Modern Fluid Dynamics for Physics and Astrophysics

This book grew out of the need to provide students with a solid introduction to modern fluid dynamics. It offers a broad grounding in the underlying principles and techniques used, withsomeemphasis on applications in astrophysicsand planetary science. The bookcomprehensively coversrecentdevelopments, methods and techniques, including, for example, new ideas on transitions to turbulence (via transiently growing stable linear modes), new approaches to turbulence (which remains the enigma of fluid dynamics), and the use of asymptotic approximation methods, which can give analytical or semi-analytical results and complement fully numerical treatments. The authors also briefly discuss some important considerations to be taken into account when developing a numerical code for computer simulation offluidflows. Although the text is populated throughout with examples and problems from the field of astrophysicsand planetary science, the text is eminently suitable as a general introduction to fluid dynamics. It is assumed that the readers are mathematically equipped with a reasonable knowledge in analysis, including basics of ordinary and partial differential equations and a good command of vector calculus and linear algebra. Each chapter concludes with bibliographical notesin which the authors briefly discuss thechapter'sessential literature and give recommendations for further, deeper reading. Included in each chapter are a number ofproblems, some of themrelevant to astrophysicsand planetary science.The book is written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, but will also prove a valuable source of reference for established researchers.