Studying the complex physical systems of stellar jets necessitates the incorporation of nonlinear effects which occur on a wide variety of length and timescales. One of the primary methods used to study the physics of jets is numerical simulations that apply high performance computing techniques. Such techniques are also required for analysing the huge modern astrophysical datasets.

This book examines those computing techniques. It is a collection of the lectures from the fifth and final school of the JETSET network, "Jets From Young Stars V: High Performance Computing in Astrophysics." It begins with an introduction to parallel programming techniques, with an emphasis on Message Passing Interface (MPI), before it goes on to review grid technology techniques and offer a practical introduction to Virtual Observatory. The second half of the book, then, is devoted to applications of high performance computing techniques, including 3D radiation transfer, to jet and star formation processes.

Aimed at graduate students in astrophysics, this book presents state-of-the-art methods, thereby offering interesting new insights to researchers in the field.

This book is a comprehensive survey of the current state of knowledge about the dynamics and gravitational properties of cosmic strings treated in the idealized classical approximation as line singularities described by the Nambu-Goto action. The author's purpose is to provide a standard reference to all work that has been published since the mid-1970s and to link this work together in a single conceptual framework and a single notational formalism. A working knowledge of basic general relativity is assumed. The book will be essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students in mathematics, theoretical physics, and astronomy interested in cosmic strings.

This book is about the mathematical theory of light propagation in media on general-relativistic spacetimes. The first part discusses the transition from Maxwell's equations to ray optics. The second part establishes a general mathematical framework for treating ray optics as a theory in its own right, making extensive use of the Hamiltonian formalism. This part also includes a detailed discussion of variational principles (i.e., various versions of Fermat's principle) for light rays in general-relativistic media. Some applications, e.g. to gravitational lensing, are worked out. The reader is assumed to have some basic knowledge of general relativity and some familiarity with differential geometry. Some of the results are published here for the first time, e.g. a general-relativistic version of Fermat's principle for light rays in a medium that has to satisfy some regularity condition only.

A thorough introduction to modern ideas on cosmology and on the physical basis of the general theory of relativity, An Introduction to the Science of Cosmology explores various theories and ideas in big bang cosmology, providing insight into current problems. Assuming no previous knowledge of astronomy or cosmology, this book takes you beyond introductory texts to the point where you are able to read and appreciate the scientific literature, which is broadly referenced in the book. The authors present the standard big bang theory of the universe and provide an introduction to current inflationary cosmology, emphasizing the underlying physics without excessive technical detail.
The book treats cosmological models without reliance on prior knowledge of general relativity, the necessary physics being introduced in the text as required. It also covers recent observational evidence pointing to an accelerating expansion of the universe. The first several chapters provide an introduction to the topics discussed later in the book. The next few chapters introduce relativistic cosmology and the classic observational tests. One chapter gives the main results of the hot big bang theory. Next, the book presents the inflationary model and discusses the problem of the origin of structure and the correspondingly more detailed tests of relativistic models. Finally, the book considers some general issues raised by expansion and isotropy. A reference section completes the work by listing essential formulae, symbols, and physical constants.
Beyond the level of many elementary books on cosmology, An Introduction to the Science of Cosmology encompasses numerous recent developments and ideas in the area. It provides more detailed coverage than many other titles available, and the inclusion of problems at the end of each chapter aids in self study and makes the book suitable for taught courses.

Written by a leading expert on comets, this textbook is divided into seven main elements with a view to allowing advanced students to appreciate the interconnections between the different elements. The author opens with a brief introductory segment on the motivation for studying comets and the overall scope of the book. The first chapter describes fundamental aspects most usually addressed by ground-based observation. The author then looks at the basic physical phenomena in four separate chapters addressing the nucleus, the emitted gas, the emitted dust, and the solar wind interaction. Each chapter introduces the basic physics and chemistry but then new specific measurements by Rosetta instruments at comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko are brought in. A concerted effort has been made to distinguish between established fact and conjecture. Deviations and inconsistencies are brought out and their significance explained. Links to previous observations of comets Tempel 1, Wild 2, Hartley 2, Halley and others are made. The author then closes with three smaller chapters on related objects, the loss of comets, and prospects for future exploration. This textbook includes over 275 graphics and figures - most of which are original. Thorough explanations and derivations are included throughout the chapters. The text is therefore designed to support MSc. students and new PhD students in the field wanting to gain a solid overview of the state-of-the-art.

