Customer Reviews (11)

Not a bad reference book for astrophysics students
This book is an ok reference book, if you've already seen the material in the book.The price is way too high.Whatever you do don't pay 180 bucks for this book. The preliminary section is weirdly way harder than the main text of the book. I had as my freshman astrophysics course text book and nearly dropped the course because the prelimary section was so scary. My biggest problem is the book uses MKS not CGS units. This would make the book more acessible to the reader with a physics (but no astronomy) background, but only does a disservice to the reader who wishes to use this book as a bridge to more advanced astronomical literature.

Intro to Astronomy
Nicely written textbook for the first year student in astronomy and astrophysics.Clearly written.

An excellent introductory book in astronomy/astrophysics
I used this book in an independent study class in astronomy and astrophysics while I was an undergraduate.With the exception of the some errors in the equations in the opacity section I found this book to be clearly written and not too difficult.You will need to know your college physics and some math but that should be expected since this is not a descriptive text.If you want a descriptive astronomy text search elsewhere, if you want an introductory astrophysics text this is a good choice.

good if you know whats up
i think this book is good if you already know a bit about astronomy and physics.it covers the topics it wants to very well, and very in depth. however, it has no logical sequencing of the chapters, and thus is a wonderful reference text, but not so great when it comes to learning in a call

OK General Study Book
This book is a good compromise between the less analytical texts and some of the books geared toward astonomy majors. It is not a great book but I felt it was up to date and comprehensive. One note though, the authors assume you have a good grounding in undergrad math and physics. On several occasions I had to pull out one of my math or physics texts to review a subject so I could understand the material being presented. ... Read more

Book Description
Astronomy, astrophysics and space research have witnessed an explosive development over the last few decades. The new observational potential offered by space stations and the availability of powerful and highly specialized computers have revealed novel aspects of the fascinating realm of galaxies, quasars, stars and planets. The present completely revised 5th edition of The New Cosmos provides ample evidence of these dramatic developments. In a concise presentation, which assumes only a modest prior knowledge of mathematics and physics, the book gives a coherent introduction to the entire field of astronomy and astrophysics. At the same time it takes into account the art of observation and the fundamental ideas behind their interpretation. Like its predecessors, this edition of The New Cosmos will provide new insight and enjoyment not only to students and researchers in the fields of astronomy, physics and earth sciences, but also to a wide range of interested amateurs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The New Cosmos, Intro Astronomy & Astrophysics
This book meets my expectations in that it covers a wide variety of topics, in some detail.I wanted to take a "step up" regarding technical detail, and this book is what I was looking for.The only drawback is the occasional heavy mathematics, but this is something I can grow into, and is not essential to enjoying the book.

applies physics to astronomy
As a physics undergrad, an earlier edition of this book was one of our texts in 1982. The latest edition continues the tradition of providing a lucid description of the basic physical principles underlying astronomic phenomena.

Hence, you are shown how the temperature in a star can rise, because as its atoms fall towards each other under mutual gravity, the conservation of energy leads to an increase in kinetic energy and hence temperature. Enough to eventually trigger ignition of nuclear reactions. Well, provided the initial mass is large enough. Otherwise one gets brown dwarfs or gas giants like Jupiter.

Other subjects like spectroscopy are also derived from basic principles. It's nice to see how we can get the surface temperature of a star by looking at its spectrum and seeing which lines exist. And the strength of the magnetic field on its surface by the amount of splitting in certain lines. And even the rate of rotation by the minute Doppler shifts.

The evolution of the elements, from nuclear fusion, is well done. The text refers to the classic papers, including B2FH (Burbidge, Burbidge, Fowler and Hoyle). Other key contributors like Chandrasekhar get their fair mention.

A very good introduction to astronomy and astrophysics
It's not the flashiest text, I agree.But I think it can be used for a first course on astronomy and astrophysics (for students with some basic calculus and physics).

