PHY4936/AST5245: Radiative Processes and Transport in Astrophysics

Class Information

• Lectures: M F 1:15-2:25pm; HCB 314

• Professor: Peter Hoeflich, 614 Keen Building 644-5567, pah@astro.physics.fsu.edu

• Office hours: Tuesday 1-3pm. You are also welcome to contact me whenever you have questions.

• Main Webpage: see Blackboard

Description

Photons are the carrier of information in astronomy and, in many cases, dominate the structure and evolution of celestrial objects. Understanding radiative transport, radiation hydrodynamics and the coupling of photons and matter are the building blocks which can be described by a system of highly non-linear integro-differential equations. Their solution requires simplifications and advanced numerical schemes. In this course we will learn the fundamentals and to choose the appropriate methods and approximations. Particular emphasis will be on the applications ranging from stars, stellar atmospheres, exploding stars, nebula and star forming region, the interstellar and intergalactic medium to the re-ionzation phase which ends the 'Dark Ages'.

Text books

Rybicki & Lightman (RT): Radiative Processes in Astrophysics, Wiley & Sons (1978)S. Chandrasekhar, Radiative Transfer, 1960, Dover Press

S. Gray: Stellar Photospheres, 2005, Cambridge University Press

D. Mihalas: Stellar Atmospheres, 1978, Freeman Press

D. Osterbrock & G. Ferland: Astrophysics in Gaseous Nebulae &AGNs, 2005, University Science Books, California (remake of the 'classical' Osterbrock)

Mihalas D & Mihalas B: Foundations of Radiation Hydrodynamics, 1999, Dover Press

Castor, J. Radiation Hydrodynamics, 2008, Cambridge University Press

Reading Assignments

1/21/12: RL, Chapter 1.1 - 1.5

1/28/12: RL, 1.6, Chapter 2

2/6/12: RL, Chapters 3 & 5

2/10/12: RL, Chapters 6 & 7

2/17/12: RL, 9

2/24/12: RL 10

Notes to the Reading Assignments

• Pradiip Alvarez,Robert Bebeau,Rudger Dungan, Tiara Diamond,Paul Dragolin,Joseph Goldberg,Paul Hellinger,

• Tim Handy, Joe Mitchell,Sabrina Siddique,Sandon Simmons,Yuki Takeuchi,Matthew Trimble,Andrew Wray