Nucleosynthesis and Chemical Evolution of Galaxies

ISBN-13: 9780521840309 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 484 str.

Bernard E J Pagel

Opis

The distribution of elements in the cosmos provides a powerful tool to study the Big Bang, the density of baryonic matter, nucleosynthesis and the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. Covering many exciting topics in astrophysics and cosmology, this textbook, written by a pioneer of the field, provides a lucid and wide-ranging introduction to the interdisciplinary subject of galactic chemical evolution. This updated new edition includes results from recent space missions, including WMAP and FUSE, and new material on abundances from stellar populations, nebular analysis, meteoric isotopic anomalies, and abundance analysis of X-ray gas. Simple derivations for key results are provided, together with problems and helpful solution hints, enabling the student to develop an understanding of results from numerical models and real observations. This book is suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, and also serves as an authoritative overview for researchers and professional scientists.

Recenzje

'This book fills a gap in astrophysical literature … certainly helpful for any instructor who wishes to teach a one-semester course on these subjects, especially because the author has included many end-chapter problems with hints for their solutions … a conceptually very successful and useful book.' Mounib El Eid, Transport in Porous Media

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Introduction and overview; 2. Thermonuclear reactions; 3. Cosmic abundances of elements and isotopes; 4. Cosmological nucleosynthesis and abundances of light elements; 5. Outline of stellar structure and evolution; 6. Neutron capture processes; 7. Galactic chemical evolution: basic concepts and issues; 8. Some specific GCE models and related observational data; 9. Origin and evolution of light elements; 10. Radioactive cosmochronology; 11. Chemical evolution in other sorts of galaxies; 12. Cosmic chemical evolution and diffuse background radiation; Appendices; References; Index.