Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos

ISBN-13: 9781119623687 / Angielski / Twarda / 2021 / 512 str.

Judith Ann Irwin

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Preface to the 1st edition xiiiPreface to the 2nd edition xvAcknowledgments - 1st Edition xviiAcknowledgments - 2nd Edition xixList of Symbols xxiAbout the Companion Website xxiiiIntroduction xxvI.1 Dimensions, Units and Equations xxixProblems xxxivJust for Fun xxxivPart I: The Nonelectromagnetic Signal 1Chapter 1: The Particles: Macroscopic to Subatomic 31.1 Meteoritics 41.1.1 Dating Meteorites 71.1.2 Infrasound 91.1.3 Gathering Dust 151.2 Cosmic Rays 171.2.1 Cosmic Ray Composition 181.2.2 The Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum 191.2.3 The Origin of Primary Cosmic Rays 231.3 Neutrinos 251.3.1 The Neutrino Spectrum 271.3.2 Astrophysics with Neutrinos 30Problems 32Just for Fun 35Chapter 2: Gravitational Radiation: A New Window 372.1 Concepts of Relativity 372.2 The Fabric of Space-Time 382.3 Curved Space-Time near a Mass 402.4 Gravitational Waves 432.5 GWs from Binary Orbits 452.6 Evolution of a Binary Orbit 482.6.1 The Inspiral 482.6.2 The 'Death-Spiral' 512.7 Indirect Proof of the Existence of Gravitational Waves 532.8 Direct Proof of the Existence of Gravitational Waves 552.9 Even Newer Windows 58Problems 59Just for Fun 60Part II: The EM Signal Observed 63Chapter 3: Defining the Signal 653.1 The Power of Light - Luminosity and Spectral Power 653.2 Light Through a Surface - Flux and Flux Density 693.3 The Brightness of Light - Intensity and Specific Intensity 723.4 Light from All Angles - Energy Density and Mean Intensity 783.5 How Light Pushes - Radiation Pressure 803.6 The Human Perception of Light - Magnitudes 833.6.1 Apparent Magnitude 833.6.2 Absolute Magnitude 863.6.3 The Colour Index and Bolometric Correction 863.6.4 Gaia and the HR Diagram 873.6.5 Magnitudes Beyond Stars 903.7 Light Aligned - Polarization 90Problems 91Just for Fun 95Chapter 4: Measuring the Signal 974.1 Spectral Filters and the Panchromatic Universe 974.2 Catching the Signal - The Telescope 1004.2.1 Collecting and Focussing the Signal 1034.2.2 Detecting the Signal 1054.2.3 Field of View and Pixel Resolution 1074.2.4 Diffraction and Diffraction-limited Resolution 1074.2.5 Weighting the Aperture - Interferometry 1094.3 The Corrupted Signal - The Atmosphere 1134.3.1 Atmospheric Refraction 1134.3.2 Seeing 1144.3.3 Adaptive Optics 1184.3.4 Scintillation 1214.3.5 AtmosphericReddening 1214.4 Processing the Signal 1224.4.1 Correcting the Signal 1224.4.2 Calibrating the Signal 1234.5 Analysing the Signal 1234.6 Visualizing the Signal 1254.7 Comparing Signals in Disparate Wavebands 129Problems 130Just for Fun 132Part III: Matter and Radiation Essentials 133Chapter 5: Matter Essentials 1355.1 The Big Bang 1355.2 Dark and Light Matter 1365.3 Abundances of the Elements 1415.3.1 Primordial Abundance 1415.3.2 Stellar Evolution and ISM Enrichment 1415.3.3 Supernovae and Explosive Nucleosynthesis 1465.3.4 Abundances in the MilkyWay, Its Star Formation History and the IMF 1495.4 The Gaseous Universe 1545.4.1 Kinetic Temperature and the Maxwell-Boltzmann Velocity Distribution 1575.4.2 The Ideal Gas 1595.4.3 The Mean Free Path and Collision Rate 1625.4.4 Statistical Equilibrium, Thermodynamic Equilibrium, and Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium 1655.4.5 Excitation and the Boltzmann Equation 1695.4.6 Ionization and the Saha Equation 1735.4.7 Probing the Gas 1745.5 The Dusty Universe 1765.5.1 Observational Effects of Dust 1775.5.2 Structure and Composition of Dust 1825.5.3 The Origin of Dust 184Problems 185Just for Fun 187Chapter 6: Radiation Essentials 1896.1 Black Body Radiation 1896.1.1 The Brightness Temperature 1936.1.2 The Rayleigh-Jeans law and Wien's law 1956.1.3 Wien's Displacement law and Stellar Colours 1976.1.4 The Stefan-Boltzmann law, Stellar Luminosity and the HR Diagram 1996.1.5 Energy Density and Pressure in Stars 2006.2 Grey Bodies and Planetary Temperatures 2016.2.1 The Equilibrium Temperature of a Grey Body 2046.2.2 Exoplanets and Their Detection 209Problems 213Just for Fun 217Part IV: The EM Signal Perturbed 