3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course is for both graduate students and undergraduate students. There is no prerequisite although reading for introductory texts will be supplied where useful. Postdocs are also welcome to attend. Topics that will be discussed include: 1.Gravitational Wave Astronomy (related to cosmic plasmas),2. Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays,3. Black Hole Electrodynamics, 4.the Intergalactic, Interstellar and Intra-Cluster Medium, 5.Pulsars, 6.Magnetars, 7.Stellar and Galactic Dynamos,8.Solar Flares and CMEs, 9.Gamma Ray Bursts, 10.Supernovae and their Remnants, 11. Radio Sources and Jets and, 12. the universal cosmic plasma from earliest times13.Finally the detailed dusty plasmas around protostellar and protoplanetary disks including debris components of comets, asteroids planetesimals and interstellar intruders. We will spend roughly one week on each topic. In class, we will combine the lectures with reading interesting new papers from the current literature and it is expected that students will be sufficiently fluent in this field by the end of the semester to critically discuss and analyze such papers as experts.