Knihovna astronomie a astrofyziky Série

In this third corrected and revised edition students and lecturers in astronomy and planetary science as well as planet observers will find a mine of up-to-date information on the solar system and its interaction with the interplanetary medium, its various objects, comparative planetology, discussion of questions for further research and future space exploration.

Devised for a quantitative understanding of the physics of the universe from the solar system through the milky way to clusters of galaxies all the way to cosmology, this acclaimed text offers among the most concise and most critical ones of extant works. Special chapters are devoted to magnetic and radiation processes, disks, black-hole candidacy, bipolar flows, cosmic rays, gamma-ray bursts, image distortions, and special sources. At the same time, planet earth is viewed as the arena for life, with plants and animals having evolved to homo sapiens during cosmic time. This text is unique in covering the basic qualitative and quantitative tools, formulae as well as numbers, needed to for the precise interpretation of frontline phenomena.

This classic text - aimed at senior undergraduates and beginning graduate students in physics and astronomy - presents a wide range of concepts in sufficient depth to give the reader a quantitative understanding of the subject. Emphasising physical concepts, it provides the student with a series of astrophysical sketches, concluding with a synthesis of all the subjects discussed in the book, sketching the history of the universe from its beginning to the formation of the Sun and the planets.

Focusing on the chemical evolution of various galaxy types—elliptical, spiral, and irregular—this book highlights the significance of star formation history in shaping star populations. It offers a comprehensive comparison of theoretical models against two decades of observational data, providing insights into the intricate processes governing galaxy development and composition.

The?rsteditionofthistextappearedin1994.Shortlyafterthethirdprinting, our editor suggested that we attempt a second edition because new devel- mentsinstellarstructureandevolutionhadmadeouroriginalworkoutdated. We (the original authors, CJH and SDK) reluctantly agreed but with res- vations due to the e?ort involved. Our initial reluctance disappeared when we were able to convince (cajole, twist the arm of, etc.) our new coauth- colleague Virginia Trimble to join us. (Welcome Virginia!) We (i.e., all three of us) hope that you agree that the present edition is a great improvement compared to the 1994 e?ort. Our objectives in this edition are the same ones we set forth in 1994: Whatyouwill?ndisatextdesignedforourtargetaudience:thety- cal senior undergraduate or beginning graduate student in astronomy or astrophysics who wishes an overview of stellar structure and e- lution with just enough detail to understand the general picture. She or he can go on from there to more specialized texts or directly to the research literature depending on talent and interests. To this end, this text presents the basic physical principles without chasing all the (interesting!) details. For those of you familiar with the ?rst edition, you will ?nd that some things have not been changed substantially (F = ma is still F = ma), while othersde?nitelyhave.Forexample,Chapter2hasbeencompletelyrewritten.

Neutron stars are the smallest dense stars known, with densities some 1014 times that of Earth. This text discusses the physics of these extreme objects and includes the needed background in classical general relativity in nuclear and particle physics.

High-redshift galaxies emerged as a distinct research field in the late 20th century, facilitated by the Lyman-break technique, which enabled the identification of significant samples, and the advent of 8 to 10-meter telescopes that provided quality spectroscopic data. Today, these galaxies represent a crucial topic in astrophysics, comprising 5–10% of publications in major astronomy journals. The rapid development of this field, coupled with the constant influx of new results, makes writing a comprehensive book challenging. However, the vast amount of existing research and the ongoing interest in high-redshift galaxies justify the need for a summary and evaluation of the available data. This serves as an introduction for newcomers or those interested in the findings. The end of the first decade of the 21st century is an opportune moment for such a summary, as the current generation of ground-based optical telescopes, the Hubble Space Telescope, and key large radio telescopes have been operational for about one to two decades. While these instruments will continue to yield significant scientific results, many initial programs that utilized their unique capabilities have now been completed.

Focusing on the formulation of mathematical models, this book delves into the light curves of eclipsing binary stars and the algorithms used to create these models. The latest edition introduces new physics relevant to light curve modeling and distance fitting, along with fresh applications and updated references, enhancing its relevance for researchers in the field.

In the first part, the book gives an up-to-date summary of the observational data. In the second part, it deals with the kinetic description of cosmic ray plasma. The underlying diffusion-convection transport equation, which governs the coupling between cosmic rays and the background plasma, is derived and analyzed in detail. In the third part, several applications of the solutions of the transport equation are presented and how key observations in cosmic ray physics can be accounted for is demonstrated.

