The Local Group is a small cluster of galaxies of which thirty-five members are currently known, including the Milky Way. With characteristic clarity of expression, Sidney van den Bergh provides a complete overview of all that is known about the galaxies of the Local Group and their evolution. He also places this knowledge in the wider context of continuing studies of galaxy formation and evolution, the cosmic distance scale, and the conditions in the early Universe. This volume thoroughly details our current understanding of each of the thirty-five members of the Local Group, as well as...

Understanding how stars rotate is central to modeling their structure, formation and evolution, as well as understanding how they interact with their environment and companion stars. This lucid introduction to stellar rotation combines theory and observation, and includes all the latest developments in the field. Jean-Louis Tassoul, a leading authority on the subject, comprehensively surveys how the rotation of stars affects the structure and evolution of the Sun, single stars, and close binaries. This volume will greatly interest graduate students and researchers studying solar and stellar...

This book describes the development of astronomy in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, from the first rocket-based experiments in the late 1960s through to the latest satellite missions. It provides detailed material on the tools of EUV astronomy, dealing with the instrumentation, observational techniques, and modelling tools for the interpretation of data. Prospects for future EUV missions are discussed, and a catalog of known EUV sources is included.

This authoritative volume presents a thoroughly modern understanding of planetary nebulae, integrating new developments in stellar physics with the dynamics of nebular evolution. It covers all the stages in the evolution of planetary nebulae, carefully synthesizes observations from across the spectrum and clearly explains all the key physical processes at work. Particular emphasis is placed on recent observations from space, using the Hubble Space Telescope, the Infrared Space Observatory and the ROSAT satellite. Coverage also describes exciting possibilities such as the use of planetary...

This timely review covers all aspects of three decades of study of this ghostly remnant of the hot Big Bang origin of the Universe, and examines the consequences for astrophysics, cosmology and theories of the evolution of large-scale cosmic structure. The observational techniques used to measure the spectrum of CBR and its angular distribution on the sky are examined in clear but critical detail: from the work of Penzias and Wilson in 1964 to the latest results from NASA's Cosmic Microwave Background Explorer (COBE) satellite. This review takes these observations and shows how they have...

X-ray binaries are stellar systems that combine one normal star (like our sun) and a smaller star, such as a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole. This timely text provides a comprehensive overview of the unique and varied behavior of these combinations. Fifteen specially-written chapters by a team of the world's foremost researchers in the field explore all aspects of the X-ray binaries, including the X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and radio properties of these violent systems, and address key issues such as how these systems formed and what their fate might be. They also discuss X-ray...

First published in 1989, this book provides a comprehensive review of the detection techniques that are used in X-ray astronomy. Since the first discovery of a cosmic X-ray source in 1962, there has been rapid growth in X-ray astronomy, which has largely been made possible by enormous advances in the capabilities of photon counting instrumentation. The book describes the first 25 years of astronomical X-ray instrumentation and summarises the areas of current detector research, giving particular emphasis to imaging devices and to non-dispersive devices of high spectral resolution. It is the...

Few phenomena have stirred the imaginations of solar scientists as much as the explosive energy of solar flares. In The Physics of Solar Flares, first published in 1988, Einar Tandberg-Hanssen and A. Gordon Emslie approach this subject by drawing heavily on experimental data from the Solar Maximum Mission, as well as other ground-based and space-borne instruments. The data are incorporated into many theoretical investigations. The authors put the main emphasis on understanding the underlying physical processes. Starting from the language of physics, the authors guide the reader into the more...

This book presents an overview of observational and theoretical knowledge of solar granulation. When examined with a sufficiently powerful telescope the surface of the Sun reveals an irregular, cellular pattern of polygonal bright elements - granules - separated by narrow dark lanes. The application of high-resolution observing techniques (both from the ground and from high-altitude balloons) has given us a detailed picture of the properties and mode of origin of the granulation. The granulation is basically a convective phenomenon, each granule and its surrounding dark material representing...

X-ray astronomy is the prime available window on astrophysical compact objects: black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. In the last ten years new observational opportunities have led to an explosion of knowledge in this field. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the astrophysics of compact objects that emit X-rays. Sixteen chapters written by the foremost experts in the field cover the observations and the astrophysical interpretation of these objects. Topics covered include binary systems, gamma ray burst sources, soft gamma ray repeaters, anomalous X-ray pulsars, super-soft...