Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, held in Naples, Italy, 24-28 June 2002

Written by selected astronomers at the forefront of their fields, this timely and novel book compiles the latest results from research on white dwarf stars, complementing existing literature by focusing on fascinating new developments in our understanding of the atmospheric and circumstellar environments of these stellar remnants. Complete with a thorough refresher on the observational characteristics and physical basis for white dwarf classification, this is a must-have resource for researchers interested in the late stages of stellar evolution, circumstellar dust and nebulae, and the future of our own Solar System.

The study of white dwarfs has been steadily growing during the last years and now is a mature field extending its influence over many others. Since white dwarfs are long lived objects, they can be used to obtain information about the history of the Galaxy. The simplicity of their structures enables them to act as precise particle physics laboratories and the extreme con ditions reached at their surfaces allow us to test the equation of state and to study the behavior of matter under conditions impossible to be reached in terrestrial laboratories. Nevertheless, white dwarfs are still challenging astrophysicists. Many questions, ranging from the determination of funda mental parameters to the evolution of their outer layers, are still waiting for a satisfactory answer. The European Workshop series on White Dwarfs started in 1974 as a con sequence of the effort and enthusiasm of Professor Volker Weidemann. The existing proceedings of these meetings, together with those corresponding to the lAU Colloquia held in Rochester (1979) and in Hanover (1988), provide a unique opportunity to follow the development of this field. We hope that the present volume will provide a representative snapshot of the state of the art in 1996. In this sense we are very indebted to all the participants that have sent their contributions according to the instructions (this clearly excludes everybody beyond three sigmas from the standards).

White dwarfs, each containing about as much mass as our Sun but packed into a volume about the size of Earth, are the endpoints of evolution for most stars. Thousands of these faint objects have now been discovered, though only a century ago only three were known. They are among the most common stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, and they have become important tools in understanding the universe. Yet a century ago only three white dwarfs were known. The existence of these stars completely baffled the scientists of the day, and solving the mysteries of these strange objects required revolutionary advances in science and technology, including the development of quantum physics, the construction and utilization of large telescopes, the invention of the digital computer, and the ability to make astronomical observations from space. This book tells the story of the growth in our understanding of white dwarf stars, set within the context of the relevant scientific and technological advances. Part popular science, part historical narrative, this book is authored by one of the astrophysicists who participated directly in uncovering some of the secrets of white dwarf stars.

Annotation Seventy-four papers from the June 2000 conference (held in Newark, Delaware) address topics like white dwarf evolution, atmospheres and chemical composition, sdB stars, white dwarfs in binaries, magnetic white dwarfs, variable white dwarfs, white dwarf data bases, and astronomy and surveys. The future of white dwarf observing, astronomical education, and public outreach are also discussed. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This volume extends the ISSI series on magnetic fields in the Universe into the domain of what are by far the strongest fields in the Universe, and stronger than any field that could be produced on Earth. The chapters describe the magnetic fields in non-degenerate strongly magnetized stars, in degenerate stars (such as white dwarfs and neutron stars), exotic members called magnetars, and in their environments, as well as magnetic fields in the environments of black holes. These strong fields have a profound effect on the behavior of matter, visible in particular in highly variable processes like radiation in all known wavelengths, including Gamma-Ray bursts. The generation and structure of such strong magnetic fields and effects on the environment are also described.

Dark matter in the Universe has become one of the most exciting and central fields of astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. The lectures and talks in this book emphasize the experimental and theoretical status and perspectives of the ongoing search for dark matter, and the future potential of the field into the next millennium, stressing in particular the interplay between astro- and particle physics.