Galactic and Extragalactic Radio Astronomy [Paperback]

Galactic and Extragalactic Radio Astronomy is a fundamental text for graduate students and professional astronomers and covers all aspects of radio astronomy beyond the solar system. Each chapter is written by a renowned expert in the field and contains a review of a particular area of radio astronomy and presents the latest observations and interpretations as well as an extensive view of the literature (as of 1988). Topics covered include: galactic continuum emission, HII regions, the diffuse interstellar medium, interstellar molecules, astronomical masers, neutral hydrogen, the galactic center, radio stars, supernova remnants, pulsars, extragalactic hydrogen, radio galaxies and quasars, the microwave background, and cosmological radio sources.1. Galactic Nonthermal Continuum Emission.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Physical Processes.- 1.3 Total Intensity Observations of the Galactic Radio Continuum.- 1.4 The Spectrum of the Nonthermal Emission.- 1.5 Linear Polarization of the Nonthermal Emission.- 1.6 The Galactic Nonthermal Radiation in Perspective.- Recommended Reading.- References.- 2. HII Regions and Radio Recombination Lines.- 2.1 Ionized Interstellar Hydrogen.- 2.2 Radiation Transfer.- 2.3 Continuum Thermal Emission (Bremsstrahlung).- 2.4 Basic Theory of Radio Recombination Lines.- 2.5 Refinements to the Transfer Equations.- 2.6 Single-Dish Observations of Radio Recombination Lines from HII Regions.- 2.7 Exploration of the Milky Way by Radio Recombination Lines.- 2.8 Radio Observations of HII Regions with High Angular Resolution.- 2.9 Other Aspects of Radio Recombination Lines.- 2.9.1 Low Frequencies.- 2.9.2 Zeeman Effect.- 2.9.3 The Sun.- 2.9.4 Planetary Nebulae.- 2.9.5 Dark Clouds.- 2.9.6 Galaxies and Quasars.- Recommended Reading.- References.- 3. Neutral Hydrogen and the Diffuse Interstellar Medium.- 3.1 Introduction: Fundamentals.- 3.2 Structure of the Diffuse Interstellar Medium: HI Emission.- 3.3 Temperature and Ionization of the Diffuse lҬ