Advanced Stellar Astrophysics [Hardcover]

William K. Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 28, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0521581885 | ISBN-13: 978-0521581882 | Edition: Text is Free of Markings

In the past two decades, scientists have made remarkable progress in understanding stars. This graduate-level textbook provides a systematic, self-contained and lucid introduction to the physical processes and fundamental equations underlying all aspects of stellar astrophysics. The timely volume provides authoritative astronomical discussions as well as rigorous mathematical derivations and illuminating explanations of the physical concepts involved. In addition to traditional topics such as stellar interiors and atmospheres, the reader is introduced to stellar winds, mass accretion, nuclear astrophysics, weak interactions, novae, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars and black holes. A concise introduction to general relativity is also included. At the end of each chapter, exercises and helpful hints are provided to test and develop the understanding of the student. As the first advanced textbook on stellar astrophysics for nearly three decades, this long-awaited volume provides a thorough introduction for graduate students and an up-to-date review for researchers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this book is the first in several years and brings the reader up to date with the significant experimental findings and theoretical developments that have come about in recent years.... provides a good insight into the current theories to match the observations in areas like stellar winds, mass accretion, nuclear astrophysics, weak interactions, novae, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, black holes and more."
Publisher Review

Book Description

In the last two decades, remarkable progress has been made in understanding stars. This graduate-level textbook provides a systematic, self-contained and lucid introduction to the physical processes and fundamental equations underlying all aspects of stellar astrophysics. In add ition to traditional topics such as stellar interiors and atmospheres, the reader is introduced to stellar winds, mass accretion, nuclear astrophysics, weak interactions, novae, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars and black holes. Exercises and helpful hints are provided at the end of each chapter. This long-awaited volume provides a thorough introduction for graduate students and an up-to-date review for researchers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 494 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Text is Free of Markings edition (May 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521581885
• ISBN-13: 978-0521581882
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,324,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent coverage of a fundamental subject., October 19, 1999

By 

G. Arlen Good (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Stellar Astrophysics (Paperback)

This is a great book for anyone interested in advanced stellar phenomena. Easy to read with adequate math rigor, this book is a pleasure to work through. The layout of the book is pleasing to the eye and flows well. Equations are displayed in a spacious and predictable manner which allows quick reference and reduces distractions. Pedagogical discussion is succinct and cogent. Dr. Rose is an excellent teacher and, as usual, Cambridge Press has printed an outstanding book with outstanding attention to detail.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good text for introductory purposes, April 5, 2011

By 

Revanchist - See all my reviews

This review is from: Advanced Stellar Astrophysics (Paperback)

The best thing about this book is that it is very much a self contained textbook. There is a certain amount of underlying physics that one is expected to know, but the rest of it follows from the principles presented and developed in the text. The selection of topics is not very broad nor narrow and they cover a wide range of topics. There is a strong emphasis on basic physics principles and how they are applied to stellar objects.
The section on Statistical Physics is very elegant and covers all the statistical mechanics to be used further along in the book. Absorption processes are also well covered in the book. The equations of stellar structure and stellar atmospheres are two very important topics that are done justice in this book. However, the treatment could and should have been a lot more detailed and in depth.
Weak interactions and nucleosynthesis are given due importance and the section on stellar hydrodynamics is compact but covers all the basics, but it does leave some holes. There is a good discussion of magnetic fields followed by white dwarfs and supernovae. This is followed by a discussion of General relativity, which is one of the weakest points of the text. This is finally followed by neutron stars and black holes. The former are covered in good detail but the latter includes only an extremely simplified treatment
Nonetheless, for its combination of accessibility coupled to a fairly good presentation of topics, the book deserves some accolades.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Successor to Chandrasekhar's "Stellar Structure", February 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Advanced Stellar Astrophysics (Paperback)

"Advanced Stellar Astrophysics" is an exact title for this book. It is an advanced monograph on stellar structure. It is, both in style and substance, strongly reminiscent of Chandrasekhar's work on the same structure. Like Chandrasekhar, Rose works every topic out in his own way, including as much background as he needs (e.g. both his succinct treatments of electron gases and of general relativity). This gives the book a remarkable unity and intelligibility, and is a most welcome change tor the usual run of "advanced monographs" which all too often are half-assimilated hodge-podges of other people's work.