T. PadmanabhanCambridge University Press, 4/30/2001EAN 9780521562416, ISBN10: 0521562414Hardcover, 594 pages, 24.7 x 17.4 x 3.3 cmLanguage: EnglishThis authoritative textbook - the second volume of a comprehensive three-volume course on theoretical astrophysics - deals with stellar physics. Designed to help graduate students and researchers develop an understanding of the key physical processes governing stars and stellar systems, it teaches the fundamentals, and then builds on them to give the reader an in-depth understanding of advanced topics. The book's modular design allows the chapters to be approached individually, yet seamless transitions create a coherent and connected whole. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume I, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume III, on galaxies and cosmology. 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 provides graduate students with a self-contained introduction to stellar physics, and will allow them to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding.Preface1. Overviewstars and stellar systems2. Stellar structure3. Stellar evolution4. Supernova (Type II)5. White dwarfs, neutron stars and blackholes6. Pulsars7. Binary stars and accretion8. Sun and the solar system9. Interstellar medium10. Globular clustersReferencesIndex.'... written with exceptional clarity ... the hallmark of Padmanabhan's work ... The mathematical derivations are elegant often starting from action principles, and readers may be enlightened by some which differ from standard approaches ... it is a magnificent achievement and a superb book.' Alan Heavens, The Observatory