219Chapter 7: The Interaction of Light with Matter 2217.1 The Photon Redirected - Scattering 2227.1.1 Elastic Scattering 2267.1.2 Inelastic Scattering 2347.2 The Photon Lost - Absorption 2387.2.1 Particle Kinetic Energy - Heating 2387.2.2 Change of State - Ionization and the Strömgren Sphere 2397.3 The Wavefront Redirected - Refraction 2427.4 Quantifying Opacity and Transparency 2457.4.1 Total Opacity and the Optical Depth 2457.4.2 Dynamics of Opacity - Pulsation and Stellar Winds 2497.5 The Opacity of Dust - Extinction 253Problems 255Just for Fun 259Chapter 8: The Signal Transferred 2618.1 Types of Energy Transfer 2618.2 The Equation of Transfer 2638.3 Solutions to the Equation of Transfer 2658.3.1 Case A: No Cloud 2658.3.2 Case B: Absorbing, but Not Emitting Cloud 2668.3.3 Case C: Emitting, but Not Absorbing Cloud 2668.3.4 Case D: Cloud in Thermodynamic Equilibrium (TE) 2678.3.5 Case E: Emitting and Absorbing Cloud 2678.3.6 Case F: Emitting and Absorbing Cloud in LTE 2688.4 Implications of the LTE Solution 2688.4.1 Implications for Temperature 2688.4.2 Observability of Emission and Absorption Lines 2698.4.3 Determining Temperature and Optical Depth of HI Clouds 276Problems 279Just for Fun 280Chapter 9: The Interaction of Light with Space 2819.1 Redshifts and Blueshifts 2829.1.1 The Doppler Shift - Deciphering Dynamics 2829.1.2 The Expansion Redshift 2919.1.3 The Gravitational Redshift 2949.2 Gravitational Refraction 2959.2.1 Geometry and Mass of a Gravitational Lens 2969.2.2 Microlensing - MACHOs and Planets 3019.2.3 Cosmological Distances with Gravitational Lenses - Time Delays and H0 3039.3 Time Variability and Source Size 3059.4 A Brief Coda 305Problems 306Just for Fun 310Part V: The EM Signal Emitted 311Chapter 10: Continuum Emission 31310.1 Characteristics of Continuum Emission - Thermal and Nonthermal 31410.2 Bremsstrahlung (Free-Free) Emission 31510.2.1 The Thermal Bremsstrahlung Spectrum 31610.2.2 Radio Emission from HII and Other Ionized Regions 32110.2.3 X-ray Emission from Hot Diffuse Gas 32510.3 Free-Bound (Recombination) Emission 33210.4 Two-Photon Emission 33510.5 Synchrotron (and Cyclotron) Radiation 33610.5.1 Cyclotron Radiation - Planets to Pulsars 33910.5.2 The Synchrotron Spectrum 34510.5.3 Determining Synchrotron Source Properties 34910.5.4 Synchrotron Sources - Spurs, Bubbles, Jets, Lobes, and Relics 35310.6 Inverse Compton Radiation 356Problems 360Just for Fun 363Chapter 11: Line Emission 36511.1 The Richness of the Spectrum - RadioWaves to Gamma Rays 36611.1.1 Electronic Transitions - Optical and UV Lines 36611.1.2 Rotational and Vibrational Transitions - Molecules, IR and mm-Wave Spectra 36711.1.3 Nuclear Transitions - Gamma-Rays and High Energy Events 37111.2 The Line Strengths, Thermalization, and the Critical Gas Density 37611.3 Line Broadening 37811.3.1 Doppler Broadening and Temperature Diagnostics 37811.3.2 Pressure Broadening 38211.4 Probing Physical Conditions Via Electronic Transitions 38411.4.1 Radio Recombination Lines 38411.4.2 Optical Recombination Lines 39011.4.3 The 21Cm Line of Hydrogen 39411.5 Probing Physical Conditions Via Molecular Transitions 39811.5.1 The Carbon Monoxide (CO) Molecule 399Problems 401Just for Fun 403Part VI: The Signal Decoded 405Chapter 12: Forensic Astronomy 40712.1 Complex Spectra 40812.1.1 Isolating the Signal 40812.1.2 Modelling the Signal 41012.2 Case Studies - The Active, the Young, and the Old 41512.2.1 Case Study 1: The Galactic Centre (the Active) 41512.2.2 Case Study 2. The Cygnus Star-Forming Complex (the Young) 41912.2.3 Case Study 3: The Globular Cluster, NGC 6397 (the Old) 42212.3 The Messenger and the Message 426Problems 427Just for Fun 429Appendix T 431Acronym Key to Bibliography 441References and In-Depth Reading 442Index 467

O autorze

Judith Irwin is an Astrophysicist and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Queen's University, Canada, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate level physics, astrophysics, and astronomy.Her research focuses on gaseous halos and magnetic fields that surround spiral galaxies. Professor Irwin has published numerous papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals.