Lectures presented at the XXI Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics, held in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain, Nov. 2-13, 2009.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: List of contributors; List of participants; Preface; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; 1. Accretion disks Henk Spruit; 2. The evolution of binary systems Philipp Podsiadlowski; 3. Accretion onto white dwarfs Brian Warner; 4. Accretion in X-ray binary systems Robert I. Hynes; 5. X-ray binary populations in galaxies Giuseppina Fabbiano; 6. Observational characteristics of accretion onto black holes I Chris Done; 7. Observational characteristics of accretion onto black holes II Rob Fender; 8. Computing black hole accretion John F. Hawley; Appendix: Piazzi Smyth, the Cape of Good Hope, Tenerife and the siting of large telescopes Brian Warner.

"It has been more than fifty years since the first significant paper on accretion flows was written. In recent years, X-ray satellites capable of identifying accretion disks and radiation jets - indications that accretion has taken place - have significantly advanced our understanding of these phenomena. This volume presents a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the major theoretical and observational topics associated with accretion processes in astrophysics. Comprising lectures presented at the twenty-first Winter School of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics, the text emphasizes the physical aspects of accretion, investigating how radiation jets are produced, how accretion power is divided between jets and radiated energy, the geometry of accretion flow, and the accretion processes of active galactic nuclei. Written by an international team of experienced scientists, chapters offers young researchers key analytical tools for supporting and carrying out the next generation of front-line research"-- Provided by publisher.