It covers everything:Celestial mechanics, the Sun and its planetary system, electromagnetic radiation, telescopes and detectors, astrophysics of individual stars, star clusters, interstellar matter, the Milky Way, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, cosmology, and cosmogony.But the style is concise, and there isn't enough space to cover it all in detail.It requires careful reading, and if used for a class, some topics probably need to be skipped or amplified by an instructor.

What would I add to it?Not much.Maybe a little more on planetary dynamics and magnetospheres, since I happen to find them interesting.Perhaps more material on relativity.

Solid astronomical textbook
This book may not be the most flashy in illustrations and will require that you actually read whole sections instead of just browsing the highlights in sidebars. But it does contain a lot of solid information going into more detail on several topics than other introductory textbooks. It is targeted rather at the graduating physics student than at an interested lay person.

German Science
Being a German-American, I thought this book would get to the rudiments of astrophysics - and it does. Unfortunately, I seem to fall asleep before reading a page or two. The book is full of information ... in TEXT form. The illustrations offered are dry and somewhat difficult to extract information from. The methods of problem solving assume that you have a good handle on the topics discussed already (not for introductory Astrophysicists). If you are in need of a book to give straight to the point explanations, and fundamental equations - you've found it! Try reading at a coffee shop, though - and no decaf! ... Read more

Book Description

Astrophysics is a subject that is often - with some justification - regarded as extremely difficult, requiring at least degree-level mathematics as a prerequisite to its understanding. Consequently, many amateur astronomers just don't bother, and miss out on the fascinating fundamentals of the subject, and often on an understanding of exactly what they are observing.

Product Description
This unique book provides a clear and lucid description of several aspects of astrophysics and cosmology in a language understandable to a physicist or beginner in astrophysics. It presents the key topics in all branches of astrophysics and cosmology in a simple and concise language. The emphasis is on currently active research areas and exciting new frontiers rather than on more pedantic topics. Many complicated results are introduced with simple, novel derivations which strengthen the conceptual understanding of the subject. The book also contains over one hundred exercises which will help students in their self study.Undergraduate and graduate students in physics and astrophysics as well as all physicists who are interested in obtaining a quick grasp of astrophysical concepts will find this book useful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Invitation to Astrophysics
I have been trying to find a book like this for years because I want a deeper understanding of the many exciting contemporary issues of astrophysics.Older, classic texts were of little help, but Prof. Padmanabhan's book has become the perfect companion and guide to my more fully appreciating today's technical papers, ranging from solar system physics to cosmology, published in journals like Science and Nature.

But you must be facile with theoretical physics at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level and be willing to fill in the missing, but usually obvious,algebraic steps between formulae to get the most from this book.The book is hard, but not dry and Prof. Padmanabhan accompanies you with many personal comments as if you were in his class.

Even if you can only work through a few pages at a time, the rewards are high.I will leave with two personal experiences: (1) in the spirit of Feynman, Prof. Padmanabhan gives a physically intuitive development of the classical radiation field in two or three pages that I wished I had seen as a student many years ago, and (2) in one and a half pages, he cogently discusses Lagrangian points and the Roche limit that, in the former is relevant to LISA, the orbiting gravitational intevferometer, and in the latter quantifies the iconic picture of a white dwarf capturing gas from its bloated red giant companion.
Michael Bozoian, Ph.D.

Twinkle, twinkle, little equations...
This book, while an introduction to astrophysics, really is an introduction for those already at a fairly high level of sophistication with theoretical physics and mathematics.According to the preface, Padmanabhan states, `I expect the reader to know the basics of classical and quantum mechanics, special relativity, electrodynamics, etc.'The algebra and calculus requirements are at the very least to the advanced undergraduate level - I've had calculus through differential equations, statistics and abstract algebra, and still found this a very challenging text.The development of the subject is carried forward as much by mathematical equations as it is through narrative description - this is very far from being a text for the popular press; Stephen Hawking made the comment in his book, `A Brief History of Time,' that his publisher warned against equations, stating that for every equation one loses half the readership - by that calculation, the readership here becomes very small.I do not say this as a criticism of the text or its contents, but simply to advise those expecting a more layperson-friendly text that this is not that book.

