What are the Stars?

This book teaches readers all about stars by presenting both basic physics and recent discoveries. Complete with accessible drawings of the processes involved, it discusses the nature of the stars, their stability and the source of the energy they radiate.

The outstanding question in astronomy at the turn of the twentieth century was: What are the stars and why are they as they are? In this volume, the story of how the answer to this fundamental question was unravelled is narrated in an informal style, with emphasis on the underlying physics. This book discusses recent developments in the context of discussing the nature of the stars, their stability and the source of the energy they radiate.

Reading this book will get young students excited about the presently unfolding revolution in astronomy and the challenges that await them in the world of physics, engineering and technology. General readers will also find the book appealing for its highly accessible narrative of the physics of stars.

Explains what stars really are through basic physics and recent findings Successfully conveys the excitement of astronomical discovery Provides rich information and drawings on the exotic physical phenomena underlying celestial objects Motivates readers with the challenges that await them in science Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Dr. G. Srinivasan began his career as a solid state physicist and later switched to astrophysics. After his PhD at the University of Chicago, he worked at the IBM Research Laboratory, Zurich, Switzerland, Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge and Raman Research Institute, Bangalore. He is a Past President of the Astronomical Society of India as well as the Division of Space and High Energy Astrophysics of the International Astronomical Union. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and a former Jawaharlal Nehru Fellow.

Inhalt
The Present Revolution in Astronomy: An Overview.- What Are the Stars?.- Stars as Globes of Gas.- Eddington's Theory of the Stars.- Why Are the Stars as They Are?.- Energy Generation in the Stars.- Sounds of the Sun.- The Smoking Gun is Finally Found.