An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics E-Book

Francis LeBlanc

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 608

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Accessible and student-friendly textbook on the astrophysics of stars, now with new observational data and physical concepts

An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics is a concise textbook containing core content on and detailed examples of stellar physics and stellar astronomy. This new edition is revised and expanded and contains updated and new material on nearest and brightest stars, binary stars, Wolf Rayet stars and blue horizontal-branch stars, stellar evolution modeling and gravitational waves.

The book is divided in seven chapters: basic concepts, stellar formation, radiative transfer in stars, stellar atmospheres, stellar interiors, nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution, and chemically peculiar stars and diffusion. Student-friendly features include detailed examples, exercises with selected solutions, brief recalls of the most important physical concepts, chapter summaries, and optional and advanced sections that can be skipped on first reading.

A large number of graphs and figures are included to better explain the concepts covered. Only essential astronomical data are given, and the amount of observational results shown is deliberately limited in scope.

An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics includes information on:

• The electromagnetic spectrum, blackbody radiation, luminosity, effective temperature, the Boltzmann and Saha equations, and the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
• Hydrostatic equilibrium, the Virial theorem, the Jeans criteria, free-fall times, and pre-main-sequence evolution
• Radiative opacities, specific intensity and radiative moments, local thermodynamic equilibrium, radiative transfer and stellar atmospheres
• Energy transport in stars, polytropic models, stellar evolution, advanced nuclear burning, stellar remnants, and novae and supernovae
• Diffusion theory, radiative accelerations, and other transport processes
• New to this edition: sections on nearest and brightest stars, binary stars, the Eddington limit and stellar evolution modeling as well as several new special topics and additional exercises

Delivering intermediate knowledge on stars in a concise format, An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics is an excellent textbook on the subject for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying physics and astrophysics.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Companion Website

Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Electromagnetic Spectrum

1.3 Blackbody Radiation

1.4 Luminosity, Effective Temperature, Flux, and Magnitudes

1.5 Boltzmann and Saha Equations

1.6 Spectral Classification of Stars

1.7 The Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram

1.8 Nearest and Brightest Stars

1.9 Summary

1.10 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 2: Stellar Formation

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Hydrostatic Equilibrium

2.3 The Virial Theorem

2.4 The Jeans Criterion

2.5 Free-Fall Times

†

2.6 Pre-Main-Sequence Evolution

†

2.7 Summary

2.8 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 3: Radiative Transfer in Stars

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Radiative Opacities

3.3 Specific Intensity and Radiative Moments

3.4 Radiative Transfer Equation

3.5 Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium

3.6 Solution of the Radiative-Transfer Equation

3.7 Radiative Equilibrium

3.8 Radiative Transfer at Large Optical Depths

3.9 Rosseland and Other Mean Opacities

3.10 Schwarzschild–Milne Equations

††

3.11 Demonstration of the Radiative-Transfer Equation

†

3.12 Radiative Acceleration of Matter and Radiative Pressure

†

3.13 Summary

3.14 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 4: Stellar Atmospheres

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Gray Atmosphere

4.3 Line Opacities and Broadening

4.4 Equivalent Width and Formation of Atomic Lines

4.5 Atmospheric Modeling

4.6 Types of Binary Stars

†

4.7 Summary

4.8 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 5: Stellar Interiors

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Equations of Stellar Structure

5.3 Energy Transport in Stars

5.4 Polytropic Models

5.5 Structure of the Sun

5.6 Equation of State

5.7 The Eddington Limit

5.8 Variable Stars and Asteroseismology

5.9 Summary

5.10 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 6: Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Evolution

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Generalities Concerning Nuclear Fusion