For those with education and background in physics and mathematics who might want a rigourous introduction to astrophysics, this might well be the book to use.The development of topics is sound.There are occasional flourishes of creativity in the text, but for the most part, this is a straight-forward presentation.General relativity is introduced early, along with other issues of gravitation, radiative processes and topics dealing with matter.These set the stage for the more familiar astrophysical topics of stellar evolution and star structures, star remnants (black holes, white dwarves, supernova, etc.), cosmology and early universe (including the early minutes and earlier, in which so much work has been done in the past few decades), large scale structures such as galaxies, and how galaxies can evolve and demonstrate activity.

For those who find mathematics an impediment, this is not the right text.For those who have a solid background in physics and mathematics, this book will be a good choice.Padmanabhan is author of a much larger series on astrophysics, a three-volume set published through Cambridge - it is clear that he knows his topic, but as a self-study, this is a not a cake-walk for most.
... Read more

Book Description

This substantially rewritten and expanded fourth edition outlines the most up-to-date methods and tools of radio astronomy. Tools of Radio Astronomy gives a unified treatment of the entire field of radio astronomy, from centimeter to sub-millimeter wavelengths and using single telescopes as well as interferometers. The basic physical principles are described and a complete outline of the instrumentation, observational techniques, and methods of measurement and analysis are given. The goal of this standard reference and text is to prepare readers to carry out observations and relate the data to physical processes in interstellar space. In this fourth edition, the chapter on interferometry and aperture synthesis has been thoroughly revised in the light of most recent developments, as has been the chapter on molecules in interstellar space, and material on receiver technology.

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the best introductions to the field
Although Rohlfs and Wilson have only made perfunctory changesbetween this and the previous edition of the book, it still stands asone of the best introductions to the field of radio astronomy.It still doesn't cover some topics (such as calibration techniques) as well as I would have liked, and Kraus' _Radio Astronomy_ (2e) does a better job (IMHO) on the mathematical details as well as specific applications.Because of its length, the topics of millimeter and submillimeter astronomy are not covered in as much as centimeter wavelengths.However despite all this, the book is highly readable for a student in the field, and is invaluable to have on one's bookshelf, or even to take observing (for those who only dabble in radio astronomy). ... Read more

Book Description

Astronomy and Astrophysics is a comprehensive, fundamental, up-to-date reference book. It is filled with vital information and basic facts for amateur astronomers and professional astrophysicists, and for anyone interested in the Universe, from the Earth and other planets to the stars, galaxies and beyond. Although serious and thorough, the language, and ideas will attract the general reader, as well as students and professionals.

Book Description
Covering topics of radio astronomy, this book contains graduate-level problems with carefully presented solutions. The problems are arranged following the content of the book "Tools of Radio Astronomy" by K. Rohlfs and T.L.Wilson (also available in the this series) on a chapter-by-chapter basis. Some of these problems have been formulated to provide an extension to the material presented in "Tools of Radio Astronomy". ... Read more

Book Description

Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology offers a succinct and self-contained treatment of general relativity and its application to compact objects, gravitational waves and cosmology. The required mathematical concepts are introduced informally, following geometrical intuition as much as possible. The approach is theoretical, but there is ample discussion of observational aspects and of instrumental issues where appropriate.

