The book will focus on the physical processes discussing properties that underlie each method, rather than just presenting a collection of techniques. The book will provide an updated account of the progress made in a large number of subfields in astrophysics, leading to improved distance estimates particularly focusing on the underlying physics. Additionally it will illustrate the pitfalls in these areas and discuss the impact of the remaining uncertainties in the complete understanding of the Universes at large.
As a result the book will not only provide a comprehensive study of distance measurement, but also include many recent advances in astrophysics. Author : V. The reader is supposed to have only a high school training in physics and mathematics. Thus, the primary audience for this work is composed of students in astronomy, physics, mathematics, physical chemistry and engineering.
It also includes high school teachers of physics and mathematics. Many amateur astronomers will fmd it quite accessible. In the frame of approximations proper to an introductory textbook, the treatment is quite rigorous. Therefore, it is also expected to provide a firm background for a study of advanced astrophysics on a postgraduate level.
A rather severe selection is made here among various aspects of the Universe accessible to modern astronomy. This allows us to go beyond simple information on astronomical phenomena - to be found in popular books - and to insist upon explanations based on modern general physical theories. More precisely, our selection of topics is determined by the following considerations: The study of the solar system the Moon and the planets has recently progressed at a tremendous rate.
However, the very rich harvest of observations provided by space research is mainly purely descriptive and is perfectly presented in review papers of Scien tific American, Science, Physics Today and similar magazines. In this expanded and fully updated second edition, the book gets even better, with a new chapter on extrasolar planets; a greatly expanded chapter on the interstellar medium; fully updated facts and figures on all subjects, from the observed properties of white dwarfs to the latest results from precision cosmology; and additional instructive problem sets.
Throughout, the text features the same focused, concise style and emphasis on physics intuition that have made the book a favorite of students and teachers. Written by Dan Maoz, a leading active researcher, and designed for advanced undergraduate science majors, Astrophysics in a Nutshell is a brief but thorough introduction to the observational data and theoretical concepts underlying modern astronomy.
Generously illustrated, it covers the essentials of modern astrophysics, emphasizing the common physical principles that govern astronomical phenomena, and the interplay between theory and observation, while also introducing subjects at the forefront of modern research, including black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and gravitational lensing.
In addition to serving as a course textbook, Astrophysics in a Nutshell is an ideal review for a qualifying exam and a handy reference for teachers and researchers. It discusses the internal structure and the evolution of stars, and is completely self-contained.
There is an emphasis on the basic physics governing stellar structure and the basic ideas on which our understanding of stellar structure is based. The book also provides a comprehensive discussion of stellar evolution. Careful comparison is made between theory and observation, and the author has thus provided a lucid and balanced introductory text for the student. As for volumes 1 and 2, volume 3 is self-contained and can be used as an independent textbook. The author has not only taught but has also published many original papers in this subject.
Her clear and readable style should make this text a first choice for undergraduate and beginning graduate students taking courses in astronomy and particularly in stellar astrophysics. The first half of the book explains how stellar motions, distances, luminosities, colors, radii, masses and temperatures are measured or derived.
The author then shows how data of these sorts can be arranged to classify stars through their spectra. Stellar rotation and stellar magnetic fields are introduced. Stars with peculiar spectra and pulsating stars also merit special attention. The endpoints of stellar evolutions are briefly described. There is a separate chapter on the Sun and a final one on interstellar absorption. The usefulness of this text is enhanced by the inclusion of problems for students, tables of astronomical constants, and a selective bibliography.
This is an excellent textbook for undergraduate and beginning graduate students studying astronomy and astrophysics. The cogently written text introduces the reader to the astronomy of galaxies, their structure, their active galactic nuclei, their evolution and their large scale distribution.
Starting with a detailed description of our Milky Way, and a review of modern observational and theoretical cosmology, the book goes on to examine the formation of structures and astronomical objects in the early universe. Astronomers have gathered a wealth of knowledge about the universe through hundreds of years of painstaking observations.
These observations are interpreted by the use of physical and chemical laws familiar to mankind. These interpretations supply information about the nature of these astronomical objects, allowing for the deduction of their surface and interior conditions.
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