A group of acknowledged experts describe the use of spectroscopy as a
diagnostic probe of astronomical environments. The broad sweep of the
book enables good coverage to be given to all the situations in which
plasmas are encounteres in astronomical investigations. Specifically,
the articles include quasars, Seyfert galaxies, active galactic nuclei,
the solar chromosphere and corona, galactic HII regions, circumstellar
shells, interstellar gas, supernova remnants and interstellar clouds.
The book includes an account of the basic aspects of spectroscopy in a
chapter on laboratory astrophysics. The book was stimulated by the
extraordinary contributions to astronomical spectroscopy of Leo
Goldberg, and is dedicated to him. Throughout, this book is written with
the needs of students in astronomy and astrophysics in mind. Each
chapter includes a summary or conclusions about the future direction of
research. Furthermore there are extensive bibliographies. This textbook
is therefore an excellent introduction to research in astrophysics and
it will act as a pathfinder to the primary literature.