Table of Contents

Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; Preface to the third edition; Preface to the fourth edition; 1. Background; 2. Fourier transforms; 3. Spectroscopic tools; 4. Light detectors; 5. Radiation terms and definitions; 6. The black body and its radiation; 7. Energy transport in stellar photospheres; 8. The continuous absorption coefficient; 9. The model photosphere; 10. Analysis of stellar continua; 11. The line absorption coefficient; 12. The measurement of spectral lines; 13. The behavior of spectral lines; 14. The measurement of stellar radii and temperatures; 15. The measurement of surface gravity; 16. The measurement of chemical composition; 17. Velocity fields in stellar photospheres; 18. Stellar rotation; Appendix A. Useful constants; Appendix B: Approximate physical parameters of stars; Appendix C. Atomic data; Appendix D. The strongest lines in the solar spectrum; Appendix E. Computation of random errors; Index.

Promotional Information

A rigorous, engaging advanced textbook on stellar atmospheres: from equipment and observational techniques to analysis and applications.

About the Author

David F. Gray is a Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada, where he has held positions since 1966. He was president of IAU Commission 36, on the Theory of Stellar Atmospheres 1988–1991, and served on the observing-time allocation panels of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Canada–France–Hawaii telescope. He is a member of the Canadian Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union, Sigma Xi Honorary Society, and the American Astronomical Society, and has served on numerous organizing committees for astronomical symposia. He was an invited lecturer at the Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics, the Catania Observatory, and the Beijing Observatory.

Reviews

'Gray's newest edition has made several key improvements that will render it an important book not only for stellar atmospheres and evolution courses, but also for courses involving modern instrumentation techniques or for anyone working in the field of exoplanets. Each chapter is clearly and logically laid out and extensively referenced, including exercises to support scaffolded learning throughout the undergraduate and graduate curriculum; this makes the book an easy choice for professors teaching both introductory and upper level courses. Gray's new book is destined to become an essential companion for every professional astronomer whose research is impacted by observational effects and the inner workings of stellar photospheres.' Prof. Michelle J. Creech-Eakman, New Mexico Tech

'Gray's textbook has been a staple for my teaching and research for the past two decades. The close connection the book makes between theory and observation has always distinguished it and made it particularly valuable. The addition of new topics and results, and the inclusion of many of the more recent, seminal references make the new edition particularly valuable for students and researchers entering the field of stellar astrophysics.' Prof. Christopher M. Johns-Krull, Rice University

'David Gray's book puts the decades of the author's hands-on experience, combined with his scientific ingenuity, into a form that students and young researcher love. Clearly, David Gray's book has evolved. The Fourth Edition is not just a graduate student's textbook, it is now also an up-to-date window into practical stellar astrophysical research. As in the past, all my graduate students will get it as their bible.' Prof. Klaus G. Strassmeier, University of Potsdam, and Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics, Germany