Title: The formation of stars /
Authors: Stahler, Steven William.; Palla, F.
Publisher: Wiley-VCH,
Year: 2004
Subjects: Stars Formation
Abstract: "This book is a comprehensive treatment of star formation, one of the most active fields of modern astronomy. The reader is guided through the subject in a logically compelling manner. Starting from a general description of stars and interstellar clouds, the authors delineate the earliest phases of stellar evolution. They discuss formation activity not only in the Milky Way, but also in other galaxies, both now and in the remote past. Theory and observation are thoroughly integrated, with the aid of numerous figures and images. In summary, this volume is an invaluable resource, both as a text for physics and astronomy graduate students, and as a reference for professional scientists."--BOOK JACKET.
Contents: The interstellar medium -- Molecular clouds -- Young stellar systems -- Molecular transitions : basic physics -- Molecular transitions : applications -- Heating and cooling -- Cloud thermal structure -- Cloud equilibrium and stability -- The collapse of dense cores -- Protostars -- Multiple star formation -- Jets and molecular outflows -- Interstellar masers -- Effects of massive stars -- Quasi-static constraction -- T Tauri stars -- Herbig Ae/Be stars -- Star formation on the galactic scale -- The physical problem : a second look -- Appendices : astronomical conventions -- The two-level system -- Transfer of radiation in spectral lines -- Derivation of the virial theorem -- Spectral line broadening -- Shock jump conditions -- Radiative diffusion and stellar opacity -- Derivation of binary star relations -- Evaluation of a polytropic integral.