The motivation for the workshop on which this book is based was the discovery in recent years of a large number of binary and millisecond radio pulsars, in the galactic disk as well as in globular star clusters, the oldest stellar systems in our galaxy. These discoveries have revolutionized our thinking on many aspects concerning the interior structure and evolution of neutron stars, and have revived the interest in the study of neutron star physics in general. In this book some three dozen of the world's experts in the field of radio pulsars, X-ray binaries, stellar evolution, neutron star interiors and stellar dynamics review the latest observational discoveries as well as the current theoretical thinking on the formation and physics of binary X-ray sources and of the binary and milli-second pulsars. These include discoveries such as that of the elevent millisecond pulsars in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, the relativistic effects in the new double neturon star system PSR 1534+12 and spectacular results from Germany's ROSAT X-Ray Observatory.

Foreword; J. Davies, D. Burstein. Introductory Remarks; M. Disney. Interstellar grain evolution and temperatures in spiral galaxies; J. Mayo Greenberg, A. Li. Radiative transfer models; G. Bruzual A. Radiative transfer in dusty galaxies; A.N. Witt. Opacity Diagnostics in spiral galaxies; N.D. Kylafis. Modeling dusty galaxies; G. Magris C., G. Bruzual A. Inclination-dependence of spiral galaxy physical properties: history and tests; D. Burstein, et al. Why a distance selection effect invalidates the Burstein, Haynes and Faber opacity test; J.I. Davies, et al. Statistical tests for opacity; E.A. Valentijn. Statistical measures of internal absorption in spiral galaxies; B. Cunow. The distribution of galactic inclinations; H. Jones, et al. Optical thickness of Sb-Scd galaxies from the Tully--Fisher relation; L. Gouguenhei, et al. Extinction in Sc galaxies at I band and in the 21cm line; R. Giovanelli. Extinction in the galaxy and in galactic discs; G. de Vaucouleurs. Properties of dust in backlit galaxies; W. Keel, R.E. White. The optical depth through NGC 3314A; P. James, P. Puxley. Dust extinction in highly inclined spirals; J. Knapen, et al. An optical search for dusty disks; M. Naslund, S. Joersater. Photometric asymmetry and dust opacity of spiral galaxies; Y.I. Byun. The scale-length test for dust in face-on spirals; J.E. Beckman, et al. Color gradients in spiral galaxies; S. Courteau, J. Holtzman. Constraints on the opacity of spiral disks from near-infrared observations; H.W. Rix. Arcsecond resolution of cold dust in spiral galaxies using optical and NIR imaging -- dust masses increase by nine hundred percent; D.L. Block, et al. Unveiling stars and dust in spiral galaxies;R.F. Pelletier, et al. Azimuthal distribution of dust in NGC 2997; P. Grosbol, et al. Internal extinction in spiral galaxies at optical and near infrared wavelengths; A. Boselli, G. Gavazzi. The opacity of spiral galaxy disks; N. Devereux. The far infrared/stellar energy balance; R. Evans. Opacity from luminosity functions; M. Trewhella, et al. Estimating disk opacities using infrared images; W. van Driel. DIRBE observations of galactic extinction; R.G. Arendt, et al. Kinematics of edge-on galaxies and the opacity of spiral disks; A. Bosma. Spectroscopic studies of the disk and halo of M82; C.D. McKeith, et al. Disk origin and evolution; J. Silk. The luminosity and opacity of galaxies; B. Wang. Dust obscuration in starburst galaxies; D. Calzetti. Polarimetry of dusty edge-on galaxies; R.D. Wolstencroft, S.M. Scarrott. HII regions and extinction in the spiral galaxy M83; S. Ryder, et al. A search for dust in galactic halos; D. Zaritsky. Concluding thoughts and reflections: dust in galaxies; H.A. Thronson Jr.

Planetary nebulae are a keystone for the understanding of the evolution of stars, for deep insights into the physical processes prevailing in highly excited dilute nebulae, and for the chemical evolution in galaxies. These objects, displaying an intriguing morphology, have a "short" lifetime of a few tens of thousands of years, and have become one of the best studied classes of celestial sources. However, despite large and successful efforts from both the observational and theoretical side, planetary nebulae still keep some of their secrets (like the widely unknown distances) and will undoubtedly also be objects of thorough investigations in the years to come.

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.