6.3 Models of the Nucleus

†

6.4 Basic Physics of Nuclear Fusion

6.5 Main-Sequence Burning

6.6 Helium-Burning Phase

6.7 Advanced Nuclear Burning

6.8 Evolutionary Tracks in the H–R Diagram

6.9 Stellar Evolution Modeling

†

6.10 Stellar Clusters

6.11 Stellar Remnants

6.12 Novae and Supernovae

†

6.13 Heavy Element Nucleosynthesis: s, r, and p Processes

†

6.14 Nuclear Reaction Cross Sections and Rates

††

6.15 Summary

6.16 Exercises

Notes

Chapter 7: Chemically Peculiar Stars and Diffusion

†

7.1 Introduction and Historical Background

7.2 Chemically Peculiar Stars

7.3 Atomic Diffusion Theory

††

7.4 Radiative Accelerations

††

7.5 Other Transport Mechanisms

††

7.6 Summary

7.7 Exercises

Notes

Answers to Selected Exercises

Appendix A: Physical Constants

Appendix B: Units in the cgs and SI Systems

Appendix C: Astronomical Constants

Appendix D: Ionization Energies (in eV) for the First Five Stages of Ionization for the Most Important Elements

Appendix E: Solar Abundances for the Most Important Elements

Appendix F: Atomic Masses

Appendix G: Physical Parameters for Main-Sequence Stars

Appendix H: Periodic Table of the Elements

References

Bibliography

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1 Figure illustrating the various fields of physics that intervene in stars.

Figure 1.2 Planck distributions as a function of wavelength for , 6000, and 12 000 K...

Figure 1.3 Response of U, B, and V photometric indices (data from Arp, H.C.,

The Astrophysi

...

Figure 1.4 Monochromatic flux as a function of wavelength for two stars with and ...

Figure 1.5 Energy levels of hydrogen in eV. Various bound–bound transitions are also...

Figure 1.6 Ionization energy (from the fundamental atomic energy state) as a function of at...

Figure 1.7 Ionization fractions of Ca ions as a function of temperature (or depth) in the...

Figure 1.8 Theoretical monochromatic flux emerging from an A-type star with . The first...

Figure 1.9 Approximate line intensity as a function of for several ions. The spectral typ...

Figure 1.10 Illustration showing the portion of neutral hydrogen atoms found in the ...

Figure 1.11 A sample taken among the 1000 nearest stars on a color-magnitude H–R diagram. Th...

Figure 1.12 The main sequence on an H–R diagram. Several values of the mass are given. The s...

Figure 1.13 Relation between mass and radius for main-sequence stars (dots). Also shown is a...

Figure 1.14 Luminosity classes of the H–R diagram. These are identified in Table 1.7. The s...

Figure 1.15 Illustration of the relative size of various stars and other astronomical object...

Figure 1.16 Illustration of the spectra of two stars showing the line and an atomic line...

Chapter 2

Figure 2.1 A mass element of thickness and area at a distance from the center of...

Figure 2.2 Illustration of an imaginary cylinder of area extending from the surface of a...

Figure 2.3 Molecular clouds in the M16 nebula where star formation is present (NASA/Public ...

Figure 2.4 The initial mass function of the solar neighborhood (solid curve) as compared to...

Figure 2.5 A small mass m initially at rest (left-hand side of the figure) at the surface...

Figure 2.6 Pre-main-sequence evolutionary tracks of stars with various masses. These...

Figure 2.7 Spectrum of a T Tauri star. Reproduced from M. Moreno et al. 2006, RMxAA, 42, 19...

Figure 2.8 Photometric variability of the magnitude in the U band of the Herbig Ae star V35...

Figure 2.9 Spectra of an interstellar molecular cloud (see Exercise 2.7).

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1 A

nonexhaustive

list of interactions between radiation and matter is illustrated...

Figure 3.2 Schematic frequency dependence of the cross section per absorber (i.e. per atom...

Figure 3.3 Spectrum from a young stellar object showing several molecular bands for various...

Figure 3.4 Photoionization cross section as a function of energy of photons for the fundame...

Figure 3.5 Illustration showing the solid angle subtended between the angles and , and ...

Figure 3.6 Illustration defining the specific intensity .

Figure 3.7 Diagram describing the plane-parallel approximation. The dimensions of the...

Figure 3.8 Illustration showing a beam of radiation crossing a surface . During the time...

Figure 3.9 Illustration of a beam of photons characterized by that crosses a slab of...

Figure 3.10 Illustration of the problem discussed in

Example 3.3

.

Figure 3.11 Illustration of the concept of optical depth with respect to the stellar surface...

