Astrophysical FlowsAlmost all conventional matter in the Universe is fluid, and fluid dynamics plays a crucial role in astrophysics. This graduate textbook, first published in 2007, provides a basic understanding of the fluid dynamical processes relevant to astrophysics. The mathematics used to describe these processes is simplified to bring out the underlying physics. The authors cover many topics, including wave propagation, shocks, spherical flows, stellar oscillations, the instabilities caused by effects such as magnetic fields, thermal driving, gravity, shear flows, and the basic concepts of compressible fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics. The authors are Directors of the UK Astrophysical Fluids Facility (UKAFF) at the University of Leicester, and editors of the Cambridge Astrophysics Series. This book has been developed from a course in astrophysical fluid dynamics taught at the University of Cambridge. It is suitable for graduate students in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics, and requires only a basic familiarity with fluid dynamics. |
Contents
2 | |
Compressible media | 17 |
Spherically symmetric flows | 44 |
Stellar models and stellar oscillations | 60 |
Stellar oscillations waves in stratified media | 78 |
Damping and excitation of stellar oscillations | 90 |
Magnetic instability in a static atmosphere | 102 |
Thermal instabilities | 113 |
Gravitational instability | 123 |
Linear shear flows | 134 |
Rotating flows | 150 |
Circular shear flow | 158 |
Modes in rotating stars | 178 |
Cylindrical shear flownonaxisymmetric instability | 191 |
xi | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adiabatic algebra analysis angular momentum angular velocity assume astrophysical atmosphere axisymmetric boundary condition Chap compressible configuration consider const constant curves cylinder define definition density perturbation derivative dispersion relation energy equation entropy equation becomes equation is given equation of motion equivalently find finite first first-order fixed flow fluid fluid dynamics fluid element flux following form Fourier transform function g-modes gravitational potential heat hydrostatic equilibrium implies incompressible fluid instability integrate interstellar medium Lagrangian perturbation linearized equations magnetic field mass conservation mass conservation equation modes momentum equation move obtain perfect gas perturbation phase velocity physical plane pressure problem profile propagation quantities radial radius Rayleigh criterion require satisfied self-gravity shear flow shock solution sound speed specific spherical surface temperature theorem thermal timescale uniform density unperturbed vector vorticity wavenumber zero
Popular passages
Page 5 - Ski is the second-order stress tensor, gt is the body force per unit mass, e is the internal energy per unit mass, and qt is the heat flux vector.
Page 3 - Since the volume V is arbitrary, we conclude that the integrand must itself vanish, that is 0, (1.4) at and, equivalently, in suffix notation + -(puj) = 0.