Astrophysics Processes: The Physics of Astronomical Phenomena

by Hale Bradt

• ISBN13: 9780521846561
• ISBN10: 0521846560
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-27
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Bridging the gap between physics and astronomy textbooks, this book provides step-by-step physical and mathematical development of fundamental astrophysical processes underlying a wide range of phenomena in stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy. The book has been written for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduate students, and its strong pedagogy ensures solid mastery of each process and application. It contains over 150 tutorial figures, numerous examples of astronomical measurements, and 201 exercises. Topics covered include the Kepler-Newton problem, stellar structure, binary evolution, radiation processes, special relativity in astronomy, radio propagation in the interstellar medium, and gravitational lensing. Applications presented include Jeans length, Eddington luminosity, the cooling of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, Doppler boosting in jets, and determinations of the Hubble constant. This text is a stepping stone to more specialized books and primary literature. Password-protected solutions to the exercises are available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521846561.

Table of Contents

Preface

Kepler, Newton, and the mass function

Equilibrium in stars

Equations of state

Stellar structure and evolution

Thermal bremsstrahlung radiation

Blackbody radiation

Special theory of relativity in astronomy

Synchrotron radiation

Compton scattering

Hydrogen spin-flip radiation

Dispersion and Faraday rotation

Gravitational lensing

References

Acronyms

Appendix

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.