High-energy radiation from black holes : gamma rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos / Charles D. Dermer, Govind Menon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dermer, Charles.

Contributor:

Govind Menon.

Series:

Princeton series in astrophysics.

Princeton series in astrophysics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Black holes (Astronomy).

Cosmic rays.

Gamma ray astronomy.

Neutrinos.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (561 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. ; Woodstock : Princeton University Press, c2009.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Bright gamma-ray flares observed from sources far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy are best explained if enormous amounts of energy are liberated by black holes. The highest- energy particles in nature--the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays--cannot be confined by the Milky Way's magnetic field, and must originate from sources outside our Galaxy. Understanding these energetic radiations requires an extensive theoretical framework involving the radiation physics and strong-field gravity of black holes. In High Energy Radiation from Black Holes, Charles Dermer and Govind Menon present a systematic exposition of black-hole astrophysics and general relativity in order to understand how gamma rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos are produced by black holes. Beginning with Einstein's special and general theories of relativity, the authors give a detailed mathematical description of fundamental astrophysical radiation processes, including Compton scattering of electrons and photons, synchrotron radiation of particles in magnetic fields, photohadronic interactions of cosmic rays with photons, gamma-ray attenuation, Fermi acceleration, and the Blandford-Znajek mechanism for energy extraction from rotating black holes. The book provides a basis for graduate students and researchers in the field to interpret the latest results from high-energy observatories, and helps resolve whether energy released by rotating black holes powers the highest-energy radiations in nature. The wide range of detail will make High Energy Radiation from Black Holes a standard reference for black-hole research.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Chapter One. Introduction

Chapter Two. Relativistic Kinematics

Chapter Four. Physical Cosmology

Chapter Five. Radiation Physics of Relativistic Flows

Chapter Six. Compton Scattering

Chapter Seven. Synchrotron Radiation

Chapter Eight. Binary Particle Collision Processes

Chapter Nine. Photohadronic Processes

Chapter Nine. Pair Production

Chapter Eleven. Blast-Wave Physics

Chapter Twelve. Introduction to Fermi Acceleration

Chapter Thirteen. First-Order Fermi Acceleration

Chapter Fourteen. Second-Order Fermi Acceleration

Chapter Fifteen. The Geometry of Spacetime

Chapter Sixteen. Black-Hole Electrodynamics

Chapter Seventeen. High-Energy Radiations from Black Holes

Appendix A. Essential Tensor Calculus

Appendix B. Mathematical Functions

Appendix C. Solutions of the Continuity Equation

Appendix D. Basics of Monte Carlo Calculations

Appendix E. Supplementary Information

Appendix F. Glossary and Acronym List

References

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612935763

9786612463280

9781282463288

1282463284

9781282935761

1282935763

9781400831494

1400831490

OCLC:

638860546