An Introduction to the Theory of Stellar Structure and Evolution - Softcover

Prialnik, Dina

Softcover

ISBN 10: 052165937X ISBN 13: 9780521659376

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2000

Synopsis

Using fundamental physics, the theory of stellar structure and evolution is able to predict how stars are born, how their complex internal structure changes, what nuclear fuel they burn, and what their ultimate fate is - a fading whitedwarf, or a cataclysmic explosion as a supernova, leaving behind a collapsed neutron star or black hole. This lucid textbook provides students with a clear and pedagogical introduction to the theory of stellar structure and evolution. It requires only basic physics and mathematics learnt in first- and second-year undergraduate studies, and assumes no prior knowledge of astronomy. The unique feature of this book is the emphasis throughout on the basic physical principles governing stellar evolution. Exercises and their full solutions are included to help students test their understanding. This textbook provides a stimulating introduction for undergraduates in astronomy, physics, planetary science and applied mathematics taking a course on the physics of stars.

About this title

About the Author

Dina Prialnik is a Professor of Planetary Physics at Tel Aviv University. She has conducted research on binary stars at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, and is a member of the Working Group on Cometary Physics at the International Space Science Institute in Bern, Switzerland. She has published over eighty articles on stellar evolution and on the physics of comets. She enjoys a high reputation as a teacher of astrophysics and planetary physics to undergraduate and graduate students, and has contributed to training high-school teachers in the teaching of astronomy and to writing the Astronomy course for The Open University of Israel.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 052165937X
• ISBN 13: 9780521659376
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276