Physics of Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution

The Physics of Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution is a collection of tutorial reviews which critically and systematically discuss the current state of knowledge concerning the entire scope of our understanding of the physics of star formation and early stellar evolution: from the origin of giant molecular clouds to the arrival of young stars on the zero age main sequence. The chapters are written at the graduate student level by an international group of twenty-one distinguished researchers, the emphasis being placed on fundamentals rather than recent results. This book provides a rigorous treatment of the basic empirical and theoretical foundations of modern star formation research. The authors have put together a unique reference book based on their own pioneering research in those fields. This book is intended for use as a primary or adjunct text for a graduate course on star formation and early stellar evolution or as a basic reference for the professional scientist interested in obtaining a background in this area of inquiry.