Book Description

G. Beutler's Methods of Celestial Mechanics is a coherent textbook for students as well as an excellent reference for practitioners. The first volume gives a thorough treatment of celestial mechanics and presents all the necessary mathematical details that a professional would need. The reader will appreciate the well-written chapters on numerical solution techniques for ordinary differential equations, as well as that on orbit determination. In the second volume applications to the rotation of earth and moon, to artificial earth satellites and to the planetary system are presented. The author addresses all aspects that are of importance in high-tech applications, such as the detailed gravitational fields of all planets and the earth, the oblateness of the earth, the radiation pressure and the atmospheric drag. The concluding part of this monumental treatise explains and details state-of-the-art professional and thoroughly-tested software for celestial mechanics. The accompanying CD-ROM enables readers to employ this software themselves and also serves as to illustrate and reinforce the related theoretical concepts.

Book Description

In the last 45 years, X-ray astronomy has become an integral part of modern astrophysics and cosmology. There is a wide range of astrophysical objects and phenomena, where X-rays provide crucial diagnostics. In particular they are well suited to study hot plasmas and matter under extreme physical conditions in compact objects. This book summarizes the present status of X-ray astronomy in terms of observational results and their astrophysical interpretation. It is written for students, astrophysicists as well a growing community of physicists interested in the field. An introduction including historical material is followed by chapters on X-ray astronomical instrumentation. The next two parts summarize in 17 chapters the present knowledge on various classes of X-ray sources in the galactic and extragalactic realm. While the X-ray astronomical highlights discussed in this book are mainly based on results from ROSAT, ASCA, RXTE, BeppoSAX, Chandra and XMM-Newton, a final chapter provides an outlook on observational capabilities and projects discussed for the future.

Book Description
Fully updated with data from space-based observations and a comprehensive index and bibliography, this third edition contains the most frequently used information in modern astrophysics. As well as a vast number of tables, graphs, diagrams and formulae it also contains information covering topics including atomic physics, nuclear physics, relativity, plasma physics, electromagnetism, mathematics, probability and statistics, and geophysics. This handbook will be an essential reference for graduate students, researchers and professionals working in astronomy and the space sciences. A website containing extensive supplementary information and databases can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521782425. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A reference for modern Space Scientists
This book is meant to be like the C.R.C.
Mathematics Tables that many of us have carried since high school.
Starting with fundamentals constants it presents values and equations
necessary for calculations in astronomical science
and ends with information on space delivery systems available at the time of printing.
Every college library connected with an astronomy program should have this reference on it's shelves. ... Read more

Book Description
Part B of Planetary Astronomy from the Renaissance to the Rise of Astrophysics continues the history of celestial mechanics and observational discovery through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It provides a synoptic view of the main developments and furnishes details about the lives, ideas, and interactions of the various astronomers involved.Twelve different authors have contributed their expertise to this book that begins with the reception of Newton's inverse-square law. In the remainder, a large place is given to the development of the mathematical theory of celestial mechanics from Clairaut and Euler to LeVerrier, Newcomb, Hill, andPoincaré. This emphasis is balanced by other chapters on observational discoveries and the rapprochement of observation and theory (for instance, the discovery of Uranus and the asteroids, use of Venus transits to refine solar parallax, introduction of the method of least squares, and the development of planetary and satellite ephemerides). Lists of "Further Reading" provide entrée to the literature of the several topics. This book will be of great interest to historians of science and astronomers. ... Read more

Product Description
The 2005 meeting in Taormina, Italy was attended by 127 professionals who develop and use the highest quality detectors for wavelengths from x-ray to sub-mm, with emphasis on optical and infrared detectors. The meeting consisted of overview talks, technical presentations, poster sessions and roundtable discussions. These proceedings capture the technical content and the spirit of the 2005 workshop. The 87 papers cover a wide range of detector technologies including CCDs, CMOS, APDs, and sub-mm detectors. There are papers on observatory status and plans, special applications, detector testing and characterization, and electronics. A special feature of these proceedings is the inclusion of pedagogical overview papers, which were written by teams of leading experts from different institutions. These proceedings are appropriate for a range of expertise levels, from undergraduates to professionals working in the field. The information presented in this book will serve as a valuable reference for many years to come.This workshop was organized by the Scientific Workshop Factory, Inc. and the INAF- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania. ... Read more

