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This thoroughly revised textbook is a basic introduction toplasma phenomena in solar and stellar coronae emphasizing non-MHDaspects. The natural way in which the author unifies observations andtheory gives a wide perspective to the subject. An important featureis the lucidly written presentation of the fundamentals of plasmaphysics. The basic theory thus developed is then extended to someexemplary and important observations of coronal dynamics, such ascoronal currents, particle acceleration, propagation of particlebeams, and shocks. The book has grown from teaching introductory courses on plasmaastrophysics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). Itaddresses advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate studentswithout a background in plasma physics. It will also be of interest tomore senior research workers involved in coronal physics of the Sunand other stars, solar/stellar winds, and various other fields ofplasma astrophysics. ... Read more

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Graduate students and researchers in astrophysics and cosmology need a solid grasp of a wide range of physical processes. This authoritative textbook helps readers develop the necessary toolkit of theory. The book is modular in design, allowing the reader to pick and chose a selection of chapters, if necessary. After reviewing the basics of dynamics, electromagnetic theory, and statistical physics, the book carefully develops a solid understanding of radiative processes, spectra, fluid mechanics, plasma physics and MHD, dynamics of gravitating systems, general relativity, nuclear physics, and other key concepts. Throughout, the reader's understanding is developed and tested with problems and helpful hints. This welcome volume provides graduate students with an indispensable introduction to and reference on all the physical processes they will need to successfully tackle cutting-edge research in astrophysics and cosmology.It can be used alone or in conjunction with two companion volumes, which cover stars and stellar systems, and galaxies and cosmology (both forthcoming). ... Read more

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This book contains the expanded lecture notes of the 32nd Saas-Fee Advanced Course. The three contributions present the central themes in modern research on the cold universe, ranging from cold objects at large distances to the physics of dust in cold clouds.

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This textbook introduction to the basic elements of fundamental astronomy and astrophysics serves as a foundation for understanding the structure, evolution, and observed properties of stars.The first half of the book explains how stellar motions, distances, luminosities, colors, radii, masses and temperatures are measured or derived.The author then shows how data of these sorts can be arranged to classify stars through their spectra. Stellar rotation and stellar magnetic fields are introduced.Stars with peculiar spectra and pulsating stars also merit special attention.The endpoints of stellar evolutions are briefly described. There is a separate chapter on the Sun and a final one on interstellar absorption.The usefulness of this text is enhanced by the inclusion of problems for students, tables of astronomical constants, and a selective bibliography. This is an excellent textbook for undergraduate and beginning graduate students studying astronomyand astrophysics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good good
The condition of the book is very good. I would like to buy from this seller again.

Thanks

Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics Vol 1
This is an excellent series Vol 1 thur 3 for the person wishing to review the basics of stellar astrophysics.I stress the words review for the author assumes at least a basic level of knowledge on how astronomical data is measured.The reader is cautioned to be versed in basic mathematical skills up through the beginning calculus level as detailed worked out examples are not provided in the text.At the conclusion of this and Volumes 2 and 3 are a series of chapter review problems for which there are no answers provided.Volume 2 and 3 deal with stellar atmospheres and interiors.

This is a good set of volumes and worth having if you are knowledgeable in the subject.It is not a self teaching set but a sound set to be used for classroom work at the intermediate level.

My only real complaint was that the author did not provide worked out answers to the problem sets at the end of each book.

Excellent book for teaching
I used this book for teaching the undergraduates. Although some chapters were not directly useful, the major part of it was very good. Some more illustrative examples would make it still more easy to grasp. ... Read more

Product Description
An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics aspires to provide the reader with an intermediate knowledge on stars whilst focusing mostly on the explanation of the functioning of stars by using basic physical concepts and observational results.

The book is divided into seven chapters, featuring both core and optional content:

• Basic concepts
• Stellar Formation
• Radiative Transfer in Stars
• Stellar Atmospheres
• Stellar Interiors
• Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Evolution and
• Chemically Peculiar Stars and Diffusion.

Student-friendly features include:

• Detailed examples to help the reader better grasp the most important concepts
• A list of exercises is given at the end of each chapter and answers to a selection of these are presented.
• Brief recalls of the most important physical concepts needed to properly understand stars.
• A summary for each chapter
• Optional and advanced sections are included which may be skipped without interfering with the flow of the core content.

