The observational evidence for the existence of black holes has grown significantly over recent decades. Stellar-mass black holes are detected as X-ray sources in binary systems, while supermassive black holes, with masses more than a million times the mass of the Sun, lurk in the nuclei of galaxies. These proceedings provide a useful and up-to-date overview of the observations of black holes in binaries, in the center of the Milky Way, and in the nuclei of galaxies, presented by leading expert astronomers. Special attention is given to the formation (including the recent evidence from gamma-ray bursts), physical properties, and demographics of black holes.

Until recently, black holes were often considered as exotic objects of dubious existence. In the last decade, observations have provided overwhelming evidence in favour of the presence of supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies, including the Milky Way; of stellar-mass black holes in binary stellar systems; and, possibly, of intermediate-mass black holes in ultraluminous X-ray sources in nearby galaxies. Black holes are now widely accepted as real physical entities, playing an important role in modern astrophysics. The IAU S238 brought together observers and theoreticians working in black hole astrophysics - from stellar-mass black holes to supermassive ones residing at the centre of galaxies - with the aim of highlighting and discussing similarities in the physics involved. Leading researchers review the subject and report on recent results on accretion discs, relativistic jets, spectroscopy in different spectral bands - from X-rays to radio - and other aspects of black hole astrophysics.

The recent meeting of the world's white dwarf specialists was held in Leicester, in July 1992, reporting on the wealth of astronomical data that has been made available from a new generation of space-based observatories and recent theoretical advances which are essential for interpretation of the results. Astronomers now have access to previously unavailable spectral ranges and dramatically improved sensitivity in those wavebands already explored. Results from the ROSAT all-sky survey, Hubble Space Telescope, Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope and the Colorado Rocket-borne Spectrometer shed new light on the composition of white dwarfs and their evolution. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the internal structure of white dwarfs with asteroseismological techniques which are outlined in several papers. New observational results, which utilize this theoretical work are also presented. This text is suitable for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in isolated white dwarfs or binary systems containing a white dwarf component.

These proceedings of a workshop held at Isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec, Canada in August 1993, provide an assessment of a fundamental subject in modern stellar astrophysics. Hot, luminous stars play a crucial role in the rapid recycling of matter in dense regions of the Universe. The most luminous objects generate the strongest outflows of material, which in turn have a profound impact on both the interstellar medium and the underlying stars themselves. However, recent observational and theoretical advances have shown that these outflows are highly unstable and inhomogeneous. These characteristics constitute a fundamental property of the outflows that can no longer be disregarded. This text provides an assessment of this important phenomenon from both an observational and a theoretical perspective. It includes up-to- date discussions of the observational diagnostics of time-dependent stellar-wind structure, the theoretical understanding of the origin of such structures, and its consequences for the process of mass loss via stellar winds.

Editing the proceedings of a scientific meeting is not an easy task. Sometimes people who give an excellent talk do not send the manuscript by the deadline. However, this time, thanks to the punctuality of all the participants, we have this excellent volume for the workshop on mass losing pulsating stars and their circumstellar matter prepared in time. Almost all of the oral presentations including the summary are collected in this volume. We regret that we cannot put in this volume a few posters that we failed to receive before the editorial work. The workshop was planned as a small meeting with less than fifty attendants because the city of Sendai was far from the most of the active institutions. However, the number of submitted papers exceeded the SOC's expectation; many interesting contributions had to be scheduled in the poster session. Still, the oral sessions were so tight that many participants might have felt frustrated for the shortage of discussions. The organizers of the workshop have to apologize to the attendants for the inconvenience caused from such a happy underestimate about the size of the workshop."

