Compact Stellar X-ray Sources

Cambridge Astrophysics

by Walter Lewin (Editor), Michiel van der Klis (Editor)

X-ray astronomy is the prime available window on astrophysical compact black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs. In the last ten years new observational opportunities have led to an explosion of knowledge in this field. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the astrophysics of compact objects that emit X-rays. Sixteen chapters written by the foremost experts in the field cover the observations and the astrophysical interpretation of these objects. Topics covered include binary systems, gamma ray burst sources, soft gamma ray repeaters, anomalous X-ray pulsars, super-soft sources, and enigmatic fast X-ray transients.

708 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2006

About the author

Walter H. G. Lewin, Ph.D. is a Dutch astrophysicist and professor emeritus of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Born in the Hague Netherlands, professor Lewin achieved his PhD in nuclear physics in 1965 at the Delft University of Technology and came to MIT in 1966.
Lewin's major contributions in astrophysics include the discovery of the first slowly rotating neutron star through all-sky balloon surveys, research in X-ray detection in investigations through satellites and observatories worldwide. Lewin is well known for his popular lectures on physics and massive online courses taught on edX and MIT OpenCourseWare.