Spectroscopy: the Key to the Stars: Reading the Lines in Stellar Spectra
This is the first non-technical book on spectroscopy written specifically for practical amateur astronomers. It includes all the science necessary for a qualitative understanding of stellar spectra, but avoids a mathematical treatment which would alienate many of its intended readers. Any amateur astronomer who carries out observational spectroscopy and who wants a non-technical account of the physical processes which determine the intensity and profile morphology of lines in stellar spectra...
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While most amateur astronomers know about the red shift, have a general idea of the way that the emission and absorption lines in stellar spectra provide an insight into the atomic processes of the star, it is unusual to find someone who has any kind of detailed knowledge. The reason isn’t lack on interest – far from it – but is because all the books currently available are pitched at professional astronomers and degree students, and are to say the least, difficult to read.This is the first non-technical book on this subject, written specifically for practical amateur astronomers. It includes all the science necessary for a qualitative understanding of stellar spectra, but avoids a mathematical treatment which would alienate many of its intended readers.Any amateur astronomer who carries out (or who is interested in) observational spectroscopy and who wants a non-technical account of the physical processes which determine the intensity and profile morphology of lines in stellar spectra will find this is the only book written specially for him. And of course, "armchair astronomers" who simply want to understand the physical processes which shape lines in stellar spectra will find this book equally fascinating.
Introduction xiSpectroscopy-A New Golden Age for Amateur Astronomy 1The Basic Stuff-Light Radiation and Atoms 5Light 5Electromagnetic Radiation 11Atoms 19Summary 21Behind the Lines-The Magnificent Energy Level Structure of an Atom 23Energy Levels 23Electron Transitions 26It All Comes Down to the (Quantum) Numbers 31The Rules of the Game-Selection Rules 34Order from Chaos-Spectral Series 35Dancing Electrons-It Takes Two (or More) to Tango 38Ions 41A Final but Very Important Note 42Summary 42Our Old Friend the Doppler Effect 45Waves and Movement 45How It Works 46The Relativistic Doppler Shift 47A Very Important Point 48Summary 50When Is a Spectral Line Not a Spectral Line? 51Line Profiles 51Equivalent Width 52Populations of Atoms 54Shivering Energy Levels 55Enter the DopplerEffect 57Turbulence 60Piling the Pressure On 61Convolutions 61How Broad Is a Line Profile? 63Summary 68Stellar Spectra and That Famous Mnemonic 69Stellar Atmospheres 69Continuous Absorption 70Line Absorption 72The Spectral Sequence 75Line Broadening 78Spectral Snapshots 79A Word or Two About the Herzsprung-Russell Diagram 80Summary 81Cool but not Smooth-The Molecular Spectra of Red Stars 83Stellar Atmosphere Versus the Chemistry Lab 84The Things That Molecules Do 84Summary 91Glows in the Dark-Emission Lines and Nebulae 93What Comes Down Must First Go Up 93Recombination 95Photon Degrading and Recycling 96Thick and Thin Nebulae 97Yet More Photon Recycling-Fluorescence 100Forbidden Radiation 100The Edge of a Nebula 102Summary 102Glowing Vortices-Accretion Disks 105Astrophysical Modelling 105Anatomy of an Accretion Disk 106Building the Model 107A Better Model 113Thinking Up an Even Better Model 115Summary 117The P Cygni Profile and Friends 119The Classic P Cygni Profile 119Wind Outflow Geometry 120P Cygni Profiles from Cool Stars 121A P Cygni Profile Mystery-Symbiotic Stars 122Summary 125Spectral Magnetism-The Zeeman Effect 127How Strong Is a Magnetic Field? 127More on Electrons in Atoms 128Momentum 128Angular Momentum 129The Wonderful World of x y z 130Enter the Magnetic Field 131Electron Transitions in a Magnetic Field 134Looking Straight Down the Magnetic Field 136How Wide Do the Lines Get Split? 138Complex Atoms 139Very Strong Magnetic Fields 139Summary 140'How Much Gold in Them There Stars?'-The Curve of Growth 141Abundances 141A Laboratory Experiment 142A Bit of Theory 143Another Bit of Theory 145Determining Abundances 147Summary 148Conclusion 149Powers of Ten 151Constants and Formulae 155Physical Constants 155Astronomical Constants 156Formulae 156Index 159
