Introduction to the Interstellar Medium
Introduction to the Interstellar Medium
£41.99
GBPThe gas and dust between the stars emit across the electromagnetic spectrum and are found in a range of physical conditions from diffuse plasmas to cold, dense molecules. Through their study we see how quantum processes shape the structure of our Galaxy and fluid mechanics sets the stellar mass scale. The Interstellar Medium is a very broad subject with layers of complexity, a long history and a steady flow of new results. This comprehensive yet accessible textbook provides a self-contained one-semester course for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. It is written in a style that students can follow by themselves and allows instructors to use class time to go deeper into the details or show applications to current research. It makes extensive use of publicly accessible data to illustrate specific points and to encourage students to learn by performing their own analyses.
- The author takes a fresh approach to a mature subject, working more directly from current observations and technology than the historical development of the field, allowing students to build a physical intuition and feel for the subject
- Covers a broad topic succinctly, without excess detail, at a level suitable for most undergraduate astrophysics majors or first year graduate students
- Most figures were created using publicly available data with accompanying Python scripts available online, so that students can learn to analyze real data and create figures for their own research.
Reviews & endorsements
'This makes a very valuable addition to the bookshelf of any student wanting to explore the rich physics of the interstellar medium. It takes as its starting point the physics that students already know (quantum physics, thermodynamics, interferometry, fluid mechanics) and leads them to an understanding of how all these fields have combined during the last half century to give us our present insight into the 'stuff between the stars'. Wide ranging and accessibly written, it provides an excellent introduction to our current understanding of the interstellar medium and will be useful also to professional astronomers working in adjacent fields.' Cathie Clarke, University of Cambridge
'This is a strong contribution for all students of this field, including myself. The material is provided in a clear and logical manner with sufficient background to foster learning. I particularly applaud the inclusion of the new frontier of planet formation and I will be recommending this book to my students.' Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan
'An excellent overview of the interstellar medium of galaxies suitable for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students, emphasizing the most important issues.' Christopher McKee, University of California, Berkeley
'The book is well-written and produced … this book will meet the needs of postgraduates perfectly, while being also accessible - if fairly demanding - for undergraduates.' David A. Williams, The Observatory magazine
'This is a particularly attractive complement to a book that should be on the shelf of any student-or indeed professional astronomer-who wants to know more about the 'stuff between the stars' … Highly recommended.' T. D. Oswalt, Choice
Product details
February 2021Hardback
9781108480802
218 pages
250 × 175 × 15 mm
0.58kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Observations
- 3. Essential Background Physics
- 4. Dust
- 5. Atomic Regions
- 6. Ionized Regions
- 7 Molecular Regions
- 8. Dynamics
- 9. Star Formation
- 10. The ISM on the Galactic Scale
- 11. The ISM in Other Galaxies and Beyond
- Appendix. Constants in SI and CGS Units
- Nomenclature
- References
- Index.
