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Preface. <p>Acknowledgments.</p> <p>Introduction.</p> <p>Appendix: dimensions, units and equations.</p> <p><b>PART I THE SIGNAL OBSERVED.</b></p> <p><b>1 Defining the signal.</b></p> <p>1.1 The power of light - luminosity and spectral power.</p> <p>1.2 Light through a surface - flux and flux density.</p> <p>1.3 The brightness of light - intensity and specific intensity.</p> <p>1.4 Light from all angles - energy density and mean intensity.</p> <p>1.5 How light pushes - radiation pressure.</p> <p>1.6 The human perception of light - magnitudes.</p> <p>1.7 Light aligned - polarization.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>2 Measuring the signal.</b></p> <p>2.1 Spectral filters and the panchromatic universe.</p> <p>2.2 Catching the signal – the telescope.</p> <p>2.3 The Corrupted signal – the atmosphere.</p> <p>2.4 Processing the signal.</p> <p>2.5 Analysing the signal.</p> <p>2.6 Visualizing the signal.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p>Appendix: refraction in the Earth’s atmosphere.</p> <p><b>PART II MATTER AND RADIATION ESSENTIALS.</b></p> <p><b>3 Matter essentials.</b></p> <p>3.1 The Big Bang.</p> <p>3.2 Dark and light matter.</p> <p>3.3 Abundances of the elements.</p> <p>3.4 The gaseous universe.</p> <p>3.5 The dusty Universe.</p> <p>3.6 Cosmic rays.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p>Appendix: the electron/proton ratio in cosmic rays.</p> <p><b>4 Radiation essentials.</b></p> <p>4.1 Black body radiation.</p> <p>4.2 Grey bodies and planetary temperatures.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p>Appendix: derivation of the Planck function.</p> <p>4.A.1 The statistical weight.</p> <p>4.A.2 The mean energy per state.</p> <p>4.A.3 The specific energy density and specific intensity.</p> <p><b>PART III THE SIGNAL PERTURBED.</b></p> <p><b>5 The interaction of light with matter.</b></p> <p>5.1 The photon redirected – scattering.</p> <p>5.2 The photon lost – absorption.</p> <p>5.3 The wavefront redirected – refraction.</p> <p>5.4 Quantifying opacity and transparency.</p> <p>5.5 The opacity of dust – extinction.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>6 The signal transferred.</b></p> <p>6.1 Types of energy transfer.</p> <p>6.2 The equation of transfer.</p> <p>6.3 Solutions to the equation of transfer.</p> <p>6.4 Implications of the LTE solution.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>7 The interaction of light with space.</b></p> <p>7.1 Space and time.</p> <p>7.2 Redshifts and blueshifts.</p> <p>7.3 Gravitational refraction.</p> <p>7.4 Time variability and source size.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>PART IV THE SIGNAL EMITTED.</b></p> <p><b>8 Continuum emission.</b></p> <p>8.1 Characteristics of continuum emission – thermal and non-thermal.</p> <p>8.2 Bremsstrahlung (free–free) emission.</p> <p>8.3 Free–bound (recombination) emission.</p> <p>8.4 Two-photon emission.</p> <p>8.5 Synchrotron (and cyclotron) radiation.</p> <p>8.5.4 Synchrotron sources – spurs, bubbles, jets, lobes and relics.</p> <p>8.6 Inverse Compton radiation.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>9 Line emission.</b></p> <p>9.1 The richness of the spectrum – radio waves to gamma rays.</p> <p>9.2 The line strengths, thermalization, and the critical gas density.</p> <p>9.3 Line broadening.</p> <p>9.4 Probing physical conditions via electronic transitions.</p> <p>9.5 Probing physical conditions via molecular transitions.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>PART V THE SIGNAL DECODED.</b></p> <p><b>10 Forensic astronomy.</b></p> <p>10.1 Complex spectra.</p> <p>10.2 Case studies – the active, the young, and the old.</p> <p>10.3 The messenger and the message.</p> <p>Problems.</p> <p><b>Appendix A: Mathematical and geometrical relations.</b></p> <p>A.1 Taylor series.</p> <p>A.2 Binomial expansion.</p> <p>A.3 Exponential expansion.</p> <p>A.4 Convolution.</p> <p>A.5 Properties of the ellipse.</p> <p><b>Appendix B: Astronomical geometry.</b></p> <p>B.1 One-dimensional and two-dimensional angles.</p> <p>B.2 Solid angle and the spherical coordinate system.</p> <p><b>Appendix C: The hydrogen atom.</b></p> <p>C.1 The hydrogen spectrum and principal quantum number.</p> <p>C.2 Quantum numbers, degeneracy, and statistical weight.</p> <p>C.3 Fine structure and the Zeeman effect.</p> <p>C.4 The l 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen.</p> <p><b>Appendix D: Scattering processes.</b></p> <p>D.1 Elastic, or coherent scattering.</p> <p>D.1.1 Scattering from free electrons – Thomson scattering.</p> <p>D.1.2 Scattering from bound electrons I: the oscillator model.</p> <p>D.1.3 Scattering from bound electrons II: quantum mechanics.</p> <p>D.1.4 Scattering from bound electrons III: resonance scattering and the natural line shape.</p> <p>D.1.5 Scattering from bound electrons IV: Rayleigh scattering.</p> <p>D.2 Inelastic scattering – Compton scattering from free electrons.</p> <p>D.3 Scattering by dust.</p> <p><b>Appendix E: Plasmas, the plasma frequency, and plasma waves.</b></p> <p><b>Appendix F: The Hubble relation and the expanding Universe.</b></p> <p>F.1 Kinematics of the Universe.</p> <p>F.2 Dynamics of the Universe.</p> <p>F.3 Kinematics, dynamics and high redshifts.</p> <p><b>Appendix G: Tables and Figures.</b></p> <p>References.</p> <p>Index.</p>

"This is a very easy to read textbook although full of physical insight " (<i>Reviews</i>, June 2008) <p>"Good upper-level physics students…graduate students will cherish this book..." (<i>CHOICE</i>, January 2008)</p>

<b>Dr Judith Ann Irwin,</b> Department of Physics, Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario, Canada

<b>Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos</b> is an accessible introduction to the key principles and theories underlying the subject. It takes a close look at the radiation and particles that we receive from astronomical objects and provides a thorough understanding of what these information-bearers tell us. Chapters are dedicated to complex physical processes described in an accessible manner and pull together relevant background material that , with many examples, places the physics firmly into an astronomical context. <ul> <li> <div>an accessible student-friendly guide to the key theories and principles of astrophysics</div> </li> <li> <div>includes numerous illustrations, examples and end-of-chapter problems to enhance student understanding</div> </li> <li> <div>focuses on the 'how' of astronomy- how densities, temperatures, masses and energies are actually determined</div> </li> <li> <div>a 'tool chest' for undergraduate astronomers providing key background information to the subject</div> </li> <li> <div>describes the physics first, then moves on to provide examples of the theory in practice</div> </li> </ul> <p>This book will be invaluable for students taking courses in astrophysics, physics and astronomy and will also be a useful reference for graduate students looking for an overview of the subject.</p>

GB