Astrophysical Flows

Graduate textbook on astrophysical fluid dynamics for graduate students in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics.

James E. Pringle (Author), Andrew King (Author)

9780521869362, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 April 2007

216 pages
25.5 x 18 x 2 cm, 0.584 kg

'[the book] emphasizes the essential physics behind the mathematical results. … the authors … give a flavour of all [the] problems without getting into all the mathematical complexities of a full treatment. … in each case [they] give a physical discussion of the problem, to explain what result one expects to emerge from the mathematics … Most chapters contain references for further in-depth reading on the topics outlined in the text, and some more detailed material is also present in the end-of-chapter problems … this is a very useful book for new graduate students and it also gives new insights to those of us with more experience; I wish it had been available when I was learning the subject.' The Observatory

Almost all conventional matter in the Universe is fluid, and fluid dynamics plays a crucial role in astrophysics. This graduate textbook, first published in 2007, provides a basic understanding of the fluid dynamical processes relevant to astrophysics. The mathematics used to describe these processes is simplified to bring out the underlying physics. The authors cover many topics, including wave propagation, shocks, spherical flows, stellar oscillations, the instabilities caused by effects such as magnetic fields, thermal driving, gravity, shear flows, and the basic concepts of compressible fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics. The authors are Directors of the UK Astrophysical Fluids Facility (UKAFF) at the University of Leicester, and editors of the Cambridge Astrophysics Series. This book has been developed from a course in astrophysical fluid dynamics taught at the University of Cambridge. It is suitable for graduate students in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics, and requires only a basic familiarity with fluid dynamics.

1. The basic fluid equations
2. Compressible media
3. Spherically symmetric flows
4. Stellar models and stellar oscillations
5. Stellar oscillations - waves in stratified media
6. Damping and excitation of stellar oscillations
7. Magnetic instability in a static atmosphere
8. Thermal instabilities
9. Gravitational instability
10. Linear shear flows
11. Rotating flows
12. Circular shear flow with self-gravity
13. Modes in rotating stars
14. Cylindrical shear flow - non-axisymmetric instability
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB]