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Astrophysics
Decoding the Cosmos
Judith Ann Irwin
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Astrophysics
Decoding the Cosmos
Judith Ann Irwin
About This Book
ASTROPHYSICS
The new edition of the popular textbook for undergraduate astronomers, covers the "how" of astrophysics
Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos, Second Edition, describes how information about the physical nature of stars and other celestial bodies is obtained and analyzed to gain a better understanding of the universe. This acclaimed introductory textbook makes the complex principles and theories underlying astrophysics accessible to students with basic knowledge of first-year calculus-based physics and introductory astronomy. Reader-friendly chapters explore physical processes using relevant examples and clear explanations of how radiation and particles are analyzed. Such analysis leads to the density, temperature, mass, and energy of astronomical objects.
In the time since the first publication of Astrophysics, the power of telescopes has increased considerably. Reflecting advancements in the field, this new edition includes carefully reviewed and updated material throughout, including recent GAIA satellite results, new information from subatomic particles, neutrinos, and cosmic rays, and brand-new case studies on Gamma-ray bursters, soft repeaters, fast radio bursts, exoplanets, and signals from exoplanetary atmospheres. Retaining its focus on electromagnetic radiation, the second edition now covers more of the ways that information about the universe is acquired, such as particles, gravitational radiation, and meteoritics. This textbook:
- Describes complex processes in a clear and accessible manner
- Provides relevant background information on the physics and examples of the theory in practice to place the subject into context
- Includes new figures, case studies, examples, further readings, end-of-chapter problems of varying difficulty levels, and open-ended "Just for Fun" problems
- Features a companion website containing information required to solve the designated web-based problems in the text and a range supplementary learning material
Astrophysics: Decoding the Cosmos, Second Edition, is the ideal intermediate textbook for second- and third-year undergraduate students in Astrophysics courses, as well as a useful resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students looking to refresh their knowledge in basic concepts.
Frequently asked questions
Information
PART I
The Non-electromagnetic Signal
Chapter 1
The Particles: Macroscopic to Subatomic: Macroscopic to Subatomic
It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross, but it's not for the timid.–Star Trek, The Next Generation, Episode Q Who?
![Photos depict (Left) Early photograph of cosmic ray tracks in a cloud chamber. (Right) The 1.8 km diameter Lonar meteorite crater in India.](OPS/images/c01f001-plgo-compressed.webp)
1.1 METEORITICS
![Graph depicts the cumulative number of atmospheric impacts per year, N, for bolides in the 0.01–100 m size range from a variety of ground-based and space-based observations (symbols). Mass and size are shown at the top of the figure, and bolide kinetic energy, E, is shown at the bottom in units of kT TNT equivalent (1kT TNT equivalent = 4.185 × 1012 J). For comparison, the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, exploded with an energy of about 20 kT TNT equivalent. The long solid black line is a fit to satellite fireball data and has the form, N = 3.7 E-0.90 (for E in kT TNT), and the dashed line is from lunar cratering estimates.](OPS/images/c01f002-plgo-compressed.webp)
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Preface to the 1st edition
- Preface to the 2nd edition
- Acknowledgments – 1st Edition
- Acknowledgments – 2nd Edition
- List of Symbols
- About the Companion Website
- Introduction
- PART I: The Non-electromagnetic Signal
- PART II: The EM Signal Observed
- PART III: Matter and Radiation Essentials
- PART IV: The EM Signal Perturbed
- PART V: The EM Signal Emitted
- PART VI: The Signal Decoded
- APPENDIX T
- Acronym Key to Bibliography
- Index
- End User License Agreement