An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics

Contents
Preface
I THE TOOLS OF ASTRONOMY
	1 The Celestial Sphere
		1.1 The Greek Tradition
		1.2 The Copernican Revolution
		1.3 Positions on the Celestial Sphere
		1.4 Physics and Astronomy
	2 Celestial Mechanics
		2.1 Elliptical Orbits
		2.2 Newtonian Mechanics
		2.3 Kepler’s Laws Derived
		2.4 The Virial Theorem
	3 The Continuous Spectrum of Light
		3.1 Stellar Parallax
		3.2 The Magnitude Scale
		3.3 The Wave Nature of Light
		3.4 Blackbody Radiation
		3.5 The Quantization of Energy
		3.6 The Color Index
	4 The Theory of Special Relativity
		4.1 The Failure of the Galilean Transformations
		4.2 The Lorentz Transformations
		4.3 Time and Space in Special Relativity
		4.4 Relativistic Momentum and Energy
	5 The Interaction of Light and Matter
		5.1 Spectral Lines
		5.2 Photons
		5.3 The Bohr Model of the Atom
		5.4 Quantum Mechanics and Wave–Particle Duality
	6 Telescopes
		6.1 Basic Optics
		6.2 Optical Telescopes
		6.3 Radio Telescopes
		6.4 Infrared, Ultraviolet, X-ray, and Gamma-Ray Astronomy
		6.5 All-Sky Surveys and Virtual Observatories
II THE NATURE OF STARS
	7 Binary Systems and Stellar Parameters
		7.1 The Classification of Binary Stars
		7.2 Mass Determination Using Visual Binaries
		7.3 Eclipsing, Spectroscopic Binaries
		7.4 The Search for Extrasolar Planets
	8 The Classification of Stellar Spectra
		8.1 The Formation of Spectral Lines
		8.2 The Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram
	9 Stellar Atmospheres
		9.1 The Description of the Radiation Field
		9.2 Stellar Opacity
		9.3 Radiative Transfer
		9.4 The Transfer Equation
		9.5 The Profiles of Spectral Lines
	10 The Interiors of Stars
		10.1 Hydrostatic Equilibrium
		10.2 Pressure Equation of State
		10.3 Stellar Energy Sources
		10.4 Energy Transport and Thermodynamics
		10.5 Stellar Model Building
		10.6 The Main Sequence
	11 The Sun
		11.1 The Solar Interior
		11.2 The Solar Atmosphere
		11.3 The Solar Cycle
	12 The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation
		12.1 Interstellar Dust and Gas
		12.2 The Formation of Protostars
		12.3 Pre-Main-Sequence Evolution
	13 Main Sequence and Post-Main-Sequence Stellar Evolution
		13.1 Evolution on the Main Sequence
		13.2 Late Stages of Stellar Evolution
		13.3 Stellar Clusters
	14 Stellar Pulsation
		14.1 Observations of Pulsating Stars
		14.2 The Physics of Stellar Pulsation
		14.3 Modeling Stellar Pulsation
		14.4 Nonradial Stellar Pulsation
		14.5 Helioseismology and Asteroseismology
	15 The Fate of Massive Stars
		15.1 Post-Main-Sequence Evolution of Massive Stars
		15.2 The Classification of Supernovae
		15.3 Core-Collapse Supernovae
		15.4 Gamma-Ray Bursts
		15.5 Cosmic Rays
	16 The Degenerate Remnants of Stars
		16.1 The Discovery of Sirius B
		16.2 White Dwarfs
		16.3 The Physics of Degenerate Matter
		16.4 The Chandrasekhar Limit
		16.5 The Cooling of White Dwarfs
		16.6 Neutron Stars
		16.7 Pulsars
	17 General Relativity and Black Holes
		17.1 The General Theory of Relativity
		17.2 Intervals and Geodesics
		17.3 Black Holes
	18 Close Binary Star Systems
		18.1 Gravity in a Close Binary Star System
		18.2 Accretion Disks
		18.3 A Survey of Interacting Binary Systems
		18.4 White Dwarfs in Semidetached Binaries
		18.5 Type Ia Supernovae
		18.6 Neutron Stars and Black Holes in Binaries
III THE SOLAR SYSTEM
	19 Physical Processes in the Solar System
		19.1 A Brief Survey
		19.2 Tidal Forces
		19.3 The Physics of Atmospheres
	20 The Terrestrial Planets
		20.1 Mercury
		20.2 Venus
		20.3 Earth
		20.4 The Moon
		20.5 Mars
	21 The Realms of the Giant Planets
		21.1 The Giant Worlds
		21.2 The Moons of the Giants
		21.3 Planetary Ring Systems
	22 Minor Bodies of the Solar System
		22.1 Pluto and Charon
		22.2 Comets and Kuiper Belt Objects
		22.3 Asteroids
		22.4 Meteorites
	23 Formation of Planetary Systems
		23.1 Characteristics of Extrasolar Planetary Systems
		23.2 Planetary System Formation and Evolution
IV GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE
	24 The Milky Way Galaxy
		24.1 Counting the Stars in the Sky
		24.2 The Morphology of the Galaxy
		24.3 The Kinematics of the Milky Way
		24.4 The Galactic Center
	25 The Nature of Galaxies
		25.1 The Hubble Sequence
		25.2 Spiral and Irregular Galaxies
		25.3 Spiral Structure
		25.4 Elliptical Galaxies
	26 Galactic Evolution
		26.1 Interactions of Galaxies
		26.2 The Formation of Galaxies
	27 The Structure of the Universe
		27.1 The Extragalactic Distance Scale
		27.2 The Expansion of the Universe
		27.3 Clusters of Galaxies
	28 Active Galaxies
		28.1 Observations of Active Galaxies
		28.2 A Unified Model of Active Galactic Nuclei
		28.3 Radio Lobes and Jets
		28.4 Using Quasars to Probe the Universe
	29 Cosmology
		29.1 Newtonian Cosmology
		29.2 The Cosmic Microwave Background
		29.3 Relativistic Cosmology
		29.4 Observational Cosmology
	30 The Early Universe
		30.1 The Very Early Universe and Inflation
		30.2 The Origin of Structure
A Astronomical and Physical Constants
B Unit Conversions
C Solar System Data
D The Constellations
E The Brightest Stars
F The Nearest Stars
G Stellar Data
H The Messier Catalog
I Constants, A Programming Module
J Orbit, A Planetary Orbit Code
K TwoStars, A Binary Star Code
L StatStar, A Stellar Structure Code
M Galaxy, A Tidal Interaction Code
N WMAP Data
Suggested Reading
Index