Advances in Maser Theory

Abstract

Abstract. The groundwork of the cosmic maser theory was laid four decades ago. The elapsed time, including the few years after the last IAU symposium dedicated to masers, did not add much to the fundamentals. In this review, I will summarize some cornerstones of the theory, with an emphasis on issues that don't seem to have received due attention in the past. I will also comment on some new developments.