Most elements are synthesized, or "cooked", by thermonuclear reactions in stars. The newly formed elements are released into the interstellar medium during a star's lifetime, and are subsequently incorporated into a new generation of stars, into the planets that form around the stars, and into the life forms that originate on the planets. Moreover, the energy we depend on for life originates from nuclear reactions that occur at the center of the Sun. Synthesis of the elements and nuclear energy production in stars are the topics of nuclear astrophysics, which is the subject of this book. It presents nuclear structure and reactions, thermonuclear reaction rates, experimental nuclear methods, and nucleosynthesis in detail. These topics are discussed in a coherent way, enabling the reader to grasp their interconnections intuitively. The book serves both as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with worked examples and end-of-chapter excercises, but also as a reference book for use by researchers working in the field of nuclear astrophysics.

Symposium No. 88 of the International Astronomical Union was devoted to a comprehensive review of all types of close.binary stars. The nine sessions were organized according to the type of the objects to be discussed. We have preserved this system, but assembled twelve papers of a more general character (reviews and surveys) into a special chapter placed at the beginning of this book. We would like to remind the reader that the Symposium was preceded by the IAU Colloquium No. 53 on White Dwarfs and Variable Degenerate Stars , and that the sessions on Cataclysmic Variables and related topics at the two meetings supplemented each other. The discussion in Toronto was carefully recorded by Mr. Robert Gauthier. We also wish to thank Mr. Robert O'Daniel, Ms. Joan Kaufmann, and Ms. Linda Reimers for assisting us with the editorial work. M. J. Plavec D. M. Popper R. K. Ulrich ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The International Astronomical Union and the University of Toronto contributed substantial funds enabling a number of participants to receive travel grants. The Symposium was sponsored by the following Commissions of the International Astronomical Union: 29 (Stellar Spectra), 30 (Radial Velocities), 35 (Stellar Structure), 42 (Close Binary Stars), and 44 (Astronomy from Space). Our special thanks go to the members of the Scientific Organizing Committee. The Symposium was attended by 170 participants from 26 countries.

Streamlining the extensive information from the original, highly acclaimed monograph, this new An Introduction to the Physics of Interstellar Dust provides a concise reference and overview of interstellar dust and the interstellar medium. Drawn from a graduate course taught by the author, a highly regarded figure in the field, this all-in-one book emphasizes astronomical formulae and astronomical problems to give a solid foundation for the further study of interstellar medium. Covering all phenomena associated with cosmic dust, this inclusive text eliminates the need to consult special physical literature by providing a comprehensive introduction in one source. The book addresses the absorption and scattering of dust, its creation in old stars, as well as emission, cohesion, and electrical charge. With strong attention to detail, the author facilitates a complete understanding from which to build a more versatile application and manipulation of the information. Providing insightful explanations for the utilization of many formulae, the author instructs in the effective investigation of astronomical objects for determining basic parameters. The book offers numerous figures displaying basic properties of dust such as optical constants, specific heat, and absorption and scattering coefficients making it accessible for the reader to apply these numbers to the problem at hand. There is an extensive section and comprehensive introduction to radiative transfer in a dusty medium with many practical pieces of advice and ample illustrations to guide astronomers wishing to implement radiative transfer code themselves. An unparalleled amount of astronomical information in an accessible andpalatable resource, An Introduction to the Physics of Interstellar Dust provides the most complete foundational reference available on the subject.

This book contains the proceedings of the first large IAU Symposium dedicated to the bulges of spiral galaxies. Detailed attention is paid to the bulge of the Milky Way, one of the major building blocks of this system. Topics include the definition of the bulge in our Galaxy and its relation to the so-called spheroid. Discussions are presented regarding the stars contained in this bulge, their astrophysical properties, their motions and the metallicity variations which appear to be present. The possible existence of a bar in the bulge and its origin and future are also examined. The same topics are discussed in less detail for the bulges of other galaxies.

Initially this book focuses on the chemical and morphological properties of dust particles, both cosmological and terrestrial, and some of techniques used to gain information. When light or other electromagnetic radiation interacts with dust or other particles it is scattered in all directions. The scattering interaction are relevant to many fields of science: dust affects communications, dust particles affect the output of aerosol monitors, and dust particles are an important astrophysical component, making up a large part of the dark matter in the universe. The electromagnetic forces exerted on these particles may play an important role in bringing the particles together to form larger astronomical bodies.Optics of Cosmic Dust describes what we currently know about cosmic dust, how we know it, and the research efforts undertaken to provide that knowledge. Areas treated include observational information, dust morphology and chemistry, light-scattering models, characterisation methodologies, and backscatter polarisation and dynamics. Suitable as an introductory text, the book is also a reference guide for the advanced researcher.

