Fundamentals of Galaxy Dynamics, Formation and Evolution

Fundamentals of Galaxy Dynamics, Formation and Evolution
Author: Ignacio Ferreras
Publisher: UCL Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2019-04-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1911307614

Galaxies, along with their underlying dark matter halos, constitute the building blocks of structure in the Universe. Of all fundamental forces, gravity is the dominant one that drives the evolution of structures from small density seeds at early times to the galaxies we see today. The interactions among myriads of stars, or dark matter particles, in a gravitating structure produce a system with fascinating connotations to thermodynamics, with some analogies and some fundamental differences. Ignacio Ferreras presents a concise introduction to extragalactic astrophysics, with emphasis on stellar dynamics, and the growth of density fluctuations in an expanding Universe. Additional chapters are devoted to smaller systems (stellar clusters) and larger ones (galaxy clusters). Fundamentals of Galaxy Dynamics, Formation and Evolution is written for advanced undergraduates and beginning postgraduate students, providing a useful tool to get up to speed in a starting research career. Some of the derivations for the most important results are presented in detail to enable students appreciate the beauty of maths as a tool to understand the workings of galaxies. Each chapter includes a set of problems to help the student advance with the material.

Dynamics of Star Clusters

Dynamics of Star Clusters
Author: Jeremy Goodman
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 610
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9400953356

The emphasis in these proceedings of lAD Symposium No. 113, Dynafrri-,'!s of Star Clusters. and·.~.Le. mab rPIHlon for orZ'lnizinp: thE" symposium in the spring of 1984, was the rapid increase during the preceeding year in our understanding of core collapse. The last I.A.D. Symposium to discuss the dynamics of star clusters at length was No.69, Dynamics of Stellar Systems~ held in Besan~on in 1974. For a few years afterwards, globular clusters receiveu much attention due to the discovery of X-ray bursters and the mounting evidence that X-ray sources in globular clusters were formed in completely different ways than those within our galaxy. Globular clusters, which until this time had a reputation for sedate old age, turned out to lead violent private lives at high energies. However, in the early 80's globular clusters seemed to lose some of the glamor of the 70's. The grand speculations of heavy black holes lurking in their centers had to make way for a variety of observational evidence which indicated that the X-ray sources are low-mass close binaries instead. But, though dynamical fashion turned to heavy galac tic halos and so on, some of the unsolved theoretical problems regard ing the evolution of star clusters kept their fascination for a number of relatively isolated workers. After several years of inconspicuous labor, a number of preprints suddenly appeared in the spring of 1983 that studied the evolution of globular clusters after core collapse.

Dynamical Evolution of Star Clusters - Confrontation of Theory and Observations

Dynamical Evolution of Star Clusters - Confrontation of Theory and Observations
Author: Piet Hut
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1996-06-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780792340706

This volume reviews recent progress in the study of dynamics of star clusters. The meeting focused on the enormous progress of both the observation and the theoretical modeling of star clusters. New results from the refurbished Hubble Space Telescope (HST) include the mass function down to the hydrogen burning limits, white dwarf sequence, and central density profiles of `post-collapse' clusters by star counts. On the theoretical side, this symposium saw the first direct evidence of gravothermal oscillation through N-body simulation, which was made possible by GRAPE-4, the dedicated special-purpose computer for N-body simulation. Numerical techniques to combine stellar evolution and dynamical evolution of the cluster were presented. The book will be of primary interest to astrophysicists.

Dynamical Evolution of Globular Clusters

Dynamical Evolution of Globular Clusters
Author: Lyman Spitzer, Jr.
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400858739

One of the world's most distinguished astrophysicists presents a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the dynamical evolution of globular clusters. Lyman Spitzer's research in this field established the framework for decades of investigation. Now he summarizes in a unified, systematic way this branch of theoretical astrophysics with its still challenging problems. Originally published in 1988. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Galactic Dynamics

Galactic Dynamics
Author: James Binney
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 902
Release: 2011-10-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400828724

Since it was first published in 1987, Galactic Dynamics has become the most widely used advanced textbook on the structure and dynamics of galaxies and one of the most cited references in astrophysics. Now, in this extensively revised and updated edition, James Binney and Scott Tremaine describe the dramatic recent advances in this subject, making Galactic Dynamics the most authoritative introduction to galactic astrophysics available to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers. Every part of the book has been thoroughly overhauled, and many sections have been completely rewritten. Many new topics are covered, including N-body simulation methods, black holes in stellar systems, linear stability and response theory, and galaxy formation in the cosmological context. Binney and Tremaine, two of the world's leading astrophysicists, use the tools of theoretical physics to describe how galaxies and other stellar systems work, succinctly and lucidly explaining theoretical principles and their applications to observational phenomena. They provide readers with an understanding of stellar dynamics at the level needed to reach the frontiers of the subject. This new edition of the classic text is the definitive introduction to the field. ? A complete revision and update of one of the most cited references in astrophysics Provides a comprehensive description of the dynamical structure and evolution of galaxies and other stellar systems Serves as both a graduate textbook and a resource for researchers Includes 20 color illustrations, 205 figures, and more than 200 problems Covers the gravitational N-body problem, hierarchical galaxy formation, galaxy mergers, dark matter, spiral structure, numerical simulations, orbits and chaos, equilibrium and stability of stellar systems, evolution of binary stars and star clusters, and much more Companion volume to Galactic Astronomy, the definitive book on the phenomenology of galaxies and star clusters

