Spectroscopy: The Key to the Stars: Reading the Lines in Stellar Spectra (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

This is the book that I was expecting for along time. As Professor of Surgery I have to read medical textbooks, and I appreciate those concise volumes dedicated to medical students that can help me, then I suppose that this book could be useful to astrophysics too, not only to amateur astronomers like me. The aims of Robinson's book have been successful: to explain the physical processes that cause the stellar spectra with a language understandable. I am very grateful to Robinson that the important concepts are showed repeatedly along the book. He teaches us how the quantum theory explains all spectral mysteries. Starting with the electromagnetic radiation, the black body concept, Robinson expounds in great detail, but very understandable, the electron transition, the energy levels (the famous Ha line), and the consequences when a photon collides with an atom (excitation, ionisation). The quantum numbers are depicted very well with clear diagrams, and how they determine the energy levels and the spectral series. Up to here, it is the atom lab information; but the stellar objects are very complexes: objects with velocity (the famous Doppler effect), and atmospheres with temperature, pressure, and turbulence..., physical processes that cause the broadening of spectral lines. Robinson details the spectral line profiles with examples useful to amateur astronomers. After to expound the absorption lines and the emission lines, Robinson explains the whys the nebulae, with gas that absorb the photons of the central star, have emission lines instead of absorption lines. Robinson use the chapter of accretion disks as pretext of to speak us that amateurs astronomers could performer astrophysical modelling. The book finishes with the exposition of the P Cygni profile, and the world of magnetic field. Robinson has been very clever with this difficult task, the magnetic field, in order to teach the important marks for the amateur. Finally my modest recommendations for those amateurs that would like to start in this field: to read the Tonkin's book "Practical Amateur Spectroscopy", and the course of Aude Peltier "Initiation a la spectographie" (tutorial of astrosurf.com). Dr. Barneo Contents......Page 7 Introduction......Page 10 Spectroscopy—A New Golden Age for Amateur Astronomy......Page 12 Light......Page 15 Electromagnetic Radiation......Page 21 Atoms......Page 29 Summary......Page 31 Energy Levels......Page 33 Electron Transitions......Page 36 It All Comes Down to the (Quantum) Numbers......Page 41 The Rules of the Game—Selection Rules......Page 44 Order from Chaos—Spectral Series......Page 45 Dancing Electrons—It Takes Two (or More) to Tango......Page 48 Ions......Page 51 Summary......Page 52 Waves and Movement......Page 54 How It Works......Page 55 The Relativistic Doppler Shift......Page 56 A Very Important Point......Page 57 Summary......Page 59 Line Profiles......Page 60 Equivalent Width......Page 61 Populations of Atoms......Page 63 Shivering Energy Levels......Page 64 Enter the Doppler Effect......Page 66 Turbulence......Page 69 Convolutions......Page 70 How Broad Is a Line Profile?......Page 72 Summary......Page 77 Stellar Atmospheres......Page 78 Continuous Absorption......Page 79 Line Absorption......Page 81 The Spectral Sequence......Page 84 Line Broadening......Page 87 Spectral Snapshots......Page 88 AWord or Two About the Herzsprung–Russell Diagram......Page 89 Summary......Page 90 Cool but not Smooth—The Molecular Spectra of Red Stars......Page 91 The Things That Molecules Do......Page 92 Summary......Page 99 What Comes Down Must First Go Up......Page 101 Recombination......Page 103 Photon Degrading and Recycling......Page 104 Thick and Thin Nebulae......Page 105 Forbidden Radiation......Page 108 Summary......Page 110 Astrophysical Modelling......Page 112 Anatomy of an Accretion Disk......Page 113 Building the Model......Page 114 A Better Model......Page 120 Thinking Up an Even Better Model......Page 122 Summary......Page 124 The Classic P Cygni Profile......Page 126 Wind Outflow Geometry......Page 127 P Cygni Profiles from Cool Stars......Page 128 A P Cygni Profile Mystery—Symbiotic Stars......Page 129 Summary......Page 132 How Strong Is a Magnetic Field?......Page 133 Momentum......Page 134 Angular Momentum......Page 135 The Wonderful World of x y z......Page 136 Enter the Magnetic Field......Page 137 Electron Transitions in a Magnetic Field......Page 140 Looking Straight Down the Magnetic Field......Page 142 How Wide Do the Lines Get Split?......Page 144 Very Strong Magnetic Fields......Page 145 Summary......Page 146 Abundances......Page 147 A Laboratory Experiment......Page 148 A Bit of Theory......Page 149 Another Bit of Theory......Page 151 Determining Abundances......Page 153 Summary......Page 154 Conclusion......Page 155 Appendix A—Powers of Ten......Page 156 Physical Constants......Page 160 Formulae......Page 161 O......Page 163 W......Page 164