The review papers in this volume provide an in-depth examination of complex astrophysical phenomena of star formation via multi-wavelength observations and modeling. Among the fundamental issues discussed in the book are: The role of gravity and magnetized turbulence in the formation and evolution of molecular clouds The stellar feedback (supernovae, HII regions, winds, cosmic rays) in regulating star formation The origin of the stellar initial mass function and its universality across various environments Jets, magnetic fields and high energy particles in stellar clusters The origin of the first stars and black holes The goal of these papers is to review the major processes governing star formation and to investigate how they are interlinked. In doing so, they provide an in-depth look at the tremendous theoretical and observational progress that has been made in the recent past and also outline future perspectives. Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Star Formation"

This book is about black holes, one of the most intriguing objects of modern theoretical physics and astrophysics. For many years, black holes have been considered as interesting solutions of the Theory of General Relativity with a number of amusing mathematical properties. Now after the discovery of astrophysical black holes, the Einstein gravity has become an important tool for their study. This self-contained textbook combines physical, mathematical, and astrophysical aspects of black hole theory. Pedagogically presented, it contains 'standard' material on black holes as well as relatively new subjects such as the role of hidden symmetries in black hole physics, and black holes in spacetimes with large extra dimensions. The book will appeal to students and young scientists interested in the theory of black holes.

This book seeks to present a new way of thinking about the interaction of gravitational fields with quantum systems. Despite the massive amounts of research and experimentation, the myriad meetings, seminars and conferences, all of the articles, treatises and books, and the seemingly endless theorization, quantization and just plain speculation that have been engaged in regarding our evolving understanding of the quantum world, that world remains an enigma, even to the experts. The usefulness of general relativity in this regard has proven to be imperfect at best, but there is a new approach. We do not simply have to accept the limitations of Einstein's most celebrated theorem in regard to quantum theory; we can also embrace them, and thereby utilize them, to reveal new facts about the behavior of quantum systems within inertial and gravitational fields, and therefore about the very structure of space-time at the quantum level. By taking existing knowledge of the essential functionality of spin (along with the careful identification of the omnipresent inertial effects) and applying it to the quantum world, the book gives the reader a much clearer picture of the difference between the classical and quantum behaviors of a particle, shows that Einstein's ideas may not be as incompatible within this realm as many have come to believe, sparks new revelations of the way in which gravity affects quantum systems and brings a new level of efficiency-quantum efficiency, if you will-to the study of gravitational theory.

This concise textbook, designed specifically for a one-semester course in astrophysics, introduces astrophysical concepts to undergraduate science and engineering students with a background in college-level, calculus-based physics. The text is organized into five parts covering: stellar properties; stellar structure and evolution; the interstellar medium and star/planet formation; the Milky Way and other galaxies; and cosmology. Structured around short easily digestible chapters, instructors have flexibility to adjust their course's emphasis as it suits them. Exposition drawn from the author's decade of teaching his course guides students toward a basic but quantitative understanding, with 'quick questions' to spur practice in basic computations, together with more challenging multi-part exercises at the end of each chapter. Advanced concepts like the quantum nature of energy and radiation are developed as needed. The text's approach and level bridge the wide gap between introductory astronomy texts for non-science majors and advanced undergraduate texts for astrophysics majors.

The origin of the solar system has been a matter of speculation for many centuries, and since the time of Newton it has been possible to apply scientific principles to the problem. A succession of theories, starting with that of Pierre Laplace in 1796, has gained general acceptance, only to fall from favor due to its contradiction in some basic scientific principle or new heavenly observation. Modern observations by spacecraft of the solar system, the stars, and extra-solar planetary systems continuously provide new information that may be helpful in finding a plausible theory as well as present new constraints for any such theory to satisfy.
The Origin and Evolution of the Solar System begins by describing historical (pre-1950) theories and illustrating why they became unacceptable. The main part of the book critically examines five extant theories, including the current paradigm, the solar nebula theory, to determine how well they fit with accepted scientific principles and observations. This analysis shows that the solar nebula theory satisfies the principles and observational constraints no better than its predecessors. The capture theory put forward by the author fares better and also indicates an initial scenario leading to a causal series of events that explain all the major features of the solar system.

