Radio Recombination Lines: Their Physics and Astronomical Applications

ISBN-13: 9780387096049 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 345 str.

Bjorn H. Wiik; M. a. Gordon; R. L. Sorochenko

Opis

Recombination lines at radio wavelengths have been - and still are - a p- erful tool for modern astronomy. For more than 30years, they have allowed astronomers to probe the gases from which stars form. They have even been detected in the Sun. In addition, observations of these spectral lines facilitate basic research into the atom, in forms and environments that can only exist in the huge dimensions and extreme conditions of cosmic laboratories. We intend this book to serve as a tourist's guide to the world of Radio Recombination Lines. It contains three divisions: a history of their discovery, the physics of how they form and how their voyage to us in?uences their spectral pro?les, and a description of their many astronomical contributions todate.Theappendixincludessupplementarycalculationsthatmaybeuseful to some astronomers. This material also includes tables of line frequencies from 12MHz to 30THz (?=10?m) as well as FORTRAN computer code to calculate the ?ne-structure components of the lines, to evaluate radial matrix integrals, and to calculate the departure coe?cients of hydrogen in a cosmic environment. It also describes how to convert observational to astrophysical units.The textincludes extensive referencestothe literature toassistreaders who want more details. We appreciate the help of L.W. Avery, D.S. Balser, T.M. Bania, T. Bastian, J.H. Bieging, H.J.J. Blom, N.G. Bochkarev, R.L. Brown, L.A. Bureeva (Minaeva), W.B. Burton, T. Alan Clark, Z.F. Dravskikh, W.C.

Spis treści

RRLs and Atomic Physics.- RRLs: Tools for Astronomers.- Constants.- Tables of Line Frequencies.- Supplemental Calculations.- Hydrogen Oscillator Strengths.- Departure Coefficients.- Observational Units.

Blurb

Radio Recombination Lines is a comprehensive guide to the physics and observations of Radio Recombination Lines from astronomical sources. It includes the history of RRL detections, the astrophysics underlying their intensities and line shapes including topics like departures from LTE and Stark broadening, the maximum possible size of an atom, as well as detailed descriptions of the astronomical topics for which RRLs have proved to be effective tools. In addition, the appendix includes detailed physics underlying the Bohr atomic model, tables of RRL frequencies including fine structure components, techniques for calculating hydrogenic oscillator strengths, and formulas for converting telescope intensity units to astrophysical ones.

Radio Recombination Lines is written for astronomers and physicists. It is also suitable as a graduate-level textbook.  This softcover contains updates and corrections from the previous hardcover published in 2002.

"We now have a splendid book written by two of the pioneers, M.A. Gordon of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Tucson and R.L. Sorochenko of the Lebedev Institute. In their Preface the authors say that the book was written by exchanging email. They give a fascinating account of the history of the subject, a detailed discussion of the atomic physics required for the interpretation of the observations, and describe astronomical results obtained using RRL observations for a wide range of astronomical objects."

-Mike Seaton, Former President, Royal Astronomical Society, 1979-1981