Preface ........................................................ xi
Constants and Units ............................................ xv
1. Introduction ................................................. l
1.1. Observational Techniques ................................ 2
Problems ..................................................... 8
2. Stars: Basic Observations ................................... 10
2.1. Review of Blackbody Radiation .......................... 10
2.2. Measurement of Stellar Parameters ...................... 14
2.3. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram ........................ 27
Problems .................................................... 29
3. Stellar Physics ............................................. 31
3.1. Hydrostatic Equilibrium and the Virial Theorem ......... 32
3.2. Mass Continuity ........................................ 36
3.3. Radiative Energy Transport ............................. 36
3.4. Energy Conservation .................................... 41
3.5. The Equations of Stellar Structure ..................... 42
3.6. The Equation of State .................................. 43
3.7. Opacity ................................................ 45
3.8. Scaling Relations on the Main Sequence ................. 46
3.9. Nuclear Energy Production .............................. 48
3.10.Nuclear Reaction Rates ................................. 53
3.11.Solution of the Equations of Stellar Structure ......... 58
3.12.Convection ............................................. 58
Problems .................................................... 61
4. Stellar Evolution and Stellar Remnants ...................... 65
4.1. Stellar Evolution ...................................... 65
4.2. White Dwarfs ........................................... 69
4.3. Supernovae and Neutron Stars ........................... 81
4.4. Pulsars and Supernova Remnants ......................... 88
4.5. Black Holes ............................................ 95
4.6. Interacting Binaries ................................... 99
Problems ................................................... 108
5. Star Formation, H II Regions, and the Interstellar
Medium ..................................................... 114
5.1. Cloud Collapse and Star Formation ..................... 114
5.2. H II Regions .......................................... 122
5.3. Components of the Interstellar Medium ................. 133
5.4. Dynamics of Star-forming Regions ...................... 136
Problems ................................................... 137
6. The Milky Way and Other Galaxies ........................... 140
6.1. Structure of the Milky Way ............................ 140
6.2. Galaxy Demographics ................................... 162
6.3. Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars .................... 165
6.4. Groups and Clusters of Galaxies ....................... 171
Problems ................................................... 175
7. Cosmology: Basic Observations .............................. 178
7.1. The Olbers Paradox .................................... 178
7.2. Extragalactic Distances ............................... 179
7.3. Hubble's Law .......................................... 185
7.4. Age of the Universe from Cosmic Clocks ................ 187
7.5. Isotropy of the Universe .............................. 188
Problems ................................................... 189
8. Big Bang Cosmology ......................................... 190
8.1. The Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Metric ................. 190
8.2. The Friedmann Equations ............................... 193
8.3. History and Future of the Universe .................... 196
8.4. A Newtonian Derivation of the Friedmann Equations ..... 202
8.5. Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe ............. 204
Problems ................................................... 206
9. Tests and Probes of Big Bang Cosmology ..................... 209
9.1. Cosmological Redshift and Hubble's Law ................ 209
9.2. The Cosmic Microwave Background ....................... 213
9.3. Anisotropy of the Microwave Background ................ 217
9.4. Nucleosynthesis of the Light Elements ................. 223
9.5. Quasars and Other Distant Sources as Cosmological
Probes ................................................ 226
Problems ................................................... 229
Appendix. Recommended Reading and Websites .................... 235
Index ......................................................... 239
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