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More About This Textbook
Overview
Variable stars are those that change brightness. They come in many varieties, but each one provides important information about the star: its properties, its internal structure, and its evolution. This book provides a concise overview of variable stars, including a historical perspective, an introduction to stars in general, the techniques for discovering and studying variable stars, and a description of the main types of variable stars. Intended for anyone with some background knowledge of astronomy, it is especially suitable for undergraduate students and experienced amateur astronomers.
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
"Amateurs and academics with an interest in the subject of variable stars will perhaps come to regard this as a modern classic."The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
"Tightly written, and frequently interspersed with figures and graphs, the book contains and enormity of fact and discussion...a formost authority on Variable Stars...is a marvellous repository of information. As such it is an ideal textbook for a serious student, or a reference book for the amateur astronomer.: —Astronomy & Space
"If you want a comprehensive guide to the science of variable stars, you can't go wrong with a book written by John Percy, a world authority on variable star observation...as a guide to understanding modern variable star research, it's essential." —BBC Sky at Night
"It is certainly the most up-to-date readable description of the various types of variable stars and what is known about each...Basically, if you observe variable stars, you should read and probably own this book." —HTN of the AAVSO
Product Details
Related Subjects
Meet the Author
John R. Percy is Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. He is the world authority on variable star observation and author of books on astronomy and science education (especially astronomy).
Table of Contents
List of Boxes x
List of Figures xi
List of Tables xvii
Preface xviii
History and development 1
Tycho's and Kepler's stars 2
The beginnings of modern astronomy 3
Systematic visual observations 4
The photographic revolution 6
Spectroscopy 6
Classification and explanation 7
Photoelectric photometry: the electronic revolution 8
Consolidation 8
The modern age 9
Variable stars: the present status 12
Stars 14
Positions 14
Binary and multiple stars 15
Star clusters 17
Galaxies 18
Motions of the stars 21
Apparent magnitude 22
Distance 23
Absolute magnitude and luminosity 24
Stellar masses 25
Spectra 26
Colour 27
Temperature 28
Diameter 31
Composition 32
Rotation 33
Radial velocity 34
TheHertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram 36
Star structure 38
Star formation 39
Star evolution 43
Star death 45
Variable stars 48
Magnitude and Julian Date 49
Measurement of variable stars 50
Discovery and observation 55
Analysis of variable star data 61
Classification 71
Certification 74
Nomenclature 74
Bibliography 76
Rotating variable stars 81
The spotted sun 82
Sunlike stars 84
FK Comae stars 88
RS Canum Venaticorum stars 88
BY Draconis stars 91
Peculiar A (Ap) stars 92
Pulsars 96
Eclipsing variable stars 103
Overview 103
Ellipsoidal variable stars 106
Classification of eclipsing variables 107
Analysis of eclipsing variables 111
Detached eclipsing variables 118
Semi-detached binaries 121
W Ursae Majoris stars - contact binaries 122
Symbiotic binary systems 124
VV Cephei stars 126
X-ray binaries 128
The evolution of binary systems 132
Transiting exoplanets 133
Pulsating variable stars 136
Pulsation modes 136
Pulsation mechanisms 138
Modelling stellar pulsation 139
Non-linear effects 140
The instability strip(s) 141
Helioseismology: pulsations of the sun 145
Asteroseismology 145
Classical Cepheid variable stars 147
Population II Cepheids (W Virginis stars) 161
RV Tauri variables 167
RR Lyrae stars 173
Delta Scuti stars 182
Rapidly oscillating peculiar A (roAp) stars 190
Pulsating degenerate stars 192
Beta Cephei (Beta Canis Majoris) stars 195
Pulsating red giants (PRGs) 203
Red supergiant (SRc) variables 217
Eruptive variable stars 224
Flare stars 224
Cataclysmic variables 228
Supernovae 255
Gamma-ray bursters 270
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) 272
Pre-main-sequence variable stars 278
T Tauri stars 279
FU Orionis stars 289
Herbig-Haro objects 291
Herbig Ae and Be stars 291
Putting it all together 292
Miscellaneous variable stars 296
Be stars - Gamma Cassiopeiae variables 296
Wolf-Rayet stars 301
Hypergiant variable stars 304
R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars 312
Epilogue 319
Variable stars and astronomical research 319
Variable stars and amateur astronomy 320
Variable stars and science education 324
Variable stars and the general public 327
Acronyms 330
References 332
Resources 342
Index 344