This book is designed to cover the most important aspects of stellar astrophysics inside a one semester (or half-year) course and as such is relevant for advanced undergraduate students following a first course on stellar astrophysics, in physics or astronomy programs. It will also serve as a basic reference for a full-year course as well as for researchers working in related fields. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A complete treatise
When you work in other field and want to have a complete image of what astrophysics is, but do not have enough time for read more than two hundred pages, then this book is for you. It uses the mathematical language thatmake it a serious treatise and covers a fine range of actaul knowledge.

A complete treatise
When you work in other field and want to have a complete image of what astrophysics is, but do not have enough time for read more than two hundred pages, then this book is for you. It uses the mathematical language thatmake it a serious treatise and covers a fine range of actaul knowledge. ... Read more

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Astronomy, astrophysics and space research have witnessed an explosive development over the last few decades. The new observational potential offered by space stations and the availability of powerful and highly specialized computers have revealed novel aspects of the fascinating realm of galaxies, quasars, stars and planets. The present completely revised 5th edition of The New Cosmos provides ample evidence of these dramatic developments. In a concise presentation, which assumes only a modest prior knowledge of mathematics and physics, the book gives a coherent introduction to the entire field of astronomy and astrophysics. At the same time it takes into account the art of observation and the fundamental ideas behind their interpretation. Like its predecessors, this edition of The New Cosmos will provide new insight and enjoyment not only to students and researchers in the fields of astronomy, physics and earth sciences, but also to a wide range of interested amateurs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The New Cosmos, Intro Astronomy & Astrophysics
This book meets my expectations in that it covers a wide variety of topics, in some detail.I wanted to take a "step up" regarding technical detail, and this book is what I was looking for.The only drawback is the occasional heavy mathematics, but this is something I can grow into, and is not essential to enjoying the book.

applies physics to astronomy
As a physics undergrad, an earlier edition of this book was one of our texts in 1982. The latest edition continues the tradition of providing a lucid description of the basic physical principles underlying astronomic phenomena.

Hence, you are shown how the temperature in a star can rise, because as its atoms fall towards each other under mutual gravity, the conservation of energy leads to an increase in kinetic energy and hence temperature. Enough to eventually trigger ignition of nuclear reactions. Well, provided the initial mass is large enough. Otherwise one gets brown dwarfs or gas giants like Jupiter.

Other subjects like spectroscopy are also derived from basic principles. It's nice to see how we can get the surface temperature of a star by looking at its spectrum and seeing which lines exist. And the strength of the magnetic field on its surface by the amount of splitting in certain lines. And even the rate of rotation by the minute Doppler shifts.

The evolution of the elements, from nuclear fusion, is well done. The text refers to the classic papers, including B2FH (Burbidge, Burbidge, Fowler and Hoyle). Other key contributors like Chandrasekhar get their fair mention.

A very good introduction to astronomy and astrophysics
It's not the flashiest text, I agree.But I think it can be used for a first course on astronomy and astrophysics (for students with some basic calculus and physics).

It covers everything:Celestial mechanics, the Sun and its planetary system, electromagnetic radiation, telescopes and detectors, astrophysics of individual stars, star clusters, interstellar matter, the Milky Way, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, cosmology, and cosmogony.But the style is concise, and there isn't enough space to cover it all in detail.It requires careful reading, and if used for a class, some topics probably need to be skipped or amplified by an instructor.

What would I add to it?Not much.Maybe a little more on planetary dynamics and magnetospheres, since I happen to find them interesting.Perhaps more material on relativity.

Solid astronomical textbook
This book may not be the most flashy in illustrations and will require that you actually read whole sections instead of just browsing the highlights in sidebars. But it does contain a lot of solid information going into more detail on several topics than other introductory textbooks. It is targeted rather at the graduating physics student than at an interested lay person.

German Science
Being a German-American, I thought this book would get to the rudiments of astrophysics - and it does. Unfortunately, I seem to fall asleep before reading a page or two. The book is full of information ... in TEXT form. The illustrations offered are dry and somewhat difficult to extract information from. The methods of problem solving assume that you have a good handle on the topics discussed already (not for introductory Astrophysicists). If you are in need of a book to give straight to the point explanations, and fundamental equations - you've found it! Try reading at a coffee shop, though - and no decaf! ... Read more

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The foundations are thoroughly developed together with the required mathematical background from differential geometry developed in Part III.

