Relativistic Fluids and Magneto-fluids : With Applications in Astrophysics and Plasma Physics (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)

Rating:
Summary: Serves a hungry audience
Review: The subject of perfect and imperfect fluids in curved backgrounds obviously has direct relevance to astrophysical phenomena; and particularly in this age of the HST / gravity wave observatories. However, the subject remains mathematically burdened by the singularities of black holes and shocks; and many old unresolved problems exist in this field. This text is an ideal source for researchers seeking to learn what is known, what can be done, and what remains to be done.

The monograph contains sections on perfect and imperfect fluids in flat space, perfect and imperfect fluids in curved space,relativistic magneto-hydrodynamics (ala Vlasov), combustion, shocks, and more. Emphasis is given to alternative / standard / non-standard formulations and analyses that are conducive to field configurations that evolve into shocks. Numerical researchers -- among many others including astrophysicists-- will find much useful material in those sections alone.

The writing of this text is concise with a level of rigor that is affordable to beginning graduate students and workers in the field.