Interstellar dust grains catalyse chemical reactions, absorb, scatter, polarise and re-radiate starlight and constitute the building blocks for the formation of planets. Understanding this interstellar component is therefore of primary importance in many areas of astronomy & astrophysics. For example, observers need to understand how dust effects light passing through molecular clouds. Astrophysicists wish to comprehend how dust enables the collapse of clouds or how it determines the spectral behaviour of protostars, star forming regions or whole galaxies. This book gives a thorough theoretical description of the fundamental physics of interstellar dust: its composition, morphology, size distribution, dynamics, optical and thermal properties, alignment, polarisation, scattering, radiation and spectral features.
This encyclopedic book provides the basic physics towards understanding the solid matter in interstellar space. It includes all the necessary physics, including solid state physics, radiative transport, optical properties, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. It then uses all of this basic physics in the specific case of dust grains in the interstellar medium.
Interstellar dust clouds catalyze simple chemical reactions, absorbs, scatters, polarizes and re-radiates starlight and forms the building blocks for planet and stellar formation. Understanding this interstellar medium is then of primary importance in many areas of astronomy & astrophysics. For example observers need to understand how it effects light passing through dust and molecular clouds, astrophysicists need to comprehend the formation and structure of dust clouds and how it collapses to form stars and planets.
Written in an accessible and descriptive manner, this will be essential supplementary reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on the interstellar medium and active researchers in need of a single source of well illustrated and detailed information.

The objective of this meeting was to bring together collea gues from different branches of observational astronomy and theoretical astrophysics to discuss and analyse the rapid progress in our knowledge and understanding of the matter surrounding stars, streaming off stellar surfaces, or fall ing onto stars. The meeting was sponsored by IAU Commis sions 36 (Theory of Stellar Atmospheres), 29 (Stellar Spec tra), and 34 (Interstellar Matter). There were two special reasons for organizing this meeting at Heidelberg in 1986: During this year the University of Heidelberg celebrated its 600th anniversary and the IAU symposium joined the many scientific events accompanying this celebration. Secondly, the year 1986 also marked the conclusion of a special co operative research project ("Sonderforschungsbereich") in astrophysics at Heidelberg, a major part of which had been devoted to the physics of circumstellar matter. The main topics discussed at this meeting were: (1) circumstellar matter, bipolar flows, and jets from young stars and protostars; (2) circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars; (3) stellar coronae; (4) stellar winds from hot and cool stars; (5) dust formation and circumstellar chemistry. Many exciting new results were presented in 21 invited or review papers, 26 contributed papers, and 127 poster papers. This symposium would not have been possible without the generous financial assistance of the International Astronomical Union, the German Science Foundation (DFG), and the State Government of Baden-Wurttemberg. The practi cal support of the University of Heidelberq and the Max Planck-Society was also very valuable."

The high time-resolution radio sky represents unexplored astronomical territory. This thesis presents a study of the transient radio sky, focussing on millisecond scales. As such, the work is concerned primarily with neutron stars. In particular this research concentrates on a recently identified group of neutron stars, known as RRATs, which exhibit radio bursts every few minutes to every few hours. After analysing neutron star birthrates, a re-analysis of the Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survey is described which has resulted in the discovery of 19 new transient radio sources. Of these, 12 have been seen to repeat and a follow-up campaign of observations has been undertaken. These studies have greatly increased our knowledge of the rotational properties of RRATs and enable us to conclude that they are pulsars with extreme nulling and/or pulse-to-pulse modulation. Although the evolution of neutron stars post-supernova is not yet understood, it seems that RRATs fit into the emerging picture in which pulsar magnetospheres switch between stable configurations.

