Radiative transfer in moving media. Basic mathematical methods for radiative transfer in spherically symmetrical moving media (Q4950406)

This book is mainly concerned with the radiative transfer equations, and their solutions in spherically symmetric moving media. The material is divided into eight chapters. Chapter 1 is concerned with the physical notions required for the basic understanding of the transport processes involving radiation-matter interactions; it establishes moment equations and then outlines the known methods of solutions, the details of which are explained in subsequent chapters along with simple illustrations. Chapter 2 deals with physical properties of the atmosphere and the radiation field in the moving media together with the derivation of the radiative transfer equations in different reference frames. Chapters 3 to 5 describe the mathematical methods for solving the radiative transfer equations in lab frame for spherically symmetric stationary and moving media. Chapters 6 to 8 present analytical and numerical methods for solving radiative transfer equations in comoving frame for spherically symmetric moving media. The book is addressed to graduate students and researchers in astrophysics, in particular to those interested in the study of radiative transfer in stellar atmospheres; the book may provide the basis for a course although the absence of exercises poses difficulties. Misprints are surprisingly few and relatively insignificant. The only criticism I can offer, aside from the afore-mentioned ones, is minor. There is little of the quantitative comparison with observation so desirable in other areas where study of radiative transfer processes has been significantly pursued. This book covers only certain aspects of the field; for example, there is no account of the interaction of the radiation field with a gasdynamic flow, or the radiative properties of high temperature gases in stellar atmospheres which significantly influence the dynamics of moving media. Such studies are largely oriented towards hypersonic entry vehicles to obtain accurate calculations of the energy transfer from a high temperature radiating shock layer aided by shocktube experimental measurements of the radiative properties of high temperature gases. Nevertheless, it is a valuable addition to the literature; the choice of the material seems sound, and the newcomer will get a good background to which he is guided by references. The book indeed, contains several useful results and an authoritative overview; the reviewer hopes it provides a useful selection for the interested reader.