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.

Founded in 1911, the AAVSO boasts over 1200 members and observers and is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to variable star observation. This timely book marks the AAVSO's centennial year, presenting an authoritative and accurate history of this important association. Writing in an engaging and accessible style, the authors move chronologically through five eras of the AAVSO, discussing the evolution of its structure and purpose. Throughout the text, the main focus is on the thousands of individuals whose contributions have made the AAVSO's progress possible. Describing a century of interaction between amateur and professional astronomers, the authors celebrate the collaborative relationships that have existed over the years. As the definitive history of the first hundred years of the AAVSO, this text has broad appeal and will be of interest to amateur and professional astronomers, as well as historians and sociologists of science in general.

This book provides a comprehensive survey of modern molecular astrophysics. It includes an introduction to molecular spectroscopy and then addresses the main areas of current molecular astrophysics, including galaxy formation, star forming regions, mass loss from young as well as highly evolved stars and supernovae, starburst galaxies plus the tori and discs near the central engines of active galactic nuclei. All chapters have been written by invited authors who are acknowledged experts in their fields. The thorough editorial process has ensured a uniformly high standard of exposition and a coherent style. The book is unique in giving a detailed view of its wide-ranging subject. It will provide the standard introduction for research students in molecular astrophysics. The book will be read by research astronomers and astrophysicists who wish to broaden the basis of their knowledge or are moving their activities into this burgeoning field. It will enable chemists to learn the astrophysics most related to chemistry as well as instruct physicists about the molecular processes most important in astronomy.

Guiding the reader through all the stages that lead to the formation of a star such as our Sun, this advanced textbook provides students with a complete overview of star formation. It examines the underlying physical processes that govern the evolution from a molecular cloud core to a main-sequence star, and focuses on the formation of solar-mass stars. Each chapter combines theory and observation, helping readers to connect with and understand the theory behind star formation. Beginning with an explanation of the interstellar medium and molecular clouds as sites of star formation, subsequent chapters address the building of typical stars and the formation of high-mass stars, concluding with a discussion of the by-products and consequences of star formation. This is a unique, self-contained text with sufficient background information for self-study, and is ideal for students and professional researchers alike.

Pulsars, generally accepted to be rotating neutron stars, are dense, neutron-packed remnants of massive stars that blew apart in supernova explosions. They are typically about 10 kilometers across and spin rapidly, often making several hundred rotations per second. Depending on star mass, gravity compresses the matter in the cores of pulsars up to more than ten times the density of ordinary atomic nuclei, thus providing a high-pressure environment in which numerous particle processes, from hyperon population to quark deconfinement to the formation of Boson condensates, may compete with each other. There are theoretical suggestions of even more "exotic" processes inside pulsars, such as the formation of absolutely stable strange quark matter, a configuration of matter even more stable than the most stable atomic nucleus, T56Fe. In the latter event, pulsars would be largely composed of pure quark matter, eventually enveloped in nuclear crust matter. These features combined with the tremendous recent progress in observational radio and x-ray astronomy make pulsars nearly ideal probes for a wide range of physical studies, complementing the quest of the behavior of superdense matter in terrestrial collider experiments. Written by an eminent author, Pulsars as Astrophysical Laboratories for Nuclear and Particle Physics gives a reliable account of the present status of such research, which naturally is to be performed at the interface between nuclear physics, particle physics, and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Not so if the book has been translated into Arabic. Now the reader can discern no meaning in the letters. The text conveys almost no information to the reader, yet the linguistic informa tion contained by the book is virtually the same as in the English original. The reader, familiar with books will still recognise two things, however: First, that the book is a book. Second, that the squiggles on the page represent a pattern of abstractions which probably makes sense to someone who understands the mean ing of those squiggles. Therefore, the book as such, will still have some meaning for the English reader, even if the content of the text has none. Let us go to a more extreme case. Not a book, but a stone, or a rock with engravings in an ancient language no longer under stood by anyone alive. Does such a stone not contain human information even if it is not decipherable? Suppose at some point in the future, basic knowledge about linguistics and clever computer aids allow us to decipher it? Or suppose someone discovers the equivalent of a Rosetta stone which allows us to translate it into a known language, and then into English? Can one really say that the stone contained no information prior to translation? It is possible to argue that the stone, prior to deciphering contained only latent information."

