Stellar Surface Structure

Stellar Surface Structure

Author: Klaus G. Strassmeier

Publisher: Springer

Published: 1996-05-31

Total Pages: 598

ISBN-13: 0792340264

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In the past decade, indirect (Doppler) imaging techniques have opened up a whole new discipline in stellar astronomy, providing increasingly detailed photometric, magnetic, and chemical inhomogeneity images of stellar surfaces. Furthermore, new optical interferometers are already being used with sophisticated interferometer techniques to image stellar surface structures more directly, and in the future the ESO VLT Interferometer and other instruments will extend these capabilities enormously. These developments are highlighted in the first two sections of this book. The large number of recent results, ground-based and space-based, and the lack of a generally accepted dynamo theory with predictive power for the stars and the Sun, result in an ever-growing complexity of interpretation of individual results. The IAU Symposium 176 on `Stellar Surface Structure' consequently focused on spatially resolved stellar observations throughout the H-R diagram, from O- and B-stars to late M-stars. Two further sections in this book summarize the current observational data on surface inhomogeneities in stellar photospheres, chromospheres, and coronae. Finally, a special section is devoted to next generation model atmospheres.


Stellar Interiors

Stellar Interiors

Author: Carl J. Hansen

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 453

ISBN-13: 1468402145

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That trees should have been cut down to provide paper for this book was an ecological afIront. From a book review. - Anthony Blond (in the Spectator, 1983) The first modern text on our subject, Structure and Evolution of the Stars, was published over thirty years ago. In it, Martin Schwarzschild described numerical experiments that successfully reproduced most of the observed properties of the majority of stars seen in the sky. He also set the standard for a lucid description of the physics of stellar interiors. Ten years later, in 1968, John P. Cox's tw~volume monograph Principles of Stellar Structure appeared, as did the more specialized text Principles of Stellar Evolution and Nuc1eosynthesis by Donald D. Clayton-and what a difference ten years had made. The field had matured into the basic form that it remains today. The past twenty-plus years have seen this branch of astrophysics flourish and develop into a fundamental pillar of modern astrophysics that addresses an enormous variety of phenomena. In view of this it might seem foolish to offer another text of finite length and expect it to cover any more than a fraction of what should be discussed to make it a thorough and self-contained reference. Well, it doesn't. Our specific aim is to introduce only the fundamentals of stellar astrophysics. You will find little reference here to black holes, millisecond pulsars, and other "sexy" objects.


Solar Photosphere: Structure, Convection, and Magnetic Fields

Solar Photosphere: Structure, Convection, and Magnetic Fields

Author: Jan Olof Stenflo

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 546

ISBN-13: 9400910614

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Solar and stellar photospheres constitute the layers most accessible to observations, forming the interface between the interior and the outside of the stars. The solar atmosphere is a rich physics laboratory, in which the whole spectrum of radiative, dynamical, and magnetic processes that tranfer energy into space can be observed. As the fundamental processes take place on very small spatial scales, we need high· resolution observations to explore them. On the other hand the small-scale processes act together to form global properties of the sun, which have their origins in the solar interior. The rapid advances in observational techniques and theoreticallllodelling over the past decade made it very timely to bring together scientists from east and west to the first lAU Symposium on this topic. The physics of the photosphere involves complicated interactions between magnetic fields, convection, waves, and radiation. During the past decade our understanding of these gener ally small-scale structures and processes has been dramatically advanced. New instrumen tations, on ground and in space, have given us new means to study the granular convection. Diagnostic methods in Stokes polarimetry have allowed us to go beyond the limitations of spatial resolution to explore the structure and dynamics of the subarcsec magnetic struc tures. Extensive numerical simulations of the interaction between convection and magnetic fields using powerful supercomputers are providing deepened physical insight. Granulation, magnetic fields, and dynamo processes are being explored in the photospheres of other stars, guided by our improved understanding of the solar photosphere.


Stellar Structure and Evolution

Stellar Structure and Evolution

Author: Rudolf Kippenhahn

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 3642615236

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A complete and comprehensive treatment of the physics of the stellar interior and the underlying fundamental processes and parameters. The text presents an overview of the models developed to explain the stability, dynamics and evolution of the stars, and great care is taken to detail the various stages in a star's life. The authors have succeeded in producing a unique text based on their own pioneering work in stellar modeling. Since its publication, this textbook has come to be considered a classic by both readers and teachers in astrophysics. This study edition is intended for students in astronomy and physics alike.


Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

Author: Ana I. Gomez de Castro

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2021-03-27

Total Pages: 178

ISBN-13: 0128191716

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Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists. - Addresses both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the origin of life - Builds on the requirements to produce prebiotic molecules in space and the implications for the origin of RNA - Investigates the use of ultraviolet observations related to planetary system formation, the evolution of young planetary disks, and the interaction of stars with planetary atmospheres


Solar and Stellar Granulation

Solar and Stellar Granulation

Author: R. J. Rutten

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 638

ISBN-13: 940090911X

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Robert J. Rutten Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht, The Netherlands Why this workshop? Why this workshop? Or rather, since the real question that arose about a year ago was not whether there should be another OAC workshop, but only what it should be about: why a workshop on granulation? To answer this question I will play an unfair trick on you. I will simply present the scientific justification which I included last autumn in a grant application to NATO's Scientific Affairs Division. It lists the reasons why I thought a workshop on this particular topic and at this particular moment ought to be worthwhile. There must be something in its reasoning, because NATO has indeed agreed to co-sponsor this workshop, and because all of you have decided to spend time and effort on your contributions and to journey to this beautiful island in order to participate. But since the proof is in the pudding, I am eager to see whether indeed this workshop will be as outstanding as I have promised; in the meantime, you are entitled to know what we got you here for. The justification went as follows: "The subject 'granulation' has recently become a hot topic, at the center of much new research, observational as well as interpretational and theoretical, and both in solar physics and in stellar physics.


Instrumentation for Large Telescopes

Instrumentation for Large Telescopes

Author: José Miguel Rodríguez Espinosa

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1997-10-09

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780521582919

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A new generation of large, ground-based telescopes are just coming into operation. They will take astronomical research well into the next century. These extremely powerful telescopes demand specially designed instruments and observing techniques. The VII Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics gathered together leading experts from around the world to review this technology. Based on the meeting, this timely volume presents eight specially written chapters covering all aspects of telescope instrumentation. This book provides an essential reference for all astronomers who will be the users of these large telescopes. It reviews both the challenges involved in designing successful instrumentation and the questions in astronomy they must address. We are taken from the fundamentals of astronomical imaging, low- and high-resolution spectroscopy, and polarimetry up to the state-of-the-art technology in adaptive optics and laser guide stars, interferometry, image pattern recognition, and optical, near and mid infrared arrays. This timely volume provides an excellent introduction for graduate students and an invaluable reference for researchers using the latest generation of large astronomical telescopes.


Physics, Formation and Evolution of Rotating Stars

Physics, Formation and Evolution of Rotating Stars

Author: Andre Maeder

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-12-19

Total Pages: 832

ISBN-13: 3540769498

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Rotation is ubiquitous at each step of stellar evolution, from star formation to the final stages, and it affects the course of evolution, the timescales and nucleosynthesis. Stellar rotation is also an essential prerequisite for the occurrence of Gamma-Ray Bursts. In this book the author thoroughly examines the basic mechanical and thermal effects of rotation, their influence on mass loss by stellar winds, the effects of differential rotation and its associated instabilities, the relation with magnetic fields and the evolution of the internal and surface rotation. Further, he discusses the numerous observational signatures of rotational effects obtained from spectroscopy and interferometric observations, as well as from chemical abundance determinations, helioseismology and asteroseismology, etc. On an introductory level, this book presents in a didactical way the basic concepts of stellar structure and evolution in "track 1" chapters. The other more specialized chapters form an advanced course on the graduate level and will further serve as a valuable reference work for professional astrophysicists.


New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics

New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2011-02-04

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 0309157994

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Driven by discoveries, and enabled by leaps in technology and imagination, our understanding of the universe has changed dramatically during the course of the last few decades. The fields of astronomy and astrophysics are making new connections to physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science. Based on a broad and comprehensive survey of scientific opportunities, infrastructure, and organization in a national and international context, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics outlines a plan for ground- and space- based astronomy and astrophysics for the decade of the 2010's. Realizing these scientific opportunities is contingent upon maintaining and strengthening the foundations of the research enterprise including technological development, theory, computation and data handling, laboratory experiments, and human resources. New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics proposes enhancing innovative but moderate-cost programs in space and on the ground that will enable the community to respond rapidly and flexibly to new scientific discoveries. The book recommends beginning construction on survey telescopes in space and on the ground to investigate the nature of dark energy, as well as the next generation of large ground-based giant optical telescopes and a new class of space-based gravitational observatory to observe the merging of distant black holes and precisely test theories of gravity. New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics recommends a balanced and executable program that will support research surrounding the most profound questions about the cosmos. The discoveries ahead will facilitate the search for habitable planets, shed light on dark energy and dark matter, and aid our understanding of the history of the universe and how the earliest stars and galaxies formed. The book is a useful resource for agencies supporting the field of astronomy and astrophysics, the Congressional committees with jurisdiction over those agencies, the scientific community, and the public.