James Lequeux Book order (chronological)

More than 4300 planets around nearby stars! Who could have imagined this extraordinary harvest only thirty years ago? As the vast majority of stars are surrounded by planets, we can surmise that there must be more than a hundred billion planets in our Galaxy. The Solar system is therefore very far from unique. However, it looks quite different from most of the external systems that we know today, but the variety of planetary systems is such that it is difficult to conclude that the Solar System is truly particular. Understanding how diverse planet systems were formed and how they evolved, studying the nature of exoplanets and their atmospheres, are challenges that hundreds of researchers around the world are working on. Does any of these planets harbor life? We do not yet have an answer, but the new means of observation and analysis that astronomers have and will soon have at their disposal are so powerful that they could give a first answer in a few decades, and perhaps even in a few years if we are lucky.This book gives a comprehensive vision of this complex and fascinating area of research, presentedin a simple and lively way.

Describing interstellar matter in our galaxy in all of its various forms, this book also considers the physical and chemical processes that are occurring within this matter. The first seven chapters present the various components making up the interstellar matter and detail the ways that we are able to study them. The following seven chapters are devoted to the physical, chemical and dynamical processes that control the behaviour of interstellar matter. These include the instabilities and cloud collapse processes that lead to the formation of stars. The last chapter summarizes the transformations that can occur between the different phases of the interstellar medium. Emphasizing methods over results, The Interstellar Medium is written for graduate students, for young astronomers, and also for any researchers who have developed an interest in the interstellar medium.