The author also discusses the tests of general relativity in detail, including binary pulsars, with much space is devoted to the study of compact objects, especially to neutron stars and to the basic laws of black-hole physics.

This well-structured text and reference enables readers to easily navigate through the various sections as best matches their backgrounds and perspectives, whether mathematical, physical or astronomical.

Very applications oriented, the text includes very recent results, such as the supermassive black-hole in our galaxy and first double pulsar system

Customer Reviews (1)

A Masterpiece
For the graduate student of physics or mathematics who has the requisite background in modern differential geometry, Straumann's text presents themost mathematically honest and thorough introduction to general relativity currently available in book form.This book is a masterpiece and belongs in the company of the classic books by Misner, Thorne and Wheeler, Penrose and Rindler, and Hawking and Ellis.

Potential readers must understand that there has been an uneasy truce between modern differential geometry and general relativity for nearly a century.While mathematicians developed the subject of Riemannian geometry along largely coordinate-free lines, reaching ever greater levels of abstraction and geometric insight, physicists continued to develop the related subject of semi-Riemannian (also called pseudo-Riemannian) geometry along coordinate-based lines, mired in complex index computations and the awkward notation that accompanies them.This is reflected in the Introduction to an excellent 1990 text on semi-Riemannian geometry in which the authors, explaining their choice of title, offer the semi-humorous lament, "Any possible title would mislead somebody.'Tensor Analysis' suggests to a mathematician an ungeometric, manipulative debauce of indices, with tensors ill-defined as 'quantities that transform according to' unspeakable formule."

Misner, Thorne and Wheeler introduced a generation of students to the power of modern, coordinate-free methods in general relativity in the early 1970s in their classic book "Gravitation," citing the wonderful book by Bishop and Goldberg as their standard reference forsemi-Riemannian geometry.Sadly, however, the modernization of the subject that MTW initiated did not seem to entirely catch on within the physics community.A number of very recent texts on general relativity have been printed in the past decade by highly reputable publishers, all written in an entirely index-based approach that was already becoming outdated and deficient over 30 years ago.The serious student of relativity already faces considerable challenges in mastering the formidable mathematical preliminaries to the subject;the work surely need not be compounded in difficulty by total reliance on obscure, unmotivated, index-based computational gymnastics. What students need is a thoroughly modern and enlightened introduction that teaches them to move comfortably and effortlessly between index-free and index-based approaches, permitting them to read and understand both the older and modern literature, both the physics and mathematical literature.

Straumann's book offers an introduction to general relativity that is completely modern in its approach to the mathematics.The final five chapters, covering roughly 100 pages, provide concise but readable introductions to basic manifold theory, Lie differentiation, differential forms and integration on manifolds, and the theory of affine connections (this latter does not provide an introduction as thorough as is found in volume 1 of Kobayashi and Nomizu---there simply is not room to study Ehresmann's approach to connections in this overview).Any student who has been fortunate enough to study the mathematical preliminaries from a modern treatment, such as Barrett O'Neill's wonderful Semi-Riemannian Geometry with Applications to Relativity, will be able to master the mathematical material in Straumann without undue stress.

One final piece of history to fully drive home the point. Richard Bishop and Barrett O'Neill introduced the notion of warped product manifolds to Riemannian geometry in the 1960s, providing one way of decomposing amanifold into two smaller and "simpler" parts.Beem and Ehrlich observed in 1982 that many of the well-known exact solutions to Einstein's equations are natural examples of warped products.The use of warped product formulas offers significant simplification of the analysis of these exact solutions.The use of warped products became central in O'Neill's 1983 book on semi-Riemannian geometry, and in Beem, Ehrlich and Easley's 1996 book on Global Lorentzian Geometry.Other authors have been slower to recognize and employ this powerful tool, and the reader will barely find warped products mentioned at all in modern texts on general relatitivy. In stark contrast, Straumann's book contains an entire section on warped products and makes full use of the simplifying formulas throughout:another sign of the progressive nature of the book.

I recommend this book in the strongest possible terms to all serious students of general relativity.If your background in differential geometry in inadequate, then I recommend purchasing O'Neill's book along with Straumann's as a packaged set.I view the O'Neill/Straumann pair as the current successors to the tradition begun by the Bishop and Goldberg/Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler books of an earlier era.

