Notes on Astrophysics

Introduction
Historical Overview
Astronomy
        Cosmology
        The Lifecycle of a Star
        Other Objects
Physics
        Theories of Relativity
        Particle Physics
        Quantum Mechanics
        Superstring Theory
Mathematics
Online Resources
References

Introduction

Wikipedia, one of the primary sources of information for this page, has the following to say on the topic of Astrophysics:

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties (luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition) of celestial objects such as stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium, as well as their interactions.  The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at the largest scales where Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity plays a major role.

Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists typically apply many disciplines of physics, including mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics.  In practice, modern astronomical research involves a substantial amount of physics.

This web page is an attempt to organize my thoughts as I try to understand the field of Astrophysics.  This includes the following topics:

A Brief History of Astronomy and Physics

Astronomy

Cosmology - From the Big Bang to ... ?

The Lifecycle of a Star

Other Astonomical Objects

Physics

Einstein's Theories of Relativity

Particle Physics

Quantum Mechanics

Superstring Theory

The Mathematics of Astrophysics

Links to Online Resources

Credits: Bibliography and References



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