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Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal
PHY 413: Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics (4)
Introduction: Brief overview of the universe: Solar system and beyond.
Motions in the Sky: the Celestial Sphere, Coordinate Systems, the Ecliptic, Precission of the Equinoxes, proper motion.
Brightness measurements: Flux and UVB system, apparent and absolute magnitudes. Velocity and distance measurements.
Radiative processes in astrophysics: Radiative transfer, Blackbody radiation, Einstein coefficients, Bremsstrahlung, Cylotron & Synchrotron radiation, Thomson & Compton scattering, inverse Compton scattering
Physics of stars: stellar structure and composition, evolution, compact stellar Objects
Interstellar medium: composition, radiative heating and cooling, ISM phases, HII regions
The Milky Way: Structure, kinematics, differential rotation, oort's constant
Normal galaxies: Morphological classification of galaxies, spiral and elliptical galaxies, density wave theory of spiral structure, Galactic dynamics, stellar relaxation, dynamical friction, rotation curves and dark matter, galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing
Active galaxies: active galactic nuclei, classification, unified model of AGN, quasar absorption lines
Cosmology: High redshift universe, CMBR, structure formation
Suggested Books:
- Binney, J. and Tremaine, S., Galactic Dynamics
- L. Sparke and J. S. Gallagher, Galaxies in the Universe: An Introduction
- B.W.Carrol and D.A.Ostlie, An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics
- Rybicki, G.B. and Lightman, A.P., Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
- J. E. Dyson and D. A. Williams, The physics of the interstellar medium
- BohmâVitense, Erika, Introduction to Stellar Astrophysics. vol 3 stellar structure and evolution
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