Dr. Straumann already updated this book in 2004 to a far more extensive second edition.We can only hope that as developments in our understanding of the large-scale structure of the universe progress through observational astronomy, Dr. Straumann will continue to update his book to include recent experimental and theoretical results.




... Read more

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The recent groundbreaking discovery of nonzero neutrino masses and oscillations has put the spotlight on massive neutrinos as one of the key windows on physics beyond the standard model as well as into the early universe. This third edition of the invaluable book Massive Neutrinos in Physics and Astrophysics is an introduction to the various issues related to the theory and phenomenology of massive neutrinos for the nonexpert, providing at the same time a complete and up-to-date discussion on the latest results in the field for the active researcher. It is designed not merely to be a guide but also as a self-contained tool for research with all the necessary techniques and logics included. Specially emphasized are the various implications of neutrino discoveries for the nature of new forces. Elementary discussions on topics such as grand unification, left–right symmetry and supersymmetry are presented. The most recent cosmological and astrophysical implications of massive neutrinos are also dealt with. ... Read more

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This authoritative text provides a lively, thought-provoking and informative summary of neutrino astrophysics. Neutrino astronomy is being revolutionized by the availability of new observational facilities. Theoretical work in astrophysics and in particle physics in increasing rapidly. The subject of solar neutrinos has many seemingly independent aspects, both in its theoretical basis (involving nuclear, atomic, and particle physics, geochemistry, and astronomy). For many physicists, solar neutrinos constitute the low-energy frontier of high-energy physics. Results from all these disciplines are combined here, providing a timely and unified discussion of the field. Each chapter begins with a succinct overview of material to be presented and ends with an annotated bibliography. For advanced undergraduate students, but will be essential reading for all researchers interested in the physics of neutrinos and what they reveal about the nature of the Universe. ... Read more

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Astronomy describes the mechanics of the universe in the more basic language of physics, otherwise known as "astrophysics".Knowledge of black holes, quasars and extrasolar planets requires understanding of the physics underlying astrophysics. This book clarifies the fundamental principles of the field as well as the important astronomical phenomena it describes.Readers will gain a greater appreciation of the connection between physics and astronomy. ... Read more

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Covering host systems of accreting, relativistic bodies, and the high-energy phenomena associated with them, this self-contained astrophysics textbook is ideal for advanced undergraduates. The textbook introduces students to a unique blend of astrophysical principles, including the evolutionary history of compact binary stars, the physics of accretion and accretion disc outbursts, the observed signatures of such discs in binary stars and active galactic nuclei, the X-ray emission of accreting compact bodies, and the physics of astrophysical jets and gamma-ray bursts. Worked examples, exercises with complete solutions, full-colour figures and informative chapter summaries guide students through their studies. Boxed equations and key facts highlight important points. Produced by academics drawing on decades of experience delivering courses for The Open University and concentrating on supported learning, this textbook is an ideal guide for self-study. ... Read more

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In this book, a distinguished expert introduces plasma physics from the ground up, presenting it as a comprehensible field that can be grasped largely on the basis of physical intuition and qualitative reasoning, similar to other fields of physics. Plasmas are ionized gases that can be found in a hydrogen bomb explosion, the confinement chamber of an experimental fusion reactor, the solar corona, the aurora borealis, the interstellar medium, and the immediate vicinity of a gravitational black hole. Not surprisingly, plasma physics appears to consist of numerous topics arising independently from astrophysics, fusion physics, and other practical applications, and hence it remains a field poorly understood even by many astrophysicists. But, in fact, most of these topics can be approached from the same perspective, with a simple, physical intuition.

Selecting simple examples and presenting them in a simultaneously intuitive and rigorous manner, Russell Kulsrud guides readers through a careful derivation of the results and allows them to think through the physics for themselves. Thus, they are better prepared for complex cases and more general results. The first eleven chapters present topics by their importance to plasma physics while the last three chapters emphasize the field's astrophysical applications, applying the results accrued earlier. Throughout, many problems illustrate the field's applications. Based on a course the author taught for many years, Plasma Physics for Astrophysics is intended for graduate students as well as for working astrophysicists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Quite good, but...
This book deals with not only fundamental physics of plasma but also interesting and concrete issues such as aurora, accretion disk, solar wind and so on. These topic are very educational, so I love it. However, there are a lot of misprints. I have a difficulty reading this book because of this...
I really think this book is great, but if you use this, keep the fact in mind, please.