Figure 3.12 Illustrative explanation of the general solution for the radiative-transfer equa...

Figure 3.13 The solar corona as seen during a total solar eclipse (NASA/Public Domain)...

Figure 3.14 A picture of the solar corona taken with a coronagraph, superimposed on a picture...

Figure 3.15 Photo of a sunspot on the solar surface. The darker central region is called the...

Figure 3.16 Figure showing the migration of sunspots toward the equator during the solar cyc...

Figure 3.17 The number of sunspots observed over the last three centuries.

Figure 3.18 Rosseland mean opacity as a function of temperature from the Opacity Project..

Figure 3.19 Illustration of a beam of radiation defined by the specific intensity arriving...

Figure 3.20 Illustration for Exercise 3.5.

Figure 3.21 Illustration for Exercise 3.6.

Figure 3.22 Illustration for Exercise 3.7.

Figure 3.23 Illustration for Exercise 3.8.

Chapter 4

Figure 4.1 Temperature profile of a detailed atmospheric model with , and solar...

Figure 4.2 Illustration of the limb-darkening effect. The radiation from the disc’s center ...

Figure 4.3 The flux from a gray atmosphere at optical depths of and 2. The lack of...

Figure 4.4 Illustration of the effect of the width of atomic energy levels due to the...

Figure 4.5 The Maxwell distribution for H and C atoms in a gas at 10 000 K. The units...

Figure 4.6 Lorentz, Voigt, and Doppler profiles of a hypothetical atomic line.

Figure 4.7 Illustration of the effect of a rotating star on an observed atomic line width. ...

Figure 4.8 Illustration of the blending of two atomic lines. On the left, two atomic lines ...

Figure 4.9 Illustration showing that the component of the rotation velocity at the equator ...

Figure 4.10 Observed flux for two stars of similar effective temperatures but with different...

Figure 4.11 The surface flux within the line at the surface of atmospheres with but with...

Figure 4.12 Illustration of Zeeman splitting of an atomic energy level and its effect on the...

Figure 4.13 Spectra of the magnetic star HD 213258. Several atomic lines are seen, including ...

Figure 4.14 Illustration of stimulated (or induced) emission of radiation from a bound–bound...

Figure 4.15 Schematic definition of the equivalent width of an atomic line. The fictitious...

Figure 4.16 Illustration of the residual intensity and the line (or absorption) depth .

Figure 4.17 Illustration showing the depth at which the continuum is formed and where the...

Figure 4.18 Illustration of the varying shape of an atomic line as the abundance increases. It goes...

Figure 4.19 Illustration of the equivalent width as a function of the abundance of the species...

Figure 4.20 Flowchart of the algorithm used for atmospheric modeling of a plane-parallel mo...

Figure 4.21 The ratio of the local radius to that of the stellar radius, density, and pressure as a...

Chapter 5

Figure 5.1 Illustration of the mass found inside the spherical shell found between the radii and ...

Figure 5.2 Illustration of the energy generated per unit time inside the spherical shell found be...

Figure 5.3 Luminosity as a function of radius inside the Sun. The data used here are those found in...

Figure 5.4 The dependence of as a function of . Its maximum is found at .

Figure 5.5 Illustration of the convection process. A convective cell found in the bottom part of ...

Figure 5.6 The dependence of as a function of for polytropic models with various ind...

Figure 5.7 The dependence of as a function of for polytropic models of various ind...

Figure 5.8 The dependence of as a function of radius for a polytropic model with as ...

Figure 5.9 A cutaway diagram of the solar interior showing the radial extent of the core an...

Figure 5.10 The approximate domains of the validity of the ideal-gas approximation, radiati...

Figure 5.11 Approximate position of several types of pulsating stars in the H–R diagram. Als...

Figure 5.12 The observed visual magnitude for the prototype star for Mira variables, Omicron...

Figure 5.13 Illustration of the period–luminosity relation for classical (or Type-I) Cephei...

Figure 5.14 Magnitude, temperature, radius, and line-of-sight velocity (or radial velocity)...

Figure 5.15 An illustration of radial pulsation modes in a spherical object. The dashed conc...

