Suggested textbooks

In this course, we will be covering elements of stellar interior structure, stellar atmospheres, and stellar evolution. Most of the times, textbook including all of these 3 topics are relatively general, whereas detailed information is generally included in a textbook on only one of these topics. Therefore, we will not be following one specific textbook, as we will be covering in depth selected topics in each areas. However, it means that more often than not the same information can be found in multiple textbooks, explained in different way. Always a plus!

Recap of intro physics and intro astronomy if needed

• “OpenStack Astronomy: The equivalent of PHYS 133 or PHYS 144, also good for some of the basic physics relevant to astronomy: https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy

Best Overview textbook:

• “The Leblanc”: An introduction to Stellar Astrophysics, Francis Leblanc

  This is the textbook I use in the undergrad courses. It has a nice overview of all the material, sometime with relatively good depth for a graduate course. It is quite inexpensive, and an ebook is available. But it will need to be often complemented with other more advanced book.

All the textbooks below are more advanced texts. They are all on reserve at the Physics Library, and some of the e-text are available as PDF download from the Library,

Interior and evolution:

• “Prof. MacDonald’s book”: Structure and Evolution of Single Stars: An introduction, James MacDonald

  This book is a very good overview of Stellar Structure, written by our very own Prof. MacDonald! It is small and inexpensive, and includes calculations from modern stellar structure codes. There is a copy in reserve at the physics library, and it is available online from the Library website: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/udel-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6953026

• “The Kip”: Stellar Structure and Evolution, Kippenhahn & Weigert (& Weiss for the 2nd edition)

  This book and the next are the bibles of interior structure. The Kip is more analytical. There is a copy on reserve at the Physics Library, and it is available as a PDF from the Library website: https://delcat.worldcat.org/title/stellar-structure-and-evolution/oclc/817913300&referer=brief_results

• “The Hansen”: Stellar Interior: Physical Principals, Structure, and Evolution 2nd edition, Hanson, Kawaler, Trimble

  The Hanson is equally good, perhaps a bit more verbose and contain more details on numerical methods. There is a copy on reserve at the Physics Library, and you can read the whole book online, and download some part as PDFs: https://delcat.worldcat.org/title/stellar-interiors-physical-principles-structure-and-evolution/oclc/858876539&referer=brief_results

Atmospheres:

• “The Gray”: The Observation and Analysis of Stellar Photospheres, Gray

  This is a entry level textbook on stellar atmospheres. It is a bit observation-oriented, but the description of the opacities is good, with many figures. There is a copy on reserve at the Physics Library.

• “The New Mihalas”: Theory of Stellar Atmosphere, Hubeny & Mihalas

  This is THE bible of stellar atmosphere. Very detailed, very thick, not for the faint hearted! There is a copy on reserve at the Physics Library.