DRAFT:OUTLINE OF ASTROPHYSICS

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to astrophysics.

Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies, rather than their positions or motions in space–what they are, rather than where they are." Among the subjects studied are the Sun ( solar physics), other stars, galaxies, extrasolar planets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background. Emissions from these objects are examined across all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists apply concepts and methods from many disciplines of physics, including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics.

What is astrophysics?

Astrophysics can be described as all of the following:

An academic discipline: one with academic departments, curricula and degrees; national and international societies; and specialized journals.
A scientific field (a branch of science) – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer reviewed research is published.
- A natural science – one that seeks to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world using empirical and scientific methods.
  - A branch or field of space science – scientific discipline that involves space exploration and study natural phenomena and physical bodies occurring in outer space, such as space medicine and astrobiology.
    - A branch of astronomy –
  - A branch of physics –
An interdisciplinary field – field of science that overlaps with other sciences

The subdisciplines of theoretical astrophysics are:

Astrobiology – studies the advent and evolution of biological systems in the universe.
Compact objects – this subdiscipline studies very dense matter in white dwarfs and neutron stars and their effects on environments including accretion.
Computational astrophysics –
Exoplanet studies – various planets outside of the Solar System
Physical cosmology – origin and evolution of the universe as a whole. The study of cosmology is theoretical astrophysics at its largest scale.
Galactic astronomy – deals with the structure and components of our galaxy and of other galaxies.
High energy astrophysics – studies phenomena occurring at high energies including active galactic nuclei, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, quasars, and shocks.
Interstellar astrophysics – study of the interstellar medium, intergalactic medium and dust.
Extragalactic astronomy – study of objects (mainly galaxies) outside our galaxy, including Galaxy formation and evolution.
Stellar astronomy – concerned with Star formation, physical properties, main sequence life span, variability, stellar evolution and extinction.
Plasma astrophysics – studies properties of plasma in outer space.
Relativistic astrophysics – studies effects of special relativity and general relativity in astrophysical contexts including gravitational waves, gravitational lensing and black holes.

Astronomical spectroscopy – study of astronomy using the techniques of spectroscopy to measure the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light and radio, which radiates from stars and other celestial objects.
Astroparticle physics –
Black hole –
Cosmic ray –
Doppler effect –
Gravitational lens –
Nucleosynthesis –
Plasma physics –
Polarization –
Quark matter –
Interstellar medium –
Standard candles –
Stellar evolution –
Universe –

^ "Carl Sagan dies at 62". CNN. 1996-12-20. Retrieved 2011-12-05. Sagan was a noted astronomer whose lifelong passion was searching for intelligent life in the cosmos.