The origin of the solar system has been a matter of speculation for many centuries, and since the time of Newton it has been possible to apply scientific principles to the problem. A succession of theories, starting with that of Pierre Laplace in 1796, has gained general acceptance, only to fall from favor due to its contradiction in some basic scientific principle or new heavenly observation. Modern observations by spacecraft of the solar system, the stars, and extra-solar planetary systems continuously provide new information that may be helpful in finding a plausible theory as well as present new constraints for any such theory to satisfy.
The Origin and Evolution of the Solar System begins by describing historical (pre-1950) theories and illustrating why they became unacceptable. The main part of the book critically examines five extant theories, including the current paradigm, the solar nebula theory, to determine how well they fit with accepted scientific principles and observations. This analysis shows that the solar nebula theory satisfies the principles and observational constraints no better than its predecessors. The capture theory put forward by the author fares better and also indicates an initial scenario leading to a causal series of events that explain all the major features of the solar system.

Accretion disks are ubiquitous in our universe, and produce intense brightening. How does the gas in the disk lose its angular momentum to release massive amounts of gravitational energy? This is one of the biggest open questions in astronomy. This book studies four types of newly detected outbursts in dwarf novae through optical observations and/or numerical simulations and puts forward physical interpretations of these outbursts on the basis of the disk instability model, the most plausible model for dwarf-nova outbursts. It demonstrates that the disk-instability model can explain rich variety in dwarf-nova outbursts if some new aspects are taken into account (e.g. the extremely slow growth of tidal instability and thermal instability in the disk misaligned against the binary orbital plane). Moreover, it shares valuable insights on the evolution of binary systems by finding period bouncers and dwarf novae with F-type companion stars, which are rare objects.

The Sun and stars rotate in di?erent ways and at di?erent velocity rates. The knowledge of how they rotate is important in understanding the formation and evolution of stars and their structure. The closest star to our Earth, the Sun, is a good laboratory to study in detail the rotation of a G star and allows to test new ideas and develop new techniques to study stellar rotation. More or less massive, more or lessevolved objects, however, can have averydi?erent rotation rate, structure and history. In recent years our understanding of the rotation of the Sun has greatly improved. The Sun has a well-known large-scale rotation, which can be m- sured thanks to visible features across the solar disk, such as sunspots, or via spectroscopy. In addition, several studies cast light on di?erential rotation in the convective zone and on meridional circulation in the radiative zone of the Sun. Even the rotation of the core of the Sun can now be studied thanks to various methods, such as dynamics of the gravitational moments and of course, helioseismology, through g-modes analysis. Moreover, the magnetic ?eld is strongly linked to the matter motions in the solar plasma. The solar magnetic ?eld can be measured only at the surface or in theupperlayers.Itistheproductoftheinternaldynamoorofthelocaldynamos if they exist - in any case magnetic ?eld and rotation cannot thus be separated.

Few phenomena have stirred the imaginations of solar scientists as much as the explosive energy of solar flares. In The Physics of Solar Flares, first published in 1988, Einar Tandberg-Hanssen and A. Gordon Emslie approach this subject by drawing heavily on experimental data from the Solar Maximum Mission, as well as other ground-based and space-borne instruments. The data are incorporated into many theoretical investigations. The authors put the main emphasis on understanding the underlying physical processes. Starting from the language of physics, the authors guide the reader into the more specialised concepts of solar physics. The book is divided into two main parts: four chapters set the essentials of physics needed to attack the complexities of flare phenomena, and then a further four treat different aspects of the phenomena. This important book is aimed primarily at beginning graduate students who are assumed to have knowledge of basic physics.

The goal of IAU Symposium 359 on 'Galaxy Evolution and Feedback across Different Environments' (GALFEED) was to bring together the active galactic nuclei (AGN) and galaxy evolution scientific communities. The AGN phase occurs in most galaxies and critically influences their evolution, so it is important to study the two processes together and for researchers, in both topics, to learn from one another. They ask key questions such as: How do galaxies acquire their gas and how efficiently is it transformed into stars? How is the supermassive black hole in a galaxy center fuelled to become an AGN? What is the main physical mechanism that quenches star formation? How powerful are the stellar and AGN feedback processes in regulating galaxy evolution? And what is the role of the environment on galaxy evolution and AGN triggering? Astronomers engage in these discussions spanning from early galaxies to the present day.

