Millisecond Pulsars

This book provides a comprehensive overview of millisecond pulsars, covering their physics, evolution, and applications in astronomy. It includes contributions from internationally recognized experts and covers topics such as pulsations powered by stellar spin, accretion, thermonuclear burning, stellar evolution, and extreme physics of super-dense stellar cores. The book is valuable for professional astronomers and graduate students alike, as it offers a deep understanding of these fascinating objects and their role in shaping our understanding of the universe.

Format: Hardback
Length: 321 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book, penned by a team of esteemed international experts, presents a thorough exploration of millisecond pulsars, encompassing a wide range of topics in a single concise and cohesive volume. The chapters, written by these experts, delve into various aspects of millisecond pulsars, including their pulsations powered by stellar spin, accretion and thermonuclear burning of accreted matter, their physics and utility, stellar evolution, and the extreme physics of super-dense stellar cores. Additionally, the book provides substantial background material and incorporates recent theoretical and multi-wavelength observational results, making it an invaluable resource for professional astronomers and graduate students alike.

The behavior of the strong nuclear interaction and the matter constituents at ultrahigh densities in neutron star cores are central questions that millisecond pulsars are helping to answer. By studying these rapidly rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars, researchers can gain insights into the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions under extreme conditions that cannot be replicated in terrestrial laboratories.

One of the key aspects of millisecond pulsars is their pulsations, which are caused by the periodic rotation of the star. These pulsations emit radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from radio waves to X-rays, and provide valuable information about the properties of the pulsar and its surrounding environment. The study of millisecond pulsars has also led to the discovery of new phenomena, such as pulsar wind nebulae and magnetars, which are some of the most extreme objects in the universe.

In addition to their scientific significance, millisecond pulsars are also important for astrophysics and cosmology. They can be used as standard candles to measure distances and timescales in the universe, and their properties can help us understand the formation and evolution of galaxies. Moreover, millisecond pulsars are valuable tools for studying the behavior of neutron stars and the physics of high-density matter, which are important for understanding the structure of the universe and the origin of cosmic rays.

The next generation of instruments, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), will play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of millisecond pulsars. These instruments will allow researchers to observe millisecond pulsars with greater precision and sensitivity, and to study their properties in greater detail. This will enable us to answer some of the most pressing questions about the behavior of the strong nuclear interaction and the matter constituents at ultrahigh densities in neutron star cores, and to gain a deeper understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies.

In conclusion, millisecond pulsars are remarkable natural laboratories that provide us with a unique opportunity to investigate the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions under extreme conditions. This comprehensive book, written by a team of esteemed international experts, is a valuable resource for professional astronomers and graduate students alike, and will help to advance our understanding of the universe in the years to come.

Weight: 676g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030851972
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022