Understanding star formation is one of the key fields in present-day astrophysics. This book treats a wide variety of the physical processes involved, as well as the main observational discoveries. Present time star formation in our galaxy is emphasized.

Most up-to-date graduate text on a key field in astrophysics Covers a wide variety of physical processes necessary to understand star formation With detailed discussion of key points in star formation Compares theoretical models of star formation with observational evidence Author is an internationally recognized expert in calculating the evolution of protostars and stellar evolution Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt

Overview.- Molecular Clouds and the Onset of Star Formation.- Protostar Collapse.- Rotating Protostars and Accretion Disks.- Massive Star Formation.- Formation of Binary Systems.- The Formation of the First Stars.- Pre-main-sequence Evolution.- Summary: Issues in Galactic Star Formation.- References.- Index.