Elements of Astrophysics

Description

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. — 435 p. — ISBN-10: 1503100111, ISBN-13: 978-1503100114These are the notes that have grown out of an introductory graduate course the author have given for the past few years at the IfA. They are meant to be a 'primer' for students embarking on a Ph.D. in astronomy. The level is somewhat shallower than standard textbook courses, but quite a broad range of material is covered.ContentsPrefacePreliminariesSpecial RelativityDynamicsRandom FieldsRadiationProperties of Electromagnetic RadiationThermal RadiationRadiative TransferRadiation FieldsGeometric OpticsDiffraction TheoryRadiation from Moving ChargesCerenkov RadiationBremsstrahlungSynchrotron RadiationCompton ScatteringField TheoryField Theory OverviewClassical Field TheoryQuantum FieldsRelativistic Field TheoryMatterKinetic TheoryIdeal FluidsViscous FluidsFluid InstabilitiesSupersonic Flows and ShocksPlasmaGravityThe Laws of GravityCollisionless SystemsEvolution of Gravitating SystemsCosmologyFriedmann-Robertson-Walker ModelsInflationObservations in FRW CosmologiesLinear Cosmological Perturbation TheoryOrigin of Cosmological StructureProbes of Large-Scale StructureNon-Linear Cosmological StructureAppendicesVector CalculusFourier TransformsThe Boltzmann FormulaDispersive WavesRelativistic Covariance of ElectromagnetismComplex AnalysisIndex