Book Description
In a unique collaboration, Nature Publishing Group and Institute of Physics Publishing have published the most extensive and comprehensive reference work in astronomy and astrophysics in both print and online formats. Unfortunately the print edition is currently out of print, but the regularly updated web remains active and can be found at www.ency-astro.com. This unique resource covers the entire field of astronomy and astrophysics and this online version includes the full text of over 2,750 articles, plus sophisticated search and retrieval functionality, links to the primary literature, and is frequently updated with new material. An active editorial team, headed by the Encyclopaedia's editor-in-chief, Maul Murdin, oversee the continual commissioning, reviewing and loading of new and revised content. The Encyclopaedia's authority is assured by editorial and advisory boards drawn from the world's foremost astronomers and astrophysicists. This first class resource will be an essential source of information for undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and seasoned professionals, as well as for committed amateurs, librarians and lay people wishing to consult the definitive astronomy and astrophysics reference work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Master Piece
It is the greattest collection on astronomical sciences I have ever seen. These 4 volumes contains 3670 pages, thousands of articles,written by lots of contributors. You can find handly information about astronomy and astrophysics in this encyclopedia. It is a really master piece of astronomical work, covers 30 subject areas. If it could contain information on recent developments in cosmology would be excellent. ... Read more

Product Description
There are several textbooks available on solar astronomy which deal with advanced astrophysical aspects of solar physics, and books which provide very elementary knowledge about the Sun. This book will help to bridge the gap. It aims to stimulate interest in solar astronomy, presenting at one place the basic methods and techniques used in the field, together with the latest findings and the excitement in solar physics. As solar astronomy is becoming very popular among amateur astronomers and laymen, the book provides the practical knowledge to build simple solar telescopes and other equipment for making solar observations. Amateur astronomers have made important contributions to solar astronomy, and this book will help to guide them in their endeavours. The book can also serve as a text for undergraduate and graduate students starting out on solar physics. Using it, graduate students can easily embark on specific topics of research in solar astronomy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not very enlightening
Very involved concepts discussed by experts. This is a textbook for advanced students. I just wanted more information on the Sun while using my small H-alpha telescope. Too deep for me!

Ideal for the Advanced Amateur
The Sun, our closest star, has been studied for centuries. Stonehenge, built around 5,000 years ago is basically a solar observatory.

This book is mainly addressed to those who are starting to study the Sun either as amateurs or professionals. Although this book is by professionals and is used as a text for upper level undergraduate and graduate level classes, it stresses the work being done by amateurs with very small telescopes.

This book is positioned between the very elementary level books and the advanced astrophysical texts. It is obviously written as a labor of love. The two authors have almost a century of experience between them. They have spent their working careers studying the sun. They talk about everything from the early myths to the latest scientific findings. Equipment from building your own to the new SOLAR-B satellite planned for launch in September of 2006. (Actually the book says August 2005, but it's been delayed.)

