| Description |
1 online resource (viii, 187 pages) : illustrations |
| Series |
Cambridge astrophysics series ; 42 |
|
Cambridge astrophysics series ; 42.
|
| Contents |
1 Interstellar molecules 1 -- 1.2 Chemistry in interstellar clouds 3 -- 1.3 Chemical bistability in dense clouds 9 -- 2 Interstellar shocks and chemistry 12 -- 2.2 The MHD conservation equations 13 -- 2.3 The structure of interstellar shock waves 21 -- 2.4 Shock waves in dark clouds 29 -- 2.5 Shock waves in diffuse clouds 33 -- 3 The primordial gas 36 -- 3.2 The governing equations 36 -- 3.3 The role of molecules 39 -- 3.4 Chemistry 42 -- 3.5 Gravitational collapse 44 -- 4 The rotational excitation of molecules 49 -- 4.2 The Born-Oppenheimer approximation 49 -- 4.3 The scattering of an atom by a rigid rotator 52 -- 4.4 The rotational excitation of non-linear molecules 69 -- 5 The vibrational excitation of linear molecules 82 -- 5.2 The scattering of an atom by a vibrating rotor 82 -- 5.3 Excitation of H[subscript 2] and HD in collisions with H[subscript 2] molecules 92 -- 5.4 Cooling functions 93 -- 6 The excitation of fine structure transitions 98 -- 6.2 Theory of fine structure excitation processes 99 -- 7 Radiative transfer in molecular lines 118 -- 7.2 The radiative transfer equation 119 -- 7.3 The OH radical 124 -- 7.4 Producing population inversion 128 -- 7.5 Rotational excitation of OH by H[subscript 2] 129 -- 8 Charge transfer processes 139 -- 8.2 The Landau-Zener model 140 -- 8.3 The 'orbiting' model 143 -- 8.4 The quantum mechanical model 145 -- 8.5 Selective population of excited states 151 -- 9 Electron collisions 153 -- 9.2 Selection rules and LS-coupling 154 -- 9.3 Electron collisional excitation 156 -- 9.4 Resonances 158 -- 9.5 Forbidden line emission from Herbig-Haro objects 161 -- 10 Photon collisions 163 -- 10.2 The oscillator strength 163 -- 10.3 The transition probability 165 -- 10.4 Photoionization and radiative recombination 166 -- 10.5 Radiative transitions in molecules 169 -- Appendix 1 The atomic system of units 172 -- Appendix 2 Reaction rate coefficients 173 |
| Summary |
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, first published in 2007, 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 |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 177-184) and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Interstellar matter.
|
|
Molecular dynamics.
|
|
Molecular astrophysics.
|
|
SCIENCE -- Cosmology.
|
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Interstellar matter
|
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Molecular astrophysics
|
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Molecular dynamics
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| ISBN |
9780511275166 |
|
0511275161 |
|
0511274467 |
|
9780511274466 |
|
9786610815401 |
|
6610815402 |
|
