Syllabus and literature

Syllabus

The syllabus follows closely chapters of the lecture notes:

1. Radiation quantities
2. Radiation and matter in equilibrium
3. The radiative transfer equation
4. Discrete processes
5. Continuous processes
6. Radiative transfer

Literature

• Lecture notes: Introduction to Astrophysical Radiative Transfer by Rob Rutten
• Radiative processes in astrophysics by George Rybicki and Alan Lightman
• The observation and analysis of stellar photospheres by David Gray
• Introduction to stellar astrophysics, vol.2 : Stellar atmospheres by Erika Böhm-Vitense
• Radiative Processes in High Energy Astrophysics by Gabriele Ghiselline
• Astrophysics of the Diffuse Universe by Mike Dopita and Ralph Sutherland
• Radiative Transfer in Stellar Atmospheres by Rob Rutten (more advanced version of the lecture notes with focus on stellar atmospheres)

Additional resources for Zeeman effect and polarised radiative transfer

• Polarization in Spectral Lines by Egidio Landi Degl'Innoccenti & Marco Landolfi. Advanced level, but THE reference text for all things related to Zeeman effect and polarisation. Chapter 3 (Zeeman effect) and Chapter 9 (Line Formation in a Magnetic Field) are the most relevant.
• Modern Physics by Paul Tipler and Ralph Llewellyn. A more introductory-level text on Quantum Physics & Relativity, with most relevant chapter 7 on Atomic Physics. Some additional sections are available online for free and are highly recommended:
  • Modern Physics, Multielectron Atoms
  • Modern Physics, The Zeeman Effect
• Radiative Diagnostics in the Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere by Jaime de la Cruz Rodríguez and Michiel van Noort. Freely available online, only sections 2.1 and 2.2 are relevant.