This book introduces various physical processes related to the formation and evolution of galaxies, such as gravitation, electromagnetism, statistical physics, condensed matter, non-equilibrium processes, and relativity. Real data are analyzed using statistical methods and theoretical understanding. These topics give students and researchers in other fields a cross-sectional, interdisciplinary review. In particular, the author puts a great emphasis on multi-wavelength observations and surveys, which are now fundamental to understand the physics of any kind of cosmological and galactic comprehensive study. This is the first book to look at multi-wavelength surveys from the view of both observation and theory.

This book is intended to be a standard guide to the physics of galaxy formation and evolution, which is popular in astrophysics but is not dealt with in detail in other books for young graduate students and non-experts in physics. Physical processes related to the formation and evolution of stars in galaxies are particularly mentioned from the view of multi-wavelength observations, which leads to an understanding of how the current universe has developed.

Provides a detailed description of the physical processes Presents multi-wavelength surveys in the framework of both theory and observations Leads ultimately to a better understanding of how the current universe has developed

Autorentext

Tsutomu T. Takeuchi received his Doctor of Science from the Division of Physics and Astronomy at Kyoto University in Japan. He worked as a postdoc at Nagoya University, the University of Tokyo, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille in France, and was an assistant professor at the Astronomical Institute at Tohoku University. He has been an associate professor at the Division of Particle and Astrophysical Science at Nagoya University in Japan.

Inhalt

Ch1.Galaxy Phenomenology.- Ch2.Observational Selection Effects Related to Galaxy Properties.- Ch3.Galaxy Dynamics.- Ch4.Statistical Properties of Galaxies.- Ch5.Star Formation Laws in Galaxies.- Ch6.Dust.- Ch7.Spectral Energy Distribution.- Ch8.Chemical Evolution of Galaxies.- Ch9.Cosmic Background Radiation at Various Wavelengths.- Ch10.Clusters and Galaxy Clustering.- Ch11.Structure Formation in the Universe.- Ch12.Basic Theory of Galaxy Formation.- Ch13.Quest for High-z Population of Galaxies.- Ch14.First Objects , Reionization, and the Dark Age of the Universe.-Ch15.Remaining Issues and Prospects.- Ch16.Appendix: some tips on the observational astronomy.