UV and X-ray spectroscopy of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas draws interest from many disciplines. Contributions from international specialists are collected together in this book from a timely recent conference. In astrophysics, the Hubble Space Telescope, Astro 1 and ROSAT observatories are now providing UV and X-ray spectra and images of cosmic sources in unprecedented detail, while the Yohkoh mission recently collected superb data on the solar corona. In the laboratory, the development of ion-trap facilities and novel laser experiments are providing vital new data on high temperature plasmas. Recent innovations in the technology of spectroscopic instrumentation are discussed. These papers constitute an excellent up-to-date review of developments in short-wave length spectroscopy and offer a solid introduction to its theoretical and experimental foundations.

What do we understand of the birth and death of stars? What is the nature of the tiny dust grains that permeate our Galaxy and other galaxies? And how likely is the existence of brown dwarfs, extrasolar planets or other sub-stellar mass objects? These are just a few of the questions that can now be addressed in a new era of infrared observations. IR astronomy has been revolutionised over the past few years by the widespread availability of large, very sensitive IR arrays and the success of IR satellites (IRAS in particular). Several IR space missions due for launch over the next few years promise an exciting future too. For these reasons, the IV Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics was dedicated to this burgeoning field. Its primary goal was to introduce graduate students and researchers from other areas to the important new observations and physical ideas that are emerging in this wide-ranging field of research. Lectures from nine leading researchers, renowned for their teaching abilities, are gathered in this volume. These nine chapters provide an excellent introduction as well as a thorough and up-to-date review of developments - essential reading for graduate students entering IR astronomy, and professionals from other areas who realise the importance that IR astronomy may have on their research.

Discs occur in a wide variety of astronomical contexts, ranging in size from planetary ring systems to galaxies. Because the dynamical problems posed by each type of disc are remarkably similar, the Astronomy Department of the University of Manchester decided to bring together experts in each area for a conference in December 1988. This book is a collection of the papers presented at the conference. It contains mainly review papers covering recent developments in both theory and observations of planetary ring systems, discs in star-forming regions, protoplanetary discs, accretion discs and galaxy discs presented by an expert in each field. The book also gives brief summaries of contributed papers outlining current research by many of the participants.

This introduction to basic practical tools, methods and phenomena in quantitative astronomy covers topics across a wide range of areas, from radio to gamma-ray wavelengths. Clear presentations of the topics are accompanied by diagrams and problem sets. Written for undergraduates and graduate students, the book will introduce them to the practice and study of quantitative and analytical astronomy and astrophysics.

This book is a comprehensive survey of the current research in the field of cataclysmic variables and low-mass X-ray binaries. These compact binaries contain a Roche-lobe filling low-mass star and an accreting white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole. In the turbulent process of accretion, a broad and highly variable spectrum of radiation is produced. The interpretation of the behaviour of these binaries is the present work of hundreds of astronomers, many of whom contributed to this volume. Among the topics covered here are observations and theories of low-mass neutron star and black hole binaries, magnetic and non-magnetic white dwarf binaries, transient X-ray sources, novae, and binary pulsars, as well as theories of the evolution of these binaries. The book is based on material presented at the 11th North American Workshop on Cataclysmic Variables and Low Mass X-ray Binaries held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 1989. Each contribution contains sufficient in-depth information to be of use to the specialist, while the breadth of subjects covered will ensure a wide audience among advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Astronomy describes the mechanics of the universe in the more basic language of physics, otherwise known as "astrophysics". Knowledge of black holes, quasars and extrasolar planets requires understanding of the physics underlying astrophysics. This book clarifies the fundamental principles of the field as well as the important astronomical phenomena it describes. Readers will gain a greater appreciation of the connection between physics and astronomy.

Calculations of relativistic hydrodynamics are crucial to several areas of current research in the physics of supernovae and stellar collapse. This book provides an overview of the computational framework in which such calculations have been developed, with examples of applications to real physical systems. Beginning with the development of the equations and differencing schemes for special relativistic hydrodynamics, the book stresses the viability of the Euler-Lagrange approach to most astrophysical problems. It details aspects of solving the Einstein equations together with the fluid dynamics for various astrophysical systems in one, two and three dimensions.

Current research on the origin and evolution of active galaxies is comprehensively surveyed in this collaborative volume. Both of the proposed types of central activity - active galactic nuclei and starbursts - are analysed with a particular emphasis on their relationship to the large-scale properties of the host galaxy. The crucial question is what triggers and fuels nuclear activity now and at earlier epochs? The topics covered here are gas flows near to massive black holes, the circumnuclear galactic regions, and the large-scale bars in disk galaxies. Aspects of nuclear bursts of star formation, and the relationship between central activity and the gas and stellar dynamics of the host galaxy are addressed as well. The contributors to this book for professionals and graduate students are world experts on galaxy evolution.

Lorenzo Curtis offers a new conceptual approach to atomic structure that utilizes conceptual semiclassical models to introduce empirical systematizations of measured data. These models reveal the dynamical behavior of the various interactions that specify the energies and lifetimes of complex atoms. Curtis emphasizes the historical basis of the field as well as the relationship to modern fundamental theory. He also includes many solved problems that provide connections with astrophysics, chemistry, condensed matter, and other related fields.