The invention and development of advanced methods to detect light underlies much of modern technology. This fully updated and restructured third edition is unique amongst the literature, providing a comprehensive, uniform discussion of a broad range of detection approaches. The material is accessible to a broad range of readers rather than just highly trained specialists, beginning with first principles and developing the relevant physics as it goes. The book emphasizes physical understanding of detector operation, without being a catalog of current examples. It is self-contained but also provides a bridge to more specialized works on specific approaches; each chapter points readers toward the relevant literature. This will provide a broad and lasting understanding of the methods for detecting light that underpin so much of our technology. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and will provide a valuable reference for professionals across physics and engineering disciplines.

This is the first monograph dedicated entirely to problems of stability and chaotic behaviour in planetary systems and its subsystems. The author explores the three rapidly developing interplaying fields of resonant and chaotic dynamics of Hamiltonian systems, the dynamics of Solar system bodies, and the dynamics of exoplanetary systems. The necessary concepts, methods and tools used to study dynamical chaos (such as symplectic maps, Lyapunov exponents and timescales, chaotic diffusion rates, stability diagrams and charts) are described and then used to show in detail how the observed dynamical architectures arise in the Solar system (and its subsystems) and in exoplanetary systems. The book concentrates, in particular, on chaotic diffusion and clearing effects. The potential readership of this book includes scientists and students working in astrophysics, planetary science, celestial mechanics, and nonlinear dynamics.

This book focuses on new experimental and theoretical advances concerning the role of strange and heavy-flavour quarks in high-energy heavy-ion collisions and in astrophysical phenomena. The topics covered include * Strangeness and heavy-quark production in nuclear collisions and hadronic interactions, * Hadron resonances in the strongly-coupled partonic and hadronic medium, * Bulk matter phenomena associated with strange and heavy quarks, * QCD phase structure, * Collectivity in small systems, * Strangeness in astrophysics,* Open questions and new developments.

A unified theory embracing all physical phenomena is a major goal of theoretical physics. In the early 1980s, many physicists looked to eleven-dimensional supergravity in the hope that it might provide that elusive superunified theory. In 1984 supergravity was knocked off its pedestal by ten-dimensional superstrings, one-dimensional objects whose vibrational modes represent the elementary particles. Superstrings provided a perturbative finite theory of gravity which, after compactification to four spacetime dimensions, seemed in principle capable of explaining the Standard Model. Despite these major successes, however, nagging doubts persisted about superstrings. Then in 1987 and 1992 the elementary supermembrane and its dual partner, the solitonic superfivebrane, were discovered. These are supersymmetric extended objects with respectively two and five dimensions moving in an eleven-dimensional spacetime.
Over the period since 1996, perturbative superstrings have been superseded by a new nonperturbative called M-theory, which describes supermembranes and superfivebranes, subsumes string theories, and has as its low-energy limit, eleven-dimensional supergravity. M-theory represents the most exciting development in the subject since 1984 when the superstring revolution first burst on the scene.
The first book devoted to M-theory, The World in Eleven Dimensions: Supergravity, Supermembranes and M-Theory brings together seminal papers that have shaped our current understanding of this eleven-dimensional world, from supergravity through supermembranes to M-theory. Each chapter includes commentaries intended to explain the importance of these papers and to place them in a wider perspective. Each chapter also has an extensive bibliography. The book is of interest to researchers and postgraduate students in particle physics, mathematical physics, gravitation, and cosmology.

The contents of this book are the result of work performed in the past three years to provide some answers to questions raised by several colleagues wo- inginastrophysics. Examiningseveraltransportprocessesinplasmasrelated to dissipative e?ects in phenomena such as cooling ?ows, propagation of sound waves, thermal conduction in the presence of magnetic ?elds, an- lar momentum transfer in accretion disks, among many, one ?nds a rather common pattern. Indeed when values for transport coe?cients are required the overwhelming majority of authors refer to the classical results obtained by L. Spitzer and S. Braginski over forty years ago. Further, it is also often mentioned that under the prescribed working conditions the values of such coe?cients are usually insu?cient to provide agreement with observations. The methodology followed by these authors is based upon Landau's - oneering idea that collisions in plasmas may be substantially accounted for when viewed as a di?usive process. Consequently the ensuing basic kinetic equation is the Fokker-Planck version of Boltzmann's equation as essentially proposed by Landau himself nearly 70 years ago. Curiously enough the magni?cent work of the late R. Balescu in both Classical and Non-Classical transport in plasmas published in 1988 and also based on the Fokker-Planck equation is hardly known in the astrophysical audience. The previous work of Spitzer and Braginski is analyzed with much more rigorous vision in his two books on the subject.

