Galactic Radio Astronomy

This book is a concise primer on galactic radio astronomy for undergraduate and graduate students, and provides wide coverage of galactic astronomy and astrophysics such as the physics of interstellar matter and the dynamics and structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and galaxies. Radio astronomy and its technological development have led to significant progress in galactic astronomy and contributed to understanding interstellar matter and galactic structures.

The book begins with the fundamental physics of radio-wave radiation, i.e., black body radiation, thermal emission, synchrotron radiation, and HI and molecular line emissions. The author then gives overviews of ingredients of galactic physics, including interstellar matter such as the neutral (HI), molecular hydrogen, and ionized gases, as well as magnetic fields in galaxies. In addition, more advanced topics relevant to the Galaxy and galaxies are also contained here: star formation, supernova remnants, the Galactic Center and black holes, galactic dynamics and dark-matter halos, magnetism of galaxies, interstellar gases in galaxies, and starbursts.

A unique feature of this book is its focus on how to analyze and interpret radio astronomical observation data and how to describe the underlying physics from such data. A wealth of figures and images will be a great help for undergraduate and graduate students to understand the contents. Furthermore, the well-summarized contents of theory and observation will appeal to young researchers as well.

Yoshiaki Sofue works on theoretical aspects of radio astronomy, galactic astrophysics, galactic dynamics, and interstellar physics. In particular, he focuses on galaxies (specifically the Milky Way Galaxy), galactic center, and interstellar matter. 

Prof. Sofue received his Ph.D. at the Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, in 1973. Between 1968 and 1982 he was a research associate at Nagoya University, the Department of Physics. Between 1982 and 1987 he was an associate professor at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, The University of Tokyo, and at the Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, between 1987 and 1988. Between 1988 and 2006 he was a full professor at the Institute of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo. During that period he was appointed the Director of the Institute of Astronomy and the Director of Kiso Observatory. In 2006 he became an emeritus professor at The University of Tokyo and in 2007 joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Kagoshima University and the Department of Physics, Astronomy Laboratory at Meisei University between 2010 and 2013 as a professor, respectively. From 1976, he frequently joined the Max-Planck-Institute fur Radioastronomie as an Alexander von Humboldt fellow, and, notably, was also supported by a Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship in 2007.

Prof. Sofue has served as a member of the Science Council of Japan, and also has contributed to the Astronomical Society of Japan (ASJ) as an Executive Committee member, Council member, Vice President, and President. He was an editor of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. He joined the Organizing Committee of Division VI of the International Astronomical Union and is currently a member of the International Astronomical Union.