Fundamentals of Astrophysics

Introduces students with calculus-based physics, to fundamental astrophysical concepts, for a one-semester introduction to astrophysics.

Stan Owocki (Author)

9781108844390, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 June 2021

304 pages
25.1 x 17.5 x 1.9 cm, 0.72 kg

'Owocki's book is conversational and supremely readable. Readers will feel both the author's excitement for the material and his depth of experience explaining concepts at the undergraduate level … a welcome addition to the world of undergraduate astronomy textbooks.' Colette Salyk, Vassar College, Physics Today

This concise textbook, designed specifically for a one-semester course in astrophysics, introduces astrophysical concepts to undergraduate science and engineering students with a background in college-level, calculus-based physics. The text is organized into five parts covering: stellar properties; stellar structure and evolution; the interstellar medium and star/planet formation; the Milky Way and other galaxies; and cosmology. Structured around short easily digestible chapters, instructors have flexibility to adjust their course's emphasis as it suits them. Exposition drawn from the author's decade of teaching his course guides students toward a basic but quantitative understanding, with 'quick questions' to spur practice in basic computations, together with more challenging multi-part exercises at the end of each chapter. Advanced concepts like the quantum nature of energy and radiation are developed as needed. The text's approach and level bridge the wide gap between introductory astronomy texts for non-science majors and advanced undergraduate texts for astrophysics majors.

Part I. Stellar Properties: 1. Introduction
2. Astronomical Distances
3. Stellar Luminosity
4. Surface Temperature from a Star's Color
5. Stellar Radius from Luminosity and Temperature
6. Composition and Ionization from Stellar Spectra
7. Surface Gravity and Escape/Orbital Speed
8. Stellar Ages and Lifetimes
9. Stellar Space Velocities
10. Using Binary Systems to Determine Masses and Radii
11. Stellar Rotation
12. Light Intensity and Absorption
13. Observational Methods
14. Our Sun
Part II. Stellar Structure and Evolution: 15. Hydrostatic Balance between Pressure and Gravity
16. Transport of Radiation from Interior to Surface
17. Structure of Radiative vs. Convective Stellar Envelopes
18. Hydrogen Fusion and the Mass Range of Stars
19. Post-Main-Sequence Evolution: Low-Mass Stars
20. Post-Main-Sequence Evolution: High-Mass Stars
Part III. Interstellar Medium and Formation of Stars and Planets: 21. The Interstellar Medium (ISM)
22. Star Formation
23. Origin of Planetary Systems
24. Water Planet Earth
25. Extra-Solar Planets
Part IV. Our Milky Way and Other Galaxies: 26. Our Milky Way Galaxy
27. External Galaxies
28. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and Quasars
29. Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation and Evolution
Part V. Cosmology: 30. Newtonian Dynamical Model of Universe Expansion
31. Accelerating Universe with a Cosmological Constant
32. The Hot Big Bang
33. Eras in the Evolution of the Universe
Part VI. Appendices.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB], Theoretical & mathematical astronomy [PGC]