This book is an excellent introduction to the interested reader. ... Read more

Book Description

An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, Second Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the dramatic changes and advancements in astrophysics that have occurred over the past decade. The Second Edition of this market-leading book has been updated to include the latest results from relevant fields of astrophysics and advances in our theoretical understanding of astrophysical phenomena. The Tools of Astronomy: The Celestial Sphere, Celestial Mechanics, The Continuous Spectrum of Light, The Theory of Special Relativity, The Interaction of Light and Matter, Telescopes; The Nature of Stars: Binary Systems and Stellar Parameters, The Classification of Stellar Spectra, Stellar Atmospheres, The Interiors of Stars, The Sun, The Process of Star Formation, Post-Main-Sequence Stellar Evolution, Stellar Pulsation, Supernovae, The Degenerate Remnants of Stars, Black Holes, Close Binary Star Systems; Planetary Systems: Physical Processes in the Solar System, The Terrestrial Planets, The Jovian Worlds, Minor Bodies of the Solar System, The Formation of Planetary Systems; Galaxies and the Universe: The Milky Way Galaxy, The Nature of Galaxies, Galactic Evolution, The Structure of the Universe, Active Galaxies, Cosmology, The Early Universe; Astronomical and Physical Constants, Unit Conversions Between SI and cgs, Solar System Data, The Constellations, The Brightest Stars, The Nearest Stars, Stellar Data, The Messier Catalog, Constants, A Constants Module for Fortran 95 (Available as a C++ header file), Orbits, A Planetary Orbit Code (Available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), TwoStars, A Binary Star Code (Generates synthetic light and radial velocity curves; available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), StatStar, A Stellar Structure Code (Available as Fortran 95 and C++ command line versions, and Windows GUI), StatStar, Stellar Models, Galaxy, A Tidal Interaction Code (Available as Java), WMAP Data. For all readers interested in moden astrophysics.

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent
Any instructor who has used the first edition of this book can attest to its fine quality of presentation and its didactic power. The second edition continues this tradition, and in addition offers more material that reflects the many discoveries and developments in astrophysics that have taken place since the first edition. The observational tools in astronomy have become even more refined over the years since the first edition along with computing power, and these two facts combined with a robust community of theoreticians have pushed the limits of astrophysical knowledge. This book is of course a sizable one, and this reviewer did not read it in its entirety, but instead focused on those sections that addressed the new developments since the first edition.

One of the interesting topics that are discussed in the book whose explanation was not found in the first edition is that of gamma ray bursts. After a brief historical discussion of their first detection, the authors address the question as to the origin of the bursts, i.e. whether galactic or extragalactic. They perform some rudimentary calculations that show how energetic the bursts must be if they were located in the solar system or from a distant galaxy. Early thinking on the cause of gamma ray bursts associated them with neutron stars, but the authors explain the problems with this explanation, and most interestingly, give arguments that support the assertion that there is an edge to the distribution of the gamma sources. Clever observational techniques resulted in the conclusion that gamma ray bursts are extragalactic. The `collapsar' and `supranova' models of gamma ray bursts are discussed, but the discussion is way too brief for those who want the in-depth details of these models. However the authors give up-to-date references for readers who want to dig deeper. From a perusal of these references it is apparent that the supranova model has gained the most popularity at the present time, even though some of the observations cannot as yet be reconciled with this model.

Another topic of great current interest is that of dark matter, which is discussed in the last chapter of the book, and which the authors describe as one of the most important theoretical issues in cosmological astrophysics. This discussion is also short, but references are given, and its inclusion since the first edition reflects the theoretical interest. The paucity of experimental evidence for the candidates of dark matter has stymied theoretical developments, with most of the effort devoted to putting bounds on the candidates, such as axions and weakly interacting massive particles.

No doubt this book will continue to be used in the classroom in years to come, and new discoveries will be included in future editions. With the CERN collider coming on line in the next few years, everyone interested will see the interplay between high-energy physics and astrophysics. The collider will give the theoretical astrophysical community new bounds on cosmological quantities, and in fact may open up whole new lines of research, all of it exciting, and proof positive that the twenty-first century is the most exciting time to be alive.

Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, An (2nd Edition)
Best Astrophysics for Undergraduate Course !All Chapters fully explained with a lot of drills and updated with latest development on the field. Jose Quintero

The long awaited new edition of BOB (Big Orange Book)
The number of books suitable for undergraduate courses in Astrophysics is not great. But of them all, this, called BOB (Big Orange Book) is the best.

This new second edition, badly needed since the first edition is now ten years old. In these ten years, there seems to have been just about as much discovered as in the centuries before. To list just a few: extrasolar planets, objects bigger than Pluto but further out (but the book was finished before the IAU decided to downgrade Pluto from being a planet), Spirit and Opportunity have been roving on Mars, discoveries like the universe is not slowing down but, rather, is actually accelerating, Dark energy wasn't even imagined at that time (and isn't easy to imagine now).

The book is aimed at the advanced undergraduate level after the student has had several previous physics classes and mathematics through differential equasions.

The one problem most often reported about BOB is its size, 1400 pages. This allows for a series of different courses to be taught using the same book by selecting appropriate chapters. Alternatively a full year course can be taught to cover most of the book. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the definitive treatment of the phenomenology of galaxies--a clear and comprehensive volume that takes full account of the extraordinary recent advances in the field. The book supersedes the classic text Galactic Astronomy that James Binney wrote with Dimitri Mihalas, and complements Galactic Dynamics by Binney and Scott Tremaine. It will be invaluable to researchers and is accessible to any student who has a background in undergraduate physics.

The book draws on observations both of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and of external galaxies. The two sources are complementary, since the former tends to be highly detailed but difficult to interpret, while the latter is typically poorer in quality but conceptually simpler to understand. Binney and Merrifield introduce all astronomical concepts necessary to understand the properties of galaxies, including coordinate systems, magnitudes and colors, the phenomenology of stars, the theory of stellar and chemical evolution, and the measurement of astronomical distances. The book's core covers the phenomenology of external galaxies, star clusters in the Milky Way, the interstellar media of external galaxies, gas in the Milky Way, the structure and kinematics of the stellar components of the Milky Way, and the kinematics of external galaxies.

Throughout, the book emphasizes the observational basis for current understanding of galactic astronomy, with references to the original literature. Offering both new information and a comprehensive view of its subject, it will be an indispensable source for professionals, as well as for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.

Customer Reviews (7)

A mine of information for undergrad (and grad) students
"Galactic Astronomy" treat a lot of astrophysics topics (galaxies, Milky Way, stellar evolution and more) with precision and clarity. The complete index allows rapid search. A good book for the first approach to astrophysics problem, not exhaustive for all the subject treated.

A fine intro and very useful quick reference
Astronomy today deals with a wide array of exotic objects for which relevant physical processes vary so much.To be comprehensive and up-to-date at the same time in such an academic subject is no easy task.If you have the pleasure or dismay of having to expose yourself to the cutting edge information about any subject in astronomy, you know that astronomy in general is confusing as hell.To illuminate the most essential concepts and connection between what appears to be entirely different astrophysical phenomena is very hard, yet in my opinion this text book does a fairly decent job in that respect.

If you are literate about any of the details of astrophysics that this text book might gross over, you sure will find the information to be obsolete and rather simplistic.After all the book is not meant to be a collection of review articles.But since the book means to give you the first exposure to just about any subject in astronomy, the discussions are shallow yet to the point so that you will not lose your big picture in bogging yourself down to boring details.This still might be a slow read if you are really just starting out, but as you pick more astronomy you will start appreciating the conciseness which only help you connect things that you learned but have not necessarily been related in your world of knowledge.

And another important point is, can you come up with any other book that covers introductory astrophysics better?Maybe Shu or Carroll and Ostlie, but the list ends there pretty much.

Just an amazing textbook covering masses of astrophysics...
This book is, as it says on the cover, for readers with abackground in physics - specifically, for professionals, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. It will therefore be heavily mathematical, as there is no other way in which to express the theories within, and to quantitativelydistinguish between them - an essential part of all scientific research.

The ideas are explained clearly, and there are frequent up-to-date references: the book was published mid-1998, and updated quite a lot from its previous incarnation. Where a field is moving very rapidly, like in parts of astrophysics, there is clearly always a danger that the work will become out of date, but most (at least all I have had to read) of what is in this book is still current.

This book is not only beautifully written, and presented, it also covers an incredible range of subjects, making it suitable not only for background reading for those who study galactic astrophysics, but also those working in stellar astrophysics. The authors clearly know their stuff in very wide-ranging areas of astrophysics, and are passionate about them, as it comes across very clearly, and adds to the joy of reading this book.