This self-contained book presents basic methods of numerical simulation of gravitational systems, with applications in astronomy and cosmology. The first half of the book presents and explains the fundamental mathematical tools needed to describe the dynamics of a large number of mutually attractive particles. Particular attention is given to the techniques needed to model known planetary and astrophysical phenomena such as Hubble motion. The second half of the book demonstrates how to develop clear and elegant algorithms for models of gravitational systems.

This comprehensive overview of stellar astrophysical fluid dynamics includes properties of pulsating stars; helioseismology; convection and mixing in stellar interiors; and dynamics of stellar rotation, planet formation and the generation of stellar and planetary magnetic fields. Each chapter is written by a leading expert in the field and extensive references to technical literature are made.

This book describes the development of astronomy in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, from the first rocket-based experiments in the late 1960s through to the latest satellite missions. It provides detailed material on the tools of EUV astronomy, dealing with the instrumentation, observational techniques, and modelling tools for the interpretation of data. Prospects for future EUV missions are discussed, and a catalog of known EUV sources is included.

The gravitational million-body problem is a model for understanding the dynamics of rich star clusters. This text describes the theory astronomers need for studying globular star clusters. After introducing the million-body problem from various view-points, the book systematically develops the tools needed for studying the million-body problems in nature, and introduces the most important theoretical models. Written for graduate students and researchers in astrophysics and astronomy, this text also has important applications in the fields of theoretical physics, computational science and mathematics.

This timely volume provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of cosmology and extragalactic astronomy at an advanced level. Beginning with an overview of the key observational results and necessary terminology, it covers important topics: the theory of galactic structure and galactic dynamics, structure formation, cosmic microwave background radiation, formation of luminous galaxies in the universe, intergalactic medium and active galactic nuclei. This self-contained text has a modular structure, and contains over one hundred worked exercises. It can be used alone, or in conjunction with the previous two accompanying volumes (Volume I: Astrophysical Processes, and Volume II: Stars and Stellar Systems).

This is the biography of James E. Keeler (1857–1900), a distinguished pioneer of astrophysics, the application of the methods of physics to understanding the nature of the stars, nebulae, planets, comets, and other objects that populate the universe. Keeler was an outstanding scientist, and his fellow astronomers and physicists at the end of the nineteenth century considered him the leading astronomical spectroscopist of his generation. His career was closely linked with that of George Ellery Hale, founder of Yerkes Observatory. Keeler himself was the first astronomer at Lick Observatory, and the story of his life tells much of the early history of these two early American ‘big-science’ research institutions.

Astrophysicists have developed several very different methodologies for solving the radiative transfer equation. An Introduction to Radiative Transfer applies these techniques to stellar atmospheres, planetary nebulae, supernovae, and other objects with similar geometrical and physical conditions. Accurate methods, fast methods, probabilistic methods and approximate methods are all explained, including the latest and most advanced techniques. The book includes the different techniques used for computing line profiles, polarization due to resonance line scattering, polarization in magnetic media and similar phenomena.

Astrophysicists have developed several very different methodologies for solving the radiative transfer equation. An Introduction to Radiative Transfer applies these techniques to stellar atmospheres, planetary nebulae, supernovae, and other objects with similar geometrical and physical conditions. Accurate methods, fast methods, probabilistic methods and approximate methods are all explained, including the latest and most advanced techniques. The book includes the different techniques used for computing line profiles, polarization due to resonance line scattering, polarization in magnetic media and similar phenomena.

The first extended work of its kind, "Stars as Laboratories for Fundamental Physics" stands at the intersection of two burgeoning fields, astrophysics and particle physics. Georg Raffelt, one of the world's leading researchers in this field, describes what the study of stars reveals about fundamental particle interactions.
Raffelt presents the many uses of stellar astrophysics for research in basic particle physics. He focuses primarily on the properties and nongravitational interactions of elementary particles. Numerous graphs and figures complement the text.
"Stars as Laboratories for Fundamental Physics" is a valuable reference for cosmologists, astrophysicists, and particle physicists.

This second volume of a comprehensive three-volume work on theoretical astrophysics deals with stellar physics. After reviewing the key observational results and nomenclature used in stellar astronomy, the book develops a solid understanding of central concepts including stellar structure and evolution, the physics of stellar remnants, pulsars, binary stars, the sun and planetary systems, interstellar medium and globular clusters. Throughout, the reader's comprehension is developed and tested with more than seventy-five exercises. This indispensable volume will allow graduate students to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume 1, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume 3, on galaxies and cosmology.

This second volume of a comprehensive three-volume work on theoretical astrophysics deals with stellar physics. After reviewing the key observational results and nomenclature used in stellar astronomy, the book develops a solid understanding of central concepts including stellar structure and evolution, the physics of stellar remnants, pulsars, binary stars, the sun and planetary systems, interstellar medium and globular clusters. Throughout, the reader's comprehension is developed and tested with more than seventy-five exercises. This indispensable volume will allow graduate students to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume 1, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume 3, on galaxies and cosmology.

