Galaxy Formation (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) [Hardcover]

Malcolm S. Longair (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 8, 2008 | ISBN-10: 3540734775 | ISBN-13: 978-3540734772 | Edition: 2nd

Delineating the huge strides taken in cosmology in the past ten years, this much-anticipated second edition of Malcolm Longair's highly appreciated textbook has been extensively and thoroughly updated. It tells the story of modern astrophysical cosmology from the perspective of one of its most important and fundamental problems – how did the galaxies come about? Longair uses this approach to introduce the whole of what may be called "classical cosmology". What’s more, he describes how the study of the origin of galaxies and larger-scale structures in the Universe has provided us with direct information about the physics of the very early Universe.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews of the first edition:

"This book is yet another example of the author's outstanding expository skills and deserves to be hailed as a brilliant and up-to-date account of current understanding in the field of cosmology and galaxy formation."
The Observatory, 1999

„…Despite its title, the book actually covers pretty much all of extragalactic astronomy and cosmology…offers one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the topic, in particular where observational data are concerned….Longair never fails to place the results within the big picture…Besides completeness, it is also the most up-to-date textbook. Even very recent developments are included....I very much enjoyed reading this book, and I am sure I will make use of it the next time I teach a cosmology graduate course, as both a textbook for the students and a guide in preparing my lectures."
Physics Today, September 1999

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This second edition of Longair’s 1998 book is extensively revised and updated. It is a superb and extensive overview of the physics and evolution of the universe … . Longair … succeeds in his goal of writing at an appropriate level for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students. He makes difficult material understandable by using clever analogies … . The book is valuable both for academic coursework and as a reference source. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." (T. Barker, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (10), June, 2008)

From the Back Cover

This second edition of Galaxy Formation is an up-to-date text on astrophysical cosmology, expounding the structure of the classical cosmological models from a contemporary viewpoint. This forms the background to a detailed study of the origin of structure and galaxies in the Universe. The derivations of many of the most important results are derived by simple physical arguments which illuminate the results of more advanced treatments. A very wide range of observational data is brought to bear upon these problems, including the most recent results from WMAP, the Hubble Space Telescope, galaxy surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, studies of Type 1a supernovae, and many other observations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 760 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 2nd edition (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3540734775
• ISBN-13: 978-3540734772
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Gravity

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best single volume text for galaxy formation and the formation of structure, March 12, 2006

By 

Utah Blaine (Somewhere on Trexalon in District 268) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galaxy Formation (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) (Hardcover)

This is an oustanding text on the physics of the formation of structure in the Universe. It is written at the level of a beginning graduate student in physics or astronomy, and will provide sufficient background for the student to begin serious research in this area. The text is well written and the topics well chosen. It was written in 1998, so it is already a bit dated (it obviously contains nothing about the most recent advances in dark energy), but all the basics are here. This explains what we know and what we don't know about how and why clusters and galaxies form, dark matter, and the Big Bang.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review, May 8, 2008

By 

Gwendlyn (Munich, Bavaria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galaxy Formation (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) (Hardcover)

The book is very detailed and covers a wide range in galaxy formation. It explains astrophysical processes very clearly and can be recommended for students.

5.0 out of 5 stars great!, January 3, 2012

By 

JH Yoon - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Galaxy Formation (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library) (Hardcover)

This is a great text book summarizing cosmology, structure and galaxy formation.

I strongly recommend this book to graduate students.