Galaxies have a history: distant galaxies, formed early in the life of the universe, differ from the nearby ones. This book addresses the modeling of galaxy evolution from their cosmological formation to their presently observable structures, presenting the state of the art in the field.

This volume presents the results of the workshop discussions on the jet phenomenon on different astrophysical scales and covers interdisciplinary areas such as steady state winds, time-dependent winds/jets, jet energetics and jet/wind propagation.

This book addresses the fascinating subject of astrophysics from its theoretical basis to predominant research conducted in the field today. An accomplished researcher in the field and a well-known expositor, the author strikes a balance that allows the serious reader to appreciate the current issues without previous knowledge of the subject.Astronomy and Astrophysics * The Equations of Stellar Structure * The Gas Characteristics * The Structure of a Star * Computation of Stellar Evolution * Evolutionary Track * Binary Systems * Star Formation * Rotation of Stars * Supernova * Close Binary Systems * Special Topics * The Galaxy

The Local Group of galaxies consists of the Milky Way and all of its neighbors. The proximity of these galaxies allows for detailed studies of the processes that have led to their formation, structures, and evolution. In particular, studies of the Local Group can test predictions of structure formation that are based on dark energy and cold dark matter. This book presents a collection of review papers, written by world experts, on some of the most important aspects of Local Group Astrophysics. It is an invaluable resource for both professional researchers and graduate students in this cutting-edge area of research.

Following the 'Big Bang', it took the universe billions of years to evolve into the unique system of stars and planets that we know of today. Scientists have studied the planets of our solar system for centuries, and are beginning to understand the billions of stars and other bodies that make up the Universe. Stars and Planets is an ideal reference book for anyone interested in astronomy, featuring 300 of the most well known stars, planets, moons, constellations and other cosmological phenomena, such as black holes and quasars. Each entry includes an image - either a photograph or an artist's impression or diagram - and a key information table including specifications such as the mass, radius, surface temperature, distance from sun, gravity and major elements of each object. Presented in a handy, pocket-size format, full of facts and engaging text, Stars and Planets is a valuable reference source as well as a fascinating read, revealing the spectacular world of the Cosmos.

Dust is widespread in the galaxy. To astronomers studying stars it may be just an irritating fog, but it is becoming widely recognized that cosmic dust plays an active role in astrochemistry. Without dust, the galaxy would have evolved differently, and planetary systems like ours would not have occurred.
To explore and consolidate this active area of research, Dust and Chemistry in Astronomy covers the role of dust in the formation of molecules in the interstellar medium, with the exception of dust in the solar system. Each chapter provides thorough coverage of our understanding of interstellar dust, particularly its interaction with interstellar gas. Aimed at postgraduate researchers, the book also serves as a thorough review of this significant area of astrophysics for practicing astronomers and graduate students.

The point of this book is to provide a brief, easy-to-read but comprehensive overview of stars: where they came from; what they are made of; what will happen to them, and what they mean to us from a scientific, aesthetic and cultural point of view. The book will focus on stars and astronomy, and will keep technical physics to a minimum.

The search for life in the universe, once the stuff of science fiction, is now a robust worldwide research program with a well-defined roadmap probing both scientific and societal issues. This volume examines the humanistic aspects of astrobiology, systematically discussing the approaches, critical issues, and implications of discovering life beyond Earth. What do the concepts of life and intelligence, culture and civilization, technology and communication mean in a cosmic context? What are the theological and philosophical implications if we find life - and if we do not? Steven J. Dick argues that given recent scientific findings, the discovery of life in some form beyond Earth is likely and so we need to study the possible impacts of such a discovery and formulate policies to deal with them. The remarkable and often surprising results are presented here in a form accessible to disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

In this approachable and fascinating biography of the galaxy, an astrophysicist and folklorist details everything humans have discovered—from the Milky Way's formation to its eventual death, and what else there is to learn about the universe we call home.

After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it.

It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love.

After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.

