Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- A note on symbols
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Interaction of radiation with matter
- 3 Stellar astrophysics I: Basic theoretical ideas and observational data
- 4 Stellar astrophysics II: Nucleosynthesis and other advanced topics
- 5 End states of stellar collapse
- 6 Our Galaxy and its interstellar matter
- 7 Elements of stellar dynamics
- 8 Elements of plasma astrophysics
- 9 Extragalactic astronomy
- 10 The spacetime dynamics of the Universe
- 11 The thermal history of the Universe
- 12 Elements of tensors and general relativity
- 13 Some applications of general relativity
- 14 Relativistic cosmology
- Appendix A Values of various quantities
- Appendix B Astrophysics and the Nobel Prize
- Suggestions for further reading
- References
- Index
Preface
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- A note on symbols
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Interaction of radiation with matter
- 3 Stellar astrophysics I: Basic theoretical ideas and observational data
- 4 Stellar astrophysics II: Nucleosynthesis and other advanced topics
- 5 End states of stellar collapse
- 6 Our Galaxy and its interstellar matter
- 7 Elements of stellar dynamics
- 8 Elements of plasma astrophysics
- 9 Extragalactic astronomy
- 10 The spacetime dynamics of the Universe
- 11 The thermal history of the Universe
- 12 Elements of tensors and general relativity
- 13 Some applications of general relativity
- 14 Relativistic cosmology
- Appendix A Values of various quantities
- Appendix B Astrophysics and the Nobel Prize
- Suggestions for further reading
- References
- Index
Summary
Particle physics, condensed matter physics and astrophysics are arguably the three major research frontiers of physics at the present time. It is generally thought that a physics student's training is not complete without an elementary knowledge of particle physics and condensed matter physics. Most physics departments around the world offer one-semester comprehensive courses on particle physics and condensed matter physics (sometimes known by its more traditional name ‘solid state physics’). All graduate students of physics and very often advanced undergraduate students also are required to take these courses. Very surprisingly, one-semester comprehensive courses on astrophysics at a similar level are not so frequently offered by many physics departments. If a physics department has general relativists on its faculty, often a one-semester course General Relativity and Cosmology would be offered, though this would normally not be a compulsory course for all students. It has thus happened that many students get trained for a professional career in physics without a proper knowledge of astrophysics, one of the most active research areas of modern physics.
Of late, many physics departments are waking up to the fact that this is a very undesirable situation. More and more physics departments around the world are now introducing one-semester comprehensive courses on astrophysics at the advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level, similar to such courses covering particle physics and solid state physics.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Astrophysics for Physicists , pp. xiii - xviiPublisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010