Concerned with the theory and history of reflecting telescope optics, this volume comprises contributions from specialists in this field, working both in the astronomical community and in industry. The text covers subjects including practical alignment, test techniques and maintenance.

Starburst regions in galaxies significantly enhance our understanding of the early universe. This updated edition of Norbert Schulz’s book explores the complex physical processes involved in star creation and early evolution. It highlights how these processes manifest across various wavelengths, from radio to high-energy X-rays and gamma rays, with a focus on high-energy signatures. Key analysis techniques are discussed, showcasing modern research methods in the field. New chapters cover massive star formation, proto-planetary disks, and observations of young exoplanets. Recent advancements and contemporary research on star formation theory are presented, alongside new observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which collectively enhance high-resolution space-based observations. The inclusion of chapters on proto-planetary disks and young exoplanets reflects the evolving landscape of the subject. Enhanced with numerous color images, the book illustrates both established and emerging topics. The author updates theories on fragmentation, dust, and circumstellar disks, while placing a stronger emphasis on computational approaches, targeting graduate students and young researchers.

This book deals with stars during a short episode before they undergo a ma jor, and fatal, transition. Soon the star will stop releasing nudear energy, it will become a planetary nebula for abrief but poetic moment, and then it will turn into a white dwarf and slowly fade out of sight. Just before this dramatic change begins the star has reached the highest luminosity and the largest diameter in its existence, and while it is a star detectable in galaxies beyond the Local Group, its structure contains already the inconspicuous white dwarf it will become. It is called an "asymptotic giant branch star" or "AGB star". Over the last 30 odd years AGB stars have become a topic of their own although individual members of this dass had already been studied for cen turies without realizing what they were. In the early evolution, so called "E-AGB"-phase, the stars are a bit bluer than, but otherwise very similar to, what are now called red giant branch stars (RGB stars). It is only in the sec ond half of their anyhow brief existence that AGB stars differ fundamentally from RGB stars.

, This is the updated, widely revised, restructured and expanded third edition of Léna et al.'s successful work Observational Astrophysics. It presents a synthesis on tools and methods of observational astrophysics of the early 21st century. Written specifically for astrophysicists and graduate students, this textbook focuses on fundamental and sometimes practical limitations on the ultimate performance that an astronomical system may reach, rather than presenting particular systems in detail. In little more than a decade there has been extraordinary progress in imaging and detection technologies, in the fields of adaptive optics, optical interferometry, in the sub-millimetre waveband, observation of neutrinos, discovery of exoplanets, to name but a few examples. The work deals with ground-based and space-based astronomy and their respective fields. And it also presents the ambitious concepts behind space missions aimed for the next decades. Avoiding particulars, it covers the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum, and provides an introduction to the new forms of astronomy becoming possible with gravitational waves and neutrinos. It also treats numerical aspects of observational astrophysics: signal processing, astronomical databases and virtual observatories.

A wealth of new experimental and theoretical results has been obtained in solar physics since the first edition of this textbook appeared in 1989. Thus all nine chapters have been thoroughly revised, and about 100 pages and many new illustrations have been added to the text. The additions include element diffusion in the solar interior, the recent neutrino experiments, methods of image restoration, observational devices used for spectroscopy and polarimetry, and new developments in helioseismology and numerical simulation. The book takes particular advantage of the results of several recent space missions, which lead to substantial progress in our understanding of the Sun, from the deep interior to the corona and solar wind.

This textbook addresses students and practitioners. It attempts to give an outline of the methods and tools of radio astronomy needed by the astronomer who wants to relate the message from interstellar space to physical processes. It gives a unified treatment of the entire field of radioastronomy from the centimetre to the sub-millimetre wavelength range, discussing both single telescopes and interferometric devices. It describes the basic physical principles and gives a reasonably complete outline of the instruments and methods of measurements and analysis, including both continuum radiation and spectral lines. This second edition has been largely rewritten and expanded. It includes the most recent developments in astronomy.

This book effectively combines Special and General Relativity with key elements of nuclear and particle physics. It includes problem sets for various chapters, making it suitable for courses focused on the physics of white dwarf and neutron star interiors.

