Book Description

The publication in English of this monograph seems to me to indicate the ever increasing interest of astrophysicists in the physical and dynamical problems of planetary nebulae-one of the most interesting and fruitful branches of theoretical astrophysics. Their interest in part arises from the fact that the methods of identify ing the physical processes occurring in planetary nebulae, as well as the many theo retical results, are now acquiring a degree of uni versality as their sphere of application increases. Finally, the special cosmic significance of planetary nebulae is becoming apparent. The English edition of Planetary Nebulae differs considerably from the Russian version published in 1962, primarily because of the new results included in it, but also because of numerous editorial revisions. The problems of magnetic fields and hydrodynamics in planetary nebulae are beginning to occupy an important place in the study of the dynamics of these objects. Recent studies by D. H. Menzel confirm the idea advanced in the present mono graph as to the existence of magnetic fields in planetary nebulae. New light is being cast on the dynamics of planetary nebulae by the hydrodynamic investigations of F. D. Kahn, W. G. Mathews and others. Unfortunately I was not able to include these and other interesting results in the present edition.