Figure 5.16 An illustration of the propagation of a nonradial mode of oscillation. The waves...

Figure 5.17 Theoretical calculations showing the surface temperature of a nonradial mode of ...

Figure 5.18 The pulsation frequencies observed for the roAp star HD 24712 (or HR 1217) by th...

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1 The average binding nuclear energy per nucleon as a function of the number of...

Figure 6.2 The relative importance of the volume, surface, Coulomb, and asymmetry terms of the...

Figure 6.3 The abundance (in number of atoms of each species relative to the total number o...

Figure 6.4 A schematic picture of the nuclear potentials felt by protons and neutrons inside a...

Figure 6.5 A schematic view of the potential of a nucleus (solid line). The potential due t...

Figure 6.6 Illustration of the CNO cycles. The catalysts are circled. Figure reproduced wit...

Figure 6.7 The temperature dependence of the nuclear energy production rate per unit mass...

Figure 6.8 An artist’s conception of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (Courtesy of SNO) (Se...

Figure 6.9 The variation of the mean molecular weight in completely ionized plasma as...

Figure 6.10 Partial evolutionary tracks for stars of various masses. The numbered points on ...

Figure 6.11 The radius of stars with masses between 0.08 and 0.25  as a function of time...

Figure 6.12 Hydrogen mass fraction as a function of distance from the center of the star...

Figure 6.13 Illustration of the approximate evolutionary track of a star in the H–R diagram...

Figure 6.14 Illustration of the central region of a star near the end of its nuclear-burning life...

Figure 6.15 M57 (also called the Ring Nebula) is a well-known planetary nebula. The central ...

Figure 6.16 Onion-like structure of a massive star near the end of its life. The buffer regions...

Figure 6.17 The Crab nebula (M1), which is a supernova remnant. This object is composed of a...

Figure 6.18 Spectrum of a WN star showing several emission lines. The emission lines seen in...

Figure 6.19 Examples of the various types of normal galaxies: (a) a spiral galaxy seen face ...

Figure 6.20 The three components of the Milky Way galaxy: the central bulge, the disk (conta...

Figure 6.21 The open cluster M45 commonly called the Pleiades. It is found at a distance of ...

Figure 6.22 The globular cluster M4. It is found in the Scorpio constellation at a distance ...

Figure 6.23 The distribution of globular clusters in the Milky Way. This drawing of the Milk...

Figure 6.24 The time stars spend on the main sequence according to Eq. (6.29) for various st...

Figure 6.25 Color-magnitude diagram for the M3 globular cluster. Shown in the figure are the...

Figure 6.26 Illustration showing the angle of parallax of a star. The angle by which a telescope’s...

Figure 6.27 Illustration of the difference between the absolute magnitude of the zero-age ma...

Figure 6.28 Schematic model of a pulsar. It is composed of a rapidly rotating neutron star t...

Figure 6.29 Illustration of the deviation of a free relativistic electron’s trajectory by th...

Figure 6.30 Illustration of the apparent displacement of the position of a star observed nea...

Figure 6.31 An image of Einstein’s cross. This system is made up of a distant quasar that is...

Figure 6.32 Illustration of the curved path of a photon emitted (by an atom for instance)...

Figure 6.33 Schematic illustration of LIGO’s interferometer. Courtesy of LIGO Caltech/MIT/LOGO.

Figure 6.34 Illustration of mass transfer from a giant star to a white dwarf. An accretion d...

Figure 6.35 The light curve of SN I showing the magnitude in the blue part of the spectrum b...

Figure 6.36 The light curve of SN II-L showing the magnitude in the blue part of the spectru...

Figure 6.37 The light curve of SN II-P showing the magnitude in the blue part of the spectru...

Figure 6.38 Synthesis of the elements Cd through Sb. The stable isotopes are hatched. The so...

Figure 6.39 Nuclei incoming with velocity upon stationary nuclei .

Figure 6.40 The dependence of the nuclear cross section of the proton–proton reaction in the center...

Figure 6.41 Illustration showing the angular dimension of the planetary nebula discussed in ...