On the occasion ofthe second edition ofthe book, it appeared necessary to up date information that was already seven years old. Astrometry has recorded tremendous advances during these last years, so that, in addition to cor recting identified errors and misprints, there are many major modifications. Among the events that forced me to modify significantly the contents of the book, the most important are the release of the Hipparcos and Tycho cata logues, the introduction of CCD astrometry, the decision of the International Astronomical Union to adopt a new celestial reference frame, the dramatic improvement of accurate time and frequency standards, the decision taken by space agencies to prepare several new space astrometry satellites and the development of optical interferometry. The description and the consequences of these events have been included in this edition. One of them is that a mi crosecond of arc or microarcsecond (uas) has become a widely used unit. On the contrary, the result was also that the importance of some in struments such as astrolabes or transit circles has decreased. However, I left but because their description unchanged, not only for their historical interest, newer techniques often use similar data reduction methods so that one can refer to them. Conversely, some methods or instruments have evolved and new information is included. Finally, many new references were added to the original list.

In this corrected and enlarged edition of Börner's well respected textbook, you will find an up-to-date account of the interplay between particle physics and astrophysics upon which modern cosmology is founded. The author describes some of the theories which have been developed to model the fundamental interaction of elementary particles in the extremely high temperatures of the early universe, taking care to distinguish facts and well- established results from hypotheses and speculations. The three parts of the book discuss the standard hot big bang model of the early universe, the basic ideas of the standard and the grand unified theories of elementary particles, and the influence of dark matter of the large- scale evolution of structure. In addition to making some minor corrections, the author has added an appendix presenting new results and an updated bibliography. Two main groups of readers are research students in astronomy can use this book to understand the impact of elementary particle theory on cosmology, while research students in particle physics can use it to acquaint themselves with the basic facts of cosmology. The book is written carefully enough to appeal also to a wider audience of physicists.

S. Chandrasekhar's influential work presents stellar dynamics as a branch of classical dynamics, akin to celestial mechanics. It explores the evolution of stellar dynamics through three main perspectives: celestial mechanics, fluid mechanics, and statistical mechanics, addressing complex problems in interpreting stellar systems.

In the last 45 years, X-ray astronomy has become an integral part of modern astrophysics and cosmology. There is a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena, where X-rays provide crucial diagnostics. In particular they are well suited to study hot plasmas and matter under extreme physical conditions in compact objects. This book summarizes the present status of X-ray astronomy in terms of observational results and their astrophysical interpretation. It is written for students, astrophysicists as well a growing community of physicists interested in the field. An introduction including historical material is followed by chapters on X-ray astronomical instrumentation. The next two parts summarize in 17 chapters the present knowledge on various classes of X-ray sources in the galactic and extragalactic realm. While the X-ray astronomical highlights discussed in this book are mainly based on results from ROSAT, ASCA, RXTE, BeppoSAX, Chandra and XMM-Newton, a final chapter provides an outlook on observational capabilities and projects discussed for the future.

Written by a well-known astrophysicist, who is also a superbly talented writer, this work deals with the matter and radiation content of the universe, the formation of galaxies, and provides a comprehensive introduction into relativistic astrophysics as needed for the clarification of cosmological ideas.

Compact objects are a crucial focus in contemporary astronomical research. Supermassive black holes are key to understanding galaxy formation in the early Universe, while old white dwarfs serve as benchmarks for determining the Universe's age. Mergers of neutron stars and black holes generate intense gravitational waves, which will soon be measured by upcoming detectors. This work provides a thorough introduction and current overview of the physical processes governing these objects, encompassing everything from foundational concepts to the latest findings and observations. It begins with a classification of compact objects, followed by essential principles of general relativity. The author delves into the physics and observations of white dwarfs and neutron stars, presenting the latest equations of state for neutron star matter, and explores the gravitational fields of rapidly rotating compact objects and black holes, including ray tracing and magnetospheres. Additionally, the text covers gravitational waves and new insights into accretion processes through magnetorotational instability in accretion disks. Utilizing a 3+1 split approach to Einstein's equations and relativistic hydrodynamics, each chapter includes problems and solutions to enhance comprehension. This advanced textbook will be valuable for both students and researchers in the field of astrophysics.

