This self-contained introduction to compact star physics explains important concepts from areas such as general relativity, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and nuclear physics. Containing many tested exercises, and written by an international expert in the research field, the book provides important insights on the basic concepts of compact stars, discusses white dwarfs, neutron stars, quark stars and exotic compact stars. Included are sections on astrophysical observations of compact stars, and present and future terrestrial experiments related to compact stars physics, as the study of exotic nuclei and relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Major developments in the field such as the discovery of massive neutron stars, and a discussion of the recent gravitational wave measurement of a neutron star merger are also presented. This book is ideal for graduate students and researchers working on the physics of compact stars, general relativity and nuclear physics.

'The study of compact stars has been enjoying a renaissance after the gravitational wave detection of a binary neutron star merger and high-quality X-ray data from instruments like NICER that constrain their properties. Schaffner-Bielich’s textbook on compact stars is a timely addition to the literature that offers a primer on compact stars, including white dwarfs, pulsars, neutron stars, quark stars and hybrid stars. The author discusses in depth the theory underpinning our understanding of these objects (general relativity and the thermodynamics of dense matter) but also presents updated constraints on their properties from observations, including gravitational waves.’

Dr. Marios Karouzos Source: Nature Astronomy

‘Compact Star Physics is a sophisticated monograph devoted to the study of the end points of stellar evolution. … the text Schaffner-Bielich … employs mathematical tools and expressions that are beyond what will be accessible to most undergraduates. This a very good and indeed up-to-date text devoted to an important part of astrophysics that should be found in college libraries.’

K. L. Schick Source: Choice