Gravitational waves (GWs) are a hot topic and promise to play a central role in astrophysics, cosmology, and theoretical physics. Technological developments have led us to the brink of their direct observation, which could become a reality in the coming years. The direct observation of GWs will open an entirely new field: GW astronomy. This is expected to bring a revolution in our knowledge of the universe by allowing the observation of previously unseen phenomena, such as the coalescence of compact objects (neutron stars and black holes), the fall of stars into supermassive black holes, stellar core collapses, big-bang relics, and the new and unexpected. With a wide range of contributions by leading scientists in the field, Gravitational Waves covers topics such as the basics of GWs, various advanced topics, GW detectors, astrophysics of GW sources, numerical applications, and several recent theoretical developments. The material is written at a level suitable for postgraduate students entering the field.

New Cosmic Horizons tells the extraordinary story of space-based astronomy since the Second World War. Starting with the launch of the V2 rocket in 1946, this book explores the triumphs of space experiments and spacecraft designs and the amazing astronomical results that they have produced. David Leverington examines the fascinating way in which the changing political imperatives of the United States, USSR/Russia and Western Europe have modified their space astronomy programs. He covers all major astronomy missions of the first fifty years of space research: the Soviet Sputnik and American Explorer projects, the subsequent race to the moon, solar and planetary missions, and the wonders of modern astrophysics culminating in the exciting results of the Hubble Space Telescope. Extensively illustrated, New Cosmic Horizons offers amateur and professional astronomers an unusual perspective on the history of astronomy in our time. David Leverington was Design Manager of the GEOS Spacecraft and Meteosat Program Manager for ESA in the 1970s. During his tenure as Engineering Director at British Aerospace in the 1980s, he was responsible for the Giotto spacecraft that intercepted Halley's comet, and the Photon Detector Assembly and solar arrays for the Hubble Space Telescope. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He lives in Essex, England.

'This book is recommended to those interested in knowing how TeV astronomy began, evolved, and remains a growth area.The author has captured the difficulties of being a pioneer, amply demonstrating the need to keep the faith and work the problem until you succeed. Cherenkov telescopes are now in operation around the world, and at the dawn of the CTA era TeV astronomy has a lot of evolving still to do.'The ObservatoryThis book documents how TeV gamma-ray astronomy painstakingly emerged from 20th century traditional cosmic-ray physics to become a keystone feature of contemporary high-energy astrophysics, fundamental to our understanding of high-energy cosmic processes and interactions. Contemporary TeV observations are based on the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique and in excess of two hundred individual galactic and extra-galactic gamma-ray sources have now been discovered and studied in detail.The book tells the story from the perspective of the Whipple Observatory collaboration, pioneers of the imaging technique. At the same time, parallel developments by the broader community are constantly referenced, discussed and evaluated, mainly in the TeV energy regime but also where relevant at PeV energies. The narrative traces the contributions of many important participants active in the field since the mid-1950s and critically evaluates and provides commentary on the progress of research until the first sources were established beyond doubt, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The final chapter presents a short summary of the contemporary status of TeV gamma-ray astronomy.Written predominantly from a historical perspective, the author guides readers through many decades of instrumental development and evolution, using only minimal mathematical background. This book will appeal to astrophysicists, particle physicists, traditional optical and radio astronomers, as well as others working across a variety of related cognate disciplines. It should be of interest and value to graduate students involved with contemporary fourth-generation TeV research programs such as CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array).

Understanding how stars rotate is central to modeling their structure, formation and evolution, as well as understanding how they interact with their environment and companion stars. This lucid introduction to stellar rotation combines theory and observation, and includes all the latest developments in the field. Jean-Louis Tassoul, a leading authority on the subject, comprehensively surveys how the rotation of stars affects the structure and evolution of the Sun, single stars, and close binaries. This volume will greatly interest graduate students and researchers studying solar and stellar rotation and close binary systems. It will also appeal to those with a more general interest in solar and stellar physics, star formation, binary stars, and the hydrodynamics of rotating fluids--including geophysicists, planetary scientists, and plasma physicists.

When the Soviets experienced a series of setbacks in their space program the USSR switched emphasis in their manned space program away from the Moon towards the creation of orbital scientific research platforms, the Space Station. With the success of Apollo, the Soviets claimed they had never actually intended to fly to the Moon, and that the space station was always their long-term goal. However, recently disclosed Russian archives show that, contrary to official statements in the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was a planned Soviet program to send cosmonauts around the Moon and eventually to land on the surface. For the Americans, having lost their only competitor in the race for the Moon, the need for the Apollo program was questioned even before the first landing was achieved. With the near tragic flight of Apollo 13 in 1970 the pressure was on to cut the program and redirect efforts towards more Earth-focused objectives. At the height of success, the Apollo missions were reduced from 20 to 17, and plans for extending the flights to include lunar stays of 14 days to create a lunar base were scrapped. the Moon by either America or Russia. The final Soviet Luna probe flew in 1976 and the following year the network of scientific experiments left on the Moon by the Apollo astronauts were switched off. Whilst many plans were put forward to return to the Moon, only two probes, Clementine and Lunar Prospector have supplemented information from the Apollo era.