See the full beauty of our night sky revealed as never before in over 200 photographs from around the world in this stunning and giftable title. Bringing together the images of over 40 photographers across 25 countries, be astounded by the lights of the night sky in some of the darkest places on earth; discover the beauty of galaxies, planets and stars; view great celestial events; and see some of the world's most important landmarks against the backdrop of an incredible nightscape. Babak Tafreshi, founder of the international organisation The World at Night, has curated the images in this collection - many of them previously unseen - to reveal the true splendour of the sky at night. A specialist guide to night-sky photography will help you capture your own gorgeous images of the heavens. Commentary on the science, astronomy and photography accompany stunning images organised by theme: Symbols of all nations and religions embraced by one sky of endless beauties UNESCO World Heritage Sites at night The Universe revealed through constellations, sky motions, atmospheric phenomenon, Aurora and other wonders Images highlighting the beauty of dark skies away from light-polluted urban areas Celestial events, from great comets to spectacular eclipses Astro-tourism destinations, like ancient astronomical monuments and modern observatories

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."

Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson's talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with clarity and enthusiasm. Bringing together more than forty of Tyson's favorite essays, ?Death by Black Hole? explores a myriad of cosmic topics, from what it would be like to be inside a black hole to the movie industry's feeble efforts to get its night skies right. One of America's best-known astrophysicists, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies the complexities of astrophysics while sharing his infectious fascination for our universe.

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.

Shot with ultra-high definition cameras, this book of amazing photographs showcases a period of unusually high solar activity in the Northern Lights. The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, put on remarkable shows of light and motion in high latitudes - Alaska being the perfect place to see them. These new photos take full advantage of the latest advances in photographic technology and especially active solar storms of the past several years that cause the lights. With 160 images that have never been collected in book form, we are witnessing the interaction of charged particles in the earth's atmosphere clash with electrons and protons released by the sun. Photographers Calvin Hall and Daryl Pederson are dedicated aurora borealis hunters, enduring frigid nights in remote locations to get the best shots. The results are amazing.

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."

Olbers' paradox states that given the Universe is unbounded, governed by the standard laws of physics, and populated by light sources, the night sky should be ablaze with light. Obviously this is not so. However, the paradox does not lie in nature but in our understanding of physics. A Universe with a finite age, such as follows from big-bang theory, necessarily has galaxies of finite age. This means we can only see some of the galaxies in the Universe, which is the main reason why the night sky is dark. Just how dark can be calculated using the astrophysics of galaxies and stars and the dynamics of relativistic cosmology.
We know from the dynamics of individual galaxies and clusters of galaxies that the majority of matter that exerts gravitational forces is not detectable by conventional telescopes. This dark matter could have many forms, and candidates include various types of elementary particles as well as vacuum fluctuations, black holes, and others. Most of these candidates are unstable to decay and produce photons. So dark matter does not only affect the dynamics of the Universe, but the intensity of intergalactic radiation as well. Conversely, we can use observations of background radiation to constrain the nature and density of dark matter.
By comparing observational data with cosmological theory based on general relativity and particle physics, Dark Sky, Dark Matter reviews our present understanding of the universe and the astrophysics of the night sky and dark matter.

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.

Without interstellar dust, the Universe as we see it today would not exist. Yet at first we considered this vital ingredient merely an irritating fog that prevented a clear view of the stars and nebulae in the Milky Way and other galaxies. We now know that interstellar dust has essential roles in the physics and chemistry of the formation of stars and planetary systems, the creation of the building blocks of life, and in the movement of those molecules to new planets. This is the story in this book. After introducing the materials this interstellar dust is made of, the authors explain the range of sizes and shapes of the dust grains in the Milky Way galaxy and the life cycle of dust, starting from the origins of dust grains in stellar explosions through to their turbulent destruction. Later on we see the variety of processes in interstellar space involving dust and the events there that cause the dust to change in ways that astronomers and astrobiologists can use to indirectly observe those events. This book is written for a general audience, concentrating on ideas rather than detailed mathematics and chemical formulae, and is the first time interstellar dust has been discussed at an accessible level.

Whether stargazing with the naked eye or observing deep space with the largest telescopes in the world, humans have a seemingly neverending fascination with the stars. Our ancestors saw patterns in their random arrangement, inventing both tales of legendary heroes and the pastime of dot-to-dot in one fell swoop. But it's only in the last century or so that the natures of these distant lights have been revealed - and it's more incredible than any legend. How are stars born? How long do they live? And just how many times can you read the word 'trillion' before it starts sounding made up? Find out as astronomer Dr Greg Brown of Royal Observatory Greenwich takes a short diversion from obsessing over black holes to illuminate us about the lives of stars - ending in black holes, naturally.

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.