An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics

Any instructor who has used the first edition of this book can attest to its fine quality of presentation and its didactic power. The second edition continues this tradition, and in addition offers more material that reflects the many discoveries and developments in astrophysics that have taken place since the first edition. The observational tools in astronomy have become even more refined over the years since the first edition along with computing power, and these two facts combined with a robust community of theoreticians have pushed the limits of astrophysical knowledge. This book is of course a sizable one, and this reviewer did not read it in its entirety, but instead focused on those sections that addressed the new developments since the first edition.One of the interesting topics that are discussed in the book whose explanation was not found in the first edition is that of gamma ray bursts. After a brief historical discussion of their first detection, the authors address the question as to the origin of the bursts, i.e. whether galactic or extragalactic. They perform some rudimentary calculations that show how energetic the bursts must be if they were located in the solar system or from a distant galaxy. Early thinking on the cause of gamma ray bursts associated them with neutron stars, but the authors explain the problems with this explanation, and most interestingly, give arguments that support the assertion that there is an edge to the distribution of the gamma sources. Clever observational techniques resulted in the conclusion that gamma ray bursts are extragalactic. The `collapsar' and `supranova' models of gamma ray bursts are discussed, but the discussion is way too brief for those who want the in-depth details of these models. However the authors give up-to-date references for readers who want to dig deeper. From a perusal of these references it is apparent that the supranova model has gained the most popularity at the present time, even though some of the observations cannot as yet be reconciled with this model.Another topic of great current interest is that of dark matter, which is discussed in the last chapter of the book, and which the authors describe as one of the most important theoretical issues in cosmological astrophysics. This discussion is also short, but references are given, and its inclusion since the first edition reflects the theoretical interest. The paucity of experimental evidence for the candidates of dark matter has stymied theoretical developments, with most of the effort devoted to putting bounds on the candidates, such as axions and weakly interacting massive particles.No doubt this book will continue to be used in the classroom in years to come, and new discoveries will be included in future editions. With the CERN collider coming on line in the next few years, everyone interested will see the interplay between high-energy physics and astrophysics. The collider will give the theoretical astrophysical community new bounds on cosmological quantities, and in fact may open up whole new lines of research, all of it exciting, and proof positive that the twenty-first century is the most exciting time to be alive.

I am a graduate student (2008) with a BA degree in geoscience/astronomy. I have had Carroll and Ostlie's (C-O) "An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics" or as we students referred to it: "Bob" (for Big Orange Book) both first and second editions, for over 10 years and I find that I consult it often: e.g. when I get stuck on a concept such as spectral line-widths or absorption line wings and depths. The math is there and can be intimidating, but folks, you can't learn the phenomena behind the things you see in telescopes or hear on the news unless you know a bit of math! A normal introductory astronomy textbook just does not have the depth of explanation that C-O 2ed has.Great things about this book:1.) It is pretty complete giving a bit of historical insight into astronomy all the way through Celestial Dynamics, the Solar System, Galaxies and the Universe, Cosmology plus modern Lambda Cold Dark Matter (CDM), the current consensus model of the universe's structure and possible fate.2.) The physics are covered in-line in the text meaning, contextually and in an applied manner. An example is the Radiative Processes (bound-bound, bound-free, free-free, and Electron-scattering are covered in Chapter 9 applied to opacity in stellar atmospheres. This is the best way for astronomers to learn the supporting physics as opposed to the author just throwing out the theory with its arcane math as an "exercise for the student" to apply!.3.) The authors have given consistent ongoing support for the text on a website with errata, supporting diagrams as download-able .jpegs, plus all of the data (constants, planetary info, etc) in download-able datafiles. I just applied over 100 corrections for typos that the authors have collected on the second edition!This one feature is worth the price of the text and it wasn't cheap! I have to say that, in my many years as a student of science, that "An Introduction to Astrophysics, 2Ed" is almost unique in its ongoing support of the text with errata corrections.4.) Be warned: there are no trivial problems at the ends of the chapters in my experience. No "plug and chug" calculations. I have learned there is a solutions manual and I am working on acquiring that. The problems start at a challenging level for first year graduate astrophysics students and go up from there. You might not get an answer after working for some hours on these problems, but you will learn a lot in the process!In summary, there is no text I have found of comparable scope, written with more effective pedagogical technique, and with more lasting value for the serious astrophysics student than "An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, 2nd Ed" by Carroll and Ostlie.

The contents of this massive work cover every aspect of astrophysics, from the origin of the universe to its ultimate fate, and everything in between. The planets and solar system, stellar formation, dark matter, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation and evolution, bound systems, on and on and on, but you get the point. Truly comprehensive; you wonder how they were able to compile all the material and present it in such a professional fashion. Newly updated, which is important since astronomy changes so rapidly. No wonder the "BOB" (Big Orange Book) is so widely used at the best colleges and universities. However, not for the beginner. Bring all your chem, physics, and math tools -- you'll need them to enjoy fully this great text.

Our class covered most of the book in one semester. But this book is so inclusive that we really needed 3 or more semesters to finish. Unfortunately, astrophysics is taught at my university in just one semester. there is so much material that one can keep the book and work through it over several years.