Our purpose in writing this book is to show how physics has been applied to developing our current understanding of the phase structure, physical condi tions, chemical makeup and, evolution of the (thermal) interstellar medium. We hope it provides an up-to-date overview which postgraduates, advanced undergraduates, and professionals in astrophysics can use as a „reference of first resort“ before going on to read the more specialist monographs or research literature. We have covered the exciting observational results, but without consideration of the experimental techniques or instruments required. An elementary understanding of mathematical physics and of quantum me chanics has been assumed, and a knowledge of basic astrophysics would be helpful. Older textbooks on interstellar physics have tended to develop the subject matter in an order which reflects the historical development of the field. Here a more pedagological approach has been adopted, based on our lecture course experience. We cover successively more complex physical systems found in the diffuse universe. Detailed mathematical rigour is eschewed in favour of provid ing the reader with a basic physical insight into these systems. Astrophysical problems are treated as practical applications of the physics. In practice, the material is generally ranked in order of decreasing entropy, since the hottest and most diffuse phases tend to be physically less complex.

This long-awaited second edition of the classical textbook on Stellar Structure and Evolution by Kippenhahn and Weigert is a thoroughly revised version of the original text. Taking into account modern observational constraints as well as additional physical effects such as mass loss and diffusion, Achim Weiss and Rudolf Kippenhahn have succeeded in bringing the book up to the state-of-the-art with respect to both the presentation of stellar physics and the presentation and interpretation of current sophisticated stellar models. The well-received and proven pedagogical approach of the first edition has been retained. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of the physics of the stellar interior and the underlying fundamental processes and parameters. The models developed to explain the stability, dynamics and evolution of the stars are presented and great care is taken to detail the various stages in a star’s life. Just as the first edition, which remained astandard work for more than 20 years after its first publication, the second edition will be of lasting value not only for students but also for active researchers in astronomy and astrophysics.

Using information and scale as central themes, this comprehensive survey explains how to handle real problems in astronomical data analysis through a modern arsenal of powerful techniques. The coverage includes chapters or appendices on: detection and filtering; image compression; multichannel, multiscale, and catalog data analytical methods; wavelets transforms, Picard iteration, and software tools.

Unique in its breadth of coverage and level of presentation, this revised textbook provides more on the nature of galaxies, extragalactic objects, the large-scale structure of the Universe, and cosmology than is available in general textbooks on astronomy. It remains, however, accessible to advanced undergraduate students. One or more chapters are devoted to each of the following: the classification and morphology of galaxies; the galactic interstellar medium; galactic kinematics; elliptical, spiral, and barred spiral galaxies; the interactions between galaxies; extragalactic radio sources, quasars and their line spectra, and other active galactic nuclei; the formation of galaxies; the Universe as a whole; and cosmology.

A comprehensive account of solar astrophysics and how our perception and knowledge of this star have gradually changed as mankind has elucidated ever more of its mysteries. The emphasis here is on the last decade, which has seen three successful solar spacecraft missions: SOHO, Ulysses and Yohkoh. Together, these have confirmed many aspects of the solar standard model and provided new clues to the numerous open questions that remain. The author, a leading researcher in the field, writes in a clear and concise style. Known also for his famous books „Astrophysical Formulae“, „Sun, Earth and Sky“ and the prize-winning „Wanderers in Space“, he has succeeded once again in addressing a complex scientific topic in a very approachable way.

Rotation is ubiquitous at each step of stellar evolution, from star formation to the final stages, and it affects the course of evolution, the timescales and nucleosynthesis. Stellar rotation is also an essential prerequisite for the occurrence of Gamma-Ray Bursts. In this book the author thoroughly examines the basic mechanical and thermal effects of rotation, their influence on mass loss by stellar winds, the effects of differential rotation and its associated instabilities, the relation with magnetic fields and the evolution of the internal and surface rotation. Further, he discusses the numerous observational signatures of rotational effects obtained from spectroscopy and interferometric observations, as well as from chemical abundance determinations, helioseismology and asteroseismology, etc. On an introductory level, this book presents in a didactical way the basic concepts of stellar structure and evolution in „track 1“ chapters. The other more specialized chapters form an advanced course on the graduate level and will further serve as a valuable reference work for professional astrophysicists.

Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, The Interstellar Medium is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.

Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology provides a comprehensive overview of general relativity and its applications to compact objects, gravitational waves, and cosmology. It balances theoretical concepts with observational discussions and includes 140 exercises. Ideal for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in (astro)physics.