Ever since the first observations of sunspots in the early seventeenth century, stellar rotation has been a major topic in astronomy and astrophysics. Jean-Louis Tassoul synthesizes a large number of theoretical investigations on rotating starts scattered throughout numerous sources, some of which are difficult to obtain and consequently not well known. Drawing upon his own research, Professon Tassoul also carefully critiques various competing ideas, some of which are evaluated here for the first time.
In the first three chapters the author provides a short historical sketch of stellar rotation, the main observational data on the Sun and other starts on which the subsequent theory is based, and the basic Newtonian hydrodynamics used to study rotating stars. Following a discussion of some general mechanical properties of stars in a state of permanent rotation, he reviews the main techniques for determining the structure of a rotating star and its stability with respect to infinitesimal disturbances. Since the actual distribution of angular momentum within starts is still unknown, Professor Tassoul considers various models of angular momentum as well as medirional circulation. He devotes the rest of his study to the problems concerning various groups of starts and stages in stellar evollution.
Jean-Louis Tassoul is Professor of Physics at the Universite de Montreal.
This new international monograph series in astrophysics is edited by Jeremiah P. Ostriker.