Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium (eBook)

The space between the stars contains a large diversity of objects in which physical processes occur that are fundamental to the structure and evolution of galaxies. This book offers the reader a basic knowledge of these processes and presents simple numeric estimates of the main quantities relevant to the interstellar medium. The main objects that constitute the interstellar space are described, but the emphasis of the book lies in the physical processes occurring in these objects, which may also occur in other astrophysical environments. The book is directed tor graduate as well as advanced undergraduate students of physics and astrophysics.

Dr. Walter J. Maciel received his Bachelors in physics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in 1970. He went on to obtain his MSc in astronomy from the Aeronautics Technology Institute in 1973 and his PhD in astronomy from the University of São Paulo in 1977. Dr. Maciel is presently a full astronomy professor at the University of São Paulo, and has been at the university for over 35 years. He is the author of three books published by Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, and received the Jabuti Prize in 2000 for his first book, Introduction to the Structure and Evolution of the Stars. His other two, Astrophysics of the Interstellar Medium, and Hydrodynamics and Stellar Winds: An Introduction, were among the finalists in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

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The space between the stars contains a large diversity of objects in which physical processes occur that are fundamental to the structure and evolution of galaxies. This book offers the reader a basic knowledge of these processes and presents simple numeric estimates of the main quantities relevant to the interstellar medium. The main objects that constitute the interstellar space are described, but the emphasis of the book lies in the physical processes occurring in these objects, which may also occur in other astrophysical environments. The book is directed tor graduate as well as advanced undergraduate students of physics and astrophysics.