The Official Site of the book: Galaxy Formation and Evolution

Synopsis

The rapidly expanding field of galaxy formation lies at the interfaces of astronomy, particle physics, and cosmology. Covering diverse topics from these disciplines, all of which are needed to understand how galaxies form and evolve, this book is ideal for researchers entering the field.
Individual chapters explore the evolution of the Universe as a whole and its particle and radiation content; linear and nonlinear growth of cosmic structure; processes affecting the gaseous and dark matter components of galaxies and their stellar populations; the formation of spiral and elliptical galaxies; central supermassive black holes and the activity associated with them; galaxy interactions; and the intergalactic medium.
Emphasizing both observational and theoretical aspects, this book provides a coherent introduction for astronomers, cosmologists, and astroparticle physicists to the broad range of science underlying the formation and evolution of galaxies.

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Details

Hardback, 840 pages
160 illustrations (B/W)
Size: 247 x 174 mm
Weight: 1.77 kg
ISBN: 978-0-521-85793-2
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
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March 22, 2012 Figures from Book now available for download
April 8, 2011 Sales worldwide top 1000.
February 3, 2011 Galaxy Formation and Evolution wins 2010 PROSE award
June 30, 2010 Official release date of book (USA)
May 31, 2010 Official release date of book (Europe)
May 25, 2010 Book now on sale at Cambridge University Press
May 10, 2010 Excerpts of book are now available on Google Books
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Errors in First Edition

Unfortunately, no major textbook is entirely free of errors, and ours is no exception. Please use the links below to either report an error, or to download a pdf file with all known errors and their corrections. If your browser does not support e-mail, please send an e-mail with subject `ErrorReport' to hjmo@astro.umass.edu

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Reviews

``Mo, van den Bosch, and White have written a comprehensive text on the modern subject of galaxy formation and evolution. The book is fully self-contained, covering the basic theory in depth, and including the essential background material on observations and the relevant theory from extragalactic astronomy, stellar astrophysics, and cosmology. It will serve as an indispensable reference for students and researchers alike, and is destined to become a classic in this field.''

Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr.
Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy
Director, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge



``Unraveling the origin and growth of cosmic structures, from the simplicity of the Big Bang to the complexity of the modern Universe, is an unparalleled achievement of modern science. Written by renowned world experts, this book presents a clear, systematic and comprehensive exposition of the physics and mathematics underlying these breathtaking advances. It is compulsory reading not only for those aspiring to contribute to our growing understanding of the cosmos, but for all those who appreciate the beauty and power of contemporary physical science.''

Carlos S. Frenk
Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics
Director, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University



``[...] this text breaks new ground in being the first comprehensive review of our present understanding of galaxy formation. [...The book] presents and explains rigorous mathematical models of everything from the evolution of stellar populations and chemical enrichment to the hierarchical growth of structure from cosmological perturbations. [...] Every topic is extremely well referenced and current (citing approximately 1500 research papers and books with a median publication data in the mid 1990s). This book is likely to be an essential reference for any galaxy-formation-research student or professor. In the coming years I can see myself dipping into this treasure trove on a very regular basis.''

Shaun Cole, in The Observatory, Dec 2010
Professor, Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University



``Galaxy Formation and Evolution by Houjun Mo, Frank van den Bosch, and Simon White is an ideal introduction for anyone with a minimal background in astrophysics who wishes to enter the field of large-scale structure formation. It is well suited for use in a general astrophysics course for senior- undergraduate and graduate students and is also an excellent reference source for more advanced courses on specific topics in astrophysics. The authors are leading theoretical astrophysicists who have made major contributions to galaxy formation theory. Their text provides a comprehensive review of relevant topics, ranging from the growth of the first density fluctuations to the evolution of the stellar populations in galaxies.''

Joseph Silk, in Physics Today, July 2011
Savilian Chair of Astronomy, University of Oxford

About the Authors


Houjun Mo is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Massachusetts. He is known for his work on the formation and clustering of galaxies and their dark matter halos.
Address: Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
E-mail: hjmo@astro.umass.edu
Frank van den Bosch is Assistant Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Yale University, and is known for his studies of the formation, dynamics, and clustering of galaxies.
Address: Department of Astronomy, Yale University, P.O. Box 208101, New Haven, CT 06520-8101, USA
E-mail: frank.vandenbosch@yale.edu
Simon White is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching. He is one of the originators of the modern theory of galaxy formation and has received numerous international prizes and honors.
Address: Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str.1, 85740 Garching, Germany
E-mail: swhite@mpa-garching.mpg.de