Fundamental Astronomy / Edition 5

by Hannu Karttunen, Pekka Krïger, Heikki Oja, Markku Poutanen, Karl Johan Donner

Overview

Fundamental Astronomy is a well-balanced, comprehensive introduction to classical and modern astronomy. While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences. This is the fifth edition of the successful undergraduate textbook and reference work. It has been extensively modernized and extended. Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference work for dedicated amateur astronomers. It is richly illustrated with more than 400 images, including 36 color plates, and this new edition offers substantial new material on extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, and extra-solar planets, in addition to updates throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642421105
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	11/15/2014
Edition description:	5th ed. 2007
Pages:	510
Sales rank:	740,335
Product dimensions:	7.91(w) x 9.84(h) x 0.04(d)

About the Author

Hannu Karttunen is a Finnish astronomer and science writer. He is an associate professor at Turku University and works at Tuorla Observatory. Besides astronomical articles Dr. Karttunen has published astronomy textbooks and teaching material as well as articles for anthologies and encyclopedias. Karttunen has also produced a radio lecture series on astronomy. Hannu Karttunen received the 1998 Tieto-Finlandia Award for his book Oldest science: Astronomy Stone Age to the mission to the moon, and, in2007, the Finnish News Writers Association Tietopöllö Award for his writings and books for children and young people.

Heikki Oja is a Finnish astronomer and associate professor at the University of Helsinki, as well as the former director of the Almanac Office. Dr. Oja has written dozens of non-technical non-fiction books and appeared frequently on the radio to talk about astronomy and space research. He has received several awards for his outreach activities.

