Carole A. HaswellCambridge University Press, 7/29/2010EAN 9780521191838, ISBN10: 0521191831Hardcover, 336 pages, 26.4 x 21.4 x 2.6 cmLanguage: EnglishThe methods used in the detection and characterisation of exoplanets are presented through the study of transiting systems in this unique textbook for advanced undergraduates. From determining the atmospheric properties of transiting exoplanets to measuring the planetary orbit's alignment with the stellar spin, students will discover what these measurements imply for reinvigorated theories of planet formation and evolution. Worked examples and exercises with full solutions help students to assess their understanding of concepts and results. Key points and equations are highlighted to make them easily identifiable, and there are full colour illustrations throughout. Bridging the gap between introductory, non-mathematical texts and more advanced textbooks, this book is ideal for students with some background in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http://www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics.1. Our solar system from afar2. Exoplanet discoveries by the transit method3. What the transit lightcurve tells us4. The transiting exoplanet population5. Transmission spectroscopy and Rossiter-McLaughlin effect6. Secondary eclipses and phase variations7. Transit timing variations and orbital dynamics8. Brave new worldsthe futureIndex.'This advanced-level undergraduate text distils the essential physics and methodology of planet discovery and characterisation into a single volume. The book's narrative is cleverly constructed, outlining the progression of exoplanetary discoveries in more-or-less chronological sequence, interspersed with detailed step-by-step presentations of the underlying principles that underpinned each stage in the discovery process. The book treats all these facets of exoplanetary science at a comprehensive level making it an essential reference work for graduate students and more advanced researchers.' Professor Andrew Collier Cameron, University of St Andrews
