Nuclear astrophysics background -- The instruments used to study astrophysics -- Nuclear basics of nuclear astrophysics -- Stellar basics of nuclear astrophysics -- Hydrogen burning -- Advanced stellar evolution, supernovae, and gamma-ray bursters -- Production of the abundant heavy nuclides -- Nucleosynthesis on the proton-rich side of stability, X-ray bursts, and magnetars -- The beginning of the universe.
Studies in nucleosynthesis and nuclear astrophysics are highly interdisciplinary, encompassing such fields as nuclear physics, stellar structure and evolution, hydrostatics and hydrodynamics, differential equations for following isotopic abundance changes in stellar plasmas and in the interstellar medium, and astronomical observations. Essentials of Nucleosynthesis and Theoretical Nuclear Astrophysics brings together the theoretical aspects of these topics in a single volume, providing the necessary mathematical tools and equations with unified notation to enable studying nucleosynthesis in a variety of astrophysical sites. Essential definitions and theory are presented that will enable the reader to enter the research field with the familiarity of the specialities and specific problems. Useful as a reference work for any researcher in the field of nucleosynthesis and nuclear astrophysics, or a suitable basis for a graduate course on these topics, the book also provides the information necessary to follow discussions of current open questions in the understanding of the origin of the elements.
Along with classic papers byFowler, Hoyle, and the Burbidges,this work stands as a key foundationin the development of nuclear astrophysics. Long out ofprint and very hard to find, this remarkable work has beenedited and re-typeset by an atomic expert. Now availablein an affordable paperback edition for the very first time,it addresses interrelated questions — What are stars? Howdoes the sun shine? Why is gold so rare, and Where did theelements come from? — that have puzzled observers fromtime immemorial.Edited and re-typeset reprint of the original Atomic Energy ofCanada, Ltd., 1957 edition.
In this volume the physics involved in various astrophysical processes like the synthesis of light and heavier elements, explosive burning processes, core collapse supernova etc have been critically addressed with minimum mathematical derivations so as to suit all faculties of the readers. For graduate students there are solved problems with exercises at the end of each chapter, for researchers some recent works on the calculation of physical parameters of astrophysical importance like the calculation of Sfactors at low energies have been included, and for amateur readers there are lot of history, information and discussion on the astronuclear phenomenon. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Most elements are synthesized, or "cooked", by thermonuclear reactions in stars. The newly formed elements are released into the interstellar medium during a star's lifetime, and are subsequently incorporated into a new generation of stars, into the planets that form around the stars, and into the life forms that originate on the planets. Moreover, the energy we depend on for life originates from nuclear reactions that occur at the center of the Sun. Synthesis of the elements and nuclear energy production in stars are the topics of nuclear astrophysics, which is the subject of this book. It presents nuclear structure and reactions, thermonuclear reaction rates, experimental nuclear methods, and nucleosynthesis in detail. These topics are discussed in a coherent way, enabling the reader to grasp their interconnections intuitively. The book serves both as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, with worked examples and end-of-chapter excercises, but also as a reference book for use by researchers working in the field of nuclear astrophysics.
A whole decades research collated, organised and synthesised into one single book! Following a 60-page review of the seminal treatises of Misner, Thorne, Wheeler and Weinberg on general relativity, Glendenning goes on to explore the internal structure of compact stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, hybrids, strange quark stars, both the counterparts of neutron stars as well as of dwarfs. This is a self-contained treatment and will be of interest to graduate students in physics and astrophysics as well as others entering the field.
This book investigates the question of how matter has evolved since its origin in the Big Bang, from the cosmological synthesis of hydrogen and helium to the generation of the complex set of nuclei that comprise our world and our selves. A central theme is the evolution of gravitationally contained thermonuclear reactors, otherwise known as stars. Our current understanding is presented systematically and quantitatively, by combining simple analytic models with new state-of-the-art computer simulations. The narrative begins with the clues (primarily the solar system abundance pattern), the constraining physics (primarily nuclear and particle physics), and the thermonuclear burning in the Big Bang itself. It continues with a step-by-step description of how stars evolve by nuclear reactions, a critical investigation of supernova explosion mechanisms and the formation of neutron stars and of black holes, and an analysis of how such explosions appear to astronomers (illustrated by comparison with recent observations). It concludes with a synthesis of these ideas for galactic evolution, with implications for nucleosynthesis in the first generation of stars and for the solar system abundance pattern. Emphasis is given to questions that remain open, and to active research areas that bridge the disciplines of astronomy, cosmochemistry, physics, and planetary and space science. Extensive references are given.
