Nucleosynthesis and Chemical Evolution of Galaxies

The distribution of elements in the cosmos, a result of the many processes in the Universe's history, provides a means for studying the Big Bang, the density of baryonic matter, nucleosynthesis, and the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. This textbook, by a pioneer in the field, forms a lucid, comprehensive introduction to the interdisciplinary subject of galactic chemical evolution. The author carefully explains a broad spectrum of exciting astrophysics, from thermonuclear reactions, abundance measurements in astronomical sources, cosmological element production, stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, to light element production by cosmic rays and the effects of galactic processes on the evolution of the elements. The reader is then equipped to develop an intuitive and analytical understanding of results from numerical models and real observations. Simple, elegant derivations for key results are provided throughout, together with problems and helpful solution hints. This long-awaited textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to the broad subject of galactic chemical evolution for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and an invaluable overview for researchers.