Astrophysics: A New ApproachFor a quantitative understanding of the physics of the universe - from the solar system through the milky way to clusters of galaxies all the way to cosmology - these edited lecture notes are perhaps among the most concise and also among the most critical ones: Astrophysics has not yet stood the redundancy test of laboratory physics, hence should be aware of early interpretations. Special chapters are devoted to magnetic and radiation processes, supernovae, disks, black-hole candidacy, bipolar flows, cosmic rays, gamma-ray bursts, image distortions, and special sources. At the same time, planet earth is viewed as the arena for life, with plants and animals having evolved to homo sapiens during cosmic time. -- This text is unique in covering the basic qualitative and quantitative tools, formulae as well as numbers, needed for the precise interpretation of frontline phenomena. The author compares mainstream interpretations with new and even controversial ones he wishes to emphasize. |
Common terms and phrases
acceleration accretion disk ambient angle angular animals binary black hole black-hole cell charge chemical clouds clusters compact component cooling core cosmic rays Crab Nebula dipole distance distribution Earth Eddington Eddington limit Eddington luminosity electrons emission emitted energy density entropy equation escape estimate filaments frequency galactic disks galaxies gravitational Halo heat hydrogen interstellar ionized kinetic km/s Kundt lensing lightcurve Lorentz factors luminosity magnetic fields magnetic flux mapped mass density massive medium Milky momentum motion nebula neutron stars nuclear optical orbit oscillate pair plasma particle photon planets plasma Plate pressure pulsar radiation radiative radio radius redshifted relativistic requires rotation scales scintillations shock solar wind sources spectra spectrum speed spherical spin star formation stellar Strömgren sphere supernova supersonic surface synchrotron temperature thermal typical velocity wave white dwarfs windzone X-ray y-ray