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1 Illustration of a gas (at constant pressure and temperature) composed of two types of particles...

Figure 7.2 Illustration of the forces on the particles of species 2 found in a mass element with volume...

Figure 7.3 Radiative acceleration of iron as a function of depth (shown in log that increases with depth)...

Figure 7.4 Evolutionary tracks for the Sun while including atomic diffusion (dashed line) a...

Figure 7.5 Illustration of the light-induced drift process. Shown in this figure is the line absorption...

Figure 7.6 Illustration the ionization fractions of HI and HII inside a star. The variable ...

List of Tables

Chapter 1

Table 1.1 The electromagnetic spectrum.

Table 1.2 Approximate wavelength of colors.

Table 1.3 Visual magnitudes of various astronomical objects.

Table 1.4 Lyman and Balmer series.

Table 1.5 Spectral classes.

Table 1.6 Solar abundances of the most abundant elements.

Table 1.7 Luminosity classes.

Table 1.8 The 10 brightest stars in the sky.

a

Table 1.9 Stars within 10 light-years (ly) of Earth.

a

Chapter 4

Table 4.1 Examples of Einstein coefficients and oscillator strengths.

Chapter 5

Table 5.1 Solar interior model

a

Chapter 6

Table 6.1 Leptons.

Table 6.2 Quarks.

Table 6.3 Electric charge of quarks.

Table 6.4 Neutrino energies for proton–proton chains.

Table 6.5 Major phases of nuclear burning

a

.

Table 6.6 Typical properties of population-I and -II stars in the Milky Way.

Table 6.7 Fundamental parameters of the white dwarf Sirius B.

Table 6.8 Spectral classification of white dwarfs.

Table 6.9 Schwarzschild radius and average density for several masses of black holes.

Table 6.10 Types of supernovae.

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Companion Website

Begin Reading

Answers to Selected Exercises

Appendix A Physical Constants

Appendix B Units in the cgs and SI Systems

Appendix C Astronomical Constants

Appendix D Ionization Energies (in eV) for the First Five Stages of Ionization for the Most Important Elements

Appendix E Solar Abundances for the Most Important Elements

Appendix F Atomic Masses

Appendix G Physical Parameters for Main-Sequence Stars

Appendix H Periodic Table of the Elements

References

Bibliography

Index

End User License Agreement

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An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics

Second Edition

Francis LeBlanc

Université de Moncton,

Canada

This second edition first published 2026

© 2026 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Edition History

John Wiley & Sons Ltd (1e, 2010)

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To Marise

Preface

This textbook is designed to be used by students following a first course on stellar astrophysics. It is mostly aimed at the advanced undergraduate students in physics or astronomy programs. It may also serve as a basic reference for researchers working in fields other than stellar astrophysics.

This work is not encyclopedic in nature and therefore does not cover, for example, all type of stars that exist in the universe. This book aspires to give intermediate knowledge on stars in a relatively concise format. It focuses mostly on the explanation of the functioning of stars by using basic physical concepts and observational results. A large number of graphs and figures are included to better explain the concepts covered. Only essential astronomical data are given. The amount of observational results shown is deliberately limited in scope since a too large quantity of observational data can be overwhelming and be counterproductive to newcomers to the field of stellar astrophysics.

This book is written in the scope of the students’ needs. Although the students using this book should have seen all the physical concepts needed for exploring stellar astrophysics, brief recalls of the most important ones are given. No prior astronomical knowledge is assumed. This work can therefore be used not only by astronomy students but also by students in a physics program. This book aims to explain stellar astrophysics with clarity and is written in a manner so that it could be read and understood by a physics or astronomy student with little or no outside help. Detailed examples are given throughout the book to help the reader better grasp the most important concepts. A list of exercises is given at the end of each chapter and answers to a selection of these are given. A summary for each chapter is also presented.

Some historical snippets are added to give some perspective on the chronology of various discoveries along with giving merited acknowledgments to the researchers that made these advancements possible. For a complete historical review of stellar astrophysics, the reader is referred to Tassoul, J.-L. and Tassoul, M., A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics, Princeton University Press, Princeton (2004).

