Recent advances in our understanding of instabilities in galactic type systems have led to an unravelling of some of the mysteries of what determines the form galaxies take. This book focuses on the mathematical development of the subject, assuming no prior knowledge of it, with a strong emphasis on the underlying physical interpretation. This framework is used to discuss the most relevant instabilities which are believed to be closely involved in the way galaxies are formed, in a model independent manner. The relevant observed properties of galaxies that may be used to establish the role of these physical mechanisms are discussed. The book also includes a chapter discussing numerical simulation techniques, with attention paid to their limitations and to recent advances in this approach. It is demonstrated that recent developments in computer hardware enable a detailed comparison of simulations with analysis. Thus the simulations extend our physical understanding beyond the limitations of the analysis. The book is intended for use by postgraduate students and researchers in the areas of cosmology, extragalactic astronomy and dynamics.

Since it was first published in 1987, Galactic Dynamics has become the most widely used advanced textbook on the structure and dynamics of galaxies and one of the most cited references in astrophysics. Now, in this extensively revised and updated edition, James Binney and Scott Tremaine describe the dramatic recent advances in this subject, making Galactic Dynamics the most authoritative introduction to galactic astrophysics available to advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers. Every part of the book has been thoroughly overhauled, and many sections have been completely rewritten. Many new topics are covered, including N-body simulation methods, black holes in stellar systems, linear stability and response theory, and galaxy formation in the cosmological context. Binney and Tremaine, two of the world's leading astrophysicists, use the tools of theoretical physics to describe how galaxies and other stellar systems work, succinctly and lucidly explaining theoretical principles and their applications to observational phenomena. They provide readers with an understanding of stellar dynamics at the level needed to reach the frontiers of the subject. This new edition of the classic text is the definitive introduction to the field. ? A complete revision and update of one of the most cited references in astrophysics Provides a comprehensive description of the dynamical structure and evolution of galaxies and other stellar systems Serves as both a graduate textbook and a resource for researchers Includes 20 color illustrations, 205 figures, and more than 200 problems Covers the gravitational N-body problem, hierarchical galaxy formation, galaxy mergers, dark matter, spiral structure, numerical simulations, orbits and chaos, equilibrium and stability of stellar systems, evolution of binary stars and star clusters, and much more Companion volume to Galactic Astronomy, the definitive book on the phenomenology of galaxies and star clusters

Galaxies, along with their underlying dark matter halos, constitute the building blocks of structure in the Universe. Of all fundamental forces, gravity is the dominant one that drives the evolution of structures from small density seeds at early times to the galaxies we see today. The interactions among myriads of stars, or dark matter particles, in a gravitating structure produce a system with fascinating connotations to thermodynamics, with some analogies and some fundamental differences. Ignacio Ferreras presents a concise introduction to extragalactic astrophysics, with emphasis on stellar dynamics, and the growth of density fluctuations in an expanding Universe. Additional chapters are devoted to smaller systems (stellar clusters) and larger ones (galaxy clusters). Fundamentals of Galaxy Dynamics, Formation and Evolution is written for advanced undergraduates and beginning postgraduate students, providing a useful tool to get up to speed in a starting research career. Some of the derivations for the most important results are presented in detail to enable students appreciate the beauty of maths as a tool to understand the workings of galaxies. Each chapter includes a set of problems to help the student advance with the material.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts aims to present a comprehensive documen tation of the literature concerning all aspects of astronomy, astrophysies, and their border fields. It is devoted to the recording, summarizing, and indexing of the relevant publications throughout the world. Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts is prepared by a special department of the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 44 records literature published in 1987 and received before February 15, 1988. Some older documents which we received late and which are not surveyed in earlier volumes are inc1uded too. We acknowledge with thanks contributions of our colleagues all over the world. We also express our gratitude to all organiza tions, observatories, and publishers which provide us with complimentary copies of their publications. Dr. Siegfried Böhme retired from his duties as co-editor of Astronomy and Astro physics Abstracts on December 31, 1987. Since 1950 he partieipated in the biblio graphie work of the institute. He served as a reviewer for the Astronomischer Jahresbericht and became one of the editors of Astronomy and Astrophysics Ab stracts in 1969. After his retirement in 1975 he took care of, particularly, the Russian literature on a voluntary basis for 12 years. It is a pleasure to thank Siegfried Böhme for his valuable contributions. Starting with Volume 33, all the recording, correction, and data processing work was done by means of computers. The recording was done by our technical staff members Ms. Helga Ballmann, Ms. Christiane Jehn, Ms. Monika Kohl, Ms.