Introduction to Galaxy Formation and Evolution
From Primordial Gas to Present-Day Galaxies

A comprehensive examination of nearly fourteen billion years of galaxy formation and evolution, from primordial gas to present-day galaxies.

Andrea Cimatti (Author), Filippo Fraternali (Author), Carlo Nipoti (Author)

9781107134768, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 October 2019

582 pages, 245 b/w illus.
25.2 x 19.2 x 3 cm, 1.41 kg

'Our picture of galaxy formation and evolution, though still tentative and incomplete, is one of the major scientific achievements of the past half century. But seeing this picture in its full glory has mostly been the privilege of professional researchers in the field. Cimatti, Fraternali, and Nipoti have aimed to open the view to astrophysics students at the master's level, and they have succeeded brilliantly. Their clear, comprehensive, and readable textbook will guide astrophysicists and other interested scientists all the way to the frontiers of this exciting field.' Michael Fall, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore

Present-day elliptical, spiral and irregular galaxies are large systems made of stars, gas and dark matter. Their properties result from a variety of physical processes that have occurred during the nearly fourteen billion years since the Big Bang. This comprehensive textbook, which bridges the gap between introductory and specialized texts, explains the key physical processes of galaxy formation, from the cosmological recombination of primordial gas to the evolution of the different galaxies that we observe in the Universe today. In a logical sequence, the book introduces cosmology, illustrates the properties of galaxies in the present-day Universe, then explains the physical processes behind galaxy formation in the cosmological context, taking into account the most recent developments in this field. The text ends on how to find distant galaxies with multi-wavelength observations, and how to extract the physical and evolutionary properties based on imaging and spectroscopic data.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. The cosmological framework
3. Present-day galaxies as a benchmark for evolutionary studies
4. Present-day star-forming galaxies
5. Present-day early-type galaxies
6. The environment of present-day galaxies
7. Formation, evolution and properties of dark matter halos
8. Main ingredients of galaxy formation theory
9. From recombination to reionisation
10. Theory of galaxy formation
11. Observing galaxy evolution
Appendix A. Acronyms
Appendix B. Constants and units
Appendix C. Astronomical compendium
Appendix D. Physics compendium
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Astrophysics [PHVB], Cosmology & the universe [PGK]