Table of Contents

1.	Introduction
1.1	The Role of Astronomy	3
1.2	Astronomical Objects of Research	4
1.3	The Scale of the Universe	7
2.	Spherical Astronomy
2.1	Spherical Trigonometry	9
2.2	The Earth	12
2.3	The Celestial Sphere	14
2.4	The Horizontal System	14
2.5	The Equatorial System	15
2.6	Rising and Setting Times	18
2.7	The Ecliptic System	18
2.8	The Galactic Coordinates	19
2.9	Perturbations of Coordinates	19
2.10	Positional Astronomy	23
2.11	Constellations	27
2.12	Star Catalogues and Maps	28
2.13	Sidereal and Solar Time	30
2.14	Astronomical Time Systems	32
2.15	Calendars	35
2.16	Examples	39
2.17	Exercises	42
3.	Observations and Instruments
3.1	Observing Through the Atmosphere	45
3.2	Optical Telescopes	47
3.3	Detectors and Instruments	62
3.4	Radio Telescopes	67
3.5	Other Wavelength Regions	74
3.6	Other Forms of Energy	77
3.7	Examples	79
3.8	Exercises	80
4.	Photometric Concepts and Magnitudes
4.1	Intensity, Flux Density and Luminosity	81
4.2	Apparent Magnitudes	83
4.3	Magnitude Systems	84
4.4	Absolute Magnitudes	86
4.5	Extinction and Optical Thickness	86
4.6	Examples	89
4.7	Exercises	91
5.	Radiation Mechanisms
5.1	Radiation of Atoms and Molecules	93
5.2	The Hydrogen Atom	95
5.3	Line Profiles	97
5.4	Quantum Numbers, Selection Rules, Population Numbers	98
5.5	Molecular Spectra	100
5.6	Continuous Spectra	100
5.7	Blackbody Radiation	101
5.8	Temperatures	103
5.9	Other Radiation Mechanisms	105
5.10	Radiative Transfer	106
5.11	Examples	107
5.12	Exercises	109
6.	Celestial Mechanics
6.1	Equations of Motion	111
6.2	Solution of the Equation of Motion	112
6.3	Equation of the Orbit and Kepler's First Law	114
6.4	Orbital Elements	114
6.5	Kepler's Second and Third Law	116
6.6	Systems of Several Bodies	118
6.7	Orbit Determination	119
6.8	Position in the Orbit	119
6.9	Escape Velocity	121
6.10	Virial Theorem	122
6.11	The Jeans Limit	123
6.12	Examples	124
6.13	Exercises	127
7.	The Solar System
7.1	Planetary Configurations	130
7.2	Orbit of the Earth	131
7.3	The Orbit of the Moon	132
7.4	Eclipses and Occultations	135
7.5	The Structure and Surfaces of Planets	137
7.6	Atmospheres and Magnetospheres	140
7.7	Albedos	145
7.8	Photometry, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy	147
7.9	Thermal Radiation of the Planets	151
7.10	Mercury	151
7.11	Venus	154
7.12	The Earth and the Moon	157
7.13	Mars	164
7.14	Asteroids	168
7.15	Jupiter	172
7.16	Saturn	177
7.17	Uranus, Neptune and Pluto	180
7.18	Minor Bodies of the Solar System	186
7.19	Origin of the Solar System	192
7.20	Other Solar Systems	196
7.21	Examples	196
7.22	Exercises	200
8.	Stellar Spectra
8.1	Measuring Spectra	201
8.2	The Harvard Spectral Classification	203
8.3	The Yerkes Spectral Classification	205
8.4	Peculiar Spectra	207
8.5	The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram	208
8.6	Model Atmospheres	210
8.7	What Do the Observations Tell Us?	210
8.8	Exercise	212
9.	Binary Stars and Stellar Masses
9.1	Visual Binaries	214
9.2	Astrometric Binary Stars	214
9.3	Spectroscopic Binaries	214
9.4	Photometric Binary Stars	216
9.5	Examples	218
9.6	Exercises	219
10.	Stellar Structure
10.1	Internal Equilibrium Conditions	221
10.2	Physical State of the Gas	224
10.3	Stellar Energy Sources	225
10.4	Stellar Models	229
10.5	Examples	232
10.6	Exercises	234
11.	Stellar Evolution
11.1	Evolutionary Time Scales	235
11.2	The Contraction of Stars Towards the Main Sequence	236
11.3	The Main Sequence Phase	238
11.4	The Giant Phase	240
11.5	The Final Stages of Evolution	242
11.6	The Evolution of Close Binary Stars	244
11.7	Comparison with Observations	246
11.8	The Origin of the Elements	247
11.9	Example	250
11.10	Exercises	250
12.	The Sun
12.1	Internal Structure	251
12.2	The Atmosphere	253
12.3	Solar Activity	257
12.4	Example	263
12.5	Exercises	263
13.	Variable Stars
13.1	Classification	266
13.2	Pulsating Variables	267
13.3	Eruptive Variables	269
13.4	Examples	275
13.5	Exercises	276
14.	Compact Stars
14.1	White Dwarfs	277
14.2	Neutron Stars	278
14.3	Black Holes	283
14.4	Examples	286
14.5	Exercises	287
15.	The Interstellar Medium
15.1	Interstellar Dust	289
15.2	Interstellar Gas	300
15.3	Interstellar Molecules	308
15.4	The Formation of Protostars	311
15.5	Planetary Nebulae	313
15.6	Supernova Remnants	314
15.7	The Hot Corona of the Milky Way	317
15.8	Cosmic Rays and the Interstellar Magnetic Field	317
15.9	Examples	319
15.10	Exercises	320
16.	Star Clusters and Associations
16.1	Associations	321
16.2	Open Star Clusters	321
16.3	Globular Star Clusters	325
16.4	Example	326
16.5	Exercises	327
17.	The Milky Way
17.1	Methods of Distance Measurement	331
17.2	Stellar Statistics	333
17.3	The Rotation of the Milky Way	337
17.4	The Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way	343
17.5	Examples	344
17.6	Exercises	345
18.	Galaxies
18.1	The Classification of Galaxies	347
18.2	Luminosities and Masses	352
18.3	Galactic Structures	355
18.4	Dynamics of Galaxies	359
18.5	Stellar Ages and Element Abundances in Galaxies	361
18.6	Systems of Galaxies	361
18.7	Active Galaxies and Quasars	364
18.8	The Origin and Evolution of Galaxies	369
18.9	Exercises	369
19.	Cosmology
19.1	Cosmological Observations	371
19.2	The Cosmological Principle	376
19.3	Homogeneous and Isotropic Universes	378
19.4	The Friedmann Models	379
19.5	Cosmological Tests	381
19.6	History of the Universe	383
19.7	The Formation of Structure	384
19.8	The Future of the Universe	385
19.9	Examples	388
19.10	Exercises	389
	Appendices	391
A.	Mathematics	392
A.1	Geometry	392
A.2	Conic Sections	392
A.3	Taylor Series	394
A.4	Vector Calculus	394
A.5	Matrices	396
A.6	Multiple Integrals	398
A.7	Numerical Solution of an Equation	399
B.	Theory of Relativity	401
B.1	Basic Concepts	401
B.2	Lorentz Transformation. Minkowski Space	402
B.3	General Relativity	403
B.4	Tests of General Relativity	403
C.	Tables	405
	Answers to Exercises	425
	Further Reading	429
	Photograph Credits	433
	Name and Subject Index	435
	Colour Supplement	449

Editorial Reviews

The editors assert that Fundamental Astronomy is intended as ‘a university textbook for a first course in astronomy,’ but it will more likely be used as a reference volume in departmental and observatory libraries. The contributing authors (astronomers and geodesists) employ mathematics, especially calculus, extensively throughout the work. … The text covers all planetary science, astrophysics, and cosmology. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.” (S. P. Maran, Choice, Vol. 57 (11), July, 2017)

“The overall choice of topics and the depth and breadth that this book … are essential for a great understanding of astronomy. I feel like it is as good a book as far as the basics of theory and observational astrophysics are concerned. Everything is explained clearlyand where possible there are helpful diagrams, figures and photos that are there exactly when you need them. … Something that I also enjoyed a lot, was the extensive set of tables.” (AstroMadness.com, May, 2017)

From the Publisher