This volume reviews recent progress in the study of dynamics of star clusters. The meeting focused on the enormous progress of both the observation and the theoretical modeling of star clusters. New results from the refurbished Hubble Space Telescope (HST) include the mass function down to the hydrogen burning limits, white dwarf sequence, and central density profiles of `post-collapse' clusters by star counts. On the theoretical side, this symposium saw the first direct evidence of gravothermal oscillation through N-body simulation, which was made possible by GRAPE-4, the dedicated special-purpose computer for N-body simulation. Numerical techniques to combine stellar evolution and dynamical evolution of the cluster were presented. The book will be of primary interest to astrophysicists.

Dense stellar systems lie at the interface between dynamics, stellar evolution, and galaxy formation, and they provide us with an ideal laboratory to understand many different aspects of these important fields as well as to explore the interplay between them. The complete study of dense stellar systems is a very challenging task which requires the collaboration and the exchange of ideas of astronomers and physicists with observational and theoretical expertise in galactic and extra-galactic astronomy, stellar dynamics, hydrodynamics, stellar evolution, as well as knowledge of many aspects of computational physics. IAU Symposium 246 brought together experts in all these areas to cover the broad field of dense stellar systems with particular emphasis on the interplay between them and on the comparison between observations and simulations. This volume provides a complete review of the most recent studies in this topical research.

IAU Transactions XXIIB summarizes the work of the XXIInd General Assembly. The discourses given during the Inaugural and Closing Ceremonies are reproduced in Chapters I and III, respectively. The proceedings of the two sessions of the General Assembly will be found in Chapter II, which includes the Resolutions and the report of the Finance Committee. The Statutes, Bye-Laws and a few working rules of the Union are published in Chapter IV. The Accounts and other aspects of the administration of the Union are recorded in Chapter V, together with the report of the Executive Committee for this last triennium, and provide the permanent record for the Union in the period 1991-1994. This volume also contains the Commission reports from The Hague compiled by the Presidents of the Commissions (Chapter VI). Finally, Chapter VII contains the list of countries adhering to the Union and the alphabetical, geographical and commission membership lists of about 8000 individual members. The IAU still appears to be unique among the scientific Unions in maintaining this category of individual membership which contributes in a crucial way to the spirit and the aims of the Union.

Following the Next Generation Science Standards focusing on the universe and its stars, this enlightening book delves deep into the scientific study of stars, analyzing their behavior and composition, as well as their life cycles. Readers will learn fascinating facts, such as just how big they can get, how many there are in the universe, and the spectacular fashion in which some die. Readers can explore the universe of nebulae, the interstellar dust from which stars are born. Treat your star-gazers to a terrific guide.

An understanding of how stars evolve is central to astrophysics. The basic theory is well established. However, the subject has undergone a renaissance in recent years as powerful computers have become widely available and allowed complex evolutionary models to be developed and compared in great detail with observations from the latest instruments. This timely volume presents the review articles from an international meeting in Elba, Italy, where experts gathered to review how our understanding of stellar evolution has advanced. Topics covered include fundamentals of stellar evolution, star clusters, variable stars, asymptotic giant branch stars, degenerate stars, the evolution of binary stars, and chemical and galactic evolution. Throughout, theory and observation are closely compared. The book also emphasises the critical role stars have on our understanding of how galaxies evolve. In this book we are provided with both the fundamentals and the latest research. In this way, it will provide an invaluable supplement for graduate students, and a timely review for researchers.

How old is our Universe? At what speed is our Universe expanding? Is our universe flat or curved? How is the hierarchical structure of the present Universe formed? The purpose of IAU Symposium 183 on the Cosmological Parameters and the Evolution of the Universe was to encourage a state-of-the-art discussion and assessment of cosmology by putting together the latest observational data and theoretical ideas on the evolution of the universe and cosmological parameters. In this volume, excellent reviews on these subjects by distinguished scientists are included. The first article by M.S. Longair, `Cosmological Parameters and the Evolution of the Universe: Progress and Prospect', is a magnificent general review which can be understood by non-specialists. The other reviews include Hubble Constants (W.L. Freedman, G.A. Tammann), Microwave Background Radiation (R.B. Partridge, N. Sugiyama), Galaxy Formation and Evolution (R.S. Ellis) and Alternative Cosmological Models (J.V. Narlikar). In addition to the reviews, recent observational and theoretical developments by outstanding active scientists are included.

Annotation Papers from a March 2000 meeting report on challenges in the areas of stellar dynamics, computing, and observations of the Milky Way, star clusters, and dense stellar systems in active galactic nuclei. Subjects discussed include star cluster dynamics, direct N-body simulation, structure and potential of the Galaxy as a whole and of the solar neighborhood, the Galaxy's nucleus, satellites, and disk dynamics, and its globular cluster system. Some specific paper topics include Monte Carlo simulations of globular cluster dynamics, stellar collisions in the galactic center, faint moving objects of the dark halo, and cross-dynamics of open clusters in the Galaxy. This work lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)