High Energy Astrophysics

This course is an introduction to the acceleration, propagation, and radiation mechanisms of energetic particles in astrophysical environments. It will cover the fundamental concepts.

Acquire basic knowledge of the processes of acceleration and propagation of astroparticles in magnetized environments. The course will be taught in lecture format, but will be accompanied by exercises with answers to be completed at home. A short review article on cosmic rays will also be required reading to familiarize students with reading academic articles.

Acquire essential knowledge about the mechanisms of energetic particle radiation in astrophysical environments, including synchrotron radiation, Bremsstrahlung, inverse Compton scattering, and pi-meson production. These processes will be presented in a lecture format, but the course will focus on developing the practical application of this knowledge in problem solving.

Required prerequisites:

Fluid mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity.

Recommended prerequisites:

Plasma physics, Hamiltonian dynamics, analytical mechanics, magnetohydrodynamics.

CCI 100%: Written exam with documents (3 hours) + Reading assignment to be handed in. The grade will be the maximum between the exam grade and the weighted average of the exam and the reading assignment.

^First series of courses:

- Review on cosmic radiation.

- Motion of a charged particle in a uniform magnetic field: Larmor motion, effect of an electric field, case of drift of the guide center produced by an external force perpendicular to the magnetic field, drift of the guide center produced by a magnetic field gradient: magnetic moment of the particle. The first adiabatic invariant of motion in a non-uniform magnetic field and the magnetic mirror.

- Derivation of the Vlasov equation from Klimontovich, the non-relativistic and relativistic Vlasov equation, the Landau effect, an introduction to the Fokker-Planck equation

- Derivation of ideal MHD equations from Vlasov, one- and two-fluid equations and generalized Ohm's law, Alfvén's theorem.

- Magnetic reconnection, Sweet-Parker model, and a few words about Petschek

- Hillas' confinement formula, Fermi's second- and first-order acceleration processes (case of a shock wave).

- The quasi-linear theory of cosmic ray transport.

^2nd series of courses:

- Radiation from accelerated charges: classical electrodynamics, relativistic generalization

- Bremsstrahlung emission

- Synchrotron radiation

- Applications: cosmic electrons

- Quantum processes: inverse Compton scattering, hadronic emission

- Applications: supernova remnant