AN INTRODUCTION TO ASTROPHYSICS

by BAIDYANATH BASU, TANUKA CHATTOPADHYAY, SUDHINDRA NATH BISWAS

Overview

This invaluable book, now in its second edition, covers a wide range of topics appropriate for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in astrophysics. The book conveys a deep and coherent understanding of the stellar phenomena, and basic astrophysics of stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies and other heavenly bodies of interest. Since the first appearance of the book in 1997, significant progress has been made in different branches of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The second edition takes into account the developments of the subject which have taken place in the last decade. It discusses the latest introduction of L and T dwarfs in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram (or H-R diagram). Other developments discussed pertain to standard solar model, solar neutrino puzzle, cosmic microwave background radiation, Drake equation, dwarf galaxies, ultra compact dwarf galaxies, compact groups and cluster of galaxies. Problems at the end of each chapter motivate the students to go deeper into the topics. Suggested readings at the end of each chapter have been complemented.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788120340718
Publisher:	PHI Learning
Publication date:	01/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	452,728
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

BAIDYANATH BASU, Ph.D. has been Professor and Head, Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University. He did his postgraduation in astronomy at the University of California at Berkeley.Author of numerous research papers, Professor Basu has made significant contribution to the field of galactic structures, galactic dynamics and star formation. Dr. TANUKA CHATTOPADHYAY, Ph.D., is a faculty member in the Department of Applied Mathematics, Calcutta University. She is a Visiting Associate of Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune since 2002. She has published many research papers in national and international journals in the field of astrophysics.Dr. Tanuka Chattopadhyay has been bestowed with several major research projects funded by the University Grant Commission/Department of Science and Technology. She is a member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) Astrostatistics Committee since 2010. SUDHINDRA NATH BISWAS has assisted Dr. Baidyanath Basu in writing the book entitled An Introduction to Astrophysics under the UGC fellowship scheme for the preparation of university level books by Indian authors. A teacher by profession, he holds a Master’s degree in science and a Bachelor’s degree in teaching. He retired as Headmaster of Sonamukhi B.J. High School, Bankura, West Bengal.Sri Biswas has published many semi-technical and a few research papers in the area of astrophysics. He has also taught, during the period 1982–1996, students undergoing ‘Introductory Courses on Astrophysics’ organized by the Indian Astronomical Society at several University Colleges of Science, Kolkata.

Table of Contents

Foreword • Preface • Preface to the First Edition1. ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS2. BASIC PHYSICS3. MAGNITUDES, MOTIONS AND DISTANCES OF STARS4. SPECTRAL CLASSIFICATION OF STARS5. THE SUN6. ATMOSPHERE OF STARS7. BINARY AND MULTIPLE STARS8. VARIABLE STARS9. ERUPTING AND EXPLODING STARS10. MORE STARS OF INTEREST11. CLUSTERS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF STARS12. GALACTIC NEBULAE13. INTERSTELLAR MATTER14. STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF STARS15. NEUTRON STARS AND BLACK HOLES16. OUR GALAXY17. EXTERNAL GALAXIES18. CLUSTERS OF GALAXIES19. RADIO GALAXIES20. QUASARS21. COSMOLOGY22. BIOASTRONOMYIndex