Symmetries and Dynamics of Star Clusters

Symmetries and Dynamics of Star Clusters
Author: Jaroslav Haas
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 92
Release: 2014-01-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319036505

In this PhD thesis, which was nominated for publication in this series by the Astronomical Institute at Charles University, Prague, the author investigates the orbital evolution of an initially thin stellar disc around a supermassive black hole, considering various perturbative sources of gravity. His findings, obtained by both direct numerical N-body modelling and using standard perturbation methods, offer a viable theoretical explanation for the observed configuration of young stars in the Galactic Centre. This marks a significant contribution to a topic of great interest in contemporary astrophysics. The author also shows in his thesis that a secular instability (m = 1 mode) may occur in the embedding spherical cluster of old stars. This increases the richness of possible evolution scenarios of the embedding cluster and may lead to effective feeding of supermassive black holes through tidal disruption of stars on extremely eccentric orbits.

Dynamics of Young Star Clusters and Associations

Dynamics of Young Star Clusters and Associations
Author: Cathie Clarke
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2015-09-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3662472902

Where do most stars (and the planetary systems that surround them) in the Milky Way form? What determines whether a young star cluster remains bound (such as an open or globular cluster), or disperses to join the field stars in the disc of the Galaxy? These questions not only impact understanding of the origins of stars and planetary systems like our own (and the potential for life to emerge that they represent), but also galaxy formation and evolution, and ultimately the story of star formation over cosmic time in the Universe. This volume will help readers understand our current views concerning the answers to these questions as well as frame new questions that will be answered by the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite that was launched in late 2013. The book contains the elaborated notes of lectures given at the 42nd Saas-Fee Advanced Course “Dynamics of Young Star Clusters & Associations" by Cathie Clarke (University of Cambridge) who presents the theory of star formation and dynamical evolution of stellar systems, Robert Mathieu (University of Wisconsin) who discusses the kinematics of star clusters and associations, and I. Neill Reid (S pace Telescope Science Institute) who provides an overview of the stellar populations in the Milky Way and speculates on from whence came the Sun. As part of the Saas-Fee Advanced Course Series, the book offers an in-depth introduction to the field serving as a starting point for Ph.D. research and as a reference work for professional astrophysicists.

The Birth of Star Clusters

The Birth of Star Clusters
Author: Steven Stahler
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 205
Release: 2017-11-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319228013

All stars are born in groups. The origin of these groups has long been a key question in astronomy, one that interests researchers in star formation, the interstellar medium, and cosmology. This volume summarizes current progress in the field, and includes contributions from both theorists and observers. Star clusters appear with a wide range of properties, and are born in a variety of physical conditions. Yet the key question remains: How do diffuse clouds of gas condense into the collections of luminous objects we call stars? This book will benefit graduate students, newcomers to the field, and also experienced scientists seeking a convenient reference.

Galactic Astronomy

Galactic Astronomy
Author: James Binney
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 818
Release: 2021-07-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0691233322

This is the definitive treatment of the phenomenology of galaxies--a clear and comprehensive volume that takes full account of the extraordinary recent advances in the field. The book supersedes the classic text Galactic Astronomy that James Binney wrote with Dimitri Mihalas, and complements Galactic Dynamics by Binney and Scott Tremaine. It will be invaluable to researchers and is accessible to any student who has a background in undergraduate physics. The book draws on observations both of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and of external galaxies. The two sources are complementary, since the former tends to be highly detailed but difficult to interpret, while the latter is typically poorer in quality but conceptually simpler to understand. Binney and Merrifield introduce all astronomical concepts necessary to understand the properties of galaxies, including coordinate systems, magnitudes and colors, the phenomenology of stars, the theory of stellar and chemical evolution, and the measurement of astronomical distances. The book's core covers the phenomenology of external galaxies, star clusters in the Milky Way, the interstellar media of external galaxies, gas in the Milky Way, the structure and kinematics of the stellar components of the Milky Way, and the kinematics of external galaxies. Throughout, the book emphasizes the observational basis for current understanding of galactic astronomy, with references to the original literature. Offering both new information and a comprehensive view of its subject, it will be an indispensable source for professionals, as well as for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.