Philosophy of Astrophysics: Stars, Simulations, and the Struggle to Determine What is Out There (Synthese Library Book 472)

This is an open access book. This book, the first edited collection of its kind, explores the recent emergence of philosophical research in astrophysics. It assembles a variety of original essays from scholars who are currently shaping this field, and it combines insightful overviews of the current state of play with novel, significant contributions. It therefore provides an ideal source for understanding the current debates in philosophy of astrophysics, and it offers new ideas for future cutting-edge research. The selection of essays offered in this book addresses methodological and metaphysical questions that target a wide range of topics, including dark matter, black holes, astrophysical observations and modelling. The book serves as the first standard resource in philosophy of astrophysics for all scholars who work in the field and want to expand or deepen their knowledge, but it also provides an accessible guide for all those philosophers and scientists who are interested in getting a first, basic understanding of the main issues in philosophy of astrophysics. 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 & 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 & 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&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