Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
Jo Bovy is Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. He is the lead developer of galpy, a widely used Python library for galactic dynamics.
A modern textbook on galactic dynamics that encourages hands-on learning using the latest computational methods
This book provides an in-depth introduction to the dynamics, formation, and evolution of galaxies. Starting with the basics of galactic structure and galactic dynamics, it helps students develop a sophisticated understanding of the orbital structure of spirals, ellipticals, and other types of galaxies. The book demonstrates how observations led to the discovery that galaxies are dominated by dark matter and explores in detail how structure evolves from the primordial universe to form the halos that host galaxies when the gravitational attraction of an overdense region overcomes cosmological expansion. Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies uses simple yet realistic models to illustrate the many galactic processes observed today through hierarchical merging and gas accretion, gas cooling and star formation, and internal evolution due to bars, spiral structure, and chemical enrichment.
- Covers topics ranging from the gravitational potentials of spherical, disk, and ellipsoidal systems to the properties of orbits in different mass distributions, equilibrium models of galaxies, chemical evolution, gravitational lensing, the growth of structure, hierarchical galaxy formation, disk (in)stability, bars, and spirals
- Includes nearly 200 exercises, enabling students to apply the concepts discussed in the book while honing their analytic and computational skills
- Accompanied by an online version of the book that includes interactive visualizations and executable Python code
- An ideal textbook for graduate students and advanced undergraduates and an invaluable reference for researchers
“A unique aspect of this book is its integration with a website that contains extensive code examples, and these in turn are integrated with Bovy’s influential galaxy dynamics code package, galpy. This is a powerful pedagogical tool. The level of scholarship is high, and the sheer number of exercises and the craftsmanship that has gone into writing them is impressive.”—Scott Tremaine, author of Dynamics of Planetary Systems
“In the past two decades, the field of galactic dynamics has been transformed by massive surveys of millions of stars in the Milky Way and millions of galaxies throughout the universe. These surveys have revealed dynamics in action and have placed the field—historically dominated by abstract mathematical calculations for isolated, equilibrium systems—firmly in the realm of observations of galaxies evolving in the universe. Bovy’s book is the perfect companion to this modern era. It combines a clear summary of the theoretical background with discussions of what we see in the universe and what we know about galaxy formation more generally. It is a great reference text for any bookshelf and an ideal resource for a graduate-level class.”—Kathryn V. Johnston, Columbia University
A modern textbook on galactic dynamics that encourages hands-on learning using the latest computational methods
This book provides an in-depth introduction to the dynamics, formation, and evolution of galaxies. Starting with the basics of galactic structure and galactic dynamics, it helps students develop a sophisticated understanding of the orbital structure of spirals, ellipticals, and other types of galaxies. The book demonstrates how observations led to the discovery that galaxies are dominated by dark matter and explores in detail how structure evolves from the primordial universe to form the halos that host galaxies when the gravitational attraction of an overdense region overcomes cosmological expansion. Dynamics and Astrophysics of Galaxies uses simple yet realistic models to illustrate the many galactic processes observed today through hierarchical merging and gas accretion, gas cooling and star formation, and internal evolution due to bars, spiral structure, and chemical enrichment.
- Covers topics ranging from the gravitational potentials of spherical, disk, and ellipsoidal systems to the properties of orbits in different mass distributions, equilibrium models of galaxies, chemical evolution, gravitational lensing, the growth of structure, hierarchical galaxy formation, disk (in)stability, bars, and spirals
- Includes nearly 200 exercises, enabling students to apply the concepts discussed in the book while honing their analytic and computational skills
- Accompanied by an online version of the book that includes interactive visualizations and executable Python code
- An ideal textbook for graduate students and advanced undergraduates and an invaluable reference for researchers
“A unique aspect of this book is its integration with a website that contains extensive code examples, and these in turn are integrated with Bovy’s influential galaxy dynamics code package, galpy. This is a powerful pedagogical tool. The level of scholarship is high, and the sheer number of exercises and the craftsmanship that has gone into writing them is impressive.”—Scott Tremaine, author of Dynamics of Planetary Systems
“In the past two decades, the field of galactic dynamics has been transformed by massive surveys of millions of stars in the Milky Way and millions of galaxies throughout the universe. These surveys have revealed dynamics in action and have placed the field—historically dominated by abstract mathematical calculations for isolated, equilibrium systems—firmly in the realm of observations of galaxies evolving in the universe. Bovy’s book is the perfect companion to this modern era. It combines a clear summary of the theoretical background with discussions of what we see in the universe and what we know about galaxy formation more generally. It is a great reference text for any bookshelf and an ideal resource for a graduate-level class.”—Kathryn V. Johnston, Columbia University