This comprehensive textbook conveys the basic physical ideas and laws used in the study of the outer layers of a star. The stellar atmosphere emits the light which we see. The only layers of a star where we can get direct information about temperature, pressure and composition are in the atmosphere. This complete account first introduces stellar magnitudes, spectra and temperatures. This is followed by a full discussion of radiative transfer in a stellar atmosphere, which leads to descriptions of line formation, the spectrum of hydrogen, and spectral analysis. Finally the structural components that are accessible, such as the convestion zone, chromosphere, corona, and mass outflow are described. The book will interest any student with a knowledge of physics and mathematics who needs to learn about stellar atmospheres.

This book is the final one in a series of three texts which together provide a modern, complete and authoritative account of our present knowledge of the stars. It discusses the internal structure and the evolution of stars, and is completely self-contained. There is an emphasis on the basic physics governing stellar structure and the basic ideas on which our understanding of stellar structure is based. The book also provides a comprehensive discussion of stellar evolution. Careful comparison is made between theory and observation, and the author has thus provided a lucid and balanced introductory text for the student. As for volumes 1 and 2, volume 3 is self-contained and can be used as an independent textbook. The author has not only taught but has also published many original papers in this subject. Her clear and readable style should make this text a first choice for undergraduate and beginning graduate students taking courses in astronomy and particularly in stellar astrophysics.

An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics aspires to provide the reader with an intermediate knowledge on stars whilst focusing mostly on the explanation of the functioning of stars by using basic physical concepts and observational results. The book is divided into seven chapters, featuring both core and optional content: Basic concepts Stellar Formation Radiative Transfer in Stars Stellar Atmospheres Stellar Interiors Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Evolution and Chemically Peculiar Stars and Diffusion. Student-friendly features include: Detailed examples to help the reader better grasp the most important concepts A list of exercises is given at the end of each chapter and answers to a selection of these are presented. Brief recalls of the most important physical concepts needed to properly understand stars. A summary for each chapter Optional and advanced sections are included which may be skipped without interfering with the flow of the core content. This book is designed to cover the most important aspects of stellar astrophysics inside a one semester (or half-year) course and as such is relevant for advanced undergraduate students following a first course on stellar astrophysics, in physics or astronomy programs. It will also serve as a basic reference for a full-year course as well as for researchers working in related fields.

This authoritative textbook - the second volume of a comprehensive three-volume course on theoretical astrophysics - deals with stellar physics. Designed to help graduate students and researchers develop an understanding of the key physical processes governing stars and stellar systems, it teaches the fundamentals, and then builds on them to give the reader an in-depth understanding of advanced topics. The book's modular design allows the chapters to be approached individually, yet seamless transitions create a coherent and connected whole. It can be used alone or in conjunction with Volume I, which covers a wide range of astrophysical processes, and the forthcoming Volume III, on galaxies and cosmology. After reviewing the key observational results and nomenclature used in stellar astronomy, the book develops a solid understanding of central concepts including stellar structure and evolution, the physics of stellar remnants, pulsars, binary stars, the sun and planetary systems, interstellar medium and globular clusters. Throughout, the reader's comprehension is developed and tested with more than seventy-five exercises. This indispensable volume provides graduate students with a self-contained introduction to stellar physics, and will allow them to master the material sufficiently to read and engage in research with heightened understanding.

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.

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.