Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on X-Ray Binaries and the Formation of Binary and Millisecond Radio Pulsars, Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.A., Januari 21-25, 1991

The ideal text for a one-semester course in radio astronomy Essential Radio Astronomy is the only textbook on the subject specifically designed for a one-semester introductory course for advanced undergraduates or graduate students in astronomy and astrophysics. It starts from first principles in order to fill gaps in students' backgrounds, make teaching easier for professors who are not expert radio astronomers, and provide a useful reference to the essential equations used by practitioners. This unique textbook reflects the fact that students of multiwavelength astronomy typically can afford to spend only one semester studying the observational techniques particular to each wavelength band. Essential Radio Astronomy presents only the most crucial concepts—succinctly and accessibly. It covers the general principles behind radio telescopes, receivers, and digital backends without getting bogged down in engineering details. Emphasizing the physical processes in radio sources, the book's approach is shaped by the view that radio astrophysics owes more to thermodynamics than electromagnetism. Proven in the classroom and generously illustrated throughout, Essential Radio Astronomy is an invaluable resource for students and researchers alike. The only textbook specifically designed for a one-semester course in radio astronomy Starts from first principles Makes teaching easier for astronomy professors who are not expert radio astronomers Emphasizes the physical processes in radio sources Covers the principles behind radio telescopes and receivers Provides the essential equations and fundamental constants used by practitioners Supplementary website includes lecture notes, problem sets, exams, and links to interactive demonstrations An online illustration package is available to professors

X-ray binaries are some of the most varied and perplexing systems known to astronomers. The compact object which accretes mass from its companion star may be a white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole, whereas the donor star can be a 'normal' star or a white dwarf. The various combinations differ widely in their behaviour, and this timely volume provides a unique reference of our knowledge to date of all of them.Fifteen specially written chapters by a team of the world's foremost researchers in the field explore all aspects of the X-ray binaries. They cover the X-ray, ultraviolet, optical and radio properties of these violent systems and address key issues such as: how were these systems formed, and what will be their fate; how can we understand X-ray bursts, and how the quasi-periodic oscillations; what is the connection between millisecond radio pulsars and low-mass X-ray binaries; and how does the magnetic field of a neutron star decay?This long awaited review provides graduate students and researchers with the standard reference on X-ray binaries for many years to come.

X-ray astronomy is the prime available window on astrophysical compact objects: black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. In this book, prominent experts provide a comprehensive overview of the observations and astrophysics of these objects. This is a valuable reference for graduate students and active researchers.

This book is an introduction to pulsars, a key area in high energy astrophysics with continuing potential for fundamental discoveries. Throughout the book runs the unifying thread of the evolutionary link between rotation-powered pulsars and accretion-powered pulsars OCo a milestone of modern astrophysics. Early textbooks on pulsars dealt almost entirely with rotation-powered ones, while accounts of pulsars in volumes on X-ray binaries focused almost exclusively on accretion-powered ones. This is the first textbook to treat these two kinds of pulsars simultaneously with equal importance, stressing the fact that both are rotating, magnetic neutron stars, operating under different conditions during different parts of their lives. It describes the observational properties of both kinds of pulsars, summarizes our physical understanding of these properties, and pays detailed attention to the physics of superdense matter which neutron stars are composed of, as well as to the superfluidity which is expected to occur in neutron stars. Evolution from rotation-power to accretion-power, and vice versa, are carefully described. The effects of the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars on themselves, their emission properties, and their environments are discussed, as are the origin and evolution of such magnetic fields. Also treated is the superbly accurate verification of Einstein''s theory of general relativity through timing studies of binary pulsars, which led to the award of the Nobel Prize to Hulse and Taylor in 1993. On each topic, the book starts with simple, basic physical concepts, and builds up the exposition to the point where the latest and most exciting developments become accessible to the reader."

More than two centuries have elapsed since the story of the interacting binary stars began with the rediscovery of the variability of Algol by John Goodricke and the interpretation he proposed for explaining the regular periodic brightness variations which he found. Over this long span of time our knowledge about these systems has been growing, and we have now reached a fairly good understanding of the structure and behavior of this interesting group of objects. This book contains a timely summary of our present knowledge of interacting binary stars. The chapters have been written by distinguished scientists who have done relevant research in the field of interacting binary stars.

M. KITAMURA Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Japan and E. BUDDING Carter Observatory, Wellington, New Zealand The Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Astronomical Union was held from 30 September to 5 October, 1984, at the Kyoto International Conference Hall, Kyoto, Japan, under the auspices of the Union and the Astronomical Society of Japan with Kyoto University as host. Three hundred and twenty-seven astronomers from twenty-two countries participated at the meeting and more than two hundred papers were presented. The aim of the meeting was not only to promote scientific developments and cooperation, but also to offer a chance for all participants to become acquainted with major astronomical projects of the Asian-Pacific Region. Therefore, two new sessions of 'A View of Asian-Pacific Astronomy' and 'Astronomical Education in the Asian Pacific Region', which had not been undertaken in the previous two Regional Meetings, were arranged as a first trial, besides the other ordinary scientific sessions. The Scientific Organizing Committee consisted of D.C. Morton (chairman), R.N. Manchester, S.M. Gong, K.J. Feng, C.S. Shen, J.C. Bhattacharyya, G. Swa B. Hidayat, H.M.K. AI-Nairniy, H.S. Yun, J.B. Hearnshaw, S.C. Wolff, I. Ka rup, waguchi, M. Kitamura, M. Morimoto, M. Oda, andJ. P. Swings (IAU, ex officio); and the Local Organizing Committee of T. Kogure (chairman), T.lshizawa, M. Saite, R. Hirata, S.lnagaki, E. Hiei, M. Kitamura, B. Takase, N. Kaifu, H. Maehara, Y. Osaki, and A. Yamasaki.