Compact Stellar X-ray Sources

A reference work on astrophysical compact objects that emit X-rays, for graduate students and researchers.

Walter Lewin (Edited by), Michiel van der Klis (Edited by)

9780521826594, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 April 2006

708 pages
25.4 x 17.8 x 3.8 cm, 1.43 kg

Review of the hardback: '… the topics are well chosen and fairly distinct, providing an extremely useful summary of current research … If the space agencies are wondering why they shoud be planning now to replace XMM-Newton, Chandra, and RXTE, they should read this book. … a good buy for libraries and essential background reading for students and their supervisors.' The Observatory

X-ray astronomy is the prime available window on astrophysical compact objects: black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. New observational opportunities have led to an explosion of knowledge in this field. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the astrophysics of compact objects that emit X-rays. Sixteen chapters written by the foremost experts in the field cover the observations and the astrophysical interpretation of these objects. Topics covered include binary systems, gamma ray burst sources, anomalous X-ray pulsars, super-soft sources, and enigmatic fast X-ray transients. Further chapters are dedicated to isolated neutron stars and the X-ray source populations of globular clusters. The properties of X-ray binaries are discussed in depth in chapters on quasi-periodic oscillations and related aperiodic X-ray variability, X-ray bursts, black holes, and relativistic jets. This is a valuable reference for both graduate students and active researchers.

1. Accreting neutron stars and black holes: a decade of discoveries D. Psaltis
2. Rapid X-ray variability M. van der Klis
3. New views of thermonuclear bursts T. Strohmayer and L. Bildsten
4. Black hole binaries J. McClintock and R. Remillard
5. Optical, ultraviolet and infrared observations of X-ray binaries P. Charles and M. Coe
6. Fast X-ray transients and X-ray flashes J. Heise and J. in 't Zand
7. Isolated neutron stars V. Kaspi, M. Roberts and A. Harding
8. Globular cluster X-ray sources F. Verbunt and W. Lewin
9. Jets from X-ray binaries R. Fender
10. X-Rays from cataclysmic variables E. Kuulkers, A. Norton, A. Schwope and B. Warner
11. Super soft sources P. Kahabka and E. van den Heuvel
12. Compact stellar X-ray sources in normal galaxies G. Fabbiano and N. White
13. Accretion in compact binaries A. King
14. Soft gamma repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars: magnetar candidates P. Woods and C. Thompson
15. Cosmic gamma-ray bursts, their afterglows, and their host galaxies K. Hurley, R. Sari and S. Djorgovski
16. Formation and evolution of compact stellar X-ray sources T. Tauris and E. van den Heuvel.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB]