14 Black Holes and Analogy -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Two Analogies in Contemporary Black Hole Physics -- 14.2.1 Analogical Reasoning -- 14.2.2 Analogue Gravity -- 14.2.2.1 The Positive Analogy -- 14.2.2.2 Formalisation -- 14.2.3 Black Hole Thermodynamics.

14.2.3.1 The Positive Analogy -- 14.2.3.2 The Negative Analogy -- 14.2.3.3 The Hypothetical Analogy? -- 14.2.3.4 Formalisation -- 14.3 What Is the Relationship Between Them? -- 14.3.1 Naïve Formalism -- 14.3.2 Sophisticated Formalism -- 14.3.3 Classicalism -- 14.4 Conclusion -- References -- 15 Extragalactic Reality Revisited: Astrophysics and Entity Realism -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Entity Realism -- 15.2.1 Hacking's Manipulationist Account -- 15.2.2 Cartwright's Causal-Explanatory Account -- 15.2.3 Chakravartty's Semi-realism -- 15.3 Astrophysical Black Holes -- 15.3.1 Discovery of Black Holes -- 15.3.1.1 Stellar Black Holes -- 15.3.1.2 Supermassive Black Holes -- 15.4 Black Hole Realism? -- 15.4.1 Cartwright -- 15.4.1.1 Multi-Messenger Astronomy -- 15.4.2 Chakravartty -- 15.5 Concluding Remarks -- References -- Part IV Concluding Thoughts -- 16 Reflections by a Theoretical Astrophysicist -- References -- 17 Annotated Bibliography -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 Methodologies in Astrophysics -- 17.3 Models and Simulations -- 17.4 Realism and Antirealism -- 17.5 Theories and Testing -- 17.6 SSK and Social Issues -- 17.7 Typicality and Extra-Terrestrials -- 17.8 Dark Matter and MOND.