Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Star formation and stellar evolution: an overview
- 2 Introduction to the physics of stellar interiors and the equations of stellar structure
- 3 Statistical physics
- 4 Absorption processes
- 5 Stellar atmospheres, convective envelopes and stellar winds
- 6 Thermonuclear reactions and nucleosynthesis
- 7 Weak interactions in stellar interiors
- 8 Stellar stability and hydrodynamics
- 9 Binary stars, mass accretion, stellar rotation and meridional circulation
- 10 Stellar magnetic fields
- 11 White dwarfs, novae and supernovae
- 12 General relativity
- 13 Neutron stars and black holes
- Appendix 1 Physical and astronomical constants
- Appendix 2 Further comments on the Dirac equation
- Appendix 3 Mathematical appendix
- Appendix 4 Polytropes and the isothermal gas sphere
- Appendix 5 Solutions to selected problems
- References
- Index
Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 Star formation and stellar evolution: an overview
- 2 Introduction to the physics of stellar interiors and the equations of stellar structure
- 3 Statistical physics
- 4 Absorption processes
- 5 Stellar atmospheres, convective envelopes and stellar winds
- 6 Thermonuclear reactions and nucleosynthesis
- 7 Weak interactions in stellar interiors
- 8 Stellar stability and hydrodynamics
- 9 Binary stars, mass accretion, stellar rotation and meridional circulation
- 10 Stellar magnetic fields
- 11 White dwarfs, novae and supernovae
- 12 General relativity
- 13 Neutron stars and black holes
- Appendix 1 Physical and astronomical constants
- Appendix 2 Further comments on the Dirac equation
- Appendix 3 Mathematical appendix
- Appendix 4 Polytropes and the isothermal gas sphere
- Appendix 5 Solutions to selected problems
- References
- Index
Summary
Remarkable progress in understanding stellar phenomena has occurred in recent decades. This textbook discusses in some detail those equations and physical processes that are of greatest relevance to stellar interiors and atmospheres and closely related astrophysics. Motivation for writing this book came from my own research interests and also from teaching graduate astrophysics courses, especially a course on stellar interiors at the University of Maryland. Although the text emphasizes physical principles, astronomical results and unresolved issues are also described.
Introductory material on the history of stellar astrophysics, astronomical observations, star formation and stellar evolution are given in Chapter 1, which also contains a discussion of spectroscopic binaries. Differences between single and binary star evolution have explained a number of interesting observations that are described further in later chapters.
Stellar interiors is one of the most fundamental subjects in astrophysics. Although complicated physical processes are decisive in explaining some predictions of stellar model calculations, the basic principles of stellar interiors do not require a comprehensive knowledge of them. Chapter 2 gives an introductory discussion of the physics and equations of stellar interiors. It also includes a short description of numerical methods.
Statistical physics provides the theoretical basis for much of stellar astrophysics. In Chapter 3 those aspects of statistical physics that are of greatest relevance are developed in some detail. Stellar opacities play a vital role in interpreting observations. Absorption processes are described in Chapter 4.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Advanced Stellar Astrophysics , pp. xiii - xivPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1998