The Hamilton-Type Principle in Fluid Dynamics: Fundamentals and Applications to MHD, Thermodynamics, and Astrophysics

The contents of this book in its English edition summarizes the basic re-search work accomplished by the author on the field of Fluid Dynamics, Magnetohydrodynaics (MHD), Classical Thermodynamics, and Astrophy-sics. Besides, it contains a section attached to each chapter with the title of Selected Topics. In these sections fine theoretical points are cleared up and a large number of illustrative problems are solved. This way the idea is to have readers who use this book as a text book as well as a research monography addressed to all those who study Theoretical Physics and who are interested in the analytical treatment of perfect and real fluids, as much as in the dynamic state of fluids electrically charged which flow in regions where there is a magnetic field, and also fluids at rest proper of Classical Thermodynamics. With this material we wish to facilitate the access to fundamental aspects of Fluid Dynamics, MHD, and Thermodynamics, and the application of these disciplines to Astrophysics. It is assumed that the reader is aqcuainted with Maxwell?s equations of Classical Electrodyna-mics, those of Hydrodynamics balance equations, and the fundamental postulates of Thermodynamics. A reasonable handling of the calculus of variations and the tensorial notation is required, as well as knowledge of the principles and methodology of Lagrange?s Analytical Mechanics. In general terms and from the view point of the required mathematics, the book is self-contained in the sense in which everything that is needed is clearly stated within the text.