Physics of Interstellar Dust

Interstellar dust clouds catalyze simple chemical reactions absorb scatter polarize and re-radiate starlight and form the building blocks for planet and stellar formation. Understanding this interstellar medium is then of primary importance in many areas of astronomy & astrophysics. This book provides a theoretical description of the fundamental physics of interstellar material including a description of its composition morphology grain size and distribution dynamics dielectric permeability radiation scattering and spectral features. Other chapters describe the surface chemistry and role of dust in stellar formation including the spectral behavior of protostars and dust around early stars.