Astrophysical Techniques

by C.R. Kitchin

Overview

Long used in undergraduate and introductory graduate courses, Astrophysical Techniques, Seventh Edition provides an accessible yet comprehensive account of the innovate instruments, detectors, and techniques employed in astronomy and astrophysics. Emphasizing the underlying unity of all astronomical observations, this popular textbook provides a coherent state-of-the-art account of the instruments and techniques used in current astronomy and astrophysics.

Fully updated throughout, this seventh edition builds upon the sixth edition, covering improved techniques and cutting-edge methods in the field, as well as other exciting new developments in gravitational waves, dark matter and energy, the use of photonics, and astronomy education and outreach, in addition to further detailed discussions on the latest scientific instruments and individual detectors.

The book is written in a very accessible manner, and most of the mathematics is accessible to those who have attended a mathematics course in their final years at school. Nevertheless, the treatment of the topics in general is at a sufficiently high level to be of use to those professionals seeking technical information in areas of astronomy with which they might not be completely familiar.

Key Features:

• Details the instrumentation and theory of astronomical observations, including radio waves, gamma rays, cosmic rays, neutrinos, gravitational waves and dark matter and energy and more
• Presents the background theory and operating practice of state-of-the-art detectors and instruments
• Fully updated to contain the latest technology and research developments

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138590168
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	07/28/2020
Edition description:	7th ed.
Pages:	466
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chris is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Hertfordshire and a freelance writer of astrophysics text books. From 1987 to 2001 he was Director of the University's Observatory at Bayfordbury and from 1996 to 2001 also Head of the Division of Physics and Astronomy. He took early retirement in 2001 in order to concentrate on his writing interests. Chris has written sixteen books as sole author and contributed to another dozen or so, as well as writing hundreds of articles covering interests ranging from popular to specialist research.

Table of Contents

1. Detectors. 2. Imaging. 3. Photometry. 4. Spectroscopy. 5. Other Techniques.

Editorial Reviews

...a well-written, comprehensive guide to the techniques and instruments used to probe the cosmos. Useful to star gazers at all levels of expertise.

New Scientist

... an extensive and penetrating compendium ... astronomers at any level will find this book of great value ... The book succeeds very well in bringing together, in one source, the current state of the art of detecting the unverse in all its guises.

Modern Astronomer

The book is thorough and is accurately aimed at the undergraduate who likes a good long read. ... It is a superb review of the plethora of complicated physical processes.

Times Higher Ed. Supplement

A revised and updated edition (first in 1984) of Kitchin's clear and comprehensive account of the instruments and techniques used in astronomy and astrophysics, for science undergraduates and amateur astronomers. Includes exercises with answers, an extensive bibliography, and tables of astrophysical data for reference. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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