The Origin of StarsWhere do stars come from and how do they form? These are profound questions which link the nature of our Universe to the roots of mankind. Yet, until a recent revolution in understanding, the proposed answers have been raw speculation. Now, accompanying penetrating observations, a new picture has come into prominence.This book presents the latest astounding observations and scientific ideas covering star formation, star birth and early development. It encompasses all aspects, from the dramatic stories of individual objects, to the collective influence of entire stellar systems.The very first stars to come into existence and the nurturing of planets are discussed to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview. Presenting background information with only the essential mathematics, this book will appeal to scientists wishing to expand their horizons, students seeking solid foundations, and general readers with enquiring minds. |
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Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Physics and Chemistry | 9 |
The Clouds | 31 |
Cloud Formation Evolution and Destruction | 53 |
Turbulence | 69 |
The Collapse | 87 |
The Magnetic Mediation | 101 |
The Birth | 119 |
The Young Stars | 139 |
Jets and Outflows | 161 |
Massive Stars | 185 |
The Distributions | 201 |
Cosmological Star Formation | 221 |
Epilogue | 237 |
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Common terms and phrases
accretion disk accretion rate Alfven waves ambipolar diffusion angular momentum atomic binary bipolar outflows Bok globules brown dwarfs Class I protostars classical clumps clusters collapse collisions compressed dense density detected dispersion distribution dust dynamical envelope equilibrium evolution evolve field lines flow flux fragmentation free-fall Galactic galaxies GMCs HII regions hydrogen infall infrared initial instability interact interstellar medium ionisation Jeans mass jets low-mass stars luminosity magnetic field main sequence mass stars massive stars material molecular clouds molecules motions near-infrared Nebula objects observed Ophiuchus optical Orion parsecs photons photosphere planets predicted pressure produced protostar protostellar core radiation radius range redshift rotation scale scenario shock waves simulations solar solar mass sound speed sources spectral spin star formation starbursts starless cores stars form stellar structure supernova supersonic turbulence surface Tauri stars temperature theory thermal timescale trigger typical velocity virial wavelengths wind young stars
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Origin of Stars |
| Author | Michael David Smith |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Imperial College Press, 2004 |
| ISBN | 1860945015, 9781860945014 |
| Length | 248 pages |
| Subjects | › › Science / Astronomy Science / Cosmology Science / Physics / Astrophysics |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |