Department of Physics

10ΕΚ101 High Energy Astrophysics

Course webpage:   https://eclass.uoa.gr/courses/PHYS209

Course outline

Course content

• Introductory concepts: Sources of high-energy radiation, non-thermal photon spectra, X-ray and γ-ray astronomy.
• Cosmic rays: Observations, hadronic interactions.
• Photon-photon pair production: Energy threshold, cross section, optical depth, astrophysical applications.
• Radiation fields: Larmor equation, Thomson scattering.
• Compton scattering: Kinematics, energy losses, radiation spectrum, astrophysical applications.
• Synchrotron radiation: Basic principles, energy losses, radiation spectrum, astrophysical applications.
• Particle acceleration to high energies: Fermi acceleration, electrostatic gap acceleration, astrophysical applications.
• Relativistic magnetohydrodynamics: Basic concepts, application to astrophysical jets.
• Plasma effects on high-energy radiation processes: Cherenkov radiation, Razin effect.