In the interstellar medium - which occupies the space between the stars in galaxies - new stars are born from material that is replenished by the debris ejected by stars when they die. This book presents a detailed account of the atomic and molecular processes that give rise to the radiation we observe from the interstellar medium, knowledge that is essential to understanding star formation in our own and other galaxies. This Second Edition has been thoroughly updated and extended to cover related topics in radiation theory. It considers the chemistry of the interstellar medium, both in the present epoch and the early Universe. The book discusses the physics and chemistry of shock waves, which are produced by the jets of matter generated as a consequence of star formation. The methods for calculating rates of collisional excitation of interstellar molecules and atoms are explained, with emphasis on the quantum mechanical method. A comprehensive manual for studying collisional and radiative processes in the interstellar medium, this book will be ideal for researchers involved in calculating the rates of such processes, for those studying the interstellar medium and star formation, as well as for physical chemists specializing in collision theory or in the measurement of the rates of collision processes. Book jacket.

In the interstellar medium - the space between the stars in galaxies - new stars are born from material that is replenished by the debris ejected by stars when they die. This book is a comprehensive manual for studying the collisional and radiative processes observed in the interstellar medium. This second edition has been thoroughly updated and extended to cover related topics in radiation theory. It considers the chemistry of the interstellar medium both at the present epoch and in the early Universe, and discusses the physics and chemistry of shock waves. The methods of calculation of the rates of collisional excitation of interstellar molecules and atoms are explained, emphasising the quantum mechanical method. This book will be ideal for researchers involved in the interstellar medium and star formation, and physical chemists specialising in collision theory or in the measurement of the rates of collision processes.

Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, The Interstellar Medium is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.

Publisher Description

This is a comprehensive and richly illustrated textbook on the astrophysics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium--the gas and dust, as well as the electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, and magnetic and gravitational fields, present between the stars in a galaxy and also between galaxies themselves. Topics include radiative processes across the electromagnetic spectrum; radiative transfer; ionization; heating and cooling; astrochemistry; interstellar dust; fluid dynamics, including ionization fronts and shock waves; cosmic rays; distribution and evolution of the interstellar medium; and star formation. While it is assumed that the reader has a background in undergraduate-level physics, including some prior exposure to atomic and molecular physics, statistical mechanics, and electromagnetism, the first six chapters of the book include a review of the basic physics that is used in later chapters. This graduate-level textbook includes references for further reading, and serves as an invaluable resource for working astrophysicists. Essential textbook on the physics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium Based on a course taught by the author for more than twenty years at Princeton University Covers radiative processes, fluid dynamics, cosmic rays, astrochemistry, interstellar dust, and more Discusses the physical state and distribution of the ionized, atomic, and molecular phases of the interstellar medium Reviews diagnostics using emission and absorption lines Features color illustrations and detailed reference materials in appendices Instructor's manual with problems and solutions (available only to teachers)

The collision of electrons with molecules and molecular ions is a fundamental pro cess in atomic and molecular physics and in chemistry. At high incident electron en ergies, electron-molecule collisions are used to deduce molecular geometries, oscillator strengths for optically allowed transitions, and in the case of electron-impact ionization, to probe the momentum distribution of the molecule itself. When the incident electron energy is comparable to or below those of the molecular valence electrons, the physics involved is particularly rich. Correlation and exchange effects necessary to describe such collision processes bear a close resemblance to similar efft:cts in the theory of electronic structure in molecules. Compound state formations, in the form of resonances and vir tual states, manifest themselves in experimental observables which provide details of the electron-molecule interactions. Ro-vibrational excitations by low-energy electron collisions exemplify energy transfer between the electronic and nuclear motion. The role of nonadiabatic interaction is raised here. When the final vibrational state is in the continuum, molecular dissociation occurs. Dissociative recombination and dissociative attachment are examples of such fragmentation processes. In addition to its fundamental nature, the study of electron-molecule collisions is also motivated by its relation to other fields of study and by its technological appli cations. The study of planetary atmospheres and the interstellar medium necessarily involve collision processes of electrons with molecules and molecular ions.

The book leads the advanced undergraduate through the wide range of disciplines related to an understanding of the interstellar medium and is suitable for any student studying either physics or astrophysics. The study of the interstellar medium incorporates a large range of physical More...processes on both large and small scales all of which are covered in this text. Together with the inclusion of simple models and problems at the end of each chapter this text provides a comprehensive overview and grounding in the study of the interstellar medium.

Observing the cold interstellar medium -- Observing young stars -- Chemistry and thermodynamics -- Gas flows and turbulence -- Magnetic fields and magnetized turbulence -- Gravitational instability and collapse -- Stellar feedback -- Giant molecular clouds escales -- The star formation rate at galactic scales: observations -- The star formation rate at galactic scales: theory -- Stellar clustering -- The initial mass function: observations -- The initial mass function: theory -- Protostellar disks and outflows: observations -- Protostellar disks and outflows: theory -- Protostar formation -- Protostellar evolution -- Massive star formation -- The first stars -- Late-stage stars and disks -- The transition to planet formation

A comprehensive yet accessible textbook introducing the nature of the rarefied matter that pervades the space between stars.