Black Holes are regions of space-time where the gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape. There has been much written on black holes, however in most cases they are treated as isolated objects. The author has found a number of cases in which the interaction of a black hole with another strong-field system (such as the background universe or another black hole) could be treated analytically. This includes using the powerful method of matched asymptotic expansions. In this book the author considers these wider ranging problems and examples for the first time. This book will be widely read by all those working in gravitation, and PhD students in mathematical physics.

Dive into a mind-bending exploration of the physics of black holes Black holes, predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity more than a century ago, have long intrigued scientists and the public with their bizarre and fantastical properties. Although Einstein understood that black holes were mathematical solutions to his equations, he never accepted their physical reality--a viewpoint many shared. This all changed in the 1960s and 1970s, when a deeper conceptual understanding of black holes developed just as new observations revealed the existence of quasars and X-ray binary star systems, whose mysterious properties could be explained by the presence of black holes. Black holes have since been the subject of intense research--and the physics governing how they behave and affect their surroundings is stranger and more mind-bending than any fiction. After introducing the basics of the special and general theories of relativity, this book describes black holes both as astrophysical objects and theoretical "laboratories" in which physicists can test their understanding of gravitational, quantum, and thermal physics. From Schwarzschild black holes to rotating and colliding black holes, and from gravitational radiation to Hawking radiation and information loss, Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius use creative thought experiments and analogies to explain their subject accessibly. They also describe the decades-long quest to observe the universe in gravitational waves, which recently resulted in the LIGO observatories' detection of the distinctive gravitational wave "chirp" of two colliding black holes--the first direct observation of black holes' existence. The Little Book of Black Holes takes readers deep into the mysterious heart of the subject, offering rare clarity of insight into the physics that makes black holes simple yet destructive manifestations of geometric destiny.

The distribution of elements in the cosmos provides a powerful tool to study the Big Bang, the density of baryonic matter, nucleosynthesis and the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. Covering many exciting topics in astrophysics and cosmology, this textbook, written by a pioneer of the field, provides a lucid and wide-ranging introduction to the interdisciplinary subject of galactic chemical evolution. This updated new edition includes results from recent space missions, including WMAP and FUSE, and new material on abundances from stellar populations, nebular analysis, meteoric isotopic anomalies, and abundance analysis of X-ray gas. Simple derivations for key results are provided, together with problems and helpful solution hints, enabling the student to develop an understanding of results from numerical models and real observations. This book is suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, and also serves as an authoritative overview for researchers and professional scientists.

Globular clusters are roughly spherical, densely packed groups of stars found around galaxies. Most globular clusters probably formed at the same time as their host galaxies. Therefore they provide a unique fossil record of the conditions during the formation and early evolution of galaxies. This volume presents a comprehensive review of globular cluster systems. It summarizes their observed properties and shows how these constrain models of the structure of stars, the formation and evolution of galaxies and globular clusters, and the age of the Universe. For graduate students and researchers, this timely volume provides the definitive reference on globular cluster systems.

This thesis by Cole Johnston brings novel insights into the inner workings of young massive stars. By bridging the observational fields of binary stars and asteroseismology this thesis uses state of the art statistical techniques to scrutinise theories of modern stellar astrophysics. Developing upon the commonly used isochrone fitting methodology, the author introduces the idea of isochrone cloud fitting in order to account for the full breadth of physics observed in stars. The author combines this methodology with gravity mode asteroseismic analysis to asses the level of chemical mixing deep within the stellar core in order to determine the star's age and core mass. Wrapped into a robust statistical framework to account for correlations, this methodology is employed to analyse individual stars, multiple systems, and clusters alike to demonstrate that chemical mixing has dramatic impact on stellar structure and evolution.

This book presents the theory of the electrodynamic phenomena which occur in the magnetosphere of a pulsar. It also provides a clear picture of the formation and evolution of neutron stars. The authors address the basic physical processes of electron-positron plasma production, the generation of electric fields and currents, and the emission of radio waves and gamma rays. The book also reviews observational data, and devotes a complete chapter to a detailed comparison of this data with accepted theory and with some recent theoretical predictions. Tables containing the values of the physical parameters of all observed radio pulsars are also provided. The book is illustrated throughout and is fully referenced. Graduate students and researchers in astrophysics and plasma physics working in the field of radio pulsars will find this book of great value.