While most amateur astronomers know about the red shift, have a general idea of the way that the emission and absorption lines in stellar spectra provide an insight into the atomic processes of the star, it is unusual to find someone who has any kind of detailed knowledge. The reason isn’t lack on interest – far from it – but is because all the books currently available are pitched at professional astronomers and degree students, and are to say the least, difficult to read.

This is the first non-technical book on this subject, written specifically for practical amateur astronomers. It includes all the science necessary for a qualitative understanding of stellar spectra, but avoids a mathematical treatment which would alienate many of its intended readers.

Any amateur astronomer who carries out (or who is interested in) observational spectroscopy and who wants a non-technical account of the physical processes which determine the intensity and profile morphology of lines in stellar spectra will find this is the only book written specially for him. And of course, armchair astronomers who simply want to understand the physical processes which shape lines in stellar spectra will find this book equally fascinating.

While most amateur astronomers know about the red shift, have a general idea of the way that the emission and absorption lines in stellar spectra provide an insight into the atomic processes of the star, it is unusual to find someone who has any kind of detailed knowledge. The reason isn't lack on interest – far from it – but is because all the books currently available are pitched at professional astronomers and degree students, and are to say the least, difficult to read. This is the first non-technical book on this subject, written specifically for practical amateur astronomers. It includes all the science necessary for a qualitative understanding of stellar spectra, but avoids a mathematical treatment which would alienate many of its intended readers. Any amateur astronomer who carries out (or who is interested in) observational spectroscopy and who wants a non-technical account of the physical processes which determine the intensity and profile morphology of lines in stellar spectra will find this is the only book written specially for him. And of course,'armchair astronomers'who simply want to understand the physical processes which shape lines in stellar spectra will find this book equally fascinating. More can be learned about physical processes going on in stars and nebulae by understanding and analyzing their spectra than by any other means. Many amateur astronomers who use CCD cameras are taking up spectroscopy as part of their observational program, but until now the physics that underlies astronomical spectroscopy has been confined to advanced academic books. Not any more! In Spectroscopy - the Key to the Stars, Keith Robinson describes the physics and physical processes that cause the stellar spectra to be as they are ... spectra that amateur astronomers can image with today's commercially-made equipment. Written specifically for amateur astronomers, this book assumes only a basic knowledge of physics but looks in detail at many topics, including energy levels in atoms, the molecular spectra of red stars, emission lines in nebulae, and much, much more. Here is everything you need to know about how the atomic processes in stars and nebulae produce the spectra that amateur astronomers can image, and why spectroscopy is such a powerful tool for astronomers This is the first non-technical book on spectroscopy written specifically for practical amateur astronomers. It includes all the science necessary for a qualitative understanding of stellar spectra, but avoids a mathematical treatment which would alienate many of its intended readers. Any amateur astronomer who carries out observational spectroscopy and who wants a non-technical account of the physical processes which determine the intensity and profile morphology of lines in stellar spectra will find this is the only book written specially for them. It is an ideal companion to existing books on observational amateur astronomical spectroscopy. "In Spectroscopy: The Key to the Stars, Keith Robinson describes the physics and physical processes that cause the stellar spectra to be as they are ... spectra that amateur astronomers can image with today's commercially-made equipment. Written specifically for amateur astronomers, this book assumes only a basic knowledge of physics but looks in detail at many topics, including energy levels in atoms, the molecular spectra of red stars, emission lines in nebulae, and much, much more."--Jacket This text explains the physics and physical processes that cause the stellar spectra to be as they are. Written specifically for amateur astronomers, this book assumes only a basic knowledge of physics but looks in detail at many topics, including energy levels in atoms, the molecular spectra of red stars and emission lines in nebulae