High-Energy Astrophysics

3 cr · Undergraduate

This course provides an overview of the field of high-energy astrophysics and of high-energy missions, with emphasis on X-ray and gamma-ray astrophysical sources and relevant radiation processes. Radiation and high-energy processes include synchrotron radiation, bremsstrahlung, Inverse Compton scattering, pion decay, and particle acceleration. Astrophysical sources include accreting compact objects, supernovae and their remnants, gamma-ray bursts, and clusters of galaxies. The course can include topics relevant to nuclear astrophysics and will train students in writing observing proposals for high-energy facilities. May not be held with PHYS 4300 when the topic is "High-Energy Astrophysics".