How did electrons in the high atmosphere and space around the Earth come to acquire their speeds and energies?
This intriguing question lies at the heart of understanding how high-energy electrons create the spectacular displays of the DEGREESIAurora Borealis and DEGREESIAurora Australis. Electron Acceleration in the Aurora and Beyond explores the mysteries of these phenomena and others involving the acceleration of electrons in the magnetosphere, in the solar wind, at the Sun and in the Cosmos.
This book presents a new approach to understanding this fascinating subject by treating the acceleration medium as a plasma. Using this new insight we can see that electron acceleration may well be caused by waves rather than steady potential differences. This unique approach is clearly explained in a lively and engaging style.
Quantitative formulae, experiments, practical demonstrations and computer programs enable us to investigate for ourselves how the model works. The theory is further illustrated by comparing acceleration in space with particle accelerators in the nuclear physics laboratory (and even on the sports field )
Questions and exercises with answers are supplied to stimulate further thinking.
DEGREESIElectron Acceleration in the Aurora and Beyond is a thought-provoking book for graduate and post-doctoral space scientists.

Focusing on the organic inventory of regions of star and planet formation in the interstellar medium of galaxies, this comprehensive overview of the molecular universe is an invaluable reference source for advanced undergraduates through to entry-level researchers. It includes an extensive discussion of microscopic physical and chemical processes in the universe; these play a role in the excitation, spectral characteristics, formation, and evolution of molecules in the gas phase and on grain surfaces. In addition, the latest developments in this area of molecular astrophysics provide a firm foundation for an in-depth understanding of the molecular phases of the interstellar medium. The physical and chemical properties of gaseous molecules, mixed molecular ices, and large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and fullerenes and their role in the interstellar medium are highlighted. For those with an interest in the molecular universe, this advanced textbook bridges the gap between molecular physics, astronomy, and physical chemistry.

This thesis develops the dispersive optical model into a tool that allows for the assessment of the validity of nuclear reaction models, thereby generating unambiguous removal probabilities of nucleons from valence orbits using the electron-induced proton knockout reaction. These removal probabilities document the substantial quantitative degree in which nuclei deviate from the independent-particle model description. Another outcome reported within is the prediction for the neutron distribution of Ca-40, Ca-48, and Pb-208. The neutron radii of these nuclei have direct relevance for the understanding of neutron stars and are currently the subject of delicate experiments. Unlike other approaches, the current method is consistent with all other relevant data and describes nuclei beyond the independent-particle model. Finally, a new interpretation of the saturation probabilities of infinite nuclear matter is proposed suggesting that the semi-empirical mass formula must be supplemented with a better extrapolation from nuclei to infinite matter.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. The first part discusses the basic theoretical and observational topics related to black hole astrophysics; the optics and the detectors employed in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy; and past, present, and future X-ray and gamma-ray missions. The second part then describes data reduction and analysis, the statistics used in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, and demonstrates how to write a successful proposal and a scientific paper. Data reduction in connection with specific X-ray and gamma-ray missions is covered in the appendices. Presenting the state of the art in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, this is both a valuable textbook for students and an important reference resource for researchers in the field.

Nonlinear Wave and Plasma Structures in the Auroral and Subauroral Geospace presents a comprehensive examination of the self-consistent processes leading to multiscale electromagnetic and plasma structures in the magnetosphere and ionosphere near the plasmapause, particularly in the auroral and subauroral geospace. It utilizes simulations and a large number of relevant in situ measurements conducted by the most recent satellite missions, as well as ground-based optical and radar observations to verify the conclusions and analysis. Including several case studies of observations related to prominent geospacer events, the book also provides experimental and numerical results throughout the chapters to further enhance understanding of how the same physical mechanisms produce different phenomena at different regions of the near-Earth space environment. Additionally, the comprehensive description of mechanisms responsible for space weather effects will give readers a broad foundation of wave and particle processes in the near-Earth magnetosphere. As such, Nonlinear Wave and Plasma Structures in the Auroral and Subauroral Geospace Nonlinear Wave and Plasma Structures in the Auroral and Subauroral Geospace is a cutting-edge reference for space physicists looking to better understand plasma physics in geospace.