Eclectic Excellence
This is a superb book-by far the best of the numerousbasic texts on plasma physics available today.Though oriented toward astrophysical applications,this book will also be useful to physicists and engineers wishing to study general plasma physics in preparation for research in space physics,magnetic or inertial fusion,or plasma applications.The treatment of MHD isinsightful, elegant and profound,and the chapters on Alfven's theorem, MHD waves,the energy principle and basic reconnection theory are the best of their kind in this type of basic text.The discussions of collision theory and Braginskii fluids arealso quite good,as is the treatment of particle orbits.The presentationsof kinetic theory,collisionless wave dynamics,and of quasilinear and nonlinear plasma theory are rather terse andsparse,but are still deep (albeit selectively)and thought provoking.The advanced chapters on cosmic ray acceleration and dynamo theory are unique treatents of topics of current research and so necessarily reflect both the author's deep insights into , and strong opinionson, thesesubjects, for which our understandingis still evolving.The only real weak point of the book is its rather paltry discussion of collisionless shocks-a topic of great importance to many applications inmodern astrophysics such as GRBs,AGNs,etc.
The many problems are interesting and conceptually oriented ,and so stress physical insight over technical detail.These are a real strength of this text,which will stimulate and challenge even the best students.
All told,the manypositives for this book overwhelm the fewnegatives, and make it a classic whose value will endure for many years to come.Its a must for all plasma physicists!!

More on cosmic plasma
This useful text is a companion to the classic, definitive, Cosmic Plasma by Hannes Alfven. It is part of an essential reference library for understanding the role of electricity and magnetism in astrophysical objects. It is a welcome quantitative description of these phenomena in a field characterised by hand-waving and not much science.The Virtue of Heresy: Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer ... Read more

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Describing the processes in stars which produce the chemical elements for planets and life, this book shows how similar processes may be reproduced in laboratories using exotic beams, and how these results can be analyzed. Beginning with one-channel scattering theory, the book builds up to multi-channel reactions. Emphasis is placed on using transfer and breakup reactions to probe structure and predict capture processes, as well as R-matrix methods for modeling compound nucleus dynamics described by Hauser-Feshbach methods. Practical applications are prominent in this book, confronting theory predictions with data throughout. The associated reaction program Fresco is described, allowing readers to apply the methods to practical cases. Each chapter ends with exercises so readers can test their understanding of the materials covered. Supplementary materials at www.cambridge.org/9780521856355 include the Fresco program, input and output files for the examples given in the book, and hints and graphs related to the exercises. ... Read more

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This volume contains a comprehensive treatment of X-ray spectroscopy, as applied in astrophysics. It is presented in the form of extensive notes of lectures given by seven distinguished scientists at the Tenth Summer School of the European Astrophysics Doctoral Network. The subjects covered are: basic line and continuum radiation processes in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy; atomic physics of collision- and radiation-dominated plasmas; X-ray spectroscopic observations with ASCA and BeppoSAX; future X-ray spectroscopy missions; X-ray optics, and X-ray spectroscopy instrumentation. The book, which will appeal to both researchers and graduate students, is timely in view of the scheduled launches of the big X-ray observatories AXAF and XMM in 1999. ... Read more

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Combining a critical account of observational methods (telescopes and instrumentation) with a lucid description of the Universe, including stars, galaxies and cosmology, Smith provides a comprehensive introduction to the whole of modern astrophysics beyond the solar system. The first half describes the techniques used by astronomers to observe the Universe: optical telescopes and instruments are discussed in detail, but observations at all wavelengths are covered, from radio to gamma-rays. After a short interlude describing the appearance of the sky at all wavelengths, the role of positional astronomy is highlighted. In the second half, a clear description is given of the contents of the Universe, including accounts of stellar evolution and cosmological models. Fully illustrated throughout, with exercises given in each chapter, this textbook provides a thorough introduction to astrophysics for all physics undergraduates, and a valuable background for physics graduates turning to research in astronomy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An amazing introduction for the serious astronomy student
This book is the perfect first text for astronomy students that are just getting beyond descriptive astronomy and are venturing into more mmathematically rigorous depths.From the first chapter to the last what has often been accepted in descriptive courses is now plumbed with the tools of basic calculus and statistics.

Students are given the opportunity to see how the various formulas used in observational astronomy are derived, leading to a greater understanding when these formulas are applied in daily use.The mathematics is of little difficulty to anyone with a basic knowledge of calculus and many of the problems presented would serve as exceptional real-world problems for sophomore level mathematics courses.

