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| View Larger Image | Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
by George B. Rybicki, Alan P. Lightman
| | List Price: | $145.00 | | Price: | $125.33 | | You Save: | $19.67 (14%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 165749 | | Studio: | Wiley-Interscience | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 400 | | Publication Date: | March 26, 1985 | | Publisher: | Wiley-Interscience |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Radiative Processes in Astrophysics: This clear, straightforward, and fundamental introduction is designed to present-from a physicist's point of view-radiation processes and their applications to astrophysical phenomena and space science. It covers such topics as radiative transfer theory, relativistic covariance and kinematics, bremsstrahlung radiation, synchrotron radiation, Compton scattering, some plasma effects, and radiative transitions in atoms. Discussion begins with first principles, physically motivating and deriving all results rather than merely presenting finished formulae. However, a reasonably good physics background (introductory quantum mechanics, intermediate electromagnetic theory, special relativity, and some statistical mechanics) is required. Much of this prerequisite material is provided by brief reviews, making the book a self-contained reference for workers in the field as well as the ideal text for senior or first-year graduate students of astronomy, astrophysics, and related physics courses. Radiative Processes in Astrophysics also contains about 75 problems, with solutions, illustrating applications of the material and methods for calculating results. This important and integral section emphasizes physical intuition by presenting important results that are used throughout the main text; it is here that most of the practical astrophysical applications become apparent. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 4 reviews)
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A must-have for the professional astrophysicist 
This is a book that every astrophysicist should have. It is an excellent textbook on radiation processes that enables graduate students to learn the essential physical processes of radiation that take place in the universe while at the same time it is also a helpful reference book for the more experienced researcher. It is quite expensive but it is a very good long term investment which will pay on in the future.
May 13, 2008 | |
An Almost Perfect Book for a Course on Astrophysics 
One of the peculiarities of Astrophysics is that, as a
subject, is difficult to teach. It requires to go deep into
the physics of the objects under study (which span the whole
Universe) but alto to keep a broad view (the so called "Big
Picture") since most of the objects and their histories
cannot be understood if they are isolated from the others.
One of the problems a teacher faces is, hence, how to strike a
balance between these two disparate goals within the limited
time of one or two academic terms.Rybicki and Lightman success with this book is to take the
physics of astrophysical problems involving radiation from
the general approaches of the physics books to the particular
conditions of most of the cases that astronomy cares about
without leaving rigorousity along the way. With a little
abuse of language: They bring Physics a step closer to
Astronomy. On the other hand, the area of actual applications that
astronomers use is almost neglected. For example, the
introductory chapters on Radiative Transfer and Black
Body Radiation could have served to motivate a chapter on
theoretical basis of photometry (theoretical approach to
color indices, extinction by dust or other microscopic
particles). This would have given the student a more
realistic flavor of the tools that astrophysicists use
in their everyday (every night?) work. The Problem Sets,
in addition, are claiming for a few numerical
applications to profit from the, now easily available
to students, computer power. Every serious astrophysics teacher and student should
use this book... and think hard on how to take the
next step from Rybicki and Lightman to the Absolute
Magnitude versus Color Index diagrams.
November 21, 2001 | |
Excellent Discussion
Thorough, concise, and very readable. Topics are clearly presented, equations are elegantly explained. One of the most useful texts I own.
July 13, 2001 | |
Standard Text in the Field
This is THE standard text in the field of astrophysical radiation processes. Covers most processes of interest for the astrophysicist, at a depth adequate for graduate students. Well written and understandable. A must buy, despite the very high price.
April 16, 2001 | |
SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
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