From supernovae and gamma-ray bursts to the accelerating Universe, this is an exploration of the intellectual threads that lead to some of the most exciting ideas in modern astrophysics and cosmology. This fully updated second edition incorporates new material on binary stars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, worm-holes, quantum gravity and string theory. It covers the origins of stars and their evolution, the mechanisms responsible for supernovae, and their progeny, neutron stars and black holes. It examines the theoretical ideas behind black holes and their manifestation in observational astronomy and presents neutron stars in all their variety known today. This book also covers the physics of the twentieth century, discussing quantum theory and Einstein's gravity, how these two theories collide, and the prospects for their reconciliation in the twenty-first century. This will be essential reading for undergraduate students in astronomy and astrophysics, and an excellent, accessible introduction for a wider audience.

Found throughout the universe, variable stars are fascinating objects to observe. Their brightness changes over time and they can easily be seen with even the most basic equipment. David Levy explains how to begin electronic (or CCD) observing, as well as how to observe variable stars through a small telescope or binoculars. Featuring a section on Southern hemisphere stars, this book covers various types of objects that can be observed by amateur astronomers, including more exotic phenomena like gamma ray bursts, blazars, and polars. It will motivate anyone with even a basic interest in astronomy to begin observing variable stars.
David H. Levy is one of the most successful comet hunters in history. He has discovered twenty-one, eight of them using a telescope in his own backyard. With Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California, Levy discovered Shoemaker-Levy 9, the comet that collided with Jupiter in 1994, and is currently involved with the Jarnac Comet Survey, based at the Jarnac Observatory in Vail, Arizona.
In addition to being the author or editor of 31 books and other products, David Levy is the Science Editor for Parade magazine and contributing editor for Sky and Telescope magazine and the Canadian periodical, SkyNews. Frequently interviewed in the media, he has given almost a thousand lectures and appeared on many television programs. His most recent CUP book is David Levy's Guide to Observing and Discovering Comets (Cambridge, 2003). First Edition Pb (1989) 0-521-62755-9

IAU Symposium No. 111, "Calibration of Fundamental Stellar Quanti- ties", was held at Villa Olmo, Como, Italy, on May 24-29, 1984. Meet- ings held in the past ten years on related topics include: IAU Symposium No. 109, '*Astrometric Techniques", held at the University of Florida in Jan. , 1984, "The MK Process and Stellar Classification", held at the University of Toronto in June, 1983, "Stellar Absolute Energy Distri- butions", an unpublished Joint Meeting (Commissions 25 and 45), held at the General Assembly of the IAU in Patras, Greece in August, 1982, IAU Colloquium No. 62, "Current Techniques in Double and Multiple Star Re- search", held at Northern Arizona University in May, 1981, the ESO Work- fl shop: "Methods of Abundance Determination for Stars , held in Geneva in March, 1980, "Problems of Calibration of Multicolor Photometric Sys tems", held at Dudley Observatory in March, 1979, IAU Colloquium No. 48, "Modern Astrometry", held at the University of Vienna in Sept. , 1978, IAU Colloquium No. 50, "High Angular Resolution Stellar Interferometry" held at the University of Maryland in Aug. , 1978, "Spectral Classifice. - tion of the Future", held at the Vatican in July, 1978 and IAU Sympos- ium No. 72, "Abundance Effects in Classification", held at the Univer- sity of Lausanne in July, 1975. The present meeting was the first to cover the broad range of the calibration of fundamental stellar qU8T". ti- ties in one meeting. Nine commissions of the IAU co-sponsored the meeting.

Radio pulsars are rapidly rotating highly magnetized neutron stars. Studies of these fascinating objects have provided applications in solid-state physics, general relativity, galactic astronomy, astrometry, planetary physics and even cosmology. Most of these applications and much of what we know about neutron stars are derived from single-dish radio observations using state-of-the-art receivers and data acquisition systems. This comprehensive 2004 book is a unique resource that brings together the key observational techniques, background information and a review of results, including the discovery of a double pulsar system. Useful software tools are provided which can be used to analyse example data, made available on a related website. This work will be of great value not only to graduate students but also to researchers wishing to carry out and interpret a wide variety of radio pulsar observations.

This book was originally published in 2004. Black holes are among the most mysterious objects in the Universe. Weighing up to several billion Suns, massive black holes have long been suspected to be the central powerhouses of energetic phenomena such as quasars. Advances in astronomy have not only provided spectacular proof of this long-standing paradigm, but have revealed the unexpected result that far from being rare, exotic beasts, they inhabit the center of virtually all large galaxies. Candidate black holes have been identified in increasingly large numbers of galaxies, both inactive and active, to the point where statistical studies are possible. Fresh work has highlighted the close connection between the formation, growth, and evolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. This volume contains the invited lectures from an international symposium that was held to explore this exciting theme, and is a valuable review for professional astronomers and graduate students.

