Dynamical Evolution of Globular Clusters

One of the world's most distinguished astrophysicists presents a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the dynamical evolution of globular clusters. These clusters, of which there are typically 100 per galaxy, each containing some 100,00 stars, evolve slowly and their cores gradually collapse as a result of gravitational encounters between pairs of stars. Lyman Spitzer's research in this field established the framework for decades of investigation. Now he summarizes in a unified, systematic way this branch of theoretical astrophysics with its still challenging problems.

An introductory chapter summarizes observations on the globular clusters of our Galaxy. Then follows a full description of the theoretical analysis developed during the last twenty years. The final two of the seven chapters discuss how the collapse of a cluster core terminates as a result of double star formation, with neutron stars and black holes possibly involved. In addition, the postcollapse phase, currently a rapidly developing field of research, is briefly described.

Lyman Spitzer, Jr., who was awarded the Crafoord Prize in 1985 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Science, is Senior Research Astronomer at Princeton University. His books include Physics of Fully Ionized Gases (Wiley), Physical Processes in the Interstellar Medium (Wiley), and Searching between the Stars (Yale).