The book is divided into seven chapters: Basic Concepts, Stellar Formation, Radiative Transfer in Stars, Stellar Atmospheres, Stellar Interiors, Nucleosynthesis and Stellar Evolution, and Chemically Peculiar Stars and Diffusion. The topics seen in the last chapter are rarely covered in such textbooks and distinguish it from others on stellar astrophysics. This chapter encompasses many concepts seen throughout the book.

The book is divided in core content (approximately 75%) which is considered crucial for a global understanding of stars and in optional content (about 25%). Some optional sections also contain more advanced topics. Sections marked † are optional, while those marked †† are optional sections containing advanced topics. These sections may be skipped without interfering in the normal progression of the core topics.

This book is mainly designed to cover the most important aspects of stellar astrophysics inside a one-semester (or half-year) course. The book is, however, somewhat too lengthy to be covered in totality in a single semester. The professor may then choose to skip a certain number of the optional or advanced sections in according to the length of the course given.

Some universities have two one-semester introductory courses (or a full-year course) in stellar astrophysics. They are usually divided into a course on stellar atmospheres, and a second one, pertaining to stellar structure and evolution. This book could be used as the main reference book for two such courses. Chapters 1, 3, and 4 along with the first three sections of Chapter 2 could be given as a stellar atmosphere course, while the remainder of Chapter 2, 5, and 6 could be given as a stellar interior and evolution course. Chapter 7 could also be seen at the end of either of these courses.

This book could also be used as the main reference for a first course on stellar astrophysics at the graduate level where the professor could choose to give additional selected readings to students to deepen their understanding of certain topics.

Francis LeBlanc

Moncton, Canada

Acknowledgments

Since the writing of this book encapsulates many years of study and research on the subject, it is natural that I extend my warmest thanks to the many professors I encountered during my studies, especially, Georges Bader, Guilio Bosi, Claude Carignan, Donald Duplain, Gilles Fontaine, Georges Michaud, Jean-Louis Tassoul, Hubert Reeves, Thomas Richard, François Söler, and François Wesemaël, who have guided me and often stoked my interest in physics and astronomy.

In view of the fact that this book is an offshoot of lecture notes that I have prepared for physics and astrophysics courses at Université de Moncton, I thank the many students who have contributed to improving some of the material presented. I wish to underline the contribution of Jarred Allison, Izzy Gallant, Tarik Imine, Issouf Kafando, Luc LeBlanc, Mamadou Lamine Ndiaye, Shruti Patekar, Raphaël Peralta, Marc Richard, Mouhamadou Thiam, and Boukari Yameogo.

I also thank my colleagues and the staff at our department who were very supportive in this endeavor, especially Francine Maillet. I also thank the many colleagues from all over the world with whom I have collaborated in my research and who graciously shared their passion and wisdom. I am also grateful to the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and La Faculté des Études Supérieures et de la Recherche de l’Université de Moncton for funding my research projects.

I also want to express my gratitude to the following people: Georges Alecian, Gibor Basri, Normand Beaudoin, Martin Bolduc, David Branch, Robert Duncan, Robert Hawkes, Gregory Laughlin, Jaymie Matthews, Art McDonald, John R. Percy, Jacques Richer, Ruben Sandapen, John Sichel, Christopher Thompson, Mathieu Vick, and Francis Weil, who have given helpful comments on various parts of this book. I especially thank Viktor Khalack who has graciously read most of this book. His many comments led to major improvements in the manuscript. Of course, these individuals are in no way responsible for any errors or omissions that might appear in this book.

I also wish to thank Alexandra Carrick, Richard Davies, Judith Irwin, Anusha Krishna Prasath, Martin Preuss, and Sophia Travis for helping me navigate through the publication process.

I also express my gratitude to my family who has supported me in many ways throughout the years. Finally, my warmest thanks go to my dear wife Marise, who has shown great patience and has graciously accepted my relative absence during the writing of this book.

About the Companion Website

An Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics is accompanied by a companion website:

https://www.wiley.com/go/LeBlanc/stellarastrophysics2e

The website includes:

A complete solutions manual for the exercises.

Electronic versions of the figures for use in teaching materials.