Pulsar Astronomy (Cambridge Astrophysics, Series Number 31)

Pulsars offer the opportunity to study physics in regimes unattainable in any terrestrial laboratory, and provide powerful probes for exploring the interstellar medium. This authoritative volume provides an ideal introductory account of pulsars for those entering the field, and an invaluable reference for established researchers. Pulsars, discovered by radioastronomers in 1967, are now studied at optical, X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. This book tells the exciting story of their discovery and then leads on to review all aspects of pulsar physics. This second edition has been thoroughly revised to include the latest understanding of millisecond and binary pulsars, and recent observations at X-ray and gamma-ray wavelengths. It includes extensive references and tables and a complete catalogue of all known pulsars. Written by two of the founders of the field, this book provides a unique reference source for researchers, and the only up-to-date introduction to the subject available for graduate students.