Radiative Processes in High Energy Astrophysics, 2013 Lecture Notes in Physics Series, Vol. 873

This book grew out of the author?s notes from his course on Radiative Processes in High Energy Astrophysics. The course provides fundamental definitions of radiative processes and serves as a brief introduction to Bremsstrahlung and black body emission, relativistic beaming, synchrotron emission and absorption, Compton scattering, synchrotron self-compton emission, pair creation and emission. The final chapter discusses the observed features of Active Galactic Nuclei and their interpretation based on the radiative processes presented in the book. Written in an informal style, this book will guide students through their first encounter with high-energy astrophysics.

Some Fundamental definitions.- Bremsstrahlung and Black Body.- Beaming.- Synchrotron Emission and Absorption.- Compton Scattering.- Synchrotron Self–Compton.- Pairs.- Active Galactic Nuclei.- References.

Gabriele Ghisellini is director of research at the Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera and a well-known expert on Active Galactic Nuclei.