An introduction to radio astronomy / Bernard F. Burke and Francis Graham-Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burke, Bernard F., 1928-

Contributor:

Graham-Smith, Francis, 1923-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radio astronomy--Observations.

Radio astronomy.

Radio astronomy--Methodology.

Physical Description:

xi, 393 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Summary:

A clearly written, wide-ranging graduate textbook examining all aspects of radio astronomy - by two founders of the field.

Contents:

1.1 The role of radio observations in astronomy 1

1.2 Thermal and non-thermal processes 4

1.3 Radiation processes and radio observations 6

2 Radio telescopes as antennas 8

2.1 Beamwidth, effective area and the jansky 8

2.2 Antenna temperature 10

2.3 Electromagnetic waves 13

2.4 Polarization: the Stokes parameters 16

3 Signal detection and noise 21

3.1 Gaussian random noise 21

3.2 Band-limited noise 23

3.3 Detection and integration 25

3.4 Radiometer principles 27

3.5 Radiometers in practice 30

3.6 Spectrometry 34

3.7 Cross-correlation radiometry: interferometry 38

4 Single-aperture radio telescopes 40

4.1 Angular resolution 40

4.2 Steerable radio telescopes 42

4.3 Phased arrays 42

4.4 Aperture distributions and beam patterns 44

4.5 Feed systems 48

4.6 Surface accuracy 51

4.7 Millimetre and sub-millimetre telescopes 53

4.8 Smoothing: the response to a sky brightness distribution 54

5 The two-element interferometer 56

5.1 The basic two-element interferometer 57

5.2 Interferometers with finite bandwidth 61

5.3 Interferometers and finite source size 63

5.4 Fourier transforms and the u,v-plane 65

5.5 Practical considerations 67

5.6 Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) 69

5.7 Beam switching 73

5.8 The interferometer in geodesy and astrometry 74

5.9 Interferometry at millimetre wavelengths 75

5.10 Optical interferometry 77

6 Aperture synthesis 79

6.1 Interferometer arrays 80

6.2 The spectral sensitivity function 82

6.3 Filling the u,v-plane 85

6.4 Frequency diversity 90

6.5 Wide fields and wide bandwidths 90

6.6 Synthesis imaging 92

6.7 VLBI arrays 94

6.8 Calibration of interferometer data 96

6.9 Self-calibration 97

6.10 Signal-to-noise limitations and dynamic range 99

6.11 Aperture synthesis at millimetre wavelengths 102

6.12 Space VLBI 103

7 Radiation, propagation and absorption of radio waves 104

7.1 Radiative transfer 105

7.2 Synchrotron radiation 106

7.3 A power-law energy distribution 110

7.4 Synchrotron self-absorption 113

7.5 Free

free radiation 113

7.6 Radio spectral lines 116

7.7 Masers 118

7.8 Propagation through ionized gas 120

7.9 Faraday rotation 121

7.10 Scintillation 123

7.11 Propagation in the Earth's atmosphere 125

8 Galactic continuum radiation 128

8.1 Stars, dust and gas 129

8.2 Varieties of galaxies 132

8.3 Measurement of sky brightness temperature 133

8.4 The spectrum of the Galactic continuum 134

8.5 Synchrotron radiation: emissivity 137

8.6 The energy spectrum of cosmic rays 139

8.7 Polarization 141

8.8 Faraday rotation: the Galactic magnetic field 142

8.9 Loops and spurs 148

8.10 The Local Bubble 150

8.11 Other galaxies 151

9 The interstellar medium 153

9.1 Temperature states of the ISM 153

9.2 Neutral hydrogen (H I) 154

9.3 Ionized hydrogen (H II) 159

9.4 The hot ionized component 162

9.5 Heating and cooling mechanisms 162

9.6 Dense molecular clouds 164

9.7 Radio molecular lines 165

9.8 Supernova remnants (SNRs) 167

10 Galactic dynamics 175

10.1 Atoms and molecules in the Milky Way 176

10.2 The circular approximation 179

10.3 Spiral structure 183

10.4 Non-circular motions 188

10.5 The distribution of matter 193

10.6 The Galactic Centre 197

10.7 The scale of the Galaxy 201

11 Stars 205

11.1 Surface brightness 205

11.2 The Sun 208

11.3 The planets 211

11.4 Circumstellar envelopes 215

11.5 Circumstellar masers 217

11.6 The silicon oxide masers 218

11.7 The water masers 218

11.8 The hydroxyl masers 219

11.9 Classical novae 221

11.10 Non-thermal radiation from binaries and flare stars 226

11.11 Recurrent novae 228

11.12 X-ray binaries: Cyg X-3 and SS 433 229

11.13 Superluminal motion 230

12 Pulsars 236

12.1 Neutron stars 236

12.2 Neutron star structure 237

12.3 Rotational slowdown 239

12.4 Rotational behaviour of the Crab and Vela pulsars 240

12.5 Superfluid rotation 243

12.6 Radio and optical emission from pulsars 246

12.7 The radiation mechanism 251

12.8 The population and evolution of pulsars 253

12.9 Searches and surveys; the constraints 255

12.10 Trigonometric distance and proper motion 258

12.11 X-ray pulsars 259

12.12 Magnetic dipole moments 260

12.13 Binary orbits and interactions 263

12.14 Tests of general relativity 265

13 Radio galaxies and quasars 268

13.1 Radio emission from normal galaxies 270

13.2 Spectra and dimensions 272

13.3 Structures 273

13.4 A simple model of active galactic nuclei 279

13.5 The accretion disc 281

13.6 The torus 282

13.7 The core and the jets 284

13.8 Spectra of quasars and other AGNs 287

13.9 The radio brightness temperature of the core 289

13.10 Superluminal motion 290

13.11 The radio jets and lobes 292

13.12 The kiloparsec scale radio sources 293

14 Cosmology and the cosmic microwave background 296

14.1 The Hubble flow 297

14.2 A simple Newtonian model 298

14.3 Relativistic cosmology 301

14.4 Two fundamental problems of cosmology 303

14.5 Big Bang cosmology 305

14.6 The cosmic microwave background 308

14.7 Anisotropy and distortions of the CMB 311

15 Cosmology: discrete radio sources and gravitational lenses 318

15.1 Evolution and the radio source counts 318

15.2 Angular diameter and expansion velocity 324

15.3 Gravitational lensing 326

15.4 Observations of lenses: rings, quads and others 333

15.5 Weak gravitational imaging 337

15.6 Time delay 340

16 The place of radio in astronomy 341

16.1 The cosmic microwave background 342

16.2 The interstellar medium 343

16.3 Angular resolution: stars and quasars 344

16.4 Future developments 346

16.5 The protection of radio frequencies in astronomy 347

Appendix 1 Fourier transforms 351

A1.2 Convolution and cross-correlation 355

A1.3 Two or more dimensions 358

Appendix 2 Celestial coordinates, distance and time 360

A2.1 The celestial coordinate system 360

A2.2 The astronomical distance scale 363

A2.3 Time 364

Appendix 3 The origins of radio astronomy 367.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 374-388) and index.

ISBN:

0521005175

OCLC:

50571800