Overview
- Deals solely with the processes and results of galaxy formation – a subject usually discussed only briefly as a subfield of cosmology
- Written from an observational perspective
- Discusses the theories for galaxy formation, and shows where each theory either succeeds or fails in explaining what we actually observe
- Draws on the most recent observations of galaxies in the early universe, obtained by the very latest ground- and space-based telescopes
- Looks ahead to what we may expect to uncover about the epoch of galaxy formation from the new and upcoming generations of telescopes and technology
- First edition received gleaming reviews in Nature, New Scientist, Astronomische Nachrichten
- Prof. Keel has been teaching the course for years at the University of Alabama and in Leiden, Netherlands
Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books (PRAXIS)
Part of the book sub series: Astronomy and Planetary Sciences (ASTRONOMY)
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Table of contents (11 chapters)
Keywords
About this book
The formation of galaxies is one of the greatest puzzles in astronomy, the solution is shrouded in the depths of space and time, but has profound implications for the universe we observe today. The book discusses the beginnings of the process from cosmological observations and calculations, considers the broad features of galaxies that we need to explain and what we know of their later history. The author compares the competing theories for galaxy formation and considers the progress expected from new generations of powerful telescopes both on earth and in space.
In this second edition the author has retained the observationally-based approach of the first edition, a feature which was particularly well-reviewed: Writing in Nature, Carlton Baugh noted in February 2003 that “It is refreshing, in a market dominated by theorists, to come across a book on galaxy formation written from an observational perspective. The Road to Galaxy Formation should prove to be a handy primer on observations for graduate students, advanced undergraduates and theorists who feel too shy to visit a telescope”.
The New Scientist wrote in March 2003: “William Keel delicately balances observational evidence against today's relevant theoretical possibilities”.
And Sepehr Arbabi-Bidgoli wrote in Astronomische Nachrichten that “Reading this book I often felt like sitting in an exciting and entertaining lecture given by an astronomer who knows the subject and knows how to present it to the audience”.
A Bibliography at the end of each chapter contains a resumé of books, selected research papers and Web resources providing guidance to further reading.
Reviews
From the reviews of the second edition:
"The work is clearly a labor of love. It immerses the reader in a thorough explanation of the latest data from modern ground- and space-based observatories. From Hubble’s original galaxy classification system to the standard cosmological model, it is all here. This is a well-organized, well-placed, and thoroughly referenced ‘golden review’ of galactic formation and evolution--a must have for any serious student or scientist in the field. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduate through professional collections." (T. D. Oswalt, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (8), 2008)
"Keel explores in this book … that the assembly of galaxies as we now see them has occurred continuously over the past 12 or 13 Gyr and can be studied in at least two ways: by looking far back, at large redshifts, and by winkling out the oldest stars surviving in the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. … Keel’s style is conversational; indeed the book is delightfully written, and the annotations to the bibliographic items pithy and informative." (Virginia Trimble, The Observatory, Vol. 128 (1203), 2008)
Authors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Road to Galaxy Formation
Authors: William C. Keel
Series Title: Springer Praxis Books
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72535-0
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-540-72534-3Published: 12 June 2007
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-09157-5Published: 19 November 2010
eBook ISBN: 978-3-540-72535-0Published: 17 August 2007
Edition Number: 2
Number of Pages: XXII, 262
Additional Information: Jointly published with Praxis Publishing Ltd., UK
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Classical and Quantum Gravitation, Relativity Theory