I. Initial Angular Momentum Distribution.- Angular Momentum Effects in Star Formation.- Evolutionary Properties of Intermediate-Mass Protostar.- Small-Scale Structure and Angular Momentum Transfer in Protostellar Environments.- Ekman Pumping in a Rotating Protostar.- Rotation in Pre-Main Sequence Stars; Properties and Evolution.- Disks Associated with Intermediate Mass Stars.- Differential Rotation of Fully Convective Pre-Main Sequence Stars.- The X-ray Emission from PMS Stars in Taurus-Auriga, and the Relationship with Other Diagnostics of Activity.- Multifrequency Monitoring of RU Lupi; Observational Results and a Model.- Polarimetry and CCD Imaging of Herbig Ae/Be Stars and Star Forming Regions.- II: Angular Momentum Evolution.- Rotational Velocities of Low Mass Stars in Young Clusters.- Rotation of Young Stars in the Orion Nebula Region.- Rotational Velocities of Stars in Open Clusters; the Time-Dependence Revisited.- Main Sequence Angular Momentum Loss in Low-Mass Stars.- The Angular Momentum Evolution of Young and Old Binary Components.- Ages of Spotted Late-Type Stars.- Rotation of Evolved Stars.- Rotational Discontinuity of Evolved Stars; What Interpretation?.- III: Consequence of Rotation.- Magnetic Activity and Rotation.- Lithium, Rotation and Age.- Rotation, Chromospheric Activity, and Lithium Abundances in G and K Dwarfs of the Pleiades.- Lithium Abundance and Rotation in Southern Chromospherically Active Stars.- Lithium Depletion Induced by Rotation in Young Stars.- Rotational Mixing and Lithium in Young Stars.- IV: Internal Rotation and Models.- Internal Solar Rotation.- Stellar Activity Belts as Potential Indicators of Internal Rotation and Angular Momentum Distribution.- Dynamics of Spot Groups and Rotation of the External Convective Layers in the Sun and Magnetically Active Stars.- Theory of Magnetic Braking of Late-Type Stars.- Pre-Main Sequence and Main Sequence Rotational Evolution; Constraints on Models Derived from Observations.- Evolutionary Models of Rotating Stars.- The Internal Rotation of the Sun; Implications on the History of its Angular Momentum.- Angular Momentum Transport, Rotational Instabilities, Magnetic Fields and Mixing.- The Spin-Down of Main Sequence Stars Based on Observed Magnetic Field Strength.- Session V: Observational Perspectives.- Observational Perspectives.- PRISMA: a Space Facility for Studying Rotation and Activity.- The Spectrum-UV Project.- Summary of the Workshop.- Panel Discussion: Initial Angular Momentum.- Panel Discussion: Dynamos and Internal Rotation.- Author Index.- Object Index.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2021 FINALIST FOR THE PEN/E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF 2020 To be an astronomer is to journey to some of the most inaccessible parts of the globe, braving mountain passes, sub-zero temperatures, and hostile flora and fauna. Not to mention the stress of handling equipment worth millions. It is a life of unique delights and absurdities ... and one that may be drawing to a close. Since Galileo first pointed his telescope at the heavens, astronomy has stood as a fount of human creativity and discovery, but soon it will be the robots gazing at the sky while we are left to sift through the data. In The Last Stargazers, Emily Levesque reveals the hidden world of the professional astronomer. She celebrates an era of ingenuity and curiosity, and asks us to think twice before we cast aside our sense of wonder at the universe.

From time immemorial, poets and philosophers have looked in awe and wonder at the Universe. Such awe is shared by astrophysicists, too, as they seek to understand its nature, and whether it has any limits. In The Infinite Cosmos, Joseph Silk, Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford University, cosmologist and well-known science writer, brings together the modern understanding of the Universe, its structure, its evolution, and its possible fate, combining the latest from theory and observation. The narrative is peppered with quotations from literature and philosophy, and reflects, too, on the process of scientific discovery, and the implications of our discoveries.