×

Theoretical astrophysics, Vol. 2. Stars and stellar systems. (English) Zbl 0996.85002

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. xviii, 575 p. (2001).
The present book is the second volume of a comprehensive three-volume course on theoretical astrophysics. It considers the probably best understood area of astrophysics, the evolution of stars and stellar systems. Concentrating on theory it also provides the necessary observations whenever they are relevant.
Chapter 1 introduces the astrophysical terminology and summarizes general observational data. The equatorial system of coordinates is introduced and overviews on the distribution of stars in galaxies, the stellar evolution, stellar binaries, the interstellar medium and theoretical constraints on astronomical observations are given.
Then, in Chapter 2, the structures of stars that are in steady state are described. Physically, the stars are considered to be self-gravitating bodies with ongoing nuclear reactions in the core. Mathematically, the systems of the introduced and solved equations of stellar structures are systems of first-order ordinary differential equations with boundary conditions given for different local points.
Several time-dependent stellar phenomena are covered in Chapter 3, especially the initial star formation out of giant molecular clouds of the interstellar medium, the structural evolution of stars during nuclear reaction processes, late-stage evolution of stars, and stellar oscillations. These studies show above all, that depending on the mass of the star, different evolutionary stellar end products occur. Thus, the late stages of the stellar evolution as well as the different final stellar remnants are once more in detail analysed in Chapters 4-6. Chapter 4 deals with supernova (type II) explosions of isolated massive stars. White dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes are considered in Chapter 5, and pulsars (rotating neutron stars) are discussed in Chapter 6. Attention is also paid to the up-to-now yet badly understood influence of surrounding plasma particles on the electromagnetic radiation of pulsars.
The evolution of a star can be significantly influenced by a second, gravitationally bound star. Thus binary-star evolution, accretion disks and several phenomena observed in binary stellar systems are separately covered in Chapter 7. After developing the theory of non-relativistic binary systems, features depending on relativistic effects are also discussed.
Chapter 8 is dedicated to the physics of the Sun and the constituents of the solar system. Basing on the mathematical relations of Chapters 2 and 3, the standard solar model is developed. The spectrum of solar neutrinos to be detected on Earth is discussed. The atmosphere and corona of the Sun, solar flares, the generation of the solar magnetic field and properties of the solar wind are described. Finally, a brief review of the nature and of aspects of the dynamics of the solar system are given.
Physical features of the inhomogeneous material between the stars of the Milky Way are covered in Chapter 9. It is shown how local physical conditions of the interstellar matter are found considering mechanical, thermal and ionisation balances. Also the global structure of the interstellar medium and methods to measure the interstellar electron density, magnetic field, temperature, optical depth, the column density and bulk flow of neutral hydrogen as well as the abundances of other elements are presented. Finally, giant molecular clouds and their role in star formation are discussed.
The kinematics and dynamics of globular clusters containing about \(10^4\) - \(10^6\) stars are dealt with in Chapter 10. As almost all stars of such a cluster have formed at the same epoch, they serve nowadays as testing ground for studying different aspects of stellar evolution and dynamics. Thus, they are used to get information about the age and mass function of stars in our galaxy.
The book ends with notes and lists of general references for all chapters, and with an index of scientific keywords. The work provides graduate students with a self-contained introduction to stellar physics. Although the chapters are written systematically creating a connected whole, they may also be studied independently. For a quick selection of special topics the reader is interested in, it is very useful that at the beginning of each chapter a short overview on the considered physical phenomena is given before specific topics are discussed in detail.
The work will be also of interest for teachers and researchers in the field of astrophysics. The book should not be missing in any astrophysical library.
For Vol. 1: Astrophysical processes see Cambridge Univ. Press (2000; Zbl 0996.85001), for Vol. 3. Galaxies and cosmology see Cambridge Univ. Press (2002; Zbl 1005.85001).

MSC:

85-01 Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to astronomy and astrophysics
85A05 Galactic and stellar dynamics
85A04 General questions in astronomy and astrophysics
34A30 Linear ordinary differential equations and systems
35Q99 Partial differential equations of mathematical physics and other areas of application
PDFBibTeX XMLCite
Full Text: DOI