D.I.Nagirner, Astronomical Institute of St Petersburg University, Russia

This volume presents an introduction to radiative transfer theory and covers the theory of scattering of isotropic and anisotropic monochromatic radiation and the theory of line radiation with complete or partial frequency redistribution.  The geometry of the media considered is assumed to be planar and infinite and semi-infinite media are studied as well as the case of a finite plane layer.  The volume is intended for graduates, postgraduates and researchers in theoretical astrophysics.

P.A.Denissenkov

St Petersburg State University, Russia

This review presents the results of studies on subjects closely related to the problems of abundance anomalies in globular clusters. It covers the problem of deep mixing in globular-cluster red giants and describes a diffusion model and a mechanism for extra mixing in red giants. The volume provides a useful source of reference for graduates and researchers in astrophysics.

N.V.Voshchinnikov

Astronomy Department and Sobolov Astronomical Institute

St Petersburg University, Russia

The optics of small particles is useful in the interpretation of observational phenomena related to extinction, scattering and emission of radiation by dust grains in space. This review presents three components of dust modelling: Optical constants: , Light scattering theories and models. The author aims to show how the general laws of the optics of dust particles work and to highlight the information about cosmic dust

S.Fabrika, Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences

The review describes observations and investigations of the unique object SS433 obtained after 23 years of studying this massive binary system. The main difference between SS433 and other known X-ray binaries is the action of a constant supercritical regime for the accretion of gas onto the relativistic star (most likely a black hole), which has led to the formation of a supercritical accretion disk and collimated relativistic jets. The properties of jets are to a large extent determined by their interaction with the disk wind. The precession of the disk and jets as well as the eclipsing in the binary system make SS433 a unique laboratory for studies of mechanisms for the microquasar phenomenon. The author describes the main ideas and results emerging from studies of the formation of the jets and supercritical accretion disk in SS433. Observational manifestations of the wind and of gas flows in the system are reviewed together with the possible properties of the material lost by the system in the equatorial plane