This timely book is suitable for the general reader wishing to find answers to some of the intriguing questions now being asked about black holes. Although once recognized as the most destructive force in nature, following a cascade of astonishing discoveries, the opinion of supermassive black holes has undergone a dramatic shift. Astronomers are discovering that these objects may have been critical to the formation of structure in the early universe, spawning bursts of star formation, planets, and even life itself. Fulvio Melia is Associate Head of Physics and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He is author of Electrodynamics (University of Chicago, 2001), and a forthcoming title, The Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy (Princeton).

This book covers normal galaxies, distant galaxies, studies based on far-infrared diagnostics, quasar absorption lines, and the properties of nearby galaxies. The timely volume provides an essential reference for astronomers working in the field of high-redshift galaxies. It includes the lectures delivered at the XI Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics, and reviews scientific results as well as main questions in the field.

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 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.

Binary systems of stars are as common as single stars. This original text provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to binary stars. The author combines theory and observations at all wavelengths to develop a unified understanding of binaries of all categories. Chapters review methods for calculating orbits, the Roche model, ideas about mass exchange and loss, methods for analyzing light curves, the masses and dimensions of different binary systems, and imaging the surfaces of stars and accretion structures. This volume offers advanced undergraduate and graduate students a thorough introduction to binary stars that will aid their learning of stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and evolution, and observational astrophysics.

Variable star astronomy is one field which still allows amateur astronomers to make significant contributions to the advancement of science. Everyone can play a part in variable star observations, using a small telescope, binoculars, or even the naked eye. Written by an award-winning astronomer, Observing Variable Stars provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of variable star observation for the amateur. The book begins with advice on binoculars and telescopes, and on how and when to observe stars effectively. Levy then explains the ways in which to interpret variation in light output in terms of the life of a star, from birth to sometimes violent death. All the major variables are described and classified, as well as other variable objects such as active galaxies, asteroids, comets, and the sun. The book also illustrates how astrophysicists interpret variations in light output in terms of the evolution of stars. Observing Variable Stars contains a seasonal guide to the night sky usable in all latitudes. Throughout, practical observations serve to complement the text, making this an enjoyable, readable introduction to an exciting area of astronomy.

In this jargon-free review of one of the most fascinating topics in modern science, acclaimed science writer, Kitty Ferguson, examines the discovery of black holes, their nature, and what they can teach us about the mysteries of the universe. In search of the answers, she traces a star from its birth to its death throes, takes on a hypothetical journey to the border of a black hole and beyond, introduces us to the world's leading theoretical physicists and astronomers, and takes a whimsical look at some of the wild ideas black holes have inspired. Kitty Ferguson's lightness of touch and down-to-earth analogies set this book apart from all others on black holes and make it a wonderfully stimulating and entertaining read for everyone. Kitty Ferguson is the author of Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything (1992) and The Fire in the Equations: Science, Religion and the Search for God (1994).

This is the first comprehensive treatment of active galactic nuclei--the cosmic powerhouses at the core of many distant galaxies. The term "active galactic nuclei" refers to quasars, radio galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, blazars, and related objects, all of which are believed to share a similar central engine--a supermassive black hole many times the mass of the Sun. Astrophysicists have studied these phenomena for the past several decades and have begun to develop a consensus about many of their properties and internal mechanisms. Julian Krolik, one of the world's leading authorities on the subject, sums up leading ideas from across the entire range of research, making this book an invaluable resource for astronomers, physicists interested in applications of the theory of gravitation, and graduate students.

Krolik begins by addressing basic questions about active galactic nuclei: What are they? How can they be found? How do they evolve? He assesses the evidence for massive black holes and considers how they generate power by accretion. He discusses X-ray and g-ray emission, radio emission and jets, emission and absorption lines, anisotropic appearance, and the relationship between an active nucleus and its host galaxy. He explores the mysteries of what ignites, fuels, and extinguishes active galactic nuclei, and concludes with a general review of where the field now stands. The book is unique in paying careful attention to relevant physics as well as astronomy, reflecting in part the importance of general relativity to understanding active galactic nuclei. Clear, authoritative, and detailed, this is crucial reading for anyone interested in one of the most dynamic areas of astrophysics today.