The text is best suited to advanced undergraduate students and may be adapted for use in introductory graduate courses.The problems and ideas presented have immediate applications in the observatory and transition from lecture to lab is remarkably easy.

This book truly is a gem!

A little something for everyone
Very broad in its scope with enough depth to deal with the fundamentals while pointing the reader in the right direction for a more detailed treatment of the subject matter. Could be used as a text or reference book,or simply read as I chose, to broaden ones knowledge. Contains a goodoverview of the tools and techniques of radio astronomy. A fair bit of mathemployed, but not overwhelming to the educated reader. Reading level isgeared toward a 3rd or 4th year undergrad in physics/astronomy but wouldalso be useful as a primer for graduate level students or the seriousamateur. Good book at a good price! ... Read more

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This revised edition describes our current understanding of the sun -- from its deepest interior, via the layers of the directly observable atmosphere to the solar wind, right out to its farthest extension into interstellar space. It includes a comprehensive account of the history of solar astrophysics, along with an overview of the key instruments throughout the various periods. In contrast to other books on this subject, the choice of material deals even-handedly with the entire scope of important topics covered in solar research. The authors make the advances in our understanding of the sun accessible to students and non-specialists by careful use of relatively simple physical concepts. An incisive, reliable, and well-structured look at all that is fascinating and new in studies of the sun. ... Read more

Product Description
Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos is an accessible introduction to the key principles and theories underlying astrophysics.

This text takes a close look at the radiation and particles that we receive from astronomical objects, providing a thorough understanding of what this tells us, drawing the information together using examples to illustrate the process of astrophysics. Chapters dedicated to objects showing complex processes are written in an accessible manner and pull relevant background information together to put the subject firmly into context.

The intention of the author is that the book will be a ‘tool chest’ for undergraduate astronomers wanting to know the how of astrophysics. Students will gain a thorough grasp of the key principles, ensuring that this often-difficult subject becomes more accessible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great coverage
this book covers a wide range of information. the tables and appendices contain background information and serve as a good reference. is a pleasant read, friendly approach. ... Read more

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This book provides an overview of many of the dramatic recent developments in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and fundamental physics. Topics include observations of the structure in the cosmic background radiation, evidence for an accelerating Universe, the extraordinary concordance in the fundamental parameters of the Universe coming from these and other diverse observations, the search for dark matter candidates, evidence for neutrino oscillations, space experiments on fundamental physics, and discoveries of extrasolar planets. This book will be useful for researchers and graduate students who wish to have a broad overview of the current developments in these fields.

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Now in its 4th edition, this classic text presents a quantitative understanding of a range of astrophysical concepts. Emphasizing physical concepts, the book outlines cosmic events but does not portray them in detail. Instead, it provides a series of astrophysical sketches showing how to obtain quantitative insights into the structure and evolution of stars, the dynamics of cosmic gases, the large-scale behavior of the universe, and the origins of life. Nearly every part of the text has been reconsidered and rewritten for the new edition; new sections cover recent developments, and the remainder has been revised and brought up to date.

Customer Reviews (2)

too vague
too vague, its not bad...its alright

Comprehensive and interesting
I'm currently teaching a topics class on astrophysics to a collection of (mostly) senior level non-physics majors (engineers, math majors, computer scientists, etc) and had a lot of trouble trying to find an appropriatebook.There are not many which are both (a) detailed, (b) broad, and (c)at the appropriate level.Most books for undergraduates are either toofocused (i.e. on cosmology) or too elementary.Most of the comprehensivebooks are too advanced.

This book strikes a nice balance betweenmathematical sophistication and generality, but it can be a littledifficult to read in places, particularly for someone without a strongphysics background.Since my class consists mostly of interested,advanced, non-physics majors I didn't feel that the book meshed well withmy class goals.However, the book did suit *me* very well and I'm using itextensively as a source of examples, additional problems and lecturepreparation.

I selected "Modern Astrophysics" by Carroll andOstlie as the class text because it was a little more wordy and explanitoryand because the "astrophysical sketch" approach taken inHarwitt'sbook is fine for someone who has a strong background in physics(which is, after all, the intended audience) but not "userfriendly" enough for advanced students from other fields.

It was atough choice though - this is an excellent book. ... Read more