One of the many things that makes this such a wonderful book is the clear linking of astrophysical phenomena with basic physics, something which is easy to lose sight of when confronted with exotic objects and processes. A particularly lovely example of this (IMO) is the explanation of the effects of the kappa-mechanism in variable stars in terms of the humble heat engine in thermodynamics.

Admittedly, if you were wanting an introduction to galactic astronomy this would not be the book for you, but, for its target audience it is an amazing book.

Very badly written - and confusing...
I read the complete book but I must admit I understood very little of it.The main reason for this is that the authors seem to have written the book for those who alreadyare fully versed in the technical details of the subject.I am not, and I was hoping this book would elevate my understanding of the field.Unfortunately it did not.Furthermore, I found the book completely lacking in information about the more recent discoveries in cosmology.It appears to be about ten years behind.

Very badly written - and confusing...
I read the complete book but I must admit I understood very little of it.The main reason for this is that the authors seem to have written the book for those who alreadyare fully versed in the technical details of the subject.I am not, and I was hoping this book would elevate my understanding of the field.Unfortunately it did not.Furthermore, I found the book completely lacking in information about the more recent discoveries in cosmology.It appears to be about ten years behind. ... Read more

Book Description

Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, The Interstellar Medium is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.

Book Description
Numerical Methods in Astrophysics: An Introduction outlines various fundamental numerical methods that can solve gravitational dynamics, hydrodynamics, and radiation transport equations. This resource indicates which methods are most suitable for particular problems, demonstrates what the accuracy requirements are in numerical simulations, and suggests ways to test for and reduce the inevitable negative effects.

After an introduction to the basic equations and derivations, the book focuses on practical applications of the numerical methods. It explores hydrodynamic problems in one dimension, N-body particle dynamics, smoothed particle hydrodynamics, and stellar structure and evolution. The authors also examine advanced techniques in grid-based hydrodynamics, evaluate the methods for calculating the gravitational forces in an astrophysical system, and discuss specific problems in grid-based methods for radiation transfer. The book incorporates brief user instructions and a CD-ROM of the numerical codes, allowing readers to experiment with the codes to suit their own needs.

With numerous examples and sample problems that cover a wide range of current research topics, this highly practical guide illustrates how to solve key astrophysics problems, providing a clear introduction for graduate and undergraduate students as well as researchers and professionals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Extremely good introduction!
This is an extremely well written introduction to a rapidly developing field. The authors cover a broad swath of topics, providing a clear understanding of the physical principles underlying numerical astrophysics. Such a focus on basic principles and physical understanding ensures that one does not lose sight of the forest for the trees. I recommend this book highly for graduate students in astrophysics, as well as active researchers in the field who want a quick overview before going into the details.

HUGE disappointment
I was really looking forward to this title, hoping in a book that would go beyond the usual toy problems of typical standard numerical simulations books. Also knowing that this book included real working code I was also hoping it would bridge the huge gap between theory and practice with a practical approach. Boy, was I mistaken. hard to believe, but there is not a single line of code in this book! The numerical codes in Fortran (yuk) are just dumped in the CD and superficially described (just barely saying what it does and what the input and output are) in a final 10 pages ( yes, you read that well, 10 pages) "chapter" that looks more like an appendix to anyone with a little common sense. I know college professors can be a bit disoriented about what is important and what not in their field of research (I still my quantum mechanics prof. employed approximately the same time to try to explain us while there are 2n+1 numbers between n and -n and to introduce us to Fourier Transforms) but this is really too much! The bunch of theory and equations that this book is littered is totally useless unless you show me how these equations get implemented in code.
And if I have to wade through the code in a CD trying to figure it out by myself, what is the value of buying this book? Given this approach , I really pity the grad students of these guys...

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