Dynamics of Galaxies

Review of the first edition: '… fills a major need for a graduate-level, physically based introduction to galaxies, and it will be of very wide appeal as a course text. The original approach leads to a rich physical intuition of real kinematical systems. A particular strength is the detailed analysis of the limitations of current methods and theories.' Gerry Gilmore, University of Cambridge

Review of the first edition: '[This] book is particularly useful for students interested in mathematical methods of galactic dynamics. Bertin's comparisons between galactic dynamics and plasma physics are also innovative and illustrative … Many of his descriptions are particularly good for beginning graduate students: his chapter on dispersive waves, for example. Each chapter includes thought-provoking questions.' Debra Elmegreen and Bruce C. Elmegreen, Physics Today

Review of the first edition: 'Bertin takes an Olympian view of this complex field and describes it with remarkable clarity and depth.' Tjeerd S. van Albada, Groningen University

Review of the first edition: 'This book is a joy to read. It connects the internal dynamics of galaxies to the physics of plasmas and the theory of wave in fluids with a delight in the universality of the laws of mechanics … An endearing characteristic is its lack of dogmatism, both in the theory of spiral structure and over dark matter … [For graduates] who want a single book for their own learning it is highly recommended. It gives an excellent introduction to the properties and internal dynamics of galaxies that allows the subject to provide its own evidence on their nature and constitution unencumbered by the philosophical baggage of cosmology.' Donald Lynden-Bell, The Observatory

'This is a superb, advanced, and up-to-date volume on all types and aspects of galaxies covering the expanding range of modern observations, the analytical theory of self-gravitating collisionless systems, and N-body simulations. It will be valuable as the basic text in a graduate-level course on galaxies and as a reference text for astronomers doing research on galaxies. For course use, the text is accompanied by extended problem sets developed by Professor Bertin over many years of graduate teaching and research on galaxies. I am very impressed.' Richard Lovelace, Cornell University

'This book provides a rich introduction to the dynamics of galaxies at the graduate level, progressing from basic observations, concepts and techniques, to active areas of research. Enough mathematics is presented to empower the reader, but the emphasis is on imparting a physical understanding of underlying principles and research frontiers. New chapters in the second edition on gravitational lensing and self-gravitating accretion disks provide a welcome exposure to these active research areas and connect to the fundamentals of previous chapters. The book distinguishes itself by making explicit the conceptual links between classical gravitational dynamics, plasma physics, and fluid dynamics. This, in turn, results in a particularly attractive text for a robust graduate astrophysics course curriculum. Researchers, instructors and students will all appreciate the comprehensive reference lists for each chapter and the plethora of practice problems.' Eric G. Blackman, University of Rochester

'This book presents a good introduction to many advanced topics in the area of galactic structure and evolution usually not covered in more introductory texts. The approach is original, particularly by presenting many interesting parallels and analogies with other areas of physics. To sum up: a very useful book